When BBB Revokes Accreditation, It's Fostering Trust In The Marketplace

When the Better Business Bureau revoked the accreditation of three businesses this week, it was working to build trust in the marketplace.

The BBB expects BBB Accredited Businesses to be responsive to customer complaints as well as to inquiries from the BBB. All of the companies whose accreditation was revoked had failed to respond despite numerous attempts by the BBB to contact them.

BBB Accredited Businesses pledge to abide by the BBB’s Standards of Accreditation. The full Accreditation Agreement is online, but briefly, we expect companies to:

• Advertise Honestly
  Adhere to established standards of advertising and selling.
• Tell the Truth
  Honestly represent products and services, including clear and adequate disclosures of all material terms.
• Be Transparent
  Openly identify the nature, location, and ownership of the business, and clearly disclose all policies, guarantees and procedures that bear on a customer’s decision to buy.
• Honor Promises
  Abide by all written agreements and verbal representations.
• Be Responsive
  Address marketplace disputes quickly, professionally, and in good faith.
• Safeguard Privacy
  Protect any data collected against mishandling and fraud, collect personal information only as needed, and respect the preferences of consumers regarding the use of their information. 
• Embody Integrity
  Approach all business dealings, marketplace transactions and commitments with integrity.

Businesses can’t be accredited if they aren’t complying with these standards, if they haven’t been in business more than a year, or if they have government action against them. One of the most important things a business must do is be responsive to customer inquiries and complaints.

The BBB encourages consumers to check companies out by reading BBB Business Reviews at our website or by calling 314-645-3300.

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