Better Business Bureau, is worth another look

Better Business Bureau fraudulent sales practices

Have other companies had a small problem with the BBB and there sales practices? We have a lot 'of time. Our franchisees, (our company is a mobile car wash franchise) are expected to attend the local Chambers of Commerce as part of their franchise when they exist in their exclusive territory. But do not just make calls and says the BBB;

"We always have a lot of calls for service, but we did not know what to say to customers who asked about you with the BBB?" Then the passage goes on ... for about $ 300 plus dollars you receive ....

Our affiliates to join the chamber before the start of their activities, while their portable car wash service trucks are built to learn about the community that will be serving. Inver ably they will get the call from the BBB from the new member directory from the chamber of commerce before any advertising goes, in fact no one had ever called the BBB at all. This has happened to our affiliates in Carson City, NV, Palm Desert, CA, Agoura Hills, CA, Camarillo, CA, Sacramento, CA and Houston, TX. I realize that it is "telemarketing fraud" and I'm concerned. I was told that many of the 128 BBBs across the country pay their sales staff, or all or part of the Commission. So maybe this is an individual problem, but their sales people have done this. Personally I have had happen to me five times as affiliates registered at the Chamber of Commerce in various cities and had not yet mobile, so I've been called Corporate. As franchisors are responsible for any verbosity of sales personnel during a given sale, the BBB should not be responsible for these claims?

I contacted the Washington, DC office of BBB and have denied that any such incident has ever occurred and that the fact that I am a 90 year old organization. Perhaps, but as it stands now they are breaking the law. This happened five times in sales calls me personally from BBB representatives. I also contacted the Los Angeles BBB and they told me that yes their sales staff often use the lists of the Chamber of Commerce for new members and look for the names of those who had a complaint lodged against them. I was told this off the record, but I am using this information too. In other words, use the list of companies who had customers call to find out if it was a valid complaint or not as a sales tool. Interesting because auditors can not be advisors even in these days. The hypocrisy of the BBB is a bit 'unnerving and, of course, unethical, if not fraudulent for a just, in my opinion. I was told Los Angeles office that "most companies" to join the BBB. Impossible because there are over 1.6 million companies around the greater LA, Orange County, Riverside, San Fernando Valley area and the majority could not be more than 51%. This is an exaggeration by any stretch. This means you would have a minimum of 800.001 members of the private sector, when in fact they have less than a tenth that number throughout Southern California. Yet these same offices BBB complaints on the franchise and many of their websites say buyers to be aware of exaggeration;

http://www.bbb.org/library/fran.asp ~ ~ V.

This is quite shocking and demonstrates that both franchisor and franchisee attorneys should stand up and take notice, but this is not just a matter of business franchise, small business is a problem. All small businesses are subjected to this and perhaps molested. Chambers of Commerce across this country enroll their new members with the confidence of the public, but this was abused by another body of the BBB. He also said today that sales person in Los Angeles, 9 out of 10 calls were coming into the BBB consumers looking for references to the service of companies or products. This is an exaggeration and a lie (lie). If you call a BBB the answering machine usually says: "If you want to make a claim, press 1 ..." There is no mention of getting a reference point and certainly a few incoming calls result in new business for its business partners. One of the benefits that you receive is the instant credibility by the consumer, but the organization issuing the stamp of approval lacks credibility and ethics that is proper.

Also of grave concern is the fact that even if you join the BBB and BBB appear in the produce section in some markets, it is unseemly if not yet in print for the rest of the year. And then we have the BBB unseemly for the promotion of enterprises up to 12 months. If someone files a complaint against your company is real or imaginary (try to get things for free) is necessary to resolve the complaint said before you can renew, once again extortion.

I feel these techniques are fraudulent and improper sale. I am also interested in the "Boomerang" closing techniques, when the BBB sales person gets a negative response to join. "We will not be able to tell people who call us that you are a reputable company." This implies that the consumer assumes the opposite, you are disreputable companies. This in itself maybe good for sales BBB, but it is a technique of extortion. I heard this extortion technique myself many times and made many different ways-that lead to the same tactics. Ask for small businesses to pay $ 300 dollars more is excessive and that receive little or no benefit to their BBB membership. Perhaps the plaque displayed may be of value to customers in a shop, but the way they try to sell, it's dishonest.

The BBB works closely with the FTC and after contacting the BBB to complain they told me it was wrong, and I do not know what I was talking about and that the BBB would never do such a thing? That is a lie because I experienced it firsthand. When I told them that I could contact the FTC in this area were told to go forward, knowing their strength in alliance with the government

The BBB preys on small businesses of all types, as well as franchises for membership using these techniques. We called the FTC as well and would not take the complaint. Perhaps this is because they work with the BBB in secretly using entrapment techniques to get franchisors to make earnings claims without merit. The FTC has also worked with the BBB to capture members of the various systems of consumer fraud, such as car repair, advertising claims and telemarketing techniques. So for this reason, the FTC will not do anything about this problem.

