Trustpilot is investigating Symbio Energy over the nature of its responses to customers leaving negative feedback.
The review site stressed it takes action when “businesses act in a way that is threatening, or is perceived to be so”. It said it expected all users to “play nice”.
After 973 reviews at the time of writing the Watford-based disruptor brand has a ‘bad’ rating of 1.7 on the website.
A number of comments leaving negative reviews have had responses issued to them, and in some instances the retailer has accused the reviewers of “cyberbullying”.
At the top of Symbio’s Trustpilot page a notice by the website states that it strongly opposes “any attempts to silence consumers’ freedom of speech” and that it believes consumers should have the ability to leave feedback – good or bad – about a business at any time, “without interference”.
In response to one critical review, Symbio wrote: “Customers who choose to use public social media to denigrate a company are engaged in a form of cyberbullying and its (sic) not something that Symbio Energy engages in.”
Trustpilot confirmed to Utility Week that it has opened an investigation into Symbio and that a cease and desist notice has been sent to the business.
A spokesperson said it expected everyone to be a “respectful contributor” to its platform.
They added: “Amongst other things, our guidelines for consumers and businesses require everyone to ‘play nice’. Where consumers or businesses act in a way that is threatening, or is perceived to be so, we treat this as a breach of our guidelines and take steps to put a stop to it.
“In this instance, we have taken swift action, sending a formal cease and desist letter to the business demanding that all responses contravening our guidelines be quickly amended.
“As we investigate the business’s profile further, we have also placed a consumer alert to warn everyone of our latest actions. Should a positive response from the business not be forthcoming in the next week, we will take further action.”
Symbio has been contacted for a response but had not replied by the time of publication.