Eliminate the Better Business Bureau's Double Standards In Grading Businesses

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We the undersigned consumers and business owners hereby petition the Better Business Bureau, interested politicians, and government officials to take the following course of action to rectify what we believe to be a travesty with great economic costs.

We believe the following statements to be true:

1. The Better Business Bureau current grading system is inaccurate, biased, and faulty which has caused legitimate, well run, consumer friendly businesses to suffer greatly from bad grades given to them by the Better Business Bureau.

2. The Better Business Bureau current grading system has not done the due diligence necessary to guarantee accurate results about non-member businesses for which it has given grades.

3. The Better Business Bureau has no mechanism in place for a non-member business to seek independent arbitration for what they deem to be an unfair grade. In other words, the Better Business Bureau refuses to subject itself to the very process that they require businesses to participate in if they wish to be members.

4. There is no standardization between regional offices of the Better Business Bureaus when it comes to grading or sales tactics. There is no appearance of oversight of these regional BBB offices by the national Council of Better Business Bureaus.

In view of these statements which we believe reflect the truth, we hereby request the Council of Better Business Bureaus take the following course of action to better serve the consumers it has sworn to protect and the businesses it seeks to represent, and make right the damage it has caused to businesses that have been disparaged by incorrect grades from various regional BBB offices.

1. Until such time as the Better Business Bureau can demonstrate that they have done the countless hours of research necessary to grade any business in their database, the BBB must be required to remove all grades assigned to non-member businesses.

2. Prior to re-instituting said grading system, the BBB must have a system in place to allow businesses and consumers to file complaints about a regional BBB. These complaints must go directly to the National Council of Better Business Bureaus to oversee, and if necessary arbitrate. If the Council of Better Business Bureaus declines to establish such a national oversight process, then we request legislation from the United States Congress to require the BBB to subject itself to such a national oversight process from whom-so-ever Congress decides.