The BBB is above the law. Oftentimes, they are potential partners to make sales, meanwhile attack franchisors using entrapment techniques from the inside, while preying upon franchisees to demonstrate self-esteem in collaboration with other agencies in the media and also use extortion tactics to make money for dues. Imagine the money that has been extracted from all franchise systems in this country. Just imagine the number of small businesses that are struggling right now to pay wages as cash flow has decreased due to economic forces beyond their control. Over 10% of all Americans have some type of small firms and may be subject to these sales tactics to terrorize and blackmail. Most franchisors are many affiliates who are members of the BBB, this costs each year and cut the profits of affiliated franchised units. We put this line of text in our franchise agreement:

5.1 can not adhere to the Better Business Bureau as a member of the business as part of this franchise with us.

I am very serious about this issue, having been lied to by representatives of BBB for the past five years and today when I called to see if things had changed. I was hanging on by the BBB in Washington DC, when I called to discuss the issue. The FTC will not do anything for fear of losing a partner. If the FTC will not be in this, because we need an FTC or BBB?

I received several emails from interested business, for instance, Bob writes: "This is really interesting, is not a government bureaucracy is using what?
is "supposed" to be a free market person to do the dirty work
themselves do not have the support constitutional to do in the first place.
So, not taking the BBB responsible for their fraudulent practices, it is
basically saying to them: "You're a government agency brother - one of us -
free to terrorize those who want to "." I always thought that the BBB was basically a private organization that has served as a guard dog, with a membership of companies that could self-police. Apparently I was wrong. "

This is a national problem, not a few rouge sales people in one part of the country or in one of 128 BBBs positions. In Atlanta Mr. Lee writes: "It's not just franchise .... We get phone calls at our company stores in Atlanta, New York, Chicago, and Birmingham with the exact same sales pitch" blah blah ... We were getting lots of calls to your business from your perspective, and we do not know what to tell them, because they're not listed with us .. "" That's a total scam. I often feel stongarmed from them. Do you mind if I share your email with our attorney? "

Other people are also interested in these topics, ICOP Founder writes: "Certainly there is no need to convince myself I know first hand that everything that is reported here is true that I have personally received treatment exactly the same as the BBB!. California . I had to threaten to sue them to get them to stop calling the threats and harassment. A few years ago when I had a complaint of one of their big names "sponsors" that ripped me off for a value of several hundred dollars, 'only response was from BBB: "They said they did so." This is despite the fact that I had sent them a proof! What's wrong with this picture? "" Unfortunately, I have no idea that anything can never be done about it, they are protected by the government -. As you have already discovered that I did write a series of articles on a couple of years ago, maybe it's time to run them again ..! Apparently, the only thing we can do is educate people and warn them.
Much like the mafia makes you pay for protection under the threat, eh? But then when Quest is listed as one of their sponsors, you know that something is very wrong! Sorry we can not be more help but it's too big for ICOP a scam! When a government supported company like the BBB acts as nothing more than criminals, it is difficult to be caught in situations like Enron and Worldcom. "

But not all the smallest of small businesses have also been harassed, Greg Spunk writes on this from San Diego and an office now in Phoenix: "We have not joined the BBB in either Phoenix or San Diego areas for similar reasons Te. Just verified I've heard what was happening. They are of no value to us and we missed them. "

In Pittsburg a small manufacturer wrote to us and says:. "The same to me" someone is calling about your company and we are not able to say something to them since they are not a member .... It was $ 465 dollars to attend, and they called and asked and asked. I refused because I did not see the point. "

We got this from Albuquerque, NM by the owner of a small car company that wanted her husbands company to remain anonymous: "It 'happened here for 6 months, the same speil, we have been getting calls for your business, etc. At the end I told them that I was not interested and to stop calling or I would call and talk to Santa Fe with the DA. Susie "

I received this email from one of our own affiliates;

"The BBB has called us and even after telling them he was too busy to make an appointment (after several calls), have left when I was not home and Gino said he had made an appointment. Not true. What happens with them, I told them we were still too new to join, we had to watch our cash flow. What happens with them? "

The affiliates that enter the market and / or have been laid off need to watch every penny they spend, if the BBB using strong tactics, then they are of detriment to the success of a new affiliate that is on a budget for their activities in the course. Then they show up at a personal residence without an appointment? The people selling are small firms as aggressive and hound. What happened to privacy? And 'BBB resorting to new tactics after the law came into force recently telemarketing? The BBB has been told by our franchise who were not interested, after several calls, so as to present to their house? I'm sorry, but this is not what drives a little ', harassment? Yet no one will enforce these problems.

If any other small business people, Chamber of Commerce, SBA office, SBDC or franchisor are having this problem, I would sure like to know. Yes, we are also involved, but this does not mean that we allow this injustice to continue. This is unacceptable behavior and the BBB should be disgorgement of these ill-gotten gains. These amounts should be rightfully restored to the companies and the FTC should not get a penny because they are in cahoots with the BBB and are allowing this to continue for years and years. The FTC and the BBB should stop throwing stones against their franchisor and franchisee members of the team.