Better Business Bureau – BBB
In case you are having problems with a company or suspect you may have been scammed, there are places you can go to file a complaint and get help. You can also prevent this by making sure that the company you are working with is a good one. For all of this, Better Business Bureau is a great option to solve your problems and get information about companies.
What is Better Business Bureau (BBB)?
Better Business Bureau (BBB) is a private organization that works in the U.S, Canada, and more recently in Mexico, and is focused on being “the leader in advancing marketplace trust”. Their objective is that customers and buyers can trust each other in an ethical environment.
The BBB accredits businesses based on a set of 8 principles that includes things like safeguarding costumer’s privacy, being transparent or advertising honestly. Besides meeting these standards, companies have to pay a fee to get the membership and be able to use the BBB logo and have a section in the website.
The BBB rates the companies and lets you write and check reviews on the website about specific companies and the costumer’s experience. They are also intermediaries between you and the company in case you have a problem or you have been scammed.
How do I search for a company in BBB?
To make a Better Business Bureau search, you have to go to their website and type the name of the company in the search bar. You can also type keywords in case you just want to see different companies in the same niche or you can search by location.
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Once you click on the company you can see if they are members of the BBB, you see some information about the company and you can consult the reviews of other costumers and their experiences, which are classified as positive, negative or neutral. You can also see complaints related to the companies, the type of problem related to the complaints and if they were solved.
How do I file a complaint in the BBB?
One of the services the BBB offers is helping you solve any problem you may have with a company by filing a complaint. You will also get help in case you have been scammed.
Take into consideration that there are certain types of complaints they do not handle, such as discrimination claims, matters that have been litigated or are against government agencies, or those that are not related to marketplace issues.
The BBB does not take anonymous complaints, so when filing a complaint you must provide your personal information.
Once you are in the BBB’s website, click on “file a complaint”. There they will explain to you the kind of complaints they handle and then you will have to click on “start your complaint”. You will have to make 6 steps to submit it, where you will have to provide the nature of the complaint, the location, information about the business, your personal information and the details of the complaint.
You can also go to the profile of the company and click on “Submit a complaint”. There you have the option to write a review, file a complaint or report a scam.
What happens after that?
Once you file your complaint, you will receive the information about it in your email. The BBB will contact you during the process and you will know which office is handling it. You will be notified when the business or company responds or if they do not, as they will have 14 days to do it, and they will get a second request to do it in case they do not answer.
Better Business Bureau Website: https://www.bbb.org
To File a Complaint in BBB: www.bbb.org/consumer-complaints/file-a-complaint
Better Business Bureau Facebook: www.facebook.com/BetterBusinessBureau
Better Business Bureau Twitter: https://twitter.com/bbb_us
YouTube: www.youtube.com/user/BBBconsumerTips
