Electrician Fined £4000 for Publicly Shaming Client on Facebook over Unpaid Bill

An electrician was fined £4,000 after a Facebook post turned into a targeted and harmful attack on a client over an unpaid bill.

The electrician, Jon Peacock from Star-Delta, shared details of the fee dispute on Facebook under the username “Low Level Banter” in November 2023, according to Jersey’s data protection watchdog. The post included the client’s full names, photos, and financial information and received over 800 shares, leading to abusive messages towards the clients.

The post’s comments included insults and derogatory terms towards the client and his partner, even revealing personal details like their employer and home address, which prompted further distress. Mr. Peacock continued posting about the dispute online despite being notified of the investigation by the Jersey Data Protection Authority.

The authority found that Mr. Peacock was the owner and administrator of the Facebook page, and the posts constituted a deliberate and targeted attack on the client and his partner. The authority stated that the behavior was unacceptable and deemed it a vindictive act.

The victim expressed real distress caused by the incident, and the authority concluded that there was no lawful basis for sharing the information on Facebook. Additionally, Star-Delta was reprimanded and fined £4,000 for the seriousness of the matter, with a deadline for payment in June 2025 and an order to register with the authority.

Mr. Peacock’s lack of cooperation and refusal to take down the post or provide necessary information during the investigation were noted by the authority. It was emphasized that publicly shaming clients on social media is not an acceptable means of resolving payment disputes.

In the end, the authority highlighted the importance of respecting privacy and using data responsibility, noting that such actions were not justified even in the context of resolving financial disputes.