BBB Better Business Bureaus

[imoldernu]

What do you know about BBB?
Do you use the BBB?

Your opinion?

 

[ERhoosier]

Admit to checking BBB before doing business with a firm. But perhaps a waste of my time. BBB catches only some of the most flagrantly offensive businesses.

 

[GrayHare]

The BBB sounds useful in theory, but practice says otherwise.

 

[Lakewood90712]

Your local BBB is a franchise , selling business advertising to "Members". They will decline to accept future advertising from a member if too many complaints are received. Pretty much useless IMO.

 

[imoldernu]

Guess I should have known. I looked up "Comcast" which is listed on out local BBB website.
In the ratings - nothing
In the complaints - nothing
In the customer comment - nothing

Comcast doesn't belong to the BBB.
So... another waste of my valuable time.

 

[rodi]

BBB is a business centric organization.

We had a very big dispute with a contractor who was a BBB member. We filed a complaint. He was allowed to respond - basically lied and said he was wonderful. They did not publish our complaint, just accepted his word.

We had massive amounts of evidence... we pursued him through government agencies, arbitration, etc... and were able to have his license first probationed, then cancelled. (Anyone who's dealt with the CSLB knows you need to have overwhelming evidence in your favor before they investigate... and then even more before they refer it to the state attorney general... )

The BBB was entirely useless. Even after we offered to show them evidence.

 

[Car-Guy]

I think the BBB's "value days" may have passed. Years ago I looked for the BBB signs but it doesn't mean anything to me anymore. I know a "local" business doesn't seem to last long around here if they don't treat their customers right. (as it should be).

 

[pjm-7]

My experience with BBB is very different from the previous postings. I do look at the ratings and previous complaint filings if selecting a business/contractor. This is only one of the many sources that I may look at. I would trust the BBB site more than say Yelp. I did use them to resolve a dispute that I had with a plumbing contractor who would not honor a warranty.

As a side note. . . . I used to arbitrate for them back in the 1980's and found the people very professional and truly wanted to help.

 

[braumeister]

My experience, over many years, using the local BBB website has been poor. Basically a waste of time.

I think Angie's List is today essentially what the BBB was supposed to be (and probably was, years ago). I've had good luck using AL, and I think it's worth the price.

 

[mpeirce]

I think Angie's List is today essentially what the BBB was supposed to be (and probably was, years ago). I've had good luck using AL, and I think it's worth the price.

+1

We always consult Angie's List before hiring a contractor or dealing with a local business. So far so good.

 

[ERhoosier]

My experience, over many years, using the local BBB website has been poor. Basically a waste of time.

I think Angie's List is today essentially what the BBB was supposed to be (and probably was, years ago). I've had good luck using AL, and I think it's worth the price.

My experience with AL has been not so positive. I once hired a plumber with A+ AL rating & he was a disaster. AL repeatedly refused to accept my negative rating of this plumber, and this POS still kept his A+ rating.
BTW- AL gets substantial ad revenue from businesses they rate, so a far cry from the consumer-based unbiased rating system it was in the beginning.

IMHO- There is no substitute for getting advice from folks you trust, and checking references from previous clients.

 

[travelover]

...........BTW- AL gets substantial ad revenue from businesses they rate, so a far cry from the consumer-based unbiased rating system it was in the beginning.............

+1 It always ends up this way, the revenue comes from the rated businesses, so they ultimately sway the ratings. Why can't they be objective like bond ratings......uh never mind.

 

[mpeirce]

+1 It always ends up this way, the revenue comes from the rated businesses, so they ultimately sway the ratings. Why can't they be objective like bond ratings......uh never mind.

Just another variation on regulatory capture.

Human nature prevails no matter how hard we try to deny it.