614 Signatures

  • Viola B
    • City, State
    • St.Petersburg,Fl
    • Comments
    • STOP THE DOUBLE STANDARDS,NOW
  • Jaryd W
    • City, State
    • Portland, Oregon
    • Comments
    • As a consumer it is impossible to warn other consumers about a company's bad business practices because the BBB accepts money in exchange for high scores.
  • Chris H
    • City, State
    • Kenai, AK
  • Mary N
    • City, State
    • Raleigh, NC
    • Comments
    • My husband runs a tiny side business and the Eastern North Carolina chapter of the BBB has been sending letters to him 'asking' for information about his business. However, the letters' tone is quite odd, almost threatening, suggesting that if information isn't provided the BBB will just have to post that my husband/his business has not provided any information, has not answered repeated requests to provide information. There's an underlying suggestion that my husband's company is somehow uncooperative and trying to hide something from consumers. When I called the Eastern branch of the BBB, the woman I spoke with was pushy, trying to convince me that I was wrong to ask for the letters to stop being sent and went on and on about why we should cooperate with the BBB. I've read stories in the past about BBB's questionable rating system, that the A+ ratings go to the businesses paying fees. I think Congress should examine BBB's practices and consider putting an end to the organization if the mission of protect
  • Jerry W
    • City, State
    • Worcester, MA
    • Comments
    • The BBB's are nothing but a fraud.
  • Jason C
    • City, State
    • Stockbridge Ga.
    • Comments
    • Its an extortion scam. Ive been in business for 15 years with 1 person who didnt want to pay for the work done writing a complaint. I told them I was taking him to court and until the case was closed I felt it best we didnt discuss the case. I now have a F rating! What the hell!
  • jayna c
    • City, State
    • milwaukee, Wisconsin
    • Comments
    • The BBB arbitration service is a scam, & I can provide legal documentation to back this statement up.
  • Shawn G
    • City, State
    • Katy, Texas
    • Comments
    • I have first hand evidence that BBB is playing dirty with consumers
    • City, State
    • Omaha Ne
    • Comments
    • Not fairly done
  • pedro v
    • City, State
    • irvine, ca
  • Phil T
    • City, State
    • Vernon, Nj
    • Comments
    • We are also a victim. Please help in stopping them. This is extortion and also misleading to consumers that it is a gov. run business.
  • Dallas M
    • City, State
    • San Antonio, TX
    • Comments
    • The BBB has given my company an "F" grade. My issue with this is as follows: 1. BBB calls me every month and tells me that I will receive an "A" grade if I pay them membership fees. 2. My company has over 26,000 customers. On BBB we have 1 complaint. 3. That one complaint is a false complaint from a competitor, not a customer. 4. BBB does not want to take any action to change my grade until I pay them a membership fee. 5. We have had several compliments to BBB about our company, however they will only post complaints 6. I refuse to pay any fees after watching 20/20s investigation of the BBB proving that the BBB itself is fraudulent. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yo8kfV9kONw
  • George F
    • City, State
    • Ponce Inlet, FL
    • Comments
    • The BBB claims that I'm out of business when in fact I've never been out of business since starting my own company in 1999! They claim my address is not correct when indeed it is. And they claim my phone number doesn't belong to my business. I've had the same phone number since July 2001! They even put my phone number on their website - a working number - they claim isn't a working number!
  • Jericho J
    • City, State
    • Baltimore, MD
  • Adam N
    • City, State
    • Tipton, Michigan
    • Comments
    • The BBB is a sham, I believe they are now working for big business rather than the consumer. I filed a valid complaint against MetLife and the BBB responded they had to close the case because MetLife ws out of business Huh? I tried calling and leaving messages the past 3 days and do not get a response. MetLife must be one of their sponsers.
  • Dennis L
    • City, State
    • San Antonio, Texas
    • Comments
    • BBB is extorting me requiring me to pay in order to get an A+ rating. We DO NOT subscribe to the BBB so our rating is an F. Our main business competitor IS a BBB subscriber with an A+ rating who has within the past 3 years raked up 120+ complaints while our company in the past 3 years has only 27 complaints. I'm sure you have heard this a million times.
  • Erik A
    • City, State
    • CHICAGO, il
  • Jerry N
    • City, State
    • Austin, Texas
    • Comments
    • Pay for play.... I have sued them. Anti SLAPP laws stopped it.
  • Brad
    • City, State
    • Lansing, MI
    • Comments
    • I completely wasted my time writing complaints on an auto repair business that billed me for bled brakes and they weren't. Luckily I avoided the collision at the light I couldn't stop at. The BBB after one highly falsified letter said this company had made a good faith gesture and closed my complaint. This company is a scam and should not be allowed to continue to deceive the public.
  • Julia H
    • City, State
    • Asheville NC 28803
  • lady
    • City, State
    • ocoee,fl
    • Comments
    • I totally agree that the BBB is a bunch of crock. I work for a small independent company. I deal with members complaining everyday about how poorly the program is and how little results they aquire from buying into this particular travel membership. When I look at the company I work for grade scale on the BBB website it is a A+ and I know damn well that something is fishy about this grading system. The company has a A+ rating but the clients have D results. Something is totally fishy not to mention misleading consumers!!
  • Briyonna J
    • City, State
    • Los Angeles, California
