Could the Better Business Bureau Be a Scam? You are looking answer for this, While going through this blog, you will read about the basics of BBB. What are the common controversies and criticisms that prove the BBB is a scam?
What options do you have as a consumer? Moreover, you will get the relevant information about this topic in the FAQs section.
โถ What is the Better Business Bureau (BBB)?
The Better Business Bureau (BBB) is a nonprofit organization that works on membership patterns in North America. They claim, โleader(s) in advancing marketplace trust.โ
Primarily, it has two functions: rating registered businesses for their reliability and performance. Secondly, help the consumer to resolve their complaints with these businesses.
The BBB generates its revenue through a membership fee from the registered companies. , It is the point of the problem which builds the case that BBB is a scam. We will discuss it with reference and case study in subsequent lines.
โถ Criticism and controversies with the BBB
Here are the common criticisms and controversies with the BBB discussed with references:
โ Complaint resolution difference between paid & non-paid members
The larger companies have to pay $10,000, while smaller companies have to pay $400 as a yearly Plan fee to BBB. The payment of these minimal fees provides the companies with several relaxations. The unfair BBB-filed consumer resolution is one of them.
According to CNNMoney, the paid BBB members can effortlessly resolve consumer complaints with generic letters and feedback that genuinely do not address the consumer issue.
On the other hand, the non-paid members continually struggle to resolve consumer complaints with BBB after satisfactory responses and compensations. Therefore, it shows the dual standards of BBB and its scamming intent.
โ The BBB ratings change frequently:
The grades on the BBB website can change so frequently that it becomes impossible for end consumers to establish an opinion about the company based on reliable information. According to CNNMoney, the BBB rating for a famous MNC was D.
After a few weeks, it jumped to A+ without significant work for its consumers. So, BBB does not have stable ranking criteria. Therefore, it is building its image as a scamming organization.
โ Consumer lawsuits are useless:
If a consumer files a lawsuit through BBB against the bad service of a company, it may hold no value for the company and the BBB. The BBB will not downgrade its ratings on its website due to your lawsuits.
Moreover, most of the time, the BBB will back off. Therefore, the BBB looks like a scam due to these issues.
โ HCR ManorCare: A Case Study
Evidence of the BBB scam is the HCR ManorCare case. The company faced a federal indictment for a massive Medicare fraud. Despite the indictment, it gets an โA+โ customer review rating from the BBB.
According to CNNMoney, this case shows the irrelevancy of consumer lawsuits in rating a company and the scamming intent of BBB.
โ What options do I have now?
In todayโs world, you have multiple options to evaluate the service and product of a company: Yelp, Google Reviews, Angieโs List, and others. These options can help you buy a good service or product through their review systems.
But, none of them is perfect to pinpoint the fraudulent business.
It is relevant for the BBB rating system as well. Apply multiple searches and evaluation tools. Donโt rely on a single platform, especially when purchasing a ticket product or acquiring a service.
โถ Conclusion
The Better Business Bureau (BBB) has retained a credible image in the market. It holds a track record of being a credible platform for securing consumer rights and fostering ethical business practices.
However, several well-known media platforms have raised several concerns about the platform’s credibility. Amid this scenario, consumers need to be super vigilant while buying a service or a product. Don’t rely on a single business review platform.
โถ Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q1: Upon facing an issue with the BBB, what should I do?
You should document your experience, go for alternative methods to resolve the dispute, and report to the relevant government consumer protection agencies.
Q2: What are the alternatives to BBB to check the credibility of a business?
You can use the following alternatives to check the credibility of any business: Yelp, Google reviews, Trustpilot, and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). Moreover, you can check your industry-specific review platforms.
Q3: Can I trust the credibility of BBB in resolving consumer complaints?
No, you cannot rely only on the BBB for complaint resolution. There are cases when BBB has back-off from customer support in complaint resolution.
Q4: Is the Better Business Bureau (BBB) is a governmental agency?
No, it is a private nonprofit organization. It claims to help customers in complaint resolution. Moreover, it promotes ethical business practices.
Q5: Does BBB accreditation guarantee the quality of a business?
The accreditation shows that a business fulfills several standards of ethical business practices. However, it does not guarantee flawless business service or product.
