Shopee appliance seller sues customer over bad review – and loses
The judge said Asia Excel had failed to establish how the reviews were defamatory in nature.
In a recent legal case, a Shopee vendor named Asia Excel has lost a defamation lawsuit brought against a customer named Chua Poh Hiok for a negative review. The District Court ruled that Chua's review, left on Asia Excel's listing page on Nov 13, 2024, was not defamatory and ordered the retailer to pay the customer S$4,000 in costs.
Chua had purchased a cooker hood from Asia Excel through Shopee, but was frustrated by the seller's repeated reminders about no refunds or returns once the item was delivered, and a requirement for someone to be home for delivery or pay a S$35 re-delivery fee. Despite Asia Excel's argument that the review was defamatory as it discouraged potential customers from buying from the retailer, the court found that the review conveyed facts about Asia Excel's delivery and return policies, which were true.
District Judge Chiah Kok Khun also noted that Shopee actively encourages buyers to leave reviews on its platform, and Chua's review was a matter of public interest. The judge emphasized that the tort of defamation protects reputations, but not every negative review is defamatory, especially in the context of online shopping.
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- Shopee appliance seller sues customer over bad review – and loses businesstimes.com.sg
