Beautician Takes Google to Court Over Damaging 'Incompetent' Review
A beautician branded as 'incompetent' in a scathing online review is banking on Google to pay up and clear her name as she takes the search giant to the Supreme Court of Victoria. Bianca Mayer, who worked as an administration manager and course advisor at Melbourne's Elly Lukas Beauty Therapy College in 2024, saw her world turned upside down just days before Christmas that year when a disgruntled individual published a blistering one-star review.
The Allegations and Immediate Fallout
Operating under the pseudonym 'Phoebe Intervention', the reviewer personally targeted Ms Mayer, alleging in court documents that she displayed a lack of competency and professionalism. The review claimed that when questions about enrollment and course details were raised, Ms Mayer insisted on payment of school fees before providing any useful information, an approach described as making little sense for prospective students. It further accused her of shifting blame rather than taking responsibility for organisational issues, such as when emails weren't received, instead of troubleshooting the problem.
This review caused instant nightmares for Ms Mayer with her employers. On Christmas Eve, she received a formal letter from the 72-year-old school titled 'Performance concerns re allegations raised in a Google review', warning that if the allegations were true, they put the entire organisation at risk due to compliance and regulatory responsibilities. As a result, her annual 2025 bonus was suspended, her 5-year long-term incentive was placed under review, and she faced possible termination for gross misconduct.
Legal Arguments and Google's Role
Ms Mayer's legal team argues that the imputations of the review are inherently serious, alleging professional incompetence, unethical conduct, and unfitness for her employment in a regulated vocational training environment. They claim that the review has led to her being approached and shunned by staff, clients, and members of the beauty college community, indicating a belief in its truthfulness. Additionally, they highlight the 'grapevine effect' of Google reviews, which further impacts her credibility.
Despite Ms Mayer filing a writ with the Supreme Court of Victoria calling for the review to be taken down, it remains online. Her lawyers allege that Google has failed to enforce its own content policies, as the reviewer, 'Phoebe Intervention', was not an actual customer or student of Elly Lukas but rather a relative of a course applicant, meaning the review does not reflect a genuine first-hand customer experience. Ms Mayer denies all claims, maintaining she was competent, professional, and diligent in her duties.
Impact and Upcoming Trial
The review has had substantial exposure, with analytics from May 2025 to October 2025 showing 7,411 business profile views, 2,724 search impressions, and 2,166 business profile interactions. It has also attracted 24 'likes' or reactions, reinforcing its visibility and perceived credibility. At the time of the writ, Elly Lukas Beauty Therapy College held a 3.2-star rating on Google from 37 reviews.
The matter is set to go to trial, where it will be decided by a judge alone. Google, with a market capitalisation of over $US3.7 trillion, faces allegations of running untrue reviews. Daily Mail contacted Elly Lukas Beauty Therapy College for comment, but the outcome of this case could set a significant precedent for how online platforms handle defamatory content.
