Letting agent threatening to sue over a bad review

[asp8]

On Wednesday, I was threatened with legal action for a bad review I left on a letting agent's Google page.

I had travelled for a viewing, but no agent appeared. I had rescheduled my original 12:15pm slot to 1:45pm days prior. The platform confirmed the change, and I even received a reminder. Stood outside the property, I tried calling, WhatsApp, and social media. Nothing. Two hours later, they finally replied: no apology, just a claim that they assumed I didn't want to view it.

Why? Because I had previously questioned discrepancies regarding the number of rooms and the pricing between their website and the ad. They admitted they simply "assumed" I cancelled based on that query. I hadn't.

So, I left a bad review. Almost two weeks later, I received this:

"Adam,
Kindly remove your review from Google.
You version of events do not align with what you have written and I'll have no hesitation in taking further action via legal means in necessary for slander given the evidence .
I've temporarily suspended you in my XXXXXX rooms to let FB group as well for now until you do so.
As someone who is very well connected with most agents in SW london you are doing yourself no favours here as someone who needs a landlord or agency to trust you will be a decent tenant and not conduct yourself in the manner you have in this instance.
I trust you understand my resolve in this matter."

I was shocked by the threats. I replied asking them to point out any factual inaccuracies, offering to withdraw it if they could.

They claimed I'd cancelled the appointment, referencing the old 12:15pm slot.

"I'll ask respectful one more time you remove otherwise we'll end up in a unnecessary conflict based on the evidence at hand."

I fully believe I have the evidence to support my review, including screenshots of the contradictory listings, messages, and timestamps.

After collecting myself a bit (this all happened between 10pm and 1am last night), I drafted a more formal response, outlining how I believed my review was truthful and honest. I highlighted my concerns that the agent had breached GDPR with his misuse of my viewing-related contact details to suspend me from a Facebook group, as well as the potential conflict of consumer protections with his threat to impact my ability to secure housing.

He responded with:

"The balls in your court Adam.

We can do it the easy way or the hard way.

I'm fully within my rights to share publicly my experiences with you as you have done with your Google review.

I know exactly where I need to be legally in relation to ICO, PRS and also your other misguided claims as I have been in this busienss over 20 years and have partner who has spent 15 years working in legal practice.

What could have been resolved easily between us you seem to want to slander my business with your version of events for a missed viewing.

It's a simple request, easily actioned and with no damage caused to either party.

I'll leave it with you and happy to reinstate you to XXXXXXX Flats and rooms when complete, to help you with finding a home now and in the future".

Any advice? I'm fairly confident I haven't committed libel, owing to the evidence I have and it being truthful and honest. And, to be honest, I'd like to name him and his agency publicly to highlight his bad practices to other people, but want to be confident I'm ok to do so.

[Manxman]

So long as your review was both accurate and truthful, I don't see what they can sue you for.

Was it accurate and truthful?

Do you have evidence to support your review?

Is it likely that they have evidence to prove your review was neither accurate nor truthful?

[atticus]

To be able to sue for defamation, a claimant needs to be able to show that bit has suffered "significant harm". In the case of "a body that trades for profit" this means that the alleged defamatory statement has caused or is likely to cause it "serious financial loss": s1 Defamation Act 2013.

I suggest that once the letting agency has considered these requirements of the law (that the partner with 15 years experience in legal practice may know about), then that will be the end of the story.

[PallasAthena]

Well, he's trying to bully you, isn't he? I'd guess he knows full well he has no legal case against you but is relying on it that you don't know that

Pesonally I would consider this sentence a veiled threat to get you blacklisted with other letting agents in your area:"As someone who is very well connected with most agents in SW london you are doing yourself no favours here as someone who needs a landlord or agency to trust you will be a decent tenant and not conduct yourself in the manner you have in this instance. I trust you understand my resolve in this matter". I would be tempted as a preliminary response to ask him what the sentence means specifically is he saying that he might pass information about you to other letting agencies without your consent?

[asp8]

Thanks so much for the responses. I've spent lots of time making sure I'm confident that I have the evidence to support my review. I think, just in a situation like this, you worry you've not caught something or your evidence doesn't perfectly reflect what I said -- even though I know the events to be true.