The BBB is a nonprofit network of local bureaus, not a government agency, and it holds no regulatory power. Owners are right to question it. But customers still search your name plus bbb, so the practical question is how to handle the profile, not whether to like it.
Plenty of owners distrust the BBB, and some of the complaints are fair. We will not defend it or attack it. We will tell you what BBB itself publishes, because that is what actually governs your profile.
Those lines cut both ways. The grade cannot be bought, which answers the pay-to-play worry. It also cannot be argued away, which means the work happens in your complaint file.
Semrush data shows people run well over 250,000 searches a month in the US for a company name plus bbb. Whatever you think of the organization, buyers look. That is a business reality, not an endorsement.
If a call from the BBB is what brought you here, read why the BBB might be calling you, including how to verify the caller. If you are weighing membership, see is BBB accreditation worth it. If your grade is the problem, our free audit shows what is costing you points. We are independent of the BBB and cannot change a rating.
If you take one thing from this hub, take this. The BBB is a fixed feature of how many buyers check a business, and its published rules are the same for everyone. Owners who understand those rules tend to spend less time angry and more time on the few items that actually move a grade. You can disagree with the organization and still run your profile well, and that is the approach these guides take.
Why is the BBB calling you? The honest reasons a Better Business Bureau might call a business, how to verify the caller, and what to do in each case.
Read →No. BBB states that it is not a government agency and holds no regulatory power.
No. BBB states that accreditation dues do not buy a rating, and that the rating is not based on whether a business pays dues.
Local BBBs are independently incorporated. The International Association of Better Business Bureaus sets standards and operates bbb.org.
Possible reasons include accreditation outreach, a complaint needing a response or verification of business details. Scammers also use the name, so verify the caller yourself through bbb.org.
Many buyers search a company name plus bbb before they buy. Whether your own customers do is worth finding out from your sales team.
No. Business Rating Fix is an independent service operated by Reputation Resolutions, and we cannot change a rating. Only the BBB assigns it.
A BBB rating specialist reviews your profile against every rating element the BBB publishes, then calls you with what is costing you points and the order to fix it in.
Prefer to talk now? 855-239-5322
A BBB rating specialist will review your profile and call you. If a complaint response deadline is close, call now:
Call 855-239-5322