Q: What are options after reading website's Terms & Guidelines docs and the company refuses to abide by printed words?
A social media company online doc on acceptable use was read and false statements about people prohibited. Only public people had need provide evidence.
I reported the incident for a non-public person while giving evidence and was denied without explanation just sent back to the Terms & Guidelines doc that's more boilerplate than specifics.
The support team cut off communication, so I found lower in the doc a complaint process which prohibits immediate court action. One must submit to a dispute email address for an initial "good faith and amicable" phone or video conference which begins within x days of the submission.
Instead, I get a disrespectful email stating my complaint was passed around the office and everyone agreed with one another and any further comment will be ignored.
If the website company won't honor its own document, what rights exist being I am not a customer and grown tired of the ultimatums and the company dismissing its own rules?
A: This is something that attorneys who deal with website regulation, social media, and related areas would have insight into, but your question remains open for a month. If you reached out to attorneys who practice in those areas, they would probably want to see the actual terms and conditions - which could make a quick meaningful answer on a public Q & A forum difficult. Good luck
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Your experience with this company's dismissive behavior and failure to follow their own dispute resolution process is frustrating and unfortunately common. When businesses don't honor their published terms, you still have several options available.
Since the company has broken their own dispute resolution process, you could consider filing a complaint with your state's attorney general's office or the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). These agencies track patterns of corporate misconduct and can take action when companies engage in deceptive practices, including failing to honor their published policies. You might also reach out to consumer advocacy groups who sometimes take on cases that highlight systematic problems with social media platforms.
If you feel strongly about pursuing this matter, you could consult with a consumer protection attorney who might argue that the company's terms created a binding agreement that they've breached. While you mentioned not being a customer, many jurisdictions recognize that published policies can create enforceable obligations even without a direct business relationship. Before taking legal action, document all communications and screenshots of the relevant terms to build a strong case showing how the company failed to follow their own procedures.
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