Atlanta, GA - November 22, 2010
Tags: Brian Ross, ABC Exposes the BBB, BBB Unfair, BBB Rip-off, BBB Scam, BBB Fraud, BBB Complaints and BBB Abuse, BBB harassment, BBB retaliation, BBB sucks, BBB exposed on 20/20, Unethical Behavior of the Better Business Bureau (BBB)
Special Thanks to 20/20 for their excellent coverage of the deceptive practices of the unfair BBB. We have been reporting on these exact same issues since 2007. Thanks again 20/20 for putting a word wide spot light on the scams of the BBB.
For the 20/20 exposé, click HERE.
Commentary: The BBB must be held accountable for their illegal and unjust actions. Mechanic's Responds.com® News, LLC is VERY aggressive in Investigating, Identifying, Exposing, Commenting on, and Responding to any News Worthy Story specifically involving the unfair BBB, Corruption, Unfair Practices, Injustice, and Consumer Abuses Against Businesses.
Mechanic’s Responds® has been reporting since 2007 that the Metro Atlanta BBB loves to turn its enemies, like Mechanic's, into the OCP, and other State Agencies, in order to cause "pain" to companies that dare speak out against the BBB or dare not to pay the BBB extortion money (so called "BBB Membership Fees").
BBB Starts with Trust and Ends with A Trust Fund
Recently, we watched ABC's 20/20 expose slice the Better off of the Business Bureau. After this searing and damaging report, the BBB's CEO issued this statement: "Any attempt to question the integrity of the entire BBB organization is completely without merit."
We wondered if this was true. Was there any merit to questioning the integrity of the Better Business Bureau?
So we logged into the BBB's website to see what others were saying about the BBB.
(1) John Cox said at 9:44 pm on November 12th, 2010: I am one of the managers that has received calls from the BBB that in as few words states we can raise your score if you buy a membership. The BBB is a complete joke. It is only interested in making money. The BBB has pulled off one of the biggest scams ever on the American people. “Trust us” they say unless you are a business then we will do our best to screw you unless you pay us not to.
(2) Colleen said at 10:21 pm on November 12th, 2010: Just so the readers know….This story on 20/20 is ABSOLUTELY true. I am the office manager for a successful auto repair company. NUMEROUS times the BBB rep would call claiming that we needed to “act now” to become accredited. Our current grade is an A- for ONE complaint out of FIVE THOUSAND repair orders a year that this company handles. I watched this episode in complete amazement that someone actually stood up and said something. It’s about time!! Shame on you BBB for claiming to be non-profit, yet you scam small business owners for your own greedy gain. You should be ashamed. As an office manager, I would be happy to step it and help you get your company in order. This publicity has outed you, and without a MAJOR change of standard operating procedure, your credibility has now graded as an “F”, and rightfully DESERVED!
(3) c.r. said at 10:26 pm on November 12th, 2010: i used to work for a bbb in ohio and was taught to tell companies that their grade would be higher if they were members. that in my opinion goes against what the bbb has stood for, but that was how we were trained at that location to boost memberships. then all they’d receive is maybe a grade up and a sticker. nothing else for the amount they had to pay. that office was all about money and that’s it.
(4) Mike said at 9:35 am on November 14th, 2010: You guys are a bunch of crooks that have been scamming people for years and costing honest businesses a lot of money. I hope all your branches receive a windfall of class action lawsuits that will put you out of business for the good of all. You claim non-profit yet strong arm companies for large sums of money to pay your directors hundreds of thousands of dollars. I’ve been waiting years for this scam to be proven true and it finally has.
The list continued on and on with businesses and consumers complaining alike. This news agency has received complaint after complaint as well. Here are but a few:
(1) Dunn's Garage: Started my small service business over 30 years ago, and BBB has contacted my business several times over the years, trying to get me to join and pay the membership fees, but I have declined paying the fees each time, but have also asked them for the free "non-accredited" listing for my business several times, and have entered the info to get the free listing for my business on their website several times too, but they never have listed the info and still will not list my business at all........so they obviously know that my business exists, and even said the last 2 times that they were contacting me because they had received a good recommendation from a customer on my business, but I still see no listing at all on BBB for my business..........I guess even a long-time business with good recommendations still must "PAY-TO-PLAY" at BBB too........
(2) Christina Marlowe: Despite SIX separate consumer complaints against L.A. electrician Dan's Electric for fraud and misrepresentation, along with a prior Los Angeles BBB rating of "F" of Dan's Electric, all six complaints have vanished from the LA BBB site (except the ones I saved in my computer which I shall forward to you for investigation); Dan's Electric now has a totally clean slate (as if he had never committed FRAUD, elder abuse et al) and further, NOW has an "A" rating by the Los Angeles BBB!! UNBELIEVABLE!!!! PLEASE look into this as my elderly mother is a VICTIM of Dan's Electric fraudulent business practices. Thank you in advance for looking into this.
Recently, we exposed the money the executives of the Better Business Bureau as making with this ratings system. We also discovered that since the ratings changed in early 2009, the Atlanta BBB brought in 37% more revenue in just one year. In this economy, that's huge!
So, back to Mr. Cox's statement that questioning the integrity of the BBB is without merit, it appears to us that all of these businesses and consumers are either lying and Mr. Cox is right, or these folks are telling the truth, Cox and his fellow exec's are pocketing lot's of cash and thus the integrity of the BBB is nonexistent. Frankly, it's hard to overlook the money aspect of all this.
In the end, the exec's of the BBB "Start with Trust and End with a Trust Fund." And the consumers/businesses get it in the end.
Clearly, the BBB (Better Business Bureau) is a scam.
Please
contact us at
News@MechanicsResponds.com if you have been the victim of the unfair BBB.
Mechanic’s Responds® encourages all interested parties to visit Mechanic's (Mechanic's Heating & Air Conditioning, LLC) ever growing list of thousands of happy and satisfied customers at this link:
http://www.airconditioningatlanta.com/Mechanic's Atlanta HVAC Happy Customers Index.htm
You can reach Mr. Fred Elsberry of the Metro Atlanta BBB via email at fred@atlanta.bbb.org.
You can reach J. R. Adams via email at News@MechanicsResponds.com.
Disclaimer: The information contained herein is for informational purposes only. The information contained herein is believed accurate but is not warranted. We encourage all interested parties to verify the information contained herein on their own. The information contained herein was derived from public information sources, from our records, or from Reports or Complaints filed with us.
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