How to Remove Reviews from 'Japanese Hot Pepper Beauty' and Cases Where Charges Apply

When searching for beauty salons or nail salons, “reviews” play a crucial role in decision-making. A high number of positive reviews can lead to an increase in sales. However, it’s not uncommon for posts to contain false information or defamatory remarks.

This article explains how to remove malicious reviews posted on Hot Pepper Beauty. To minimize damage, it’s important to take action as quickly as possible.

What is Hot Pepper Beauty?

Hot Pepper Beauty is Japan’s largest hair salon and beauty salon search and reservation site, operated by Recruit Co., Ltd.

Here, you can search for hair salons that meet your needs and make reservations at your favorite salons. Not only can you search for salons and types of hair salons, but you can also search for various other salons, such as chiropractic, beauty, nail, and eyelash extension salons.

In addition, the search method is versatile, allowing you to search by nearest station, budget, coupons, and menu, catering to a wide range of needs.

Furthermore, you can make reservations with peace of mind by referring to reviews of the salons you are interested in. The site also has a convenient smartphone app, and many people use this site to search for and reserve salons.

What are Negative Reviews Posted on Hot Pepper Beauty?

While the salon information posted on Hot Pepper Beauty is primarily created by the salons themselves, the review section allows you to see the opinions and ratings of actual users.

Although there are many positive comments in the review section, negative reviews can also be posted.

In this article, we will first introduce the content of negative reviews and reputational damage that can be expected in the review section of Hot Pepper Beauty.

Reviews Expressing Dissatisfaction with the Treatment

The first type of negative review that comes to mind is one expressing dissatisfaction with the treatment.

• “I asked them to style my hair in a certain way, but they cut too much.”
• “The salon seemed busy, and they didn’t color my hair the way I wanted, so I didn’t get the finish I liked.”

Such reviews can damage the reputation of the hairdresser and can be considered undesirable for the salon.

However, the judgment of “it didn’t turn out the way I wanted” is based on the user’s subjectivity, and it can be difficult to draw the line between whether it contradicts the facts or constitutes defamation.

Even if it is not desirable for the salon, it can be useful information for those reading the reviews. It can be difficult to request the removal of such reviews.

However, if the review contains definitive expressions such as “you should definitely not go” or “the worst”, or if it contains defamatory expressions, or if it contains content that contradicts the facts (such as the fact that the colorant used was actually as directed by the user), it may be subject to removal.

Reviews Describing Trouble between the User and the Facility

For example,

“I had Menu A done for 3,000 yen, but when I checked my credit card statement later, it was 15,000 yen. There was no explanation of additional charges at all. I feel cheated. I’ve contacted the salon’s head office, but there’s no reply. I want my money back.”

If such a review is posted, it could deter customers and lead to a decrease in customer traffic.

If there is no such fact in reality, or if the review is based on the user’s misunderstanding, it can be said that the salon would want to remove it as soon as possible.

Posts about disputes between the parties can be difficult to judge fairly, so Hot Pepper Beauty restricts such posts in its terms of use.

Therefore, such reviews could be subject to removal. We will discuss this in more detail later.

Reviews Containing Malicious Expressions or Defamation

Another type of negative review that can be considered is one that contains malicious expressions or defamatory expressions.

For example, suppose there is a review that says, “The hairdresser A here touched my chest during the shampoo, which is sexual harassment and disgusting.”

If this is not true, it is a post that defames a specific individual or beauty salon and should be removed as soon as possible.

Hot Pepper Beauty reviews all review content before posting, so it is unlikely that such blatant defamatory reviews will be posted.

However, since the review is a human judgment, it is possible that posts containing defamation or malicious expressions may be posted.

If there is a possibility of suffering damage to reputation due to such posts, it is desirable to remove them as soon as possible.

How to Request the Removal of Reviews for Violation of Terms of Use

Users of the site agree to the terms of use when utilizing the site.

Since Hot Pepper Beauty (Japanese beauty salon booking site) has established rules for posting reviews in its terms of use, when requesting the removal of malicious reviews, you can request deletion on the grounds that the review violates the terms of use.

