TCM customer ordered to pay over defamatory Google review

She said Lim’s motive in publishing the second review was, more likely than not, to retaliate against the clinic’s refusal to give her a refund.

The judge awarded Chau $10,000 in general damages and $2,500 in aggravated damages.

Neck, shoulder aches

Lim had visited the clinic on Nov 17, 2024, to seek treatment for neck and shoulder aches.

Chau administered acupuncture on her, while another therapist performed cupping and “tui na” massage.

According to Lim, she felt severe pain in her neck and shoulders late that night. The next morning, she could not lift her arm to brush her teeth. She said she called the clinic but she felt reassured after Chau told her the pain would improve in a few days.

On Nov 19, 2024, the clinic’s manager called Lim to ask about her condition.

On the same day, Lim returned to the clinic and was examined by two senior physicians. According to her, one of them said he was not sure why Chau had administered acupuncture under her arm.

On Nov 20, 2024, she went to the accident and emergency department at National University Hospital, where she was diagnosed with a mild form of nerve injury and a pinched nerve.

In a further phone call with the TCM clinic manager, Lim asked the clinic to refund the costs of her treatment and to cover her A&E expenses.

On Nov 21, 2024, Lim posted a review on Google detailing her experience. She named Chau in the review, stating that “maybe” she was not qualified.

Five days later, Lim went to the clinic to seek a refund.

According to Chau, Lim threatened to post negative reviews until she was compensated. But Lim denied she had done so.

On Dec 2 that year, the clinic posted a comment on the review, stating “there might have been discrepancies between the treatments rendered and what was being mentioned in the review”. 

No refund

The next day, the clinic manager told Lim the clinic would not refund her for the TCM treatment or cover her A&E expenses.  

Later that month, on Dec 10, Lim posted the second review on the clinic’s Google page.  

She wrote: “Going here for TCM caused me to lose my arm strength & have to pay for A&E & Ortho!!”

She also stated: “How can this be such a coincidence if not for the acupuncture poking wrongly?”

The reviews were accessible until Dec 17, 2024, and were purportedly deleted by Google for policy violations.

After an exchange of legal letters where Lim refused to apologise or compensate Chau, the physician filed the defamation suit on June 2, 2025.

The judge said Chau was defamed because she was clearly identified in the reviews, which contained statements that tend to lower the claimant in the estimation of right-thinking members of society.

The first review called into question her qualifications to administer acupuncture treatment, while the second review asserted she was incompetent, ignorant or negligent in performing acupuncture, and injured Lim as a result.