Yelp Site Bursting Over Bad Review on Newton Jeweler

A Newton jewelry store owner is seeking to find out the identity of a Yelp reviewer so he can sue her for libel and defamation.

Lawyers for George Pelz, the owner of Pageo in Newton, has subpoenaed Yelp to find out who “Linda G.” is, following up on a lawsuit filed in July against “Linda” for libel and defamation, reported the Boston Globe.

Linda G. posted a one star review on the page, with the owner demanding it be removed and fired back at Linda G., calling her a “Yelp Terrorist.” The review was not removed. Linda G. railed against Pelz, arguing that he gave her a fraction of what her diamond was worth when she brought it in after leaving an abusive relationship. Pelz responded on Yelp that not a single word of her story was true.

Yelp’s page is abuzz with controversial posts about the exchange, with a “warning” popping on the page when initially visiting:

Active Cleanup Alert

This business recently made waves in the news, which often means that people come to this page to post their reactions.

The best place to share your thoughts is on Yelp Talk. You are also welcome to post a review about this business, but we will ultimately remove reviews that appear to be motivated more by the news coverage itself than by the reviewer’s own customer experience with the business (even if that means removing points of view we might agree with).

Please note that we apply this same policy regardless of the business and regardless of the topic at issue in order to avoid injecting our own varied viewpoints into the debate. Read more on Yelp Support.

Hit agree, and visitors are let into the site.

A majority of posts on the Yelp site seemingly side with Linda G., and argue that posting reviews is freedom of speech that should not be challenged.

“The owner still thinks it’s a good idea controlling public voice. This jeweler is trying to sue Linda G who left a 1 star review on this Yelp page. As if it is not what he deserves,” wrote Meng W.

“Just goes to show you don’t need to be smart to own a business. I’m not saying that Linda was in the right, but you need to take the hit and deal with it. Lashing out at a customer is the definition of unprofessional. Also, NEVER threaten freedom of speech this is America you idiot,” posted Shaun G.

Yelp has objected to the subpoena for Linda G.’s real name, stating that it violates First Amendment rights.