Summary: The Better Business Bureau

According to Ferrell, Fraedrich, & Ferrell, the Better Business Bureau (BBB) protects its businesses and consumers are it rating system and its dispute resolution services. However, consumers are not happy with these services because BBB charges the consumer for this service (Ferrell, Fraedrich, & Ferrell, 2015 p. 482). Moreover, the consumers felt that BBB favor the businesses over the consumer because of this service fee. Furthermore, consumers have stopped reporting complaints due to the time, effort and money that they would have to incur to see the issue resolved (Ferrell, Fraedrich, & Ferrell, 2015). Thus, BBB was criticized for being too friendly with businesses since they receive fees for performing actions for businesses that the consumer is not aware of (Ferrell, Fraedrich & Ferrell, 2015 p. 482).
According to the Consumer Reports, “ABC News aired cases in which businesses instantly turned their mediocre BBB ratings into top grades by paying hundreds of dollars for BBB accreditation”( Consumer Reports magazine: August 2011).
Moreover, “after that report and others, the bureau made changes, including dropping its policy of reserving an A+ rating for BBB-accredited businesses” (Consumer Reports magazine: August 2011). However, “BBB remains an easy source for information about companies and for receiving alerts and tips. Nevertheless, it should not be the only source. Furthermore, when viewing a BBB report, do not put a lot of weight on the higher letter grade or in BBB accreditation (Consumer Reports magazine: August 2011). Thus, “do pay attention to a low grade; it could be a sign of real trouble” (Consumer Reports magazine: August
2011).