Hot Pepper Beauty “Review Rules”

The “Review Rules” separately stipulated in Article 5, Paragraph 2 of the Hot Pepper Beauty Terms of Use are specifically designed to govern the posting of reviews on Hot Pepper Beauty.

In Article 3, Paragraph 4 of the Review Rules (hereinafter referred to as “these Terms of Use”), prohibited content for posting is listed.

At Hot Pepper Beauty, all posted reviews are reviewed before they are published on the site.

While reviews that fall under each of these categories are generally not published, if a published review violates these Terms of Use, it may be subject to removal.

Examples of Reviews That Are Likely to Be Removed

Reviews that violate the “Rules of Reviews” are likely to be removed. Let’s look at a few examples.

“I asked them to cut only 3 centimeters off my hair, but they suddenly cut more than 5 centimeters. I wouldn’t recommend this place.”

In this case, the review is likely to be removed due to its arbitrary and definitive expression.

“The tall, blonde hairdresser here makes inappropriate comments that border on sexual harassment while cutting my hair. It’s disgusting.”

In this case, the review may be removed because it includes information that can identify individual employees, and it may also be considered defamatory.

How to Request a Review Removal

Hot Pepper Beauty does not provide a dedicated form for requesting review removals. Therefore, it is advisable to make your request through the general inquiry form.

Example of Making a Deletion Request for Violation of Terms of Use

First, fill in the necessary information in the form. After proceeding to the next step, a form will appear where you can write the content of your deletion request. When describing the content, be specific about which review you are referring to, so that it is easier for the Hot Pepper Beauty team to identify it.

For example, let’s consider a review about a dispute between a salon and a user that says, “I had Menu A done for 3,000 yen, but when I checked my credit card statement later, it was 15,000 yen. There was no explanation for the additional charges. I was deceived. I have contacted the salon’s headquarters but have not received a reply. I want my money back.”

In this case, you might write as follows:

Thank you for your attention. I am △△, the manager of Beauty Salon 〇〇.
I would like to request the deletion of this review. The content of this review is about a monetary dispute over our salon’s treatment fee. However, after investigating this matter, I believe that it is all due to the user’s misunderstanding of the facts. Such a description of a dispute is not beneficial as a review, and it falls under “Issues between the user and the posting facility” in Article 3, Paragraph 4, Item 7 of the Terms of Use. Such posts give the impression that our salon is conducting fraudulent business, which negatively affects our business. Therefore, I would like to request its deletion. Thank you for your understanding.

Please note that it is clearly stated on Hot Pepper Beauty that they do not delete reviews.

Therefore, even if you request deletion through the inquiry form, the likelihood of the review being deleted is low.

If your post is not deleted even after making a deletion request in this way, consider taking measures such as requesting a transmission prevention measure without going through a court, or considering a provisional disposition procedure using a court.

For more information on transmission prevention measures, please refer to this article.

Related article: What are the conditions for suing for defamation? Explaining the requirements and the average compensation[ja]

Requesting the Removal of Hot Pepper Reviews on the Grounds of Illegality

Legal Measures Available for the Removal of Reviews

If the content of a review infringes on rights or violates the law, it is possible to request its removal through a court proceeding with the help of a lawyer.

Generally, there are four major legal measures that can be taken as part of online reputation management:

1. Request for voluntary removal through a transmission prevention measure
2. Filing a provisional disposition for the removal of posted articles
3. Request for disclosure of sender information (Disclosure of IP address, name, and address)
4. Claim for damages (Claim for damages after identifying the poster)

Among these, the removal of reviews is possible through either the first measure, a transmission prevention measure request, or the second measure, filing a provisional disposition for the removal of posted articles.

Legal Arguments to be Made in a Review Removal Request

To request the removal of a review using these measures, it is necessary to first argue that the review constitutes “defamation”.

Defamation is established when all three of the following requirements are met:

• “Publicly”
• “Indicating a fact”
• “Damaging a person’s reputation”

For example, let’s consider a review that says, “The hairdresser A here is disgusting because they sexually harass you by touching your chest during the shampoo.”

Firstly, posts on review sites like Hot Pepper Beauty are placed in a state where they can be viewed by an unspecified number of people on the Internet, so it can be said to be “publicly”.

