Better Business Bureau

I was jipped by a legal, foreign tv box that costs $ 300 and worked for all of two months. When I contacted the supplier, we were given the opportunity to throw in another $ 50 for an upgrade. Well that wasn’t going to happen so we filed a complaint with the Better Business Bureau. Here we are eight months later and the company responds to the BBB complaint and promptly sends us a new box. Thank goodness that there is a consumer advocate like the BBB that actually gets things done for the little guy.

My business received a letter from this BBB. It stated that we had an A rating but would loose that rating if we didn’t fill out the paperwork enclosed or go online to complete the information.
It also stated «This is not a solicitation for money or an invitation to apply for BBB Accreditation.»
I went on line, filled out the missing bits and the phone rang. $ 695 was the charge or else.
Or else what?
Not a lawyer but this reeks of mail fraud. The claim that they are a non-​profit is also misleading to the public in that the «profit» can easily be put into salaries, benefits, and any upgrade they choose for the most part. I should report them to the BBB… wait a minute…

The BBB is a joke!!! Don’t bother reporting a company to them especially if they are members!!! Now I know why Best Buy can get away with selling a custom stove and hood to a customer take their money and deliver substandard merchandise and call it custom!!! They closed my case taking the side of Best Buy even though they MATERIALLY BREACHED THE CONTRACT!!!
Because the BBB supports their actions!!! Shame on all of you!!!
Where can a consumer turn to when they have been cheated by a business!
They even sent an email saying they wouldn’t post my review on their website! SERIOUSLY!!!
Someone has to know where I can get help!
Maria S.

No, it doesn’t help. You can only review the business if you haven’t already filed a complaint; the BBB will not allow you to do both. Many Unilocalers have not utilized the BBB complaints board unfortunately. And the ones that have, their experience with the business is NOT accurately reflected in their «grade». I stand by what I say.

I agree that this is a great resource for consumers and small businesses. I have only contacted BBB when I have tried everything else first. It is really nice to know that we do have somewhere to turn when other businesses are being unreasonable. I once had a company scamming my employer. They would not leave us alone. The BBB stepped right in and put an end to it. Recently, I had a business engage in unethical business practices for a personal purchase. Again, the BBB stepped right in and took care of it. I love the BBB! They are tried and true.

scam scam scam!!!

I recently posted negative feedback on a notorious contractor to Better Business Bureau. This contractor, as I’ve come to expect, disputed my feedback; he makes a business out of disputing negative feedback because he receives this type of feedback very frequently. The BBB instantly closed my complaint. I disputed and reopened my BBB complaint against the contractor, disputing his reasons for asking for closure; at first the contractor claimed closure saying we had mediated in court — this isn’t true, the contractor refused to face me in court. Then the contractor closed my BBB complaint saying we had arbitrated at the CSLB — this isn’t true, I arbitrated with a general contractor, not this subcontractor. Then the contractor closed my complaint saying it is resolved by a lawsuit in progress — this isn’t true, as my lawsuit is only petitioning for removal of 2 expired mechanics liens and doesn’t resolve any of my various complaints against the contractor about his poor quality of work and poor professional behavior and more.
I now know that this contractor has a very long list of complaints against them with the CSLB and are literally notorious. They are a predator seeking out new innocent home owners as we speak.
The end result is that the BBB has closed my complaint as resolved, even though it is far from resolved. This contractor is the poster child of bad businesses and is exactly the type of business that needs to be negatively highlighted by the BBB. The BBB is a useless organization; they are in the business of keeping the honest people honest and does nothing to address the dishonest business.

After someone from BBB noticed this review on Unilocal!and contacted me, they said it was a mistake and they would correct it. They sounded sincere, but it still remains unchanged after 5 months.

Well, I see the BBB of the Southland got kicked out today. Time to do the same for Northern Cal. As I said, nothing but a scam.
«The Better Business Bureau of the Southland, which oversaw the betterment of businesses throughout Southern California, was expelled Tuesday from the national organization. It can no longer use the BBB name and logo.»

Just got a call from 510−844−2062 and said he wants me to spell out my business name and give him details about my business… If you are BBB and you should have all my infos by contacting county and not by calling me and inputing what I have to tell you, needless to said that he is trying to sell me a membership of BBB. No thank you I dont need it or want it. so please stop calling here. BTW, he was very rude after I reject his request.

BBB’s list of accredited businesses is a joke! I was looking for reviews of contractors and found them giving A+ ratings to companies with suspended and/​or expired contractors licenses. To me, that should be the first thing checked to see if a company is legit or not. Just shows that all you need to do is pay them money to be a member and they give you a great rating.

