This is related to my Ripoff Report on Direct PC in Corona, CA which defrauded me of $1580.00 and to this date has NOT refunded it. The original report can be found at: http://www.ripoffreport.com/view.asp?id=18052
I contacted the Southland BBB which is responsible for the area of California which includes the city of Corona. I requested a report on Direct PC and posted a complaint against Direct PC. They have this setup where they allegedly contact the company and have both sides mediate a resolution. They send you a postcard in the mail with a complaint I.D. number. They say they have written to the company and to use the complaint I.D. number to access your complaint to see their response. Well, after a couple days passed, I checked to see if Direct PC had responded. My complaint was listed as "CLOSED".
Now, I was not contacted by the BBB stating it was closed. I was not told why. Neither the company, Direct PC, nor the BBB contacted me regarding a resolution. They just closed it arbitrarily without informing me. I emailed them asking why my complaint was closed and why I wasn't contacted. They explain they received a response from Direct PC. Okay, wait a minute here, wasn't the response supposed to be posted. Wasn't that why I received my I.D. number - to view the company's response. No, they tell me, contrary to what you are told before you post your complaint, they tell you that the complaint is closed when they receive a response from the company in question. It's not closed when a resolution is reached, it is not closed when you get your money, it is closed when the company simply responds to their letter. And I was not allowed to view the company's response.
In an email from the BBB, they break down the steps for me.
#1.) Consumer posts their complaint.
#2.) BBB contacts company via letter.
#3.) BBB receives response and the complaint is considered closed. End of story.
Their job is then over. They tell me, they can do nothing more. They suggest I go to small claims court. You know, I find myself asking what in Hell did I need the BBB for. I could've gone straight to court, skipping them and saved time. The Southland BBB is a waste of time. They promise help, but cannot offer any. They state you can view the company's response but then never show it to you.
As for the company report, a report which gives general information about a company, they never sent one. They never mentioned it again after I asked for one and didn't explain why they couldn't give me a copy.
DirectPC is NOT a member of the Southland BBB and yet they protect them as if they were members. Southland BBB has given me and is giving me the same runaround as DirectPC has.
Southland BBB's website gives false hope and diverts your attention from more effective actions against fraudulent companies. It dishonestly says you can view responses to your complaint ( you can't ). They have openly admitted to me they "can't do anything". They consider complaints resolved when they simply receive correspondence from a guilty company.
William
Detroit, Michigan
STOP! ..before you think about using the Better Business Bureau (BBB)... CLICK HERE to see how other consumers were victimized by the BBB's false or misleading information. Don't be fooled! It has been reported, when there are thousands of complaints and other investigations underway by authorities, the BBB has no choice but to finally give an UNsatisfactory rating to a BBB member business that is paying the BBB big membership fees every year. When a business is reported that is NOT a BBB member, BBB files WILL more likely show an UNsatisfactory rating, then reportedly shake down that company to become a member of the BBB. One positive thing about the BBB is, either way, if a business has an unsatisfactory rating with the BBB, you can be sure, the business is bad. But what about all those BBB member businesses that had complaints filed against them? Consumers never get to hear about them. What about the BBB advertising to the public? Is this a false and misleading perception they are giving about consumer confidence when dealing with a business? Click here to understand more of what consumers and business alike are saying about the BBB. You decide. ..Remember. The BBB membership is not earned, its paid for!