Next, “indicating a fact” refers to stating a specific fact that is sufficient to lower a person’s social evaluation, regardless of whether it is true or false.

In this case, the content is about being “sexually harassed by touching the chest”, which indicates a fact that is against the law, such as the hairdresser committing sexual harassment, and can be said to be sufficient to lower the hairdresser’s social evaluation.

Finally, to “damage a person’s reputation”, it is sufficient if there is an abstract risk of damage to social evaluation, and it is not necessary for the reputation to be actually infringed upon.

There is no need to prove that the post in question was viewed by an unspecified number of people on Internet news or social media, and that there was a flood of criticism and protests against the salon.

It is sufficient to say that there is an objective risk. For more details on the requirements for defamation, please refer to the article below.

Related article: What are the conditions for suing for defamation? Explaining the requirements and the average compensation[ja]

Also, it is possible to argue that the expression “disgusting” constitutes “insult”, and that revealing the hairdresser’s personal information (such as their name) constitutes an invasion of privacy.

The best approach to take will vary depending on the individual case, so it is advisable to consult with a lawyer.

Removal of Reviews through Court Intervention (Provisional Disposition)

Typically, when seeking the removal of content that violates laws such as defamation, the first step is to request a transmission prevention measure.

A transmission prevention measure is a method of requesting removal without going through the courts, asking for voluntary removal by Hot Pepper Beauty.

In this case, as it is a voluntary “request”, there may be instances where Hot Pepper Beauty does not proceed with the removal based on their judgement.

On the other hand, if the removal is approved through a court procedure, a binding force arises from the judgement, and Hot Pepper Beauty must comply with the removal.

If a transmission prevention measure is requested and Hot Pepper Beauty does not voluntarily comply with the removal, it will be necessary to take legal action.

“Provisional disposition” is a method stipulated in the Japanese Civil Preservation Law, which seeks temporary measures before obtaining a final judgement through a formal lawsuit when a swift resolution is required.

In cases like this, where there is a high risk of irreparable damage once defamatory reviews spread, it is effective to minimize damage by seeking the earliest possible removal of information using the provisional disposition system, along with filing a lawsuit.

If a provisional disposition application is approved, the court will order the other party to remove the post, making it unavoidable for them to comply with the removal.

In the case of provisional disposition, consulting with a lawyer who has expertise in reputational damage measures can often result in removal within 2 to 3 months from the request, making it an effective means to quickly remove reviews.

For detailed explanations on the procedure of provisional disposition for the removal of articles in cases of defamation or reputational damage, please refer to the article below.

Related article: The Importance of “Provisional Disposition for Removal” in Defamation Measures[ja]

Identifying Reviewers through Sender Information Disclosure Requests

Through sender information disclosure requests, it is possible to disclose information such as the poster’s IP address and potentially identify the poster.

If you have suffered damage due to malicious reviews, you may be able to sue the identified sender and seek damages.

We explain the flow of these procedures in detail in this article.

Related article: What is a sender information disclosure request? A lawyer explains the method and points to note[ja]

Conclusion: Consult a Lawyer to Remove Malicious Reviews

Hot Pepper Beauty conducts a review of the content before posting, making it a site with relatively few malicious posts.

However, because reviews are scrutinized before being posted, there is a risk that adequate measures may not be taken even if a request for removal is made for a review that has been posted.

Even if your removal request is not accepted, there is a possibility that the issue can be resolved by taking legal measures as mentioned above.

The method and argument to be used will vary depending on the individual case. If you are claiming illegality and requesting removal, it may be difficult to proceed on your own as it involves specialized content.

Furthermore, these procedures are considered “legal acts”. If a removal agent other than a lawyer performs these procedures, there is a possibility that the agent may be accused of violating Article 72 of the Japanese Lawyers Act.

First, consult with a lawyer to determine the best method for removing the review.

Introduction to Our Firm’s Measures

Monolith Law Office is a legal office with high expertise in both IT, particularly the Internet, and law. In recent years, overlooking information related to reputational damage and slander spread on the Internet can lead to serious harm. Our firm provides solutions for managing reputational damage and online crises. Details are provided in the article below.