    • Comments
    • They're misleading and use dirty sales tactics. Complete fraud working under the nose of the real government. They should have no right or ability to slander companies based on a shaky at best rating system!
  • john s
    • City, State
    • parkland,florida
    • Comments
    • The BBB has been calling me for years trying to make me a member.They continue to give me a f rating on my company and tell me they can make it an a if I sign up! WTF...I worked my whole life to get to where I am.My company employs approx. 40 hard working people and we are the true leaders in our industry.We currently have approx. 5000 clients a year and growing but continue to lose some due to the uncalled for f rating the BBB gives us cause we wont pay them or promote a company that we know for sure gives A plus ratings to contractors who are not even licensed!It's crazy that this is allowed.
  • cameilia r
    • City, State
    • reading pa
  • Thomas J
    • City, State
    • Phoenix AZ
  • Crystal M
    • City, State
    • Brentwood, TN
  • Nicholas L
    • City, State
    • Wauwatosa, WI
  • Adam O
    • City, State
    • Apex, NC
  • Denise M
    • City, State
    • Castle Rock, CO
  • Lynne M G
    • City, State
    • Wrightsville Beach, NC
    • Comments
    • I depended on BBB to provide me with a trustworthy rating of a used car company. I chose what I thought was a great vehicle and looked at the BBB rating on the company-A+. Later, after horrible experience I filed a complaint and then contacted others whose stories of similar experiences with the auto company led me to ask them if they'd filed BBB complaints---they had. Then why does the BBB say "no complaints" about this obviously deceptive company? The BBB is aiding this company in its fraudulant and deceptive business practices, as it carries out its own.
    • City, State
    • Warren, NJ
  • Fritz E
    • City, State
    • New Orleans, LA
  • Jamie G
    • City, State
    • Santa Barbara, CA
  • josh
    • City, State
    • San Diego, CA
  • Robert R H
    • City, State
    • Salem,ma.
  • johnnie m
    • City, State
    • gardendale alabama
    • Comments
    • i had always thought that there was something funny about the BBB, as noted several operations with terrible ethics displaying BBB credentials. It is also disgusting that this organization receives tax payer funds! It's long past time to put a stop to this and other abuses
  • Matthew W
    • City, State
    • Chicago, IL
  • john k
    • City, State
    • las vegas nv.
    • Comments
    • I thnk that the rich and powerful have always been in charge of these things and will allways be incharge of them intell we stand up for our god given rights such as life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. But since when did it become allright to pursue you happiness at the cost of mine!
  • J S
    • City, State
    • Saginaw,MN
    • Comments
    • BBB Needs to be an efficient, honest consumer protection service
  • Chris C
    • City, State
    • Martinsburg, WV
    • Comments
    • They didn't even read or want to understand my issue. A complete waste of time and any governemtn funding they receive.
  • ELois P
    • City, State
    • Chicago, Illinois
    • Comments
    • For many years, constituents has believed that when they file a complaint about a company's bad practices, they would get the BEST of results from the BBB. NOT true, for it is TRUE, that this 'organization' is receiving monies from the government, by claiming that they are working for taxpayers/consumers, when in ALL actuality, a 501(c) non-profit is entirely different than a FOR profit status, which iS what the BBB is(for profit) and the methods they use to RATE a company, is OUTRAGEOUS;PLAIN FRADULENT and BOGUS!
  • michael b
    • City, State
    • fort lauderdale fl
    • Comments
    • bbb is fake most people do not know
  • susan t
    • City, State
    • Merced, CA
    • Comments
    • I did business with a company whom the BBB graded an A+. Turns out the company is a fraud, has had over 160 claims resolved, and they have YET to get my $225 back.....JOKE!
  • Donald c w
    • City, State
    • Calhoun,GA
    • Comments
    • Just because they have an A+ rating, the "used auto dealership" we bought a $ 6630.00 Chevy Silverado with "sound suspension" and "very good engine" and was safe for our family on Disability with 2 small children claim that "as-is IS "as-is", the Northwest Georgia chapter of the BBB is allowing David Smith's Auto in Calhoun,GA to win on our quite clear black and white claim of selling a lemon after giving legally binding explicit verbal assurances and guarantees of it's safety,suspension,and engine. Now it has antifreeze going into the oil and into the engine. All because they have no Documented complaints against them,due to them always winning. Complaints aren't documented unless the consumer wins,which in itself is of the highest biasism.
  • Jason P
    • City, State
    • Santa Clara, Ca
  • Eric G
    • City, State
    • Orlando, FL
    • Comments
    • No one should trust the BBB's rating at this point.
  • Christopher W
    • City, State
    • Atlanta GA
    • Comments
    • The BBB offers no recourse for businesses with inaccurate or untruthful complaints and currently lists dozens of complaint about OTHER companies business practices on our place page causing irreparable damage to our business.
  • Freedom Lauralee C
    • City, State
    • Salinas, Ca.
    • Comments
    • Enough of BBB hiding behind the corporate curtain, shmoozing the businesses & lying to consumers. & claiming they are part of Govt. They need serious editing!
  • Jeff M
    • City, State
    • Casselberry, FL
  • Sam T
    • City, State
    • St. Paul, Minnesota
    • Comments
    • The BBB is acting as a regulatory agency, telling people how they are allowed to market their business. They use their name and perceived importance to wield a big sword in controlling small businesses. Something needs to be done, please help.