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Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly. "BBB to Change its Business Ratings to Letter-Grade S­cale." October 14, 2008

­Central and Western Massachusetts Better Business Bureau.The Better Business Bureau isn't a member of the Better Business Bureau.įor lots more information about the power struggle between consumers and businesses, follow the great links below. The list goes on.Īnd what you may not know is that disgruntled consumers can't complain to the BBB about the BBB. Some business owners claim that the BBB doesn't spend as much time investigating complaints against non-accredited business. Some consumers claim that the BBB is too slow to post information on companies that are under criminal investigation. Sites like include hundreds of testimonials from consumers and business owners concerning the allegedly unfair treatment they received at the hands of BBB employees or representatives. What's more, the very nature of the work of Better Business Bureaus - monitoring the ethical business practices of 3 million organizations - makes businesses easy targets for disgruntled customers.

If the bureau decides that the company has made a reasonable effort to resolve the complaint - something as simple as sending the unhappy customer a gift certificate - then the matter is closed, even if the consumer wants to keep fighting. The BBB's response is that companies who apply for BBB accreditation simply aspire to higher standards.Īnother standard complaint with Better Business Bureaus is that complaints are sometimes closed even when the consumer is greatly dissatisfied with the company's response. According to a study by a Marquette University marketing professor, also mentioned in the Smart Money article, BBBs reported that twice as many accredited auto dealers and three times as many accredited movers made a "good faith effort" to resolve complaints than their non-accredited colleagues. Some business owners who have chosen not to apply for BBB accreditation claim that BBB reliability reports are biased toward accredited businesses. Verizon and Cingular pay the BBB to include extra questions so they can collect detailed customer-satisfaction reports. The article cited a California consumer who was befuddled by the extremely detailed and thorough questions on the complaint form regarding her cell phone service. Corporations like Verizon Wireless and Cingular pay the BBB upward of $50,000 for access to customized consumer complaint information. The Smart Money article uncovered another interesting fact that has been hidden from consumers. What's more, the BBB recently published a book about how to start your own eBay business. They sponsor awards shows recognizing what they call "advanced marketplace trust" in big-name companies like Kraft Foods - a corporate sponsor - and eBay - an accredited business. These board members and other corporate partners have voting rights on BBB programs.