'Defamatory and false': Bazaar food vendor threatens lawsuit over negative review, demands apology

They've cooked up fries, hotdogs and some frank comments on TikTok - now, this food vendor might be looking to serve it up with a side of legal action.

A Kampong Glam bazaar food vendor Frank On Wheels has sent a lawyer's letter to TikTok user Gunbuttock, calling for them to apologise publicly, according to photographs uploaded to TikTok by the user on Monday (March 26).

The two parties duked it out online after Gunbuttock uploaded a "brutally honest" food review of the Kampong Glam Ramadan food bazaar earlier this month, claiming that purchasing Frank On Wheels' food would be "wasting your money".

In response, the stall owner and TikTok user AbayaByKhalishaSg complained about Gunbuttock rating the shop a one on a scale of 10, commenting under his post.

"I can't [comprehend] you saying that the fries are basic," Abaya wrote in one comment. "So all this while fries that you bought are imported and premium? I think you should reply my DM (direct message)."

While some netizens sympathised with the stall owner's dissatisfaction, others who saw their posts accused them of being "passive aggressive".

Demanding an apology

It seems Frank On Wheels has no intention of taking the matter lying down, however, and is now looking to lock horns with Gunbuttock through legal means.

In screenshots of a legal letter from Abdul Rahman Law Corporation uploaded to TikTok by Gunbuttock, Frank On Wheels has accused the user of making a "defamatory and false statement" about their stall.

And that through their words, Gunbuttock had accused the stall of "overcharging their customers and engaging in suspicious business practices", according to that document.

The letter also states that the two TikTok videos were "designed to aggravate the tension caused by the comment's section, and is an act laden with mischief". 

Demanding that Gunbuttock "immediately" issue a public apology on TikTok, the letter also states that he needs to provide a signed copy of an apology letter to Frank On Wheels and the legal firm.

Should Gunbuttock not acknowledge or respond to the letter within 14 days from the receipt of the letter, the legal firm also threatens further legal action.

'Influencers cannot be brutally honest'

Responding to the legal letter in his TikTok post, Gunbuttock described this situation as "embarrassing".

He wrote: "You can't smoke your way through everything… how can leveraging power to silence someone - simply because of a disagreement with their opinion - be justified?"

The user also expressed that he will reach out to a lawyer to "lay the groundworks" in the event that legal action is taken against him.

"The pursuit of complete transparency can be hindered by the potential for negative repercussions from those with wealth and influence," he also added in his post. "This is why influencers cannot be brutally honest."

Gunbuttock told AsiaOne that he is currently speaking with lawyers for legal advice and declined to comment further.

AsiaOne has reached out to Frank On Wheels and Abdul Rahman Law Corporation for more information.

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khooyihang@asiaone.com