BBB Under Scrutiny

Link: http://www.bbbroundup.com

It's the day after 20/20 released a number of news stories about the sham that is the BBB's grading system.

From the beginning, our goal was to get the story out there, and thanks to the hard work by ABC News, that just happened. Now, we get to wait and see what the BBB does in response. In a perfect world, they'd issue a mea culpa, fix the problems, and get rid of what/who is corrupt. This is far from a perfect world, and up til now, the BBB has demonstrated an arrogance that makes this unlikely. Then again, I don't think they had a clue about what hit them last night.

The most gratifying thing to me is the outpouring of thanks I received from small businesses that have been unfairly victimized by the BBB. Here's a small sampling. It's refreshing to me, and all the thanks I need. So excuse me while I gloat:

"I just wanted to extend our sincerest gratitude to you for all of your dedication, motivation and persistence in taking these criminals
down!!! I will be forever grateful to you. In the past six months our
company has had to close due to their criminal behavior. We are now
starting to get back on our feet. But it is to you and your good will
that we can move forward with no more criticism from our clients about
not being members. As I look over our profit and loss statement from
09 to now we took a 46% hit due their unfair and biased grading system."

"Thanks to your commitment to help small business in America, I hope
tonight's 20/20 report gets the attention it deserves and sets the BBB on the right course. Consumer Advocacy not small business extortion."

"Thank you for your hard work exposing the hypocrisy at BBB, and I'm sure the 20/20 story will put more pressure on BBB to clean up their act. We receive regular cold calls from the San Jose BBB asking us if we would like to pay for their services although we always tell them to stop calling us. A major focus of our business is customer
service and this can be evidenced by the lack of customer complaints with our BBB rating. Yet this only rates a C- rating from BBB."

To you, and the many more who expressed their appreciation, you are very welcome. The story has always taken on a life of its own; it appears to have heated up substantially which is awesome. And to those of you who are former or current BBB employees who have come forward in the last day, thank you. I'll be in touch soon.

Link: http://www.bbbroundup.com

I was talking to my colleague, Scott Jordan, of the BetterEthicsBureau.org last night. At about the midpoint in our conversation we both agreed that when we started our investigation of the Better Business Bureau, we knew they were bad. What we didn't know until we started looking into things was just how bad the BBB is.

By bad I mean unethical, without morals or principals. The BBB offices are hypocrites, greedy and arrogant beyond belief. They mislead the public, they run rampant over small business, and they do nobody any good. You could argue that they actually make things worse when they interject themselves into a customer dispute situation. They rarely help the consumer, they slow down and make lots of extra work for the business which gets in the way of resolving things with the customer.

In the coming weeks, we will produce compelling evidence that shows the BBB, as presently operated, needs to clean up their act immediately or be shut down permanently. Bold statements, all true. Wait and see.

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.

Read more »

Link: http://www.bbbroundup.com

This has always been a story about arrogance. When people are allowed to be judge, jury, prosecutor and executioner without recourse, oversight or appeal, then the old saw, “absolute power corrupts absolutely” comes into play. There’s another truism that comes into play when arrogant people start acting above the law; sooner or later, the arrogant get caught and brought back down to earth.

We see a classic example of this in the C Street Family, a conservative, religious based commune for Republican Christians. In a classic case of not practicing what you preach C Street members: Senator John Ensign of Nevada; Governor Mark Sanford of South Carolina; and Chip Pickering, former Representative of Mississippi all got outed in the media for adultery. These are the same politicians who preached family values, the sanctity of marriage, and called for Bill Clinton’s impeachment on moral grounds. Funny how that shoe fits different when it’s on your foot…they now say that these are personal issues and should not be pilloried about in the media and public. Good luck with that one. Once again, hypocrisy rears its head with the moral right. (Personally, while I don’t think adultery is something to be proud about, nor do I condone it, I acknowledge that it happens, and it happens a lot. I believe a public figure is entitled to a private life, except when they are shown to be a hypocrite (i.e. they act in a do as I say, not as I do fashion) in which case they become fair game for the media.

For years the Better Business Bureau was able to cut corners, increase profits and lower their standards because they used a Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory grading system. After unveiling their new Letter Grading system in January, suddenly their past behavior caught up with them as a mind boggling number of ludicrous grades were revealed. Rather than admit to the fiasco, arrogance kicked in, sneakiness and stone-walling took center stage and so far nobody has called the BBB to task. For now, the Better Business Bureau is allowed to steal a company’s honor, harm their livelihood, libel to their heart’s content knowing there is no recourse, no repudiation possible, and that no jury will ever hear the facts. In olden days, this would have called for a duel. In today’s politically correct environment, you’re left with an anti-Slapp motion.

We realize this story is not sexy, it’s not political, there’s no juicy scandal to draw the media; we continue to feel that it is important, not only because we need to confront hypocrisy among the power mongers at every corner, but because the Better Business Bureau, as presently constituted causes more harm than good to the small business community; and if this nation is to ever regain its potential, small business will be leading the way.

RANDOM OBSERVATION: For years, I've wanted to use Little Feat's "Apolitical Blues" as a ringtone but could not find it commercially available; never mind the $10 a month ring tone fees. Myxer to the rescue. Bought the MP3 of the song for 99 cents, uploaded it to Myxer, edited the section I wanted to use, and sent it direct to my phone. No monthly charges and the ring tone I've always wanted.

Link: http://www.bbbroundup.com

In an email exchange between George Gombossy of the Hartford Courant and William G. Mitchell, CEO BBB of the Southland today, Mitchell made allegations that Jimmie Rivers is in reality Jimi Petulla.

This is another in a long line of actions that demonstrate the lack of due diligence and rush to judgment practiced by the LA BBB.

FOR THE RECORD: Jimmie Rivers is NOT Jimi Petulla.