Complaint Review: Better Business Bureau - houston Texas

I submitted a complaint about a business to the BBB of Houston in 2013.  A transaction that cost me over $400.  Instead of processing the complaint, Susan Schade, Sr Director of Dispute Resolution and Alternative Dispute Resolution, accused me of fraud and lying.  The complaint against the business was not processed.    

I submitted a complaint about another business in July, 2014. No surprise she denied this one to because "no marketplace tranaction occurred."  I filed against a company that  posted my personal data publicly on its website.  This is a transaction that I did not authorize about me. 

This time Susan got very agressive in her attacks including threatening to have her police friends shut me up whenI told her I was reporting her.  She made cleer in no uncertain terms that she was not going to allow tme to exercise my RIGHTS and would send the police and her legal team after me to destrpy me! She is a dangerous person who abuses her power.  I reported her to the Texas Attorney General though I doubt anything will be done. They caan do as they please answering to no one.  We the PAYING consumers are paying the salaries of these incompetent corrupt people!  She also blatantly discriminated against me ordering me to "never file another complaint with the BBB that it willnot be procesed. I am PAYING their salairies.  They process complaints from the public singling me out denying me the right is discrimination. 

When I reported this to their headquarters in Washington DC, Leslie Baughn, stated that the Houston BBB followed BBB procedures  since no marketplace transaction occurred.  This is not correct. because I submitted two other copmplaints about online companies one in New York and one in San Francisco for the exact same complaint.  These BBB's prcoessed the complaints!    

Unfortunately there is no goverment oversight of this organization thatis funded thorugh PAYING customers of member businesses such as myself.  I have the right to file a complaint. NOt only do I have  aright  I amp PAYING for the right!  The BBB does nto have the right to discrimniate or threatne me or deny me to file a compaint about them! They have overstepped their authority.

Finally here is an example from Wikipedia about how the BBB operates -

(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Better_Business_Bureau) - 

Possible misrepresentation of regulatory status

The BBB website states,

"What government actions does BBB report on?

BBB reports on known significant government actions involving business' marketplace conduct."

However, the BBB does not report when an official FDA Warning Letter regarding a business' marketplace conduct specifically labels it as illegal and instructs the company to respond within fifteen days, threatens it with a court injunction, and informs it that "Other federal agencies may take this Warning Letter into account when considering the award of contracts." Although the FTC categorizes an issuance of a Warning Letter as an Enforcement Action, the BBB considers one a "suggestion", not a "government action

Rating system and accreditation

Until 2008, the BBB rated companies "satisfactory" or "unsatisfactory". On January 1, 2009, the BBB moved to a new system based on a school-style A⁺– F rating system.^[18] The 16 factors have been posted on each business review since the program’s inception^[19] and the details on the points awarded as well.^[20] Initially there was a 17th factor worth 4 points for businesses that were Accredited and paid a fee to BBB. That process was changed in November 2010 in response to criticism in the media and from the Connecticut attorney general who accused BBB of using 'pay to play' tactics.^[15]

If a business chooses not to provide basic information, such as size and start date, the BBB may assign a Not Rated (NR) rating.^[19][21] A low rating due solely to a company not providing information would read: "BBB does not have sufficient background information on this business."

A business is eligible for BBB Accreditation if it meets, in the opinion of the BBB, the "BBB Standards for Trust."^[2] There are eight BBB Standards for Trust that the BBB expects its Accredited Businesses to adhere to: Build Trust ("maintain a positive track record in the marketplace"), Advertise Honestly, Tell the Truth, Be Transparent, Honor Promises, Be Responsive (address marketplace disputes), Safeguard Privacy (protect consumer data) and Embody Integrity.^[22]

The Attorney General of Connecticut demanded that the BBB stop using its weighted letter grade system, calling it "potentially harmful and misleading" to consumers.^[23] Responding to the Attorney General of Connecticut and others, the BBB has since modified its letter grade system.

Criticism

In 2010 ABC's 20/20 reported in a segment titled "The Best Ratings Money Can Buy" about the irregularities in BBB ratings.^[24] They reported that a man created two dummy companies which received A+ ratings as soon as he had paid the membership fee. They also reported that business owners were told that the only way to improve their rating was by paying the fee. In one case a C was turned to an A immediately after a payment and in another case a C‑minus became an A+. Chef Wolfgang Puck said that some of his businesses receive F's because he refuses to pay a fee. Ritz Carlton, which does not belong either, also receives Fs for not responding to its complaints.^[23]

In response, the president of the Council of Better Business Bureaus has stated the BBB ratings system will cease awarding points to businesses for being BBB members.^[25] The national BBB's executive committee voted to address the public’s perception of the ratings system. It voted that the BBB ratings system would no longer give additional points to businesses because they are accredited. It voted to implement a system to handle complaints about BBB sales practices. ^[26] Despite the vote, the BBB website still states that points are taken away if accreditation is lost.^[27][28]

In Canada, the CBC News reported in 2010 that Canadian BBBs were downgrading the ratings scores of businesses who stopped paying their dues. For example, a moving business who had an A rating and had been a BBB member for 20 years, dropped to a D‑minus rating when they allegedly no longer wanted to pay dues.^[29]

BBBs have been accused of unduly protecting companies. If a branch does not act reasonably on behalf of a consumer, a complaint may be filed with the Federal Trade Commission. However, recent reports have suggested that the Austin chapter of the Better Business Bureau refused to resolve complaints against companies if customers do not pay a $70 mediation fee.^[30]

Criticism on case resolutions

It has been reported that the BBB encourages and solicits money from the very businesses they monitor which, again, raises the question of neutrality.^[31] The BBB states that they hold their Accredited businesses to a higher standard, as outlined in their Accreditation standards.^[32]

On December 22, 2010, William Mitchell, CEO of the Los Angeles BBB, and originator of the BBB Letter Grading System, resigned as a result of an internal investigation conducted by the CBBB.^[8][33]

The resignation was rescinded shortly afterward, however, with Mitchell claiming that his health prompted him to resign, and criticizing the National Council for attempting to take over the Southern California chapter.^[34]