How to file a complaint against the BBB
First Stage:
Send a complaint to:
The Council of Better Business Bureau
4200 Wilson Blvd, Suite 800
Arlington, VA 22203-1838
Phone: 703-276-0100
Fax: 703-525-8277
You can fax your complaint but you must also mail it Certified Mail and Return Receipt Requested.
The CBBB has 30 days to respond.
You must do it in order to have the correct “paper trail” for your next step.
We do not expect the CBBB to solve the issue but you gave them a chance to “control” their franchise.
If the issue is not resolved, escalate to the next stage.
Second Stage:
Send a complaint about:
Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices by the BBB
Address the complaint to:
The Office of the Attorney General
Each state has it own Attorney General.
The Office of the Attorney General of your state is well familiar with the issue.
They already received many such complaints about the BBB.
The Attorney General is not happy with the level of complaints about the BBB they receive.
The more complaints they receive, the more pressure they will put on the BBB.
Do not expect quick results, the Office of the Attorney General is usually overworked and understaffed.
The only way to make them attend to this issue is for the business community and the public to stand up for their rights, take action and submit such complaints when due.
Third Stage:
Send your complaint to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC)
Use their site:
https://www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov/
Even though the FTC does not resolve individual consumer complaints
It is important to submit your valid complaint against the BBB
The following is the FTC note in regards to submitting a complaint.
Before You Submit a Complaint
The Federal Trade Commission, the nation’s consumer protection agency, collects complaints about companies, business practices, identity theft, and episodes of violence in the media.
Why: Your complaints can help us detect patterns of wrong-doing, and lead to investigations and prosecutions. The FTC enters all complaints it receives into Consumer Sentinel, a secure online database that is used by thousands of civil and criminal law enforcement authorities worldwide. The FTC does not resolve individual consumer complaints.
Fourth Stage:
If you cannot get satisfaction, and or demand compensation for the damages caused by the wrong doing of the BBB you need to take the BBB Franchise to court.
The franchise owner is relying on the fact that very few will go through with the expenses involved in such litigation.
Franchise owners may “close shop” to avoid paying compensation.
Check the corporation records of the BBB Franchise you intend to sue.
What is the track record of the owners? Any previous “Not for Profits” corporations?
It is best to appoint a legal firm that has experience in litigation and cases against the BBB.
I have to laugh and shrug every time I hear a complaint about the Better Business Bureau not addressing a complaint. My eye opening experience occurred many years ago in Albuquerque when a mechanic tried to rip me off by replacing a part on my car that did not resolve the car complaint he said it would solve. When it was demonstrated to him that the problem still existed and I wanted my$300 back . He smugly said, “Complain to the Better Business Bureau”. When I called the BBB they said the repair guy, a long time dues paying member of the BBB, would never do that to a customer, blah, blah blah! They would not lift a finger to help me. The BBB is a joke, a scam, that protects it dues paying members.
I’ve tried to use the BBB on two occasions. Both were dismal failures. On the first attempt, I filed a complaint against a marketing firm for using deceptive selling practices. The BBB closed the case as satisfactorily resolved. It was not resolved to my satisfaction what-so-ever. The second instance involved the BBB Autoline service. After several months of discussion, the BBB determined that the case was out of their jurisdiction and closed the case. Again – not to my satisfaction what-so-ever.
Based on my experiences, I have to say the BBB seems to be a worthless entity that appears to cater to the businesses which they are supposed to be watch dogging. As a consumer I recommend anyone seek guidance elsewhere.
I should add to my last comment that even though the business had closed it’s physical location, they were still running a website with the physical location information as their contact information and that’s where the customer complaints are coming from.
I called my local BBB to let them know that the information they had for another business was incorrect. I know because the phone number they have on file for this business that they show is still IN business is MY phone number now. the business they have on file closed 3 years ago and because the business did not notify the BBB that they were closed, of course the BBB doesn’t know they closed. the person I spoke to at BBB was so very rude!!! all I wanted was to inform them that the phone number they had given out to a person to contact this business was no longer there’s but belonged to me for the past 2 years and what did I need to do to correct the problem. again, she was so very rude!! She got on the phone with an attitude and kept it during the entire conversation.
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