My business has been paying the BBB for 4 years. Thinking it was helping us. NOT!
We have received 2 complaints in 4 years both resolved, both with documentation proving we had done nothing wrong. When our renewal came up to pay them again and we hadn’t renewed «yet», suddenly our grade slipped from a A+ to an A? I mean I know it’s still an A. But seriously? We see over 15 000 Clients a year we get 2 complaints that we resolve and prove we were in the right? And our grade slips? Let’s watch it tank when we don’t pay the renewal.

This is the original scam that Unilocal has mimicked. As a business owner you can only get a B+ rating with the BBB unless you pay them the yearly fee. How can you trust the BBB when they have given Unilocal an A+ rating with 259 complaints. As a business owner you have no choice but to pay them their $ 500 per year or consumers think you aren’t any good.

They just are there for wasting our valuable time. Wasted whole 1 month going through them and I heard they are always in favor of Manufacturer and turned out to be so true! So, don’t waste your time if you have Lemon car. They work directly with Manufacturer and get paid by them and what we get is nothing but Lemon!

OK, as first, I have read lots of reviews about BBB here, and the real reviews are from people who use or had use their services, it’s not fair to give them 5 stars because you complained to them a service provider you were not satisfied with.
BBB calls the service first and if they cant get any money from them, then they will fulfill complainers wish.
second, myself as a service provider have been using their service for a year and I paid them quite some money (thinking this is a fair co.), and my rating came all the way to A+, how? I called and they told me that my limousine service is wanted by lots of people and the customers are calling BBB to leave me a great review… BULL**IT, i am a contractor not a limo driver, nobody ever called me finding me on BBB,. so I asked them what is this BS all about? the answer was: just keep the subscription active and we’ll maintain your score high. so hows that going to help my customers.
I mean Unilocal is not perfect but BBB is a disaster, so i canceled my BBB subscription, yes they called about million times, when they were at a point that they aren’t getting any more of my money they became rude, extremely rude, one BBB lady called my stupid drug addict??? is that a behavior??? just because I don’t want to use their service…
I will and I am already telling all my contractor friends to cancel, who hasn’t already, their subscriptions. and a word for a 3^rd person, never, i mean NEVER rely on BBB’s score, when you are looking for a service of somebody’s.
BBB=fraud, scam. Proven.

this is a great resource for consumers.
check their website for a number of tips on how to protect yourself from bad businesses and scammers.
if you have a complaint they are very helpful, BUT
only if you have a legitimate complaint, have followed the rules and are honest.
remember there are also bad consumers out there, read the negative reviews with that in mind

The BBB has called us at least twice a week for the past 6 months. We have repeatedly told them that we were not interested in their services. We’ve told them repeatedly to stop calling us, but they just keep calling and calling and calling. It’s ridiculous. I tried to file a complaint against the BBB on the BBB website, but guess what? Yup, you guessed, you can complain about just about any business, but you can’t complain about BBB.
It’s kind of funny but very ironic. If anyone out there at the BBB reads this — stop calling us!!!

The Better Business Bureau is a great consumer resource.
Via their site, you can:
* Check Out a Business or Charity
* File a Complaint
* Find BBB Accredited Business & Charity Directory
Keep in mind, a business does not have to be a BBB member in
order to file a complaint against them.
The BBB suggests to first try and resolve your complaint with the
business owner. However, you do not have to do that if you wish
not to.
I know there are business owners I would prefer not to have any
more contact with… those who do not take pride in their work nor
provide quality goods. I figure those types of business owners
won’t give a darn about resolving an issue directly with me.
That’s where the BBB comes into play.
The BBB forwards complaints to the company within a couple days.
The company then has two weeks to respond. if they do not respond,
a second request is then made. The BBB will notify you when they
receive a response from the company.
You, as a consumer have a voice… use it.
My goal when reviewing via Unilocal is to inform others via my personal
experiences with a business… the good and the bad.
Via the BBB, you’re also helping others.

Any place that gives Starving Students Movers a «Satisfactory» rating just isn’t doing their job. I myself posted a complaint about that company on their site a few years ago and there were many others there then as well. Then I think Unilocal came along and people stopped making complaints to the BBB because it is much more satisfying to come here and complain in your own words knowing that you have peers that feel the same way or else that you are engaged in a dynamic open public dialogue about businesses.
This shift in *public* venues however does not mean that Starving Students etal. have suddenly become «Satisfactory» businesses. The BBB only reports complaints entered in the last 36 months — then those records are expunged. There should not be an expiration date on incompetance, rudeness, extortion etc. The BBB is an archaic form of business information as far as I am concerned and it is a real shame that people (especially older people who have relied on the BBB traditionally for such advice and information) might go there expecting to find the truth about a company and be so very misled.