Your experiences with the BBB

In My Humble Opinion
21

When we were looking to have a garage built, I checked out the company we were considering going with on the BBB website. The guy had an A- rating, with two complaints. One was considered satisfactorily resolved, the other was stated something like “closed–no satisfactory outcome accepted by complainant” or something to that effect. So, we figured the company was acceptable.

Cut to two years later and look at the concrete slab falling apart behind my house. Complaining to the contractor got us nowhere. I figure that must be what happened with the other claim…the contractor ran through his myriad of excuses and blame-shifting until the customer withered up and died. Anyway, I decided to file my own BBB complaint to at least try to keep someone else from making the same mistake. However, you aren’t allowed to file on a company you are in litigation with. So, as long as they don’t get complaints, they can be sued a hundred times over and they will still have a favorable BBB score. Sorta defeats the purpose.

22

I’ve had two complaints filed against my company in nearly 20 years. Both were unfounded. When I provided the details to the BBB, they sent me a copy of the letter that they sent to the complainant in which the BBB said they had investigated and the complaint was unfounded.

I have no problem with them.

23

When it comes to contractors, the easiest thing is to go right to the contractor’s board. Generally, they take negligence from their licensed contractor’s very, very seriously and will act much faster than any other agency I’ve seen.

We run a business where the majority of our competition has pages and pages and pages of complaints from unhappy customers all over the internet. Unlike them, we run a decent business, so we have no such issues. That said, I can’t tell you how much business we get because of our BBB rating-- seriously, probably one out of every two clients mentions our A+ BBB rating compared to the ratings of our competition. So, while it’s fair to say most Dopers are anti BBB, I don’t think that is the actual case for the average consumer. I mean, at least in my experience.

And while the BBB may just be the UN of the business world, we take very seriously any complaints we do get (it’s happened like, twice ever). Like the others have said, those clients are usually the crazy pantsiest of the crazy pants, but we take the good name of our business pretty seriously, so even the crazies will get our full attention when they do spring up. Every time we’ve had a complaint and responded fully and completely in good faith, the customer has never once responded back after that point, so the case gets closed out. We’ve been in business for almost 3 decades in 2 states and we’ve only had a small handful of complaints over those years-- frankly, I’m surprised some of you have so many freaking complaints. I assure you that your client base can’t possibly be any crazier than mine :), so what the hell?

I have personally used the BBB a few times (eep, that makes me a crazy, doesn’t it?) to file complaints-- and each time the business responded by handling the issue promptly and fairly (usually I use the BBB as a way to get the company to finally answer my freaking email/ messages/ whatever), so I retract my complaint against them.

I do also check out businesses I’m thinking of working with on the BBB, though it’s certainly not the end all be all of my choice.

24

Just piping in three years later…

Recently, I moved out of the DC area and moved across the country (again). I had Comcast cable internet and TV back there. The day before I moved, I went to the local office and turned in all my hardware (including remote controls), cancelled the service and paid my final bill. I got a confirmation number from the guy at the desk and a receipt. The next day I left that part of the world.

A month later, I got my final bill (forwarded to my new address by the USPS) and it said I was due a refund due to overpayment of my final bill. Yay! Free money!

Fast forward three months later. I get a (forwarded) bill from Comcast saying I owe $50 for non-turn in of my hardware. I send the bill back to them with a letter stating the non-validity of the bill, give them their own confirmation # and ask for my refund.

Get another bill the next month. Send them the same info.

Get another bill the next month. Now the amount had increased to $150, due to same issues and another month of service billed. This one came with a collection notice threatening a court case if bill is not paid within 30 days.

So, since I’ve had good luck with the BBB previously, I went to the website and stated my situation, asking only for my $4 (woo!) refund that I was originally promised. (Side note: I logged into my old Comcast account and they show I am now owed a $46 refund, but I only asked for $4)

One week later, I get a phonecall from Comcast in Philly and the Senior Regional Up-High Muckity Muck tells me that the matter is resolved, I will get my $4 check (in the mail, natch) and they acknowledge the receipt of all my hardware that I turned in. The matter is now closed. This will not negatively reflect upon my credit score.

I win (in theory). I still haven’t received my check yet, but it has only been a week. I’ll come back when (if) I get my check.

Thanks, BBB!

25

I never realized people thought of the BBB as a place that could DO anything about consumer problems. Everyone I’ve ever talked to who used them did so as a “weed out the godawful businesses” check before moving on to checking past work/clients and all that.

I have never submitted a claim to them, but I have avoided certain businesses like the plague because of the ratings and comments on their site.

I know that they charge businesses to be listed as accredited, and that they are awfully nosey and bureaucratic, so I actually try NOT to use them to actually pick - just to weed out the really obviously crap ones.

26

This. We had a problem with concrete - cracking was expected over time, but not pitting, flaking, and splotchy coloration less than 2 years after being poured. We called the contractor and tried to work with them to some sort of resolution. Of course they ignored us and tried to push us off to the “sub-contractor” who was responsible for the actual pour. After more than a year of back and forth, and gradual deterioration of our deck, and frustration, we called the licensing board, filed an official complaint, and lo and behold, the company started to pay attention to us. They settled with us, which happened to cover about half the cost of the concrete resurfacing. I wish I would have complained the licensing board earlier.

I have never used the BBB for anything.

27

This is true, but I think we pay about $300 per year per region we’re accredited in and with that, they actually refer you business on top of the listing (a few times a month I get “LEAD FROM THE BBB” emails). Like I said, literally about half of our clients mention our BBB accreditation, so it is well, well, WELL worth $300.

28

A previous BBB thread on the Dope referenced the BBB practice of giving top ratings to companies that send them money and shafting others who don’t come across.

“The Better Business Bureau, one of the country’s best known consumer watchdog groups, is being accused by business owners of running a “pay for play” scheme in which A plus ratings are awarded to those who pay membership fees, and F ratings used to punish those who don’t.”

“To prove the point, a group of Los Angeles business owners paid $425 to the Better Business Bureau and were able to obtain an A minus grade for a non-existent company called Hamas, named after the Middle Eastern terror group.”

“Right now, this rating system is really unworthy of consumer trust or confidence,” said Connecticut attorney general Richard Blumenthal in an interview to be broadcast as part of an ABC News investigation airing tonight on 20/20."…

“As reported by an anonymous blogger the BBB also awarded an A minus rating to a non-existent sushi restaurant in Santa Ana, California and an A plus to a skinhead, neo-Nazi web site called Stormfront.”

“Each listing cost $425.”

29

Jackmannii is right for sure. In one area where we operate, we weren’t BBB members because it slipped our minds. We noticed we had, as unaccredited business, an A- rating. When I called and gave the guy my credit card to accredit us, he literally said, “The charge went through without any problems. Congratulations on your A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau.”