Responding to BBB complaints is a good business practice and “the right thing to do” whether or not a business is BBB Accredited. A majority of non-accredited businesses cooperate with BBB by responding to complaints. Cooperation by non-accredited businesses is voluntary. Unlike BBB Accredited Businesses, non-accredited businesses have not made a commitment to respond to BBB complaints.

Many good businesses are BBB Accredited, but many other good businesses are not accredited. BBB is committed to dealing fairly and even-handedly with all businesses in a manner that is consistent with the way in which we handle customer complaints.

When you file a complaint

Everything you submit will be forwarded to the business within two business days. The business will be asked to respond within 14 days, and if a response is not received, a second request will be made. You will be notified of the business’s response when we receive it (or you will be notified that we received no response). Complaints are generally closed within 30 days.

Timeline

1.      A complaint is filed.

2.      BBB works to get the complaint processed within two business days.

3.  The business will be asked to respond in 14 calendar days from the date you filed the complaint. If a response is not received, a follow-up letter will be sent to the business.

4.      The consumer will be notified of the business response when the BBB receives it and will be asked to respond.

5.      If the business fails to respond, the consumer will be notified. Complaints are generally closed within approximately 30 calendar days from the date filed.

If the business responds to a complaint but the customer remains dissatisfied, BBB may request a second response from the business. BBB staff will also consider whether mediation or arbitration should be offered. Dispute Resolution services vary by region. Please contact your local BBB office for details on the programs offered.

Once a complaint is closed, BBB will assign one of the following closing statuses:

1.      Resolved = The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

2.      Answered = The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either (a) did not accept the response, OR (b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

3.      Unresolved = The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

4.      Unanswered = The business failed to respond to the dispute.

5.      Unpursuable = BBB is unable to locate the business.

Failure to respond to a BBB complaint may have a negative impact on the BBB rating of any business, because being responsive to customer complaints is a core element of both BBB Accreditation Standards and BBB Reporting Standards.

A complaint can be filed by one of the following methods:

1.      Via Better Business Bureau’s website – file a complaint.

2.      Or by submitting a written letter of complaint to your BBB (please include your name, address, and phone number, the company’s name, address and phone number, a brief summary of the issue, and your desired resolution. You can find your BBB via the directory.

The following criteria should apply before proceeding with the complaint process:

1.      The consumer should have contacted the business at least once to resolve the issue (this is not required but encouraged).

2.      The complaint must meet BBB National Complaint Acceptance Guidelines.

BBB handles disputes that relate to marketplace issues experienced with the services or products a business provides.

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