How to Remove Reviews on minimo (ミニモ)

Minimo, an online reservation service and app specializing in beauty salons, eyelash extension salons, nail salons, esthetics, and relaxation, allows you to directly book salon staff online. Minimo also has a feature that allows you to post reviews about the services provided by the salon staff who performed the treatment. However, there may be cases where negative posts are made, such as “I was forced to buy hair care products by the hairdresser” or “I suffered health damage”. In such cases, there is a risk that users may come across negative posts when they search for the salon or staff name on Google. If negative posts have been made about your company on Minimo, what measures should you take to remove such posts? Also, in what cases should you consult a lawyer?

What is minimo?

As mentioned above, minimo is a reservation service for beauty salons and similar establishments, where you can post and check reviews of salons and their staff. Furthermore, reviews posted on minimo can be viewed not only via search engines but also through the smartphone app. By installing the free minimo app on your smartphone, you can check reviews of beauty salons and other establishments that interest you. Therefore, if negative reviews are posted on minimo, there is a risk that minimo users and users searching for beauty salons or nail salons via search engines may see these reviews and avoid making reservations.

What are Negative Reviews Posted on minimo?

When searching for salons such as hairdressers on minimo, you can check the atmosphere of the salon and the satisfaction level of the treatment through reviews. However, there may be unexpected defamatory posts. Below are examples of negative reviews.

Reviews stating “I was forced to buy hair care products by the hairdresser”

This is a post stating that the hairdresser forced the customer to buy hair care products by saying things like, “If you have this type of hair, it will get damaged if you don’t use this product.” If such aggressive sales tactics are actually being used, the post is a legitimate one. However, misunderstandings or malice based on miscommunication with the hairdresser can also lead to such posts. Incorrect information suggesting that a certain hair salon is aggressively pushing sales can have a significant negative impact on the salon’s business if not promptly removed.

Reviews stating “There were health damages”

There are cases where reviews such as “I got a rash on my scalp from the hair dye” are posted. Such posts, if true, can be said to serve the public interest. However, there are also cases where such reviews are posted even though the user may have a sensitive skin and could have gotten a rash due to other factors. In such cases, if it is stated that “there were health damages”, it is likely that the hair salon would consider the review as damaging.

Baseless defamatory posts and posts causing reputational damage, etc.

On minimo, there may be posts that go beyond the “treatment and atmosphere of the salon”, such as defamatory posts against the salon or posts causing reputational damage to the salon’s employees. Such posts should be removed, just like in the case of anonymous bulletin boards like 5channel (formerly 2channel).

How to Request Removal for Violation of Review Guidelines

If you believe a review on minimo violates their guidelines, you can report it through their reporting form and ask the management to take action. Open the minimo app, tap on the three dots in the upper right corner of the review in question, select “Report”, choose the type of violation, and send it with a description of the issue. The image below shows the screen that appears when you tap “Report”.

The management will handle the report according to their internal standards, which are not disclosed. The review guidelines for minimo are as follows:

[Criteria for Inappropriate Reviews]

Posts including defamatory expressions or damaging someone’s reputation, definitive criticism

Posts impersonating others

Posts violating laws or public order and morals

Posts that may infringe on the rights of others

Posts that negatively affect the operation and are difficult to verify

Posts not based on personal experience, such as treatments not performed

Posts that exceed the scope of subjectivity, such as coercion of others

Posts including excessive criticism, inappropriate expressions for posting on the site

Posts without content

Other posts deemed inappropriate

(From minimo Frequently Asked Questions & Inquiries > Customers > About App Features > About Review Function > Review Guidelines)

According to these review guidelines, posts like “I was forced to buy hair care products by the hairdresser” could be considered as “Posts including defamatory expressions or damaging someone’s reputation, definitive criticism”, and it seems possible to request their removal.

