Review 1
Harbor & Rye · Jamie Cole
1 of 5 stars · 2026-09-12
Read
Likely removable
Policy: Review extortion. Category: Fake or deceptive.
Report category
The review demands a gift card to change the rating. That is extortion, and the review is not a real visit. Google's report menu is not the same on every account. You might see Spam instead of Fake or deceptive, or Off-topic instead of Low-quality information. If you do not see the exact label, pick the closest one and paste the report text.
Fake or deceptive
Report text
Paste this if Google gives you a text box. Send the report before you touch the appeal.
Please review this contribution. The reviewer says they never ate at Harbor & Rye and demands a $200 gift card to change a 1-star review. The restaurant has no reservation or ticket under this name. This is a review-extortion demand, not a customer complaint.
Appeal text — hold this
Use this only if the first report comes back as no policy violation. You get one appeal. Do not send it early.
I am appealing the decision that this review does not violate policy. This is my one appeal. The reviewer demanded a $200 gift card to take the review down and said they never ate here. We did not pay.
Review-extortion form
Use Google's review-extortion form as well as the normal report: https://support.google.com/business/answer/16404809. Do this only because someone demanded money, goods, or a favor. Do not pay. Do not reply to the demand. Attach screenshots that show the date, the sender, and the ask.
Public reply
Post this only if you want a public reply. Stay calm. Do not argue, and do not threaten.
We have no record of this visit at Harbor & Rye. We do not pay, and we do not offer gifts, to change a review. If you were a customer, contact the restaurant and we will look it up.
Evidence to have ready
- A screenshot of the review that shows the reviewer name, the stars, the date, and the full text.
- The Google Maps link to the review, not only the link to the business.
- Your business name and address as they appear on the profile.
- A short note of how you searched (name, phone, email, and the dates you checked) and that no appointment, ticket, or receipt matched. Do not invent a record.
- Screenshots of the demand that show the date, the sender, and the ask for money or a gift. Do not pay. Do not crop out the date.
- Do not send customer card numbers or other payment data.
How to file it
1. File Google's review-extortion form
Do this in addition to the normal report. Use it only because someone demanded money, goods, or a favor to change or remove reviews. Do not pay them. Do not answer the demand. Attach screenshots that show the date, the sender, and the ask.
support.google.com/business/answer/164048092. Open the review on your Business Profile
Use the Google account that already manages the profile. ReviewShield never asks for that login, and we never sign in for you.
support.google.com/business/answer/45967733. Report the review
Next to the review, choose Report. Pick the category named in this kit. If a text box appears, paste the report text. Then send it. Google's help page for this is the report-reviews article.
support.google.com/business/answer/45967734. Wait for the first decision
This often takes a few days. Check the status in the Reviews Management Tool. Do not file the same report over and over. The status you need is either a removal or 'no policy violation.'
support.google.com/business/answer/45967735. Appeal once, and only after a denial
If the status says the review does not violate policy, you get one appeal. In the Reviews Management Tool choose the path for a review you already reported, then Appeal eligible reviews. Paste the appeal text there. Do not use the profile-suspension appeals tool for this. Google's appeal overview confirms a review decision can be appealed once.
support.google.com/business/answer/13597551