The Better Business Bureau may have the report filed under the parent company’s name. Check the company’s website to see if it is a subsidiary of a larger parent organization.
Read BBB’s Report on this Business File a Complaint Submit a Customer Review
Type of business and time in industry. Complaint history with BBB. Engagement in transparent business practices. Failure to honor BBB commitments. Known advertising issues. Licensing and government actions brought against the business.
The additional value of the BBB, aside from just mitigating the complaint process, is the BBB’s ability to collect and make public information and data regarding consumer interactions with specific businesses.
The BBB suggests, but does not require consumers to first try to resolve the issue with the business before commencing the official BBB complaint filing process. The BBB logs complaints in 5 different areas: advertising and sales issues, billing and collection issues, problems with product or service, delivery issues, and guarantee or warranty issues.
The BBB cannot force a business to reply to complaint, since it has no legal authority. It can cancel BBB memberships for those business members who do not adhere to the standards all BBB members voluntarily agree to follow.
The BBB can provide a trained mediator to assist both you and the business with coming to mutually-agreed-upon solutions for the dispute at issue. Informal dispute resolution is provided by a professionally-trained hearing officer who listens and makes non-binding decisions aimed at resolving the dispute. Binding arbitration is provided by a trained arbitrator who listens to both parties, weighs in on the evidence presented and renders a decision regarding dispute resolution which all parties must follow. In order for arbitration to be binding, both parties must agree to accept the arbitration decision.
Consider BBB accreditation as being more like a club membership, as opposed to being a true certification of business excellence. Though BBB accreditation indicates that a business values its’ relationship with the public, this does not mean that the BBB has conducted a substantial, in-depth, on-site review of the company and its operations.
