Los Angeles Better Business Bureau – BBB Really?
12 Mar 2013We have been member’s of the Southland Better Business Bureau for a long time. As a BBB member we pay yearly dues, which supports the organization. Tonight, we received the below email which affects all BBB Members in Los Angeles, thousands if not tens of thousands of companies!
After we received this email – I’m seriously questioning whether our membership with this organization will continue. They’ve apparently closed the Los Angeles chapter of the Better Business Bureau. Apparently, the National Council of BBB’s set up a new site, la.bbb.org.
Now, the new website still lists our corporation – but, as far as ratings go – its not being displayed, as is for the other thousands of businesses in Los Angeles. When a prospective client of ours now checks our “ratings” – they see “not rated”, which in my mind is cause for concern.
We put our trust in a company that builds trust. After reading the breaking news on this story, it appears that the Southland Chapter of the Better Business Bureau were doing things that we not in compliance with the National Council of BBB’s. Pretty pathetic.
The letter we along with every member of the BBB received in Los Angeles is below:
“Dear Los Angeles-area BBB Accredited Business:
For 100 years, the Better Business Bureau has been the leader in building marketplace trust between businesses and consumers. We hold businesses to high standards for honesty, transparency, fairness and integrity, and we hold ourselves to those same standards.
As you may know, BBB of the Southland, which serves the greater Los Angeles area, has been the subject of an internal BBB review. In anticipation of being expelled from the BBB system, BBB of the Southland has taken steps to continue operating under a new name.
Many of you contacted us to say that you want to stay with BBB. I’m writing today to tell you that we want you to stay! And I also want to let you know what is going on and what happens next.
So what IS going on?
BBBs must meet nine Performance and Accountability Standards, including 67 specific requirements relating to organizational and financial management. The specific concerns about BBB of the Southland are part of the internal review, but I can tell you that BBB of the Southland failed to resolve concerns about compliance with several standards required of BBBs, including standards relating to accreditation, reporting on businesses, and handling complaints.
BBB of the Southland is no longer licensed to serve as a BBB. This was an extremely difficult decision for the BBB system, but I assure you the decision was made with ample due process in a self-regulatory procedure that is thorough, unbiased, thoughtful and fair.
So what happens next?
The most important thing you need to know is that you have the opportunity to retain your BBB Accredited Business status and continue to use the seal in your marketing and at your place of business until we establish a new BBB in the LA community. Soon we will ask you to log on to la.bbb.org (NOTE: This is a new web address; please be sure to add the extra dot) and follow simple instructions which will include attesting to your current accreditation and agreeing to continue to meet the BBB Code of Business Practices. These forms are not online yet, so please watch your inbox for specific instructions about this over the next few days. While you are there, please sign up for our e-newsletter so you receive regular updates.
In addition to being interim President of the Council of Better Business Bureaus I am also CEO of a BBB and have strong relationships with many Accredited Businesses. I know how difficult this is for you, and I assure you that the entire BBB system is committed to maintaining a BBB presence in the greater Los Angeles area. We have been preparing for this possibility for months, and we have contingency plans in place to provide short-term assistance to businesses and consumers in the region. In time, we will build a strong, standards-based BBB that consumers can depend upon and that businesses large and small can participate in with pride. We are looking forward to your continued support as we make that happen, and we ask for your patience during this time of transition.
Warm regards,
Carrie A. Hurt
Interim President and CEO
Council of Better Business Bureaus”
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