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

  • Rick G
    • City, State
    • Irving, TX
  • Maria Z
    • City, State
    • Costa Mesa, CA
  • scott M
    • City, State
    • orlando, FL
  • Brock W
    • City, State
    • san juan capistrano CA
  • Victor H
    • City, State
    • artesia ca
  • Robert C
    • City, State
    • Capistrano Beach, CA
    • Comments
    • The BBB is more of a scam than any of the companies it reports on.
  • Dan C
    • City, State
    • Lawrence, MA
  • Jeremy Shane H
    • City, State
    • Las Vegas, Nevada
    • Comments
    • the bbb is the biggest scam and the extort their presence and make you pay them to be rated.
  • Kevin J
    • City, State
    • Murrieta California
  • SCOTT G
    • City, State
    • NEWPORT BEACH, CA
    • Comments
    • ABOLISH THEM
  • Dane
    • City, State
    • Irvine CA
  • Rick D
    • City, State
    • Long Beach, CA
    • Comments
    • BBB is a scam and is hurting my business greatly. Everytime we call over there they lower our rating. I'm currently at a
  • Michael C
    • City, State
    • Fort Worth, TX
  • Chad L
    • City, State
    • Newport Beach, CA
  • Adam P
    • City, State
    • Keller, TX
  • Jordan H
    • City, State
    • Lakewood, WA
    • Comments
    • My comments are too long to post here.
  • Pamela G
    • City, State
    • Portland OR 97239
  • Matt D
    • City, State
    • Costa Mesa, CA
  • Kyle S
    • City, State
    • Maumelle, AR
    • Comments
    • Carte Blanche Cleaners Co-Owner
  • Melanie H
    • City, State
    • Henderson, NV
    • Comments
    • My fiance has had a problem with the BBB they posted a complaint against his company after he answered the compaint via email & fax within one hour of receiving the complaint. The BBB acuses him of not responding to the complaint at all and to be unresponsive to the accusations. The complaint came from a client who became irate with his staff using profanities and threatening him, he then had to place a restraining order for their protection and the client later violated his order and was issued a warrant for his arrest. The BBB failed to do a full investigation on the complaint and the source of the complaint. Was it because his company is not registered with the BBB as an accredited company? His company name is Save Your House located in Las Vegas, NV the complaint was filed through the Southern Nevada BBB
  • Jesse B
    • City, State
    • Las Vegas, NV
    • Comments
    • Check out the unfairness of the BBB, this company is all over ripoff report but they show good grading on BBB. They currently have 28 existing complaints filed with the BBB and are rated an A as an accredited company with the bureau http://southernnevada.bbb.org/bbb_rated_acc_rpt.asp?bbbid=54963&tr=rated&lg=A&ex= Now, look at my company with 1 complaint filed rated an F and I am not accredited with the bureau http://southernnevada.bbb.org/bbb_rated_acc_rpt.asp?bbbid=79637&tr=rated&lg=F&ex=15\%2C19 Just copy and paste these links to see for yourself and notice, for some strange reason I can't find any law offices listed at all through the BBB, not sure why.
  • Jerry R
    • City, State
    • Payson, Ut
  • Andrew R
    • City, State
    • New Haven, CT
  • Michael P
    • City, State
    • Clearwater Florida
  • PABLO B
    • City, State
    • Gledale, CA
    • Comments
    • fairness is justice.
  • Casey D
    • City, State
    • Placentia, Ca
  • Christopher D
    • City, State
    • Emeryville, CA
  • Michael C
    • City, State
    • Orangevale, CA
  • Carl V
    • City, State
    • Yucaipa,Ca.92399
    • Comments
    • Lost a customer today went fromAA rating and not renewed my membership to a F rating because I did'nt pay them also on there web site they show my state lic. to be cancelled of which it is not.
  • Stephen C
    • City, State
    • Des Peres, Missouri
  • Frank H
    • City, State
    • Reno Nevada
    • Comments
    • Won't comply to there own grading system--thats just wrong.
  • Michael L. W
    • City, State
    • Houston, Tx
    • Comments
    • They continually refuse in Houston to provide us standards to be judged by and then post erroneous information. It is a travesty of democracy.
  • Phanel
    • City, State
    • Deland, FL
    • Comments
    • Boingo Wireless bought out the LA BBB for a membership fee
  • Scott J
    • City, State
    • Mesa, AZ
    • Comments
    • I ask that all decent employees and board members affiliated with any BBB resign immediately in protest of the extortion-like tactics BBBs now use to get memberships. Upon resignation, I ask that you would immediately expose those who perpetrate such needless damage to the reputation and livelihoods of so many good businesses and good business people, detailing the tactics used to the media, consumer advocacy groups and, in court, if needed. My deep gratitude goes out to those former BBB employees that have already done so.
  • Austin T
    • City, State
    • Los Alamitos, CA
  • Leighton W
    • City, State
    • Yorba Linda, CA
  • ROBERT R
    • City, State
    • SAVANNAH, GA.
    • Comments
    • THE BBB NORTHEAST FL. SITE LISTS COMPANIES AS HAVING SUPER REVIEWS; BUT WHEN YOU CLICK TO FILE A COMPLAINT , THEY THEN STATE THE COMPANY IS NOT A MEMBER. THIS COMPANY BEING PARTS SEARCH, NATIONAL PARTS, INTERNATIONAL PARTS.
  • Chris C
    • City, State
    • Smtihville, TX
    • Comments
    • THE BBB SUCKS! We paid hundreds of $$$ to be a member thinking it would help our small buisness. When we had a complaining customer (That refused to go by the contract THEY signed) file against us, we went to arbitration. We are a fair and honest company, we just wanted the customer to abide by the contract. The BBB "approved" arbitrator never even helped us a bit. After the customer won, their even more crazy neighbor file on us.??? We stop membership before it went to arbitration. Now we have 2 complaints on file and a "F" rating. Thanks BBB for nothing!!! Now potential customers think we are a bad company! ( NOTE: Our company tried it's best to settle the matter on its own, but you just can't please every customer.)
  • Sandra S
    • City, State
    • San Diego
  • Christina D
    • City, State
    • Largo, FL
  • Sheena
    • City, State
    • largo,fl
  • David D
    • City, State
    • Boise, Idaho
  • Derek R
    • City, State
    • Bainbridge Island, WA
  • Debbi H
    • City, State
    • Garden Grove, CA 92840
  • Carrie T
    • City, State
    • Colorado Springs, Co
  • Orlando T
    • City, State
    • Colorado Springs, Co
  • Dave b
    • City, State
    • slc ut
  • Mary
    • City, State
    • Cincinnati, Ohio
    • Comments
    • I worked for them, they're a joke and rip off business owners. I can't believe they're allowed to get away with this. All they care about is MONEY, it's not about protecting consumers. You have to reach a goal, every month, in the sales department or else you were terminated. Money, money, money!
  • barbara i
    • City, State
    • FL
    • Comments
    • im not a member im been graded a f
  • Christopher H
    • City, State
    • Vidor, TX
    • Comments
    • I recieved an F from BBB because of two customers, one who hadn't even paid. We have served many thousands of customers across the country. The grading standards are biased and unfair, because I am not a member of the BBB.