BBB Under Scrutiny

Link: http://www.bbbroundup.com

Dear Senator Boxer,

I recently noticed that you have a link on your website to the Better Business Bureau in the consumer services section of your website at http://boxer.senate.gov/services/consumer/bbb/

While I don't doubt that you have the best interests of the consumer at heart, I find your referral to the Better Business Bureau troubling as it only perpetuates the myth that the BBB is a government agency.

You may not be aware of the storm that is brewing over the controversy raised by the new BBB grading system. If you, or someone on your staff, were to spend ten minutes getting the facts about the BBB from http://bbbroundup.com I feel confident that you would want to disassociate yourself from the Better Business Bureau as quickly as your webmaster could implement the changes.

Additionally, since you are a Senator from the State of California, and the Los Angeles Chapter of the BBB is where this new grading system was first implemented, I think there is even more reason for distancing yourself from the BBB.

In today's economy, the small business will likely provide the cornerstone for economic recovery and to force the small businessman to not only combat the economic challenges but the documented liable and slander of the arbitrary grading system envisioned by William G. Mitchell, CEO of the Better Business Bureau of Southland, Inc., is as unfair as it is unreasonable.

Richard Blumenthal, the Attorney General for the State of Connecticut is currently questioning the Better Business Bureau's new grading system), an action that has led to the BBB of Connecticut to take down grades for more than 52,000 non-BBB member businesses in the state.

My sources tell me that Randy Roach, from the Orange County, California District Attorney's office is currently looking into the Los Angeles Chapter of the BBB.

When a company such as the Better Business Bureau can operate without oversight, and feel free to liable and slander legitimate, honest small businesses with arbitrary grades, and then hide behind the curtain of free speech while proclaiming that these opinions are objective fact, something needs to be done.

At the very least, we are asking you to take down the link on your website to the Better Business Bureau, at least until such time as they correct their approach to grading businesses and start relying on fact rather than opinion. We think it appropriate that more severe steps be taken, especially from one such as yourself who holds public office, including advising the Better Business Bureau to stop grading non-member businesses, and to justify their not for profit tax exempt status given that they are in essence an advertising agency, serving their members and not a community oriented consumers rights advocate.

Sincerely,
Jimmie Rivers

Editor's Note: This letter was sent to Senator Boxer's office on March 18th with a notice saying I would not publish this letter until Monday, March 23rd to give her time to respond. Monday has come and gone with no response from the Senator, so as promised, I published it.