BBB Under Scrutiny

Link: http://www.bbbroundup.com

I filed a complaint against an electrician with the Worcester, MA BBB. When I first filed this complaint he had an A- rating, 4 complaints had been filed against him in the past 36 months and he was not a member of the BBB. I went through the process with the BBB to file a complaint against this electrician. We went back and forth a few times and eventually the case was closed as unresolved due to the electrical failing to respond in a timely fashion. His BBB rating by this time was B-.

About a week after the BBB closed the case as unresolved, he must have called them and complained because the case was reopened. I sent in my rebuttal on 08/29/09. The next time I checked their website for an update, it stated that my complaint was closed as invalid (also dated closed 08/29/09). I called to inquire and they stated that my complaint was invalid, as the BBB did not deal with billing issues.

Within a few days, when I looked online again, this electrician's rating had become an A+. He had become a member of the BBB. Also worth noting is that on numerous occasions, I had spoken with representatives of the Worcester BBB and I was never informed that my complaint was invalid until this electrician paid to become a BBB member. And I had also filed a complaint with the division of professional licensure in Boston, MA, who upon their investigation of this electrician found probable cause to forward the complaint to their prosecution division. Makes you think.

Link: http://www.bbbroundup.com

I would love to speak with whoever writes this website. Our company has been slandered by the BBB in Hawaii and we are trying to see what we can do about it. Type in our company name and you will find many articles written about a BBB warning about our company. The only problem is that they are 100 % false! The BBB contacted us with a complaint from a potential consumer and then made judgment on our company before we even had time to respond to the to the complaint. If you can please call us at -----. We are looking at filing a lawsuit against them. Aloha.

Link: http://www.bbbroundup.com

We just concluded mediation on a lawsuit filed against the Northwest North Carolina BBB regarding their review/rating of our corporate headquarters. We successfully were awarded an injunction on our “F” rating pending our suit. We believe the local chapter agreed to settle after they became aware of the harm that they had done to us and the millions of dollars we would probably be awarded by a jury for damages.

I would be happy to discuss it with you, but of course, I may need to do so anonymously. My chief goal, which I believe is the same as your forum, is to end the arbitrary nature of their new “A to F” grading system, and the other conflicts of interest and of charter within the BBB.

Link: http://www.bbbroundup.com

Our company is located in Provo, Utah. We have been in business 9 years and have annual revenues of approximately $20,000,000.

I can't thank you enough for bbbroundup's website and illuminating the challenges businesses around the nation are facing as they deal with the BBB.

To make a long story, when we were notified of the new BBB rating system we were alarmed. Together with another partner, we met with the president of the local chapter (Jane Driggs of the Salt Lake City office). The purpose of the meeting was to appeal the rating. Ms. Driggs was most courteous but at the end of our presentation, she informed us that the local offices had no control over the rating system and were not empowered to consider our appeal. She instructed us to appeal directly to the CBBB.

Accordingly, on April 10, 2009 we submitted a 5-page letter outlining the appeal of our company's letter grade. We also submitted a one-page Executive Summary. (I will copy the Executive Summary into this email.) On April 27, 2009 the CBBB acknowledged receipt of the appeal and stated: "We will forward your complaint to the appropriate BBB for their response. Please allow at least 30 days for this process."

In a letter dated June 3, 2009 we received word from the CBBB that the appeal had been denied. The grounds for the denial were "Please be advised there is no appeal process. We at the Council of Better Business Bureaus (CBB cannot change your rating; we can only help to explain it." Not only was the appeal denied, it appears that the appeal was never even heard. It apparently was dismissed without even considering the merits of the appeal.

The BBB's refusal to consider the appeal, and the rating system itself, are blatantly unfair. In our entire history, we have no unresolved complaints!!

I would be pleased to provide much more detail regarding this issue. We would also appreciate any guidance you or your organization may be able to give relative to how we can best work through this ongoing nightmare.

Again, thank you for your website and the encouragement it gives businesses to know we are not alone in our frustration.

Link: http://www.bbbroundup.com

I have grave concerns with our Minnesota BBB chapter and the new BBB rating system.

After many months of waiting with the promise that our "grade" would go to an "A" in April 2009, and having held off on special marketing efforts while we waited, we were told we would have to wait until next year before the grade would change. We were informed of the decision near the end of April.

Having canceled our membership our grade went from an "A-" to a "B+". See the email below for my question as to why, and their response. What troubles me is that we divulged information that we do not make publicly available, given the promise our "grade" would increase to an "A" if we gave them this additional information. We were undoubtedly deceived.

This deeply betrayed my trust in the BBB and I question whether this new grading system is truly good for consumers and businesses alike.

It's clear that should one fail to give the BBB money, they will subject the business to a biased letter grade and deceive the public with their powerful slogan, "Start with Trust." This is nothing short of extortion.

The public has a right to know the truth behind the BBB and their "Start with Trust" marketing strategy. The founders of the BBB (from my home state) would roll over in their graves if they knew what the "non-profit" organization has evolved into.

I continue to meet business owners who have experienced the new grading system at the BBB, and all agree on one thing, it is biased. However, the "Vision, Mission and Values" section on our local chapter's website claims otherwise:

"BBB ensures that high standards for trust are set and maintained. We exist so consumers and businesses alike have an unbiased source to guide them on matters of trust."

The full text can be found here:
http://minnesota.bbb.org/vision_mission_values

Now, I find it hard to believe the BBB ensures high standards when they cannot even answer with a solid explanation as to how their grading system works.