$7 Cookie Review Sparks Online Firestorm and Reported Death Threats

A Melbourne cookie company that shot to fame online is facing a growing backlash after allegedly threatening legal action against a TikTok reviewer whose video gave its products an overall score of 8.5 out of 10.

TikTok creator Alyssa reviewed The Cookiee Club, praising the taste of its cookies while criticising what she described as a difficult ordering process. She said her purchase took almost a month to arrive.

‘We’ve had a bunch of issues with them, I’m not even going to lie. It’s been one month tomorrow since I ordered these,’ she said.

‘I truly understand they’re a small business and that their business has gone viral and stuff… but like no communication and a lot of promises that weren’t met.

‘They also said the order had been shipped, but it obviously hadn’t been shipped.’

Even while outlining those problems, Alyssa was enthusiastic about the cookies. She rated one of them 10 out of 10 and gave the overall experience a score of 8.5.

Her review quickly gained traction, amassing more than 1.3 million views.

Alyssa claims the situation escalated after The Cookiee Club asked her to take the video down within 24 hours.

Messages posted online show the business telling Alyssa that it believed some of her comments had crossed the line from customer feedback into material damaging to its reputation.

‘We kindly ask that you please remove the video within the next 24 hours and refrain from posting any further content that could be considered defamatory… or harassment towards our business or team,’ one message read.

The company continued: ‘We would much prefer to resolve this respectfully and directly with you. However, if the video remains online after 24 hours, we will refer the matter to our PR and legal representatives for further review and appropriate action.’

In a separate exchange, The Cookiee Club said the attention surrounding the review was taking a toll on the mental health of one of the sisters.

Alyssa later posted another video describing what she said was a subsequent phone call from a representative of the company.

According to Alyssa, the caller told her: ‘We wanted to let you know that if some of this stuff isn’t taken down, unfortunately, we have to pursue legal action.’

She also claimed the caller said: ‘You’re posting quite a lot of things under the Defamation Act.’

Alyssa disputed the suggestion that privacy concerns were behind the request to remove the videos, saying no one from the company had given that explanation when asking her to take them down.

‘Not once did they ever state that was the reason why they wanted me to take down the videos or turn off the comments,’ she said.

The Cookiee Club was founded earlier this year by sisters Ruby Rose Demiroski, 18, and Rachel Gundry, 30, as an egg- and nut-free cookie business after Rachel’s severe nut allergy made it difficult to find suitable treats.

The Melbourne-based company sells gourmet cookies for $43.95 a box, or more than $7 each.

As the backlash grew, Ruby addressed the controversy in a video, insisting ‘nobody is suing anybody over a cookie review.’

‘You’re allowed to leave a review, you’re allowed to have your own opinion and you’re allowed to not like the cookies,’ she said.

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‘But what has happened over the past week has gone far beyond just a review.

‘People are now hounding other people’s reviews, attacking our business, making comments about Rachel and I. There have been threats towards our business and even death threats.’

Ruby said the situation was having an enormous impact on their wellbeing.

‘There’s a massive difference between criticism and bullying. Stop using this situation for clout,’ she said.

The company has since apologised directly to Alyssa, admitting its reference to legal action had been a mistake.

‘We also want to apologise for our message above, mentioning our legal and PR team,’ the business wrote.

‘Reading it back, we can see it was heavy handed.

‘We appreciated your review and just got panicked by the comments underneath it.’

The company also apologised for the month-long delay in delivering Alyssa’s order and said rapid growth had left it struggling to meet demand.

‘Our little business has grown quicker than we ever imagined it would. Sometimes it’s been hard to keep up with demand.’

The business said it had since expanded its team and promised future orders would be shipped within two to four days.

The controversy prompted dozens of customers to share their own experiences online, with many alleging lengthy delays, poor communication and blocked comments.

‘I’m in the same boat. They keep telling me it’s been sent but won’t send tracking,’ one person wrote.

‘You can’t threaten a lawsuit because the comment section hurt your feelings,’ another commented.

A third claimed: ‘I was blocked for my review I left as a comment. They made a video about me and tagged me in it, claiming I bullied them for simply sharing my experience.’

Meanwhile, another reviewer, Josh James, posted a video claiming he waited five weeks for his order.

Despite his complaint, Mr James praised the cookies. 

‘Damn pretty f***ing good cookie, that one is going to be hard to beat,’ he said.

The dispute has since broadened beyond delivery complaints, with some customers raising concerns online about food safety, allergen labelling, consumer rights and the requirements for operating a home-based food business in Victoria.

However, the entrepreneurs have approval from the City of Stonnington to operate a home food business for a maximum of three days a week, the council confirmed.

Ruby’s father contacted Our News Outlet, pleading with the public to leave his teenage daughter alone amid the online backlash.

He declined to address the specific complaints raised by customers or the allegations circulating on social media.

The company’s Instagram page has been taken down.