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      AN INVESTIGATIVE NEWS SERIES
    ON THE STANDARDS AND PRACTICES   
    OF THE BETTER BUSINESS BUREAU
       
         START WITH TRUTH


  V 1.5  Nov 2010
A BUNCH OF GOOFY GRADES WE'VE BEEN BUSY COLLECTING

We love our Goofy Grades.  We've been collecting them for awhile now.  These screen shots are true captures of the businesses grades during August and September of 2010. (Note: by the time you read this many of these Grades will have been changed by the BBB for no reason except to respond to public exposure. This argues to the point: there is a problem with their grading system. And yes, we do have computer forensics for these Grades.) 

The point of our Goofy Grades is to reveal just how broken the BBB Grading System is.  It's a classic case of Garbage In, Garbage Out.  For the most part, we believe they speak for themselves.  Once in a while we'll point out some relevant facts.














































This was another Bogus Business (fictitious business that was listed by the Los Angeles BBB after a lack of due diligence.  It has since been removed by the LA BBB.)





















These two gold companies have an equal number of complaints, but the accredited member of the Los Angeles BBB (Goldline) gets and A+ grade, while an unaccredited member (Superior) gets an F grade. 


Editor's note:  There is a need for a consumer advocacy group that the public can turn to, and it used to be that the Better Business Bureau fulfilled this role adequately.  No longer.  It is obvious the Better Business Bureau does not now, nor ever will have, the resources to fully investigate the four million businesses in their database, much less grade them with any sense of accuracy.  It's an impossible job, and to think otherwise is a mistake that the BBB should acknowledge so they can get back to their reason for existence--protecting the consumer.  There's an old saying, "who will watch the watchers" and it applies here as the BBB has set themselves up to be above the law.  We are simply here to help the Better Business Bureau do a better job so that they may properly serve the consumer, the business community and themselves.  If they refuse to reform, then they must bear the consequences.
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