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GENERAL
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What is the BBB?
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We are a private, non-profit organization developed to monitor and report on the business practices of companies. Each BBB is licensed by the Council of Better Business Bureaus, and governed by its own local Board of Directors.
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Isn't the BBB part of the Government?
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No.
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Isn't the BBB supported by my tax dollars?
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No. We are supported primarily by dues paid by local BBB Accredited businesses.
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If your funding comes from businesses, how can you be fair to the consumer?
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The purpose of the BBB system is not to act as an advocate for businesses or consumers, but to act as a mutually trusted intermediary to resolve disputes, to facilitate communication, and to provide Reliability Reports on companies. Businesses have supported the BBB for over 80 years because an ethical, self-regulated marketplace is in everyone's best interest.
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COMPLAINTS
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How do I file a complaint?
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To file a complaint against a company doing business in our service area, please use our online Complaint Form.
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How do I respond to a complaint?
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If you are a company representative, you may respond to a consumer complaint by clicking on the "Log In" button on top of the page. If you are a consumer wishing to submit a rebuttal to a company response, click on the "Log In" button on top of the page.
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How long does the complaint process take?
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The complaint process generally takes a few weeks to a month or more. Here is a brief summary of the process:- We make every effort to obtain a response to your complaint by sending at least two requests to the business. Each request allows the business some ten business days to respond. If the company responds, as they do in most cases, you will be given the opportunity to provide a rebuttal. If you do, we then ask the company for its final comments within seven business days.
- If the company does not respond, though, we will close the complaint with the appropriate closing status and notify both you and the business. The entire process should take from two to six weeks.
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What kinds of complaints do you accept?
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The BBB only accepts consumer-business complaints alleging misrepresentation in advertising or a problem with a company's goods or services.
We do NOT accept the following:
Complaints about employee-employer disputes;
Complaints about government agencies;
Complaints based upon prices or fees where no misrepresentation is involved;
Complaints about any matter that has already been decided by or is pending in a court of law;
Complaints about disputes between private parties;
Anonymous complaints;
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I called the BBB and was told that what I am asking from the company is unreasonable. Isn't the BBB supposed to be on the consumer's side?
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No. The BBB works to achieve an outcome to disputes between consumers and businesses that is satisfactory to all parties. A list of types of complaints that we do not accept is included in the response to the previous question.
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Do you accept anonymous complaints?
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No, because we believe it is essential to the integrity of the reporting process that the company is given a reasonable opportunity to respond to complaint allegations. Also, it's impossible for us to verify the legitimacy of a complaint if it's filed anonymously.
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How do I file a complaint against a company located in another Bureau's service area?
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To locate a Bureau in another service area, go to our Home Page and click on the "Find a BBB" link at the top-right of the page. You will be directed to a search screen that will assist you in finding the web site address and other contact information for the Bureau you are trying to reach.
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I filed a complaint with the BBB, but the company hasn't responded. Why can't you make a business respond and satisfy my complaint?
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We are not a government or law enforcement agency, therefore, we cannot force a company to reply to a complaint, nor can we administer sanctions against the company. Failure to respond to complaints will, however, negatively affect a company's Reliability Report, so maintaining a good report is very important to most companies. Often the company will respond once it realizes the impact a negative report may have on its business.
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The BBB is allowing a customer to file what I believe is an unfair complaint about my business. I'm a BBB Accredited business - aren't you supposed to be on my side?
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No. While the BBB is supported by the dues paid by BBB Accredited firms, it acts as an intermediary to help settle disputes between consumers and businesses whether the company is BBB Accredited or not.
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How long does a complaint stay on file?
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Generally, complaint information is kept for 36 months (3 years), but in some cases it is kept for a longer period of time.
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REPORTS
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What is a Reliability Report?
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A company's Reliability Report is developed by a Better Business Bureau and includes information about the company. The information is compiled from various sources which may include any or all of the following: the company's BBB file, which includes complaint and response information, the company itself, and government, regulatory, and licensing agencies, if applicable. One of the most important aspects of the report is the rating we assign to the company. The ratings range from A+ to F and are determined by the company's composite score of such factors as its type of business, length of time in business, compliance with competency licensing requirements, complaint volume, complaint history, seriousness of complaints, response to complaints, and our experience with the company's industry in general. The scoring system takes into account the importance we feel each factor is to the company's reliability and the rating assigned is our opinion of the company's overall reliability.
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Doesn't the BBB report only on BBB Accredited businesses?
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No. We issue reports on BBB Accredited and non-Accredited businesses alike, but our reports indicate whether the company is BBB Accredited.
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How do I find out if there is a report available on a particular company?
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Use our "Check Out a Business" page that will allow you to enter the information you have about the company. You will be provided a listing of companies whose information matches, or is similar to, the information you entered.
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What if I don't know the company name, but have other information such as an address or telephone number?
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The search screen gives you the option to enter any of several different items of information, including the address, telephone number, or website of the company you are trying to find.
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What if the company information I have does not match any company in your database?
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First, verify that you entered the information correctly. Second, verify that the company is located within our service area. If everything is correct, we may not have information on the company yet. You may submit information about a new company by clicking on the "Submit New Company Information" button that is displayed on the company search screen when our system is unable to locate a company with the information you entered.
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ACCREDITATION
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Why should my company join the Better Business Bureau?
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BBB Accreditation offers benefits to your company and your employees. To review some of the benefits available to Accredited Businesses only, view our Accreditation Benefits page.
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How do I become an Accredited Business of the Better Business Bureau?
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Both our Accreditation Agreement and Accreditation Application are available online in the "For Businesses" section on the navigation bar on the top.
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How long does it take to become an Accredited Business?
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All applications are screened to determine suitability for BBB Accreditation; however, most are processed and given provisional Accreditation within one or two business days.
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If my company is approved for Accreditation, do you contact me, and if so, how?
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New Accredited Businesses are generally notified by phone that they are approved for Accreditation and will also receive an Accreditation packet in the mail.
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How much does Accreditation cost?
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Annual Accreditation fees vary depending on the size of the company. Please contact our Accreditation Services department for more information.
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