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Every BBB complaint closes with a status the BBB publishes. We write the response that earns the right one, inside the window, in a tone that protects you with every future reader. You do not have to like the BBB to handle its process well.
BBB complaint resolution is answering a complaint inside the BBB's window and working with the customer toward a fix they will confirm, so the complaint closes as Resolved.
The BBB forwards a complaint to the business within two business days and asks for a response within 10 to 15 calendar days of filing. If there is no response, it sends a follow-up. Complaints are generally closed about 30 calendar days after filing.
How a complaint closes matters more than whether it was filed. On the BBB's published scale, unanswered complaints carry a range of 40 to 0 and unresolved complaints 30 to 0. Those are the two widest positive ranges on the scale.
That is why we focus on answering and resolving, not just arguing. See the full scale in how BBB ratings work.
The BBB closes every complaint with one of five published statuses, and only one of them means the customer confirmed they were satisfied.
| Closing status | What the BBB says it means | What it tells a reader |
|---|---|---|
| Resolved | The consumer verified satisfaction | The business fixed the problem and the customer agrees |
| Answered | The business addressed the complaint, but the consumer did not accept the answer or did not confirm | The business engaged, the dispute is not settled |
| Unresolved | The business responded without a good-faith effort | The business replied but did not really try |
| Unanswered | The business did not respond | The business ignored the BBB |
| Unpursuable | The BBB could not locate the business | Usually a contact or address problem |
The difference between Resolved and Answered is the customer's confirmation. That is why resolution outreach matters. A strong written response gets you to Answered. Getting the customer to confirm they are satisfied is what gets you to Resolved.
If you have an unresolved BBB complaint on file, it usually means the response was missing or read as a brush-off. Complaints that are old can sometimes still be addressed. Start with a free BBB rating audit so we can read the status of each one.
The BBB asks businesses to respond within 10 to 15 calendar days of the complaint being filed. We advise responding within 10.
BBB pages describe the window as 10 to 15 calendar days from filing. Use the shorter end. Enter the filing date below to see your dates.
Enter the date the complaint was filed with the BBB.
Want the full guide? Read how to respond to a BBB complaint or use our response templates.
Written for the complaint in front of us, factual and courteous, aimed at a good-faith record rather than an argument.
We help you reach the customer and propose a fix they can confirm, because only the customer's confirmation closes a complaint as Resolved.
Where your local BBB offers them, we manage the process. Failure to honor a mediation settlement or arbitration award is a published element with a range of 0 to -41.
The BBB lists types it does not handle, such as price-only disputes and buyer's remorse. When a complaint fits, we document it and raise it. See what can be removed.
Failure to address a complaint pattern is a 0 to -31 element. We review the underlying cause with you and answer the alert.
The clock starts at filing. We watch the profile so you do not discover a complaint after the window has closed.
Resolution can change how a complaint closes. It cannot delete a genuine complaint or shorten the three years it stays on your profile.
Submitted complaints cannot be deleted by the consumer, and complaint text may be posted publicly after closing. Reputation Resolutions, our parent company, also explains its done-for-you process on its BBB complaint page.
Before work starts, we agree in writing on the result, for example moving a specific complaint to Resolved, removing a specific complaint that breaks BBB rules, or moving a grade from a B+ to an A. You pay when that result is delivered.
Start with the free audit. We read the status of every complaint on your file and tell you what can be done. No obligation.
Respond inside the window, address the specific issue, and offer the customer a fix they can accept. A complaint closes as Resolved only when the consumer verifies satisfaction, so outreach to the customer is part of the work.
Unresolved is a closing status the BBB gives when the business responded without a good-faith effort to resolve the complaint. The published range for unresolved complaints is 30 to 0 points.
Answered means the business addressed the complaint but the consumer did not accept or did not confirm. Resolved means the consumer verified satisfaction. Resolved is the stronger status.
The BBB sends a follow-up and, if there is still no response, closes the complaint as Unanswered. Unanswered complaints carry the widest published range on the scale, 40 to 0 points.
A closed complaint stays on the profile for three years from filing. What we look at is whether the closing status can be improved through further outreach to the customer, and whether the complaint fits a type the BBB says it does not handle.
The BBB says a consumer cannot delete a submitted complaint. It does list complaint types it does not handle. When yours fits one, we build the case and raise it. Read the full explanation.
The BBB displays complaints for three years from filing. What changes is how each complaint is closed and how it reads to a customer.
Resolution outreach is part of the service, and we do it respectfully. We never threaten, pressure or offer money in exchange for a particular statement, because that breaks BBB rules and the FTC rule on review suppression.
Before work starts, we agree in writing on the result, such as moving a specific complaint to Resolved or removing one that breaks BBB rules. You pay when that result is delivered.
Then the best outcome is a sincere response and a real fix. That is what the BBB rewards, and it is what readers respect. We will tell you honestly if a complaint is one we cannot challenge.
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