'So outraged by a donut!' - the bizarre clapbacks to negative reviews of Portsmouth's own Tinder swindler's doughnut shop

Dexter, from Southsea, who scammed his victim to the tune of £141,500 was sentenced to four and a half years at Portsmouth Crown Court on February 10.

As reported, the court heard how he had duped Amrita Sebastian after claiming he had investments in Hollywood firms and owned a private jet and expensive cars.

But outside of his conman lifestyle Dexter, 38, is also the registered director of Sticky Boy Donuts – an American-style coffee and doughnut shop that opened in Albert Road in late January.

The shop was not open for long before Dexter’s sentencing – at which point a post was made on their social media stating they would be ‘closed for a few days.’

But even more strange perhaps is the series of responses from the shop to any negative reviews it received on Google in those short weeks.

The store has a respectable 4.3 star rating on Google – from a total of 38 reviews.

Of these, 31 are five-star reviews and seven are just one-star.

But someone from the store, often signing off as ‘SB’ has taken it upon themselves to reply to each and every one – often with sarcastic clapbacks to the haters and even a claim of a ‘smear campaign’.

One reviewer, called Jem Lemon, wrote: ‘Never thought I would be disappointed by a donut! Not even made fresh on the premises, limited choice of flavours, poor choice in drinks. Doesn't match up to other establishments on the road.’

In response the shop said: ‘So disappointed by a donut you didn’t buy, from a shop you didn’t visit, that you felt compelled to post a one star review? Slow Thursday, Lemon?

‘How about a lemon donut, Lemon? We’ll keep all the tangy goodness, and give it a sweet centre, just like you. But we’ll make sure to avoid the sour, and bitterness that can sometimes make a lemon unpleasant.’

Another reply to a review said: ‘Oh Raymond, what a pity you didn’t actually buy from our shop. Rather incredible that you could leave a one star review on a business and its product a full 20 minutes before the shop opened its doors for the first time! Did you sneak through the letterbox in front of 14 guests and pinch a donut whilst nobody was looking?

‘If so, whilst impressed with your ninja skills, I have to let you know that that’s considered shoplifting, and it’s not very nice.’

In another that criticised their staff they replied: ‘Now India, I’m all for people having their say, but “excuse of a server”?! What an awful thing to say!

‘As you’ll be well aware, being a “genuine customer”, our server yesterday was our eight-year-old daughter. She was so thrilled to welcome everybody to our little shop, talk to each of you, and wish you a lovely day. She’s been looking forward to it for very long time.

‘You are not a customer India. You did not buy anything from us yesterday. And "shocker,” this is your first and only review on any business ever! (There’s a bit of a pattern growing here isn’t there).’

SEE ALSO: Southsea’s Tinder swindler says ‘sorry’ after taking cash out while victim was in hospital

They also stood up for the shop’s name, Sticky Boy.

They said: ‘As for our name, I’m sorry, but that’s the name of our mascot. He’s quite attached to it, he’s a good lad, and we wouldn’t want him to suffer a similar crisis of identity. I’m sure you understand.

‘There are lady donuts too you know, in case you were worried about gender representation? Sticky Boy has a wife and a sister, (no mother as he was baked, not born) and he loves them both dearly. He even has a dog, (he’s a Boston ‘Cream’ Terrier).’

On February 12, at the time of writing, Sticky Boy Donuts was still closed and appeared empty inside.

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

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