Is it legal to review a customer?
Can I get sued?
This is the first thing every contractor asks before filing a report. Here is the honest answer in plain English — no scare tactics, no sales pitch, and no fine print games.
The short answer
Yes — telling the truth about a job you actually worked is legal in the United States. Honest, firsthand reviews are protected speech. Anyone can file a lawsuit over anything, but a truthful account of your own experience is the strongest position a reviewer can be in, and defamation claims against honest reviewers rarely go anywhere.
What the law protects
- 01
Truth is a complete defense
Defamation means a false statement of fact that damages someone's reputation. If the customer really did pay 90 days late, and you say they paid 90 days late, that is not defamation — it is a true story. Stick to what actually happened and you are on solid ground.
- 02
Opinions are protected
Saying 'I felt disrespected on this job' or 'I would not work for this customer again' is an opinion, and opinions cannot be defamatory. Star ratings are opinions too. The line is crossed only when someone states a false fact — like accusing a customer of a crime that never happened.
- 03
Many states have anti-SLAPP laws
A SLAPP is a lawsuit filed mainly to shut someone up. Most states — including California, Texas, New York, and Florida — have anti-SLAPP statutes that let a reviewer get these cases thrown out early, and often force the person who filed to pay the reviewer's legal fees.
- 04
The platform has its own protection
Under Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, Union Break as a platform is generally not treated as the speaker for what members write. That is the same law that lets every review site in the country exist.
What actually gets reviewers in trouble
The risk is not reviewing — it is how you review. These are the mistakes that create real problems, and they are all avoidable:
- 01
Making up facts or exaggerating
'They never paid' when they paid late is a false fact. 'They paid 74 days after the final invoice' is a true one. Precision protects you.
- 02
Reviewing a job you did not work
Secondhand stories and pile-on reviews are where credibility and legal cover fall apart. Union Break only accepts firsthand reports for exactly this reason.
- 03
Posting private information
Phone numbers, family details, health information, photos inside someone's home — none of that belongs in a review, and posting it can create real liability. Our moderators strip it before anything goes live.
- 04
Ignoring a confidentiality clause you signed
Some contracts include non-disparagement or confidentiality terms. Read what you signed. A review that violates a contract you agreed to is a contract problem, separate from defamation law. When in doubt, ask a lawyer in your state.
How Union Break lowers your risk
The platform is built so an honest reviewer stays an honest reviewer:
- Your handle shows, your identity doesn't. Reports are filed under a screen name. Your real name and company stay private.
- A human reads every report first. Nothing goes public until a moderator checks it against the content guidelines — no personal attacks, no private data, no claims a reviewer cannot back up.
- Customers get a rebuttal. The reviewed party can respond, and readers see both sides. Fair process is good business and good legal hygiene.
- Mistakes can be fixed. You can edit or delete your own reports, and anything that breaks the rules comes down. A review is a report on an address — not a tattoo.
If someone threatens to sue you
Take a breath. A demand letter is not a lawsuit, and a lawsuit is not a verdict. If your report was truthful and firsthand, do not panic-delete it out of fear — but do talk to a lawyer licensed in your state before responding. If you are in a state with an anti-SLAPP law, mention it; those statutes exist for exactly this situation. If a complaint about one of your reports reaches us, we review it against the same content guidelines as everything else.
The honest fine print
This page is general information, not legal advice, and reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship. Laws differ by state and facts matter. For advice about your specific situation, talk to a licensed attorney — our Tools of the Trade directory lists legal aid resources for contractors. Our full rules live in the Terms and Conditions and Content Guidelines.
Ready when you are