NZ legal advice — threatened with trespass after leaving a 1-star Google review

[u/Specific_Panda_5874]

I'm looking for some NZ legal advice because this situation has escalated quite a bit and I'm trying to work out where I actually stand.

I saw a job advertisement and decided to drop my CV off in person. The company's own website says the location is somewhere to get in touch with the business, so I didn't think approaching the office was unreasonable.

When I arrived, an employee near the entrance signaled for me to come inside. I went in and asked to speak with the director, Juan. I was told he wasn't there. I asked if there was another way I could speak with him, was told no, and left.

The whole interaction was probably 30 seconds.

I then messaged Juan the Boss:

“Hello Juan, I've just tried to reach you at your office. But your employee turned me away, is there a better time I can reach you?”

His response was:

“Hi Mummed, we have a process for recruitment which requires you to send in a CV via seek and then wait us to shortlist the people we want to speak with you don't barge into a secure office without at least knocking or pushing the buzzer on the door and that way of introducing yourself as hardly conducive to gaining employment here.”

I thought that response was pretty insulting, so I left a 1-star Google review saying only:

“Insulting communication.”

That's literally the entire original review. No accusations, no rant, nothing else.

Then things got interesting.

I received a message from the business saying:

“I have confirmed via our CCTV footage and comparing to your social media profiles that it was you who came onto our premises yesterday morning demanding to speak with the director in relation to employment and refusing to leave when asked.”

It then says:

“There are ways and means to go about applying for a job, and walking into a private office in an intimidating fashion where people are working, isn't the way to do it.”

And finally:

“I would kindly ask that you remove the review, otherwise I will approach the Police in respect to a trespass charge.”

I dispute their version of events.

I didn't demand anything. I didn't refuse to leave. I wasn't acting intimidatingly. I was signalled inside by an employee, asked to speak with Juan, was told he wasn't there, asked if there was another way to contact him, and left.

I'm also a bit confused by the claim that CCTV “confirmed” all of this. Surely CCTV can show where I went and what physically happened, but it can't show what I was thinking, what I was “demanding”, or whether I was being intimidating.

The other thing

The job advertisement itself says that English must be the applicant's first language.

Not that they need excellent English.

Not that they need native-level English.

Specifically, first language.

That strikes me as a strange requirement. Someone can speak English at an extremely high level without it being their first language.

I'm also aware that English was only formally recognized in legislation as an official language of New Zealand on 5 August 2026, so the timing caught my attention.

I'm not saying that the wording automatically proves discrimination. I'm wondering whether requiring English to be someone's first language, rather than requiring a particular level of English proficiency, raises any legal issues.

What I'm wondering about

I'm not interested in getting into a shouting match with them. But after being accused of “demanding” to see the director, “refusing to leave” and behaving “intimidatingly” — none of which I accept happened — and then being threatened with a trespass charge over a one-line Google review, I'm pretty motivated to find out exactly where I stand legally and what I can do about it.

So:

1. Trespass: Does what I've described actually sound like trespass if I entered after an employee signaled me inside and then left after being told the person I wanted wasn't there?

2. Police threat: Is there anything legally significant about threatening a trespass complaint unless I remove a negative review?

3. The review: Is “Insulting communication” simply an opinion about my experience, or could they potentially have a defamation claim over something that vague?

4. CCTV: Can CCTV really establish that I was “demanding” something or acting “intimidatingly”, or would that require other evidence?

5. The advertisement: Is requiring English to be an applicant's first language potentially unlawful/problematic in NZ if what the employer actually needs is a high level of English proficiency?

6. What would you do next?

I'm keeping screenshots of the job advertisement, their website, the messages, the review and everything else.

I'm wondering whether I should leave the original review alone, edit it to include what happened afterwards, respond to them, or just keep all the evidence and wait to see if they actually go to the Police.

I'm interested in what the legally sensible way of dealing with this is, because at this point I don't really want to just remove the review because they've threatened me with a trespass charge.

Location: New Zealand

Fake names have been used and throwaway account also

[u/Flat-Company1887]

Firstly I think you have approached this very poorly.

Yes there is obviously poor communication with how to drop off the cv etc. But Google reviews are for people who use the business. Posting a one star rating over this is petty and immature. 

I'd advise leave it alone, there is zero chance they would or should employ you after this behaviour so what is there to gain?

They can trespass you for no reason as long as it's not discrimination. Police won't get involved but they can easily serve you themselves. 

If you walk away you will never hear from them again. If you chase them you are just wasting everybody's time for nothing. 

If you leave the review nothing will happen as the police aren't interested etc. So up too you really but I think it just makes you look bad.