First Problem (The BBB is a for money ONLY agency and hurts the consumers):
I was originally contacted by the BBB sales department several years ago when I was only one month in business. The pitch they used was that they received numerous requests about our business and they noticed that over the past 5 years that there were no negative reports. I in return advised s the sales person that how is this possible when we have been open for only one month. I later realized that this is just a pitch they use to get members. Yet I fell for it and kept them on my rolodex.
Years later when we grew as a business and had the funds I signed up with them only because my competitors had thier logo on thier web sites. This was my biggest mistake. They took my info on the phone and within ONLY 30 minuts I was approved (i have evidence of this in writing).in fact they posted me as being in business for 20 years when I was only in business 10 years.
To prove they are a scam and only go after membership dues and give the public a false sense of security I did the following: I signed up via telephone under a false name and gave them false information. They took my credit card number, charged me over $700.00 and posted my phony company on their web site without verifying ANY of the information. They simply took it on face value and by looking at a one page web site we threw up in one day.
On this web site we noted that we have been open for 23 years. The BBB than posted us with a AA rating and posted that we have been open for 23 years! All of this without verifying anything.in fact they posted this within four working days after charging my credit card! They have been scamming the public and the business owners for years and its about time they get exposed.
Second Problem (The BBB hurts business as well):
They take ANY complaint and put it against your businesss record without even filtering them for accuracy or honesty. When I contacted them about this problem, it was basically understood that if I paid more for the membership they would raise my rating. I did not like this and disagreed and left It as is. I received a letter from them not to long ago threatening to cancel me because I did not respond to one compliant. I did respond to this compliant and proved it to them.
After I sent them in this proof, I was contacted by Alicia Robertson. She apologized for the misunderstanding and acknowledged that they did receive my response and it was their computer error. She than noted that my membership had expired. She told me that if I renewed I would be raised to a B rating from my current CCC rating. I asked her to put it in writing and she said she would.
Instead I received only an invoice. When I sent her an email asking where her promise was, I instead received an email from Gary Almond a regional manager who told me that he did not like my answers to complaints and to remove all BBB logos etc. Now I noticed they sent me from a B to CCC and now D because I am no longer a PAYING Member.
When you call as a NEW member the BBB sales department seems to relay a different story.in fact they tell POTENTIAL members that they will "work: with the member and even "remove" complaints for the Member. This is a pitch to get membership dues. I myself have had complaints removed AND HAVE DOCUMENTS TO PROVE IT from Alicia Robertson at the BBB proving that they do remove complaints from postings when you are a paying member
BOTTOM LINE: The public needs to be made aware that the BBB is for money only. And just becuase a business has a bad or a good rating means nothing! If there are any other business owners out ther I would like to talk to you because I plan to file a class action suit against the BBB.
George
Valencia, California
U.S.A.
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