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

  • An B
    • City, State
    • santa clara, ca
    • Comments
    • В
  • cuong t
    • City, State
    • san diego, ca
  • stephanie n
    • City, State
    • chino hills, ca
  • Romerson D
    • City, State
    • Rancho Santa Margarita, CA
  • LENA T
    • City, State
    • San Diego
  • Lori V
    • City, State
    • Chula Vista, CA
  • Sharon W
    • City, State
    • Fullerton, CA
  • Paul N
    • City, State
    • Santa Clara, CA
  • Jon N
    • City, State
    • Virginia Beach, VA
    • Comments
    • I support this petition
  • Alex C
    • City, State
    • Houston, TX
  • Christopher C
    • City, State
    • Lynnfield, MA
  • Steven B
    • City, State
    • Santa Clara, CA
  • Brian W
    • City, State
    • Orlando, FL
  • Bryan V
    • City, State
    • San Diego
  • Terry H
    • City, State
    • Corona, CA
  • Pamela A. W
    • City, State
    • Corona, CA
  • Jose Leon M
    • City, State
    • Corona, CA
    • Comments
    • Please help, this company is not fair. They do not even investigate the accuracy of the complaints. We have complaints on our account from people requesting refunds, when they have clearly signed contracts with us, well aware of the fact that the payments are NON REFUNDABLE. Why should that be allowed to be a 'complaint' that brings our grade down? There are unscrupulous consumers out there who just want to get their way like a toddler.
  • Chris H
    • City, State
    • Lake Worth, Fl
    • Comments
    • I have experienced first hand the mafia tactics the BBB use to extort money from businesses in order to receive a fair grade. They use mafia tactics in a modern day medium. Please help us stop these criminal activities.
  • Courtney
    • City, State
    • St.Cloud, MN
    • Comments
    • We have been through this as a small business. Our rating went from an A to a C- while our competitor has double the amount of complaints we have and they're still at an A+
  • Dean W M
    • City, State
    • Plantsville,CT
    • Comments
    • I have a 31 year old Hearth Business that I personally started in 1979 with only $1100. Deans Stove and Spa has become one of the largest hearth shops on the east coast because we offer products-and service them better than 99\% of the others out their. We had a top rating from the BBB, until we stopped paying their membership fee. We have greatly improved our customer service every year since, but had-and still have- an "F" rating ever since. I, myself, has even met at the BBB's office in Wallingford to personnally explain every dispute; we bend over backwards to help people-over 50,000 customers and a 99.5\% approval rating prove it! But we still lose people daily, for no other reason, than our "F" rating from the BBB. That is unfair for both us and the customers they are keeping from us. I still work more than 75 hours/week in my business to make sure my customers get what they want. This "F" rating "stabs me in the heart"-and I can't do anything about it. Thank You for your investigation.
  • Deborah C
    • City, State
    • Huntington Beach, CA
    • Comments
    • They have given me a B- and have no information on my business
  • JOHN DOUGLAS B
    • City, State
    • SAMMAMISH, WA
    • Comments
    • I am a business owner in WA state, I have a "B+" plus rating, see it on BBC website @ http://www.bbb.org/western-washington/business-reviews/handyman-services/honey-do-maintenance-and-repair-in-sammamish-wa-22031553 Their REASON: Based on BBB files, Honey Do Maintenance & Repair LLC has a BBB Rating of B+ on a scale from A+ to F. Reasons for this rating include: BBB does not have sufficient information to determine how long this business has been operating. BBB does not have sufficient background information on this business. THIS IS A LIE!!! I spoke with their REPS three times, and ALL that they EVER asked for from me, was MONEY to join their MAFIA type agency. I have 13 customer reviews, (4 on ANGIES LIST- All "A"s and 9 on Merchant Circle - ALL are 5 starr ratings). I may have lost THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS IN LOST REVENUES DUE TO THE BBB RATING, WHICH IS OBVIOUSLY FALSE AND FRAUDULENT. I AM CALLING FOR A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT AGAINST THE BBB AND WE NEED TO BRING THEM DOWN TO THEIR KNEES AND WIPE THEM OFF T
  • Webster S
    • City, State
    • Memphis, Tn
    • Comments
    • The local BBB harassed me for 2 years with lower ratings and negative comments on their website over advertising while 8 competitors who were BBB members had been using the same advertising message with no effect on their rating or negative comments on the BBB's website for at least 8 years. They employ people who have no knowledge or training in many aspects of the businesses they are reviewing and advising.
