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 The Better Business Bureau,
The Authority of Trust or a Ripoff?
By Jay Lindsay
© 2012, National Business Reports
I think it would be fair to say that the average consumer in America thinks
that the Better Business Bureau (BBB) is a sort of government watch dog.
They oversee the business world and insure that companies treat their
customers fairly, right?
Well, not exactly.
But certainly, most agree that if a company is not a member of the BBB, that
company is unreliable and one shouldn't do business with them, right?
Well, not exactly.
Some people claim the BBB is a wonderful organization which protects the
American consumer. Other people think it is a total farce.
Let me provide you some information and then you can make your own determination.
Example one: My company, National Business Reports has been in operation
over 30 years and we've never had a single complaint filed against us with
the BBB. The BBB rates our company as an A-minus on a scale that runs from
A-plus to F.
I'd like to think that with our good record, we should perhaps be rated a
bit higher, perhaps an A or A-plus, but we are not.
Why?
Oh, it's because we are not a member of the BBB and haven't been accredited
by them. Accreditation means that one must agree to follow a set of rules
the BBB deems appropriate to operate in the business world. These rules have
a lot to do with letting the BBB take control of how one chooses to run their
company and the yearly fee one must pay to meet these requirements.
What?
Yes, if you have paid the yearly dues for membership and accreditation, your
rating can be higher. I believe the last time they phoned to try to coerce
me to join they wanted me to pay them $300. I told them to go away and never
call me again.
And no, the BBB is not a government agency. It is a company that sells
memberships. That's how they stay in business and support their activities.
Let me give you one more example of how this works. I know of another national
company, not terribly large, that did several million dollars worth of business
last year. Their BBB rating is a C-plus and the following reasons are given
for that rating:
• They had 12 complaints (all satisfactorily resolved) over the last 36 months.
• "BBB does not have a clear understanding of this business."
You may wish to note that the company I speaking of -- I chose not to mention
their name -- has not paid to be a member of the BBB.
One more: Google, Inc. had 683 complaints in the last 36 months according
to the BBB and "more than one complaint is unresolved." Google is not accredited
with the BBB and has an "A" rating.
The bottom line is that the BBB is a business, a corporation to be exact,
that operates in the United States and Canada.
They sell memberships.
Most are surprised when they learn the BBB has had many valid complaints
and even lawsuits filed against them over the years ... and I can't find
the BBB listed as being a member of the BBB. Apparently they are not accredited
nor are they required to follow their own rules.
ABC Television, on their 20/20 program, ran a report on the BBB. I think
you will find the report rather revealing. Note that when you go to
the site where this video is hosted, it will take some time for the video
to properly load before you can view it. The link is:
http://abcnews.go.com/2020/video/business-bureau-probe-12138262
It's your turn. You may wish to do a bit more Internet research about the
BBB and then you can decide in what category you wish to place the BBB.
Good luck.
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