Consumers can report negative marketplace interactions to Better Business Bureau in the form of complaints and there are consequences for businesses that don’t respond or attempt to resolve those complaints.
Video Transcript:
Hi, I’m Marissa Mayer, director of operations, here at the Better Business Bureau(BBB). People are wondering, “What happens when a company doesn’t respond or resolve my complaint?”
What happens when a complaint is submitted and the business does not respond or resolve the complaint? OK! Well when that happens, We will actually attempt to contact the business one more time to see if we can hopefully get a response from them. If the business chooses not to respond, it does negatively affect their BBB rating. So the complaint detail will actually be shown on the business radio correct. Yeah. Even if the business didn’t respond, it’s still public.
And while that might not be the most beneficial for the person submitting the complaint. It is beneficial for people who might look after, who might look at the business and see if they want to do business with them. They can see how they close complaints that they previously have. We try very hard to facilitate a resolution when a complaint is filed. But we can’t force a company to respond to a consumer. So, in that case, we would try to refer the consumer to a local agency that could further help them.
So although we’re not an enforcement agency, ourselves, it sounds like we can still get that information to enforce agencies who could take further action. Absolutely! So when companies don’t respond to your complaint, you know all hope is not lost. We will still send that information out if need be. And so what advice would you give a business whose may be debating if they should submit a response or not?
Oh! I would say always absolutely submit a response is very very important. I’m not only doing that affect your rating if you don’t respond to a complaint. But it’s just important for people to see that you attempted to resolve the situation. Not only for that particular consumer that complained against you but also for all the other people who come to our website and look at your business review. You want to see, you want them to see that you actually attempted to resolve the situation. Plus you want your side of the story to be heard. We hope all of your questions were answered. But if you’re still curious about something to go ahead and leave a comment and we will get back to you. If you want more ask BBB videos, don’t forget to subscribe to our YouTube channel and like us on Facebook. Thanks again for helping us build a community of trustworthy businesses.
Some Frequently Asked Questions
- Read the ad. Make sure you understand the terms of the offer, sale prices, warranties offered, etc.
- Read the contract.
- Talk to the business first.
- Stay calm.
- Know what you want.
- File a complaint with BBB.
- Keep records.
- Posting online.
ile a complaint with your local consumer protection offices or the state regulatory agency or licensing board that has jurisdiction over the seller. Notify the Better Business Bureau (BBB) in your area about your problem. The BBB tries to resolve your complaints against companies.
If you’re dissatisfied with a business transaction, whether the company is accredited with the Better Business Bureau (BBB) or not, you can file a complaint through your local BBB. But if that fails, the BBB promises to do its best to help both sides come to a quick and fair resolution.
Answer. To report fraud, identity theft, or an unfair business practice, visit ftc.gov/complaint, click on the FTC Complaint Assistant icon, and answer the questions. The more information you can provide about the situation, the more useful your complaint will be.
- Restate the problem.
- Ask for clarification.
- Personalize your response.
- Say how you will respond to the problem.
- Put good news first.
- Use a polite, positive tone.
- Avoid scolding the customer.
- Check the company’s website for a legitimate telephone number and address.
- Browse the company’s website for discrepancies and indicators of professionalism.
- Review the website’s policy pages.
- Look for decent content.
- Consider how the company accepts payments.
- Read the ad. Make sure you understand the terms of the offer, sale prices, warranties offered, etc.
- Read the contract.
- Talk to the business first.
- Stay calm.
- Know what you want.
- File a complaint with BBB.
- Keep records.
- Posting online.
- Gather supporting documents, such as sales receipts, warranties, contracts, and work orders from the purchase.
- Contact the seller, preferably in writing.
- Contact third parties, if the seller fails to fix your problem.
- Seek legal help.
- Open up a browser and go to the Better Business Bureau website.
- Select the FIND YOUR BBB tab.
- Type in your city and state or zip code.
- Select the Search button. You will be redirected to the appropriate page where you can use the search tool to search for categories or specific local businesses.
*The information above does not constitute legal advice or opinion, nor is it a substitute for the professional judgment of a qualified attorney.