  • Kathleen V. K
    • City, State
    • Lombard, IL
    • Comments
    • You may also want to look into how they handle their complaints. I went through their arbitration system against M. Walter Roofing and won, but the BBB told me they couldn't get my money from the company and go to a lawyer. This was a legally binding arbitration. I lost my money and the company got an A+ rating.
  • john m
    • City, State
    • minneapolis, minnesota
  • Benn W
    • City, State
    • Jupiter Florida
    • Comments
    • The BBB is the biggest scam company of them all
  • joseph a
    • City, State
    • moreno valley, ca.
  • chad t
    • City, State
    • tulsa, ok
    • Comments
    • bbb gives better ratings for money? Shame Shame! Isnt this racketerring? But I guess thats big business these days, pathetic!
  • John P
    • City, State
    • new jersey
    • Comments
    • they suck. they're liars, they're frauds, they hold their hands out for a payout!
  • christopher s
    • City, State
    • las vegas, nv
    • Comments
    • bbb is a extortion
  • STEPHEN P. M
    • City, State
    • NORTH HAVEN, CT. 06473
  • Anthony B
    • City, State
    • austin, texas
    • Comments
    • without question
  • Robert B
    • City, State
    • Rochester, NY
    • Comments
    • The BBB serves the businesses they supposedly grade. They are not consumer advocates. Do not trust them
  • Gil V
    • City, State
    • Tampa, Florida
    • Comments
    • the BBB is unfair . any logical person would understand that this grading system has flaws
  • Andy T
    • City, State
    • Holly Ridge, N.C.
    • Comments
    • Please help their killing my business
  • Adam L
    • City, State
    • Egg Harbor Township, NJ 08234
  • Alex S
    • City, State
    • north myrtle beach, sc
  • Timothy S
    • City, State
    • Surfside Beach, South Carolina
    • Comments
    • They claim someone else owns my business and bad mouthed me on the news when it is totally false if they would just look up the registered owner on the business license they would see the truth
  • David L
    • City, State
    • Fairfax, CA
    • Comments
    • В
  • William F
    • City, State
    • St. Charles, MO
    • Comments
    • As a BBB member I owned a family business in the 90's and had a bogus complaint filed that was so mishandled by them that it nearly put me out of business. From 2000 to 2003 I worked for a competitor in their sales department, and I would see endless BBB complaint letters about our the company come in the mail, mostly about failure of the manager to address or schedule service calls. I noticed that they always maintained an A+ rating, and found out that my manager and the BBB director golfed together regularly. I am back in business again, and I would NEVER join the BBB again, and am glad to expose them in any way.
  • George M
    • City, State
    • Charleston, SC
    • Comments
    • A business should be able to opt out of being mentioned in any way by the BBB. The BBB is clearly a racket, and it is obvious why people continue to believe it was started by Al Capone.
  • Christie A
    • City, State
    • Englewood, CO
    • Comments
    • Documented shoddy paint company has A+ rating
  • Stephen D
    • City, State
    • Santa Barbara, CA
    • Comments
    • If you pay the annual fees you get good rating, if you don't, watchout, you are going to be rated F. It is a really good scam purporting to expose scams!
  • Lori H
    • City, State
    • Victorville Ca
    • Comments
    • this needed investigation is so distressing to hear about
  • Sylvia S
    • City, State
    • Lakeland, Fl
    • Comments
    • They gave Hamas an A for money!!
  • Jim
    • City, State
    • tampa, fl
    • Comments
    • The BBB is legalized mafia - pay to play or be penalized!
  • Tina H
    • City, State
    • Parker
    • Comments
    • The BBB is as crooked as the day is long. They are little better than the mafia in how they protect their paying members.
  • Jon B
    • City, State
    • Austin, Texas
    • Comments
    • These jerks need to be dealt with. My story is no different than Mr. Puck's or any of the other HONEST business owners railroaded into low quality scores DESPITE busting our butts to answer "outstanding complaints" that never arrived. We were told we could pay a "premimum fee" to access an online portal to prevent the well-known email undeliverables from occurring... and this AFTER we were dropped from a B rating to an F RATING the moment we stopped paying dues. This smells of a racket... nothing more.
  • Jonathan H
    • City, State
    • Los Angeles, CA
    • Comments
    • I feel abused by the BBB for the simple fact I'm not willing to pay for their membership.
  • robert
    • City, State
    • wilmington de
    • Comments
    • they are not a member of the BBB so you cant complain about them