A couple in Florida said they left an honest review of a Nissan dealership after a negative experience. Still, they later claimed that the dealership’s general manager and his friends retaliated by flooding their business with negative reviews.
In a video shared online, the woman explained why she believed Nissan Cape Coral had made a serious mistake by targeting her and her husband. She described how they had worked hard to build their upholstery business from the ground up before detailing what she said led to the dispute with the dealership.
According to the woman, she and her husband purchased a vehicle from Nissan Cape Coral as private customers, not on behalf of their upholstery business. She said the vehicle began experiencing multiple problems after they bought it. When they returned to the dealership seeking assistance, she claimed their concerns were not resolved. As a result, the couple took the vehicle to a different dealership to have it repaired.
Following what she described as a negative experience with Nissan Cape Coral, the woman said she left an online review stating that she did not recommend the dealership. After posting the review, the general manager of Nissan Cape Coral began targeting her and her husband’s business.
The woman said their business had earned 18 five-star reviews, which she described as being extremely important to their small business. “18 reviews that we literally put our lives into,” she said as she became emotional. She then claimed that the general manager of Nissan Cape Coral, whom she identified as Blake, began “attacking” their business. The woman also said that he posted a negative review of their company. He also encouraged his friends to do the same, resulting in a wave of negative reviews.
She then showed evidence that the dealership’s general manager had left one of the negative reviews. The review was posted from an account that also contained other reviews featuring photos of the manager. After the reviews appeared, the woman’s husband returned to the dealership and asked that the situation be resolved. He also told staff that they would involve an attorney if the matter was not addressed.
Instead of resolving the dispute, the general manager doubled down on his actions. She claimed he chased her husband out of the dealership. He then allegedly told him, “You have so many more one star reviews coming your way to your business.”
The woman became emotional again as she described how the negative reviews were harming the business that supports her family and helps provide for their children. She later said that Blake removed his review, but not before she had taken a screenshot of it. She added that she had already contacted an attorney about the situation.
The couple later shared another video stating that they would not allow the general manager to retaliate against their business because of an honest customer review. They said the negative reviews were affecting not only their company but also their family’s livelihood. They also emphasized that they were not encouraging anyone to leave negative reviews for the dealership. The family added that they were not responsible if people did that after learning about the general manager’s conduct.
Nissan General Manager Apologizes
After the family’s videos gained widespread attention online, the general manager posted an apology on the dealership’s Facebook page. “I want to sincerely apologize to Krause Auto Group, the dealership, my fellow employees and my customers for my conduct. My actions were unprofessional, reflected poor judgment and did not represent the values or standards of this organization. I accept responsibility for the embarrassment and disruption my actions caused. I will use my time away from the dealership to complete professional conduct training, reflect on my decisions and ensure this behavior is never repeated,” he wrote.
The dealership later released its own statement addressing the incident. In it, the company acknowledged that the general manager’s actions were “inappropriate.” They also said that they had contacted the family to apologize. “We are addressing this matter seriously and remain committed to accountability, learning from this experience and upholding the standards our customers, employees and communities expect from us,” the statement read. The post drew backlash in the comments, with many calling for the general manager to be fired.
Viewers Criticize Florida General Manager Over Negative Reviews
The video sparked reactions online. Many viewers criticized the general manager and sided with the Florida family. They argued that the couple had been unfairly targeted after leaving an honest review. “Retaliation and harassment. Call a lawyer, go after Nissan,” one person wrote. Another commenter claimed to have had a negative experience with the same dealership, writing, “Nissan of Cape Coral kept our vehicle for 6 weeks and cannot find the issue. MIND YOU THEY FORGOT TO TURN OFF THE GPS…..an employee was taking the van to home and for drives all over OVERNIGHT!”
Others said the videos had changed their opinion of the dealership and that they planned to take their business elsewhere. “I’m literally car shopping for a new SUV and was planning on going there tomorrow. Thank you for this video, I will be going elsewhere,” one person wrote. Another commenter encouraged the family to escalate the matter, saying, “Go to Nissans DIRECT marketing or Hr or whatever and inform them of what these people are doing .. I’m sure they don’t want these people representing Nissan…”
The video sparked a conversation about how businesses should respond professionally to negative customer reviews rather than retaliating against customers. It also led to broader discussions about the importance of holding employees and managers accountable for their actions. This is especially when their conduct could damage a company’s reputation and undermine customer trust.