Examples of Removal Requests Based on Illegality

For posts that include “defamatory expressions and definitive criticism that lead to defamation” on the review guidelines, it is necessary to consider defamation (infringement of the right to honor). To put it simply, defamation is established when:

1. A specific matter is written,
2. The information is not good for the company, and
3. It contradicts the truth.

In the example given above, if it is written that “I was forced to buy hair care products by the hairdresser,” then:

1. The phrase “I was forced to buy hair care products” has a specific meaning,
2. Such aggressive sales are subject to certain legal restrictions, and being perceived as a company that engages in such sales is disadvantageous for the company, and
3. While our company may recommend products when asked, we do not threaten customers by saying “it will be a big problem if you don’t use this” to make them buy our products.

These would be the arguments. However, even if the requirements for defamation are met, defamation is not established if the following conditions are met:

1. There is public interest,
2. There is public benefit, and
3. It is true or the truthfulness is recognized.

Not only the “aggressive sales” mentioned in the example above, but also other defamatory posts and rumor damage posts require the same consideration of defamation. However, it seems that deletion negotiations based on such claims and legal arguments can be quite difficult if you are not familiar with the law. Consulting with a lawyer may make the deletion process smoother.

The requirements for establishing defamation are explained in detail in the following article.

https://monolith.law/reputation/defamation[ja]

Removal by Provisional Disposition

If the removal negotiation through the app does not result in deletion, it will be necessary to seek removal through the courts. Reviews on minimo can be removed not through litigation procedures, but through a procedure called provisional disposition. Litigation can take about 3-12 months, and in some cases, it can take years. Provisional disposition, on the other hand, often takes about 2-3 months from consultation to removal if you consult with a lawyer who is knowledgeable about reputational damage measures.

The process of provisional disposition is carried out in the following order: application for provisional disposition → examination (a procedure similar to oral argument) → payment of security deposit → issuance of provisional disposition order → execution. In the case of provisional disposition, in addition to legal claims, evidence to support those claims is also required. For example, in the case of the aforementioned “aggressive sales” scenario, you would submit evidence such as internal manuals related to product promotion, and argue that “Our company does recommend products when asked by customers, but we prohibit forcing customers to buy in a way that stokes their fears according to our manual.” However, it is believed to be quite difficult to prove such claims without the help of a lawyer.

Identifying the Poster through Provisional Disposition

In situations where numerous malicious reviews are being posted (such as continuous posting of groundless defamation or rumor damage), you can request a lawyer to make a sender information disclosure request. A sender information disclosure request is a request for the disclosure of information such as the IP address, name, and address of the review poster. With minimo, after the treatment is completed, a message containing a URL for writing a review is sent from the management office. By tapping this URL, you can write a review. Therefore, if you are a member who has received treatment, you can post a review for free, and there may be cases where individuals with negative feelings towards the company are posting false information. In such cases, if you know information such as the poster’s IP address, you may be able to identify the poster. The procedure for identifying the sender is as follows:

1. Request information disclosure from the content service provider
2. Apply for a provisional disposition for sender information disclosure
3. Identify the transit provider
4. Apply for a provisional disposition to prohibit the deletion of sender information to the transit provider
5. Lawsuit for sender information disclosure request
6. Identify the sender based on the court’s judgment

After going through this procedure, if the poster is identified, you can claim for damages such as attorney’s fees and consolation money required for identifying the poster. For more details on the sender information disclosure request, please refer to the article below.

https://monolith.law/reputation/disclosure-of-the-senders-information[ja]

Summary

While minimo is a convenient website and app, it is not immune to posts that defame or spread harmful rumors due to misunderstandings or malice. In response to such posts, it may be necessary to consider requesting deletion through the app’s inquiry form, or seeking legal assistance to pursue deletion and identification of the poster through the courts. Legal claims such as defamation can often be challenging without the help of a lawyer. If you are troubled by defamatory posts or posts causing reputational damage, it is crucial to consult with a lawyer who is knowledgeable in these matters.