If you’re a regular reader of this site – you should know my views about the Better Business Bureau. Truth is, regular reader or not, the articles I wrote last year are widely read with links from BBB Roundup and Google searches from individuals questioning the validity of the BBB.

Once upon a time, the Better Business Bureau was a well-respected and viable source to gauge a company’s performance. However in recent years, the Bureau has come under tremendous fire with high pressure “pay to play” shenanigans mistakenly reserved for Network Marketing companies.

Their problems all started when the BBB changed their system in January of 2009 from a simple “satisfactory” or “unsatisfactory” rating system to an A to F “grading” system. Since the switch, the BBB has been exposed as playing favorites to those who pay for better grades or downgrade companies who complain to the BBB about their existing grade – which misleads the public. I’ve seen several posts on Facebook over the last 9 months about an ABC news piece that exposed their horrid tactics. When the BBB gives an A- to an organization like Hamas (the Middle East terror group) and an A+ to a skin head white racist group called Stormfront who bought their grades simply by paying the BBB for accreditation – it raises some serious heat. Anyone who saw the piece knew that the BBB themselves were on the take.

After the airing of this news piece last year, Connecticut attorney general Richard Blumenthal sent an official demand letter to the national headquarters of the Better Business Bureau to stop using the grading system, stating the grading system was “harmful and misleading” to consumers.

Imagine that?

Since writing the articles last year, I’ve yet to see a single thread of evidence that the BBB has changed their tune. As far as I’m concerned they’re still just as shady as the day is long.

To my surprise last night, a memo came from the YTB home office about the companies poor rating the last few years being upgraded to a C+ rating. I have to admit – the first thing that crossed my mind when I read the memo was that the company had succumbed to the BBB’s pressure tactics and paid for accreditation. I’m happy to report however, that the home office DID NOT pay for this upgrade. (YTB is still listed as a Non-Accredited Company.)

So what’s with the change in grade from the BBB?

First, the company’s explanation to the BBB’s change of heart.

According to the memo that was sent out to the field, both Sandy Pippins and Casie Fuqua have been working with the local BBB chapter to clear up some of the misrepresentations the BBB has concerning YTB. Another huge plus for the upgrade in their system is the frivolous lawsuits filed against the YTB International (and other non-relevant third parties who were also named) is now behind the company. I don’t know what happened to “innocent until proven guilty” in this country – but the mere filing of a lawsuit (no matter how outrageous the suit appears to be) constitutes a failing grade with the BBB.

Anybody can file suit – but then you have to actually prove your case in the court of law to determine the outcome.

I realize there are groups of individuals who believe that deflecting on “issues” or trumped up “problems” is the way to go. The BBB grade the last few years was one of the “issues” people were warning others about to stay away. While venting makes these idiots feel better (momentarily), there’s never really any resolution or solution attained using this method. We’ve seen that example all too often from irate and irrational critics who’ve been attempting to slander YTB with what ever they can dream up. If you take a look at then, verses now – these same clowns are no closer to a resolution than the day decided to start crying about these so called problems.

YTB on the other hand is a company that focuses on solutions rather than problems. They act like adults rather than children who haven’t attained the proper tools to resolve the most elementary issues. By discussing their differences calmly and logically (instead of emotionally charged outbursts) any differences or issues are eventually resolved.

Anyone who’s willing to sit down honestly with YTB (or anyone for that matter) will have a completely different view with proper dialog. If you’re capable of actually learning and comprehending basic business – it’s not that hard to see why YTB or Network Marketing works. Besides, if a company can manage its way through all the mudslinging and false claims it had levied against them – there’s got to be something more to YTB than what you may have seen or read here on the Internet.

Another reason why the BBB may have upgraded YTB’s rating is the BBB, (like Steve Cox, President and CEO of the Council of Better Business Bureaus) may finally realize that they need to supply a more honest review of businesses if they want to salvage any chance of being a respectable organization. From what I hear, pay to play is a big “no no” – and with the cat out of the bag about the BBB – it’s about time they make some changes to this hideous grading system. While the apology from Cox for the BBB’s lack of proper investigation and strong arm tactics was certainly warranted – it’s really just lip service unless you actually DO something to change the way you grade and operate.

As a result, I’m somewhat torn about this new upgrade in YTB’s grade. On the one hand, I want to give the BBB the benefit of the doubt that they’re attempting to make an obvious wrong right. People do it, and companies do it. On the other hand, I also know how lazy our society has become and how a growing segment of the population don’t actually take the time to investigate anything on their own. A C+ could prompt someone to dig a little deeper and the smart one’s would be pleasantly surprised if they obtained information from sources that actually have some type of experience or logical insight.

I guess until I see some more real – honest changes from the BBB, they’re still on double secret probation. Extreme caution and other more reputable sources are still in order when it comes to the BBB for the time being. (I do however hope they can pull it off.)

Regardless of how I feel about the BBB personally – this IS another good sign that the malicious mudslinging that was thrown YTB’s way by confused and uneducated twits’ continues to be wiped away. Like the lawsuits that were designed to destroy a fine viable company – overzealous critics no longer have the BBB to use as a mud ball.

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Last week I told you how I picked up on “issues” the Better Business Bureau was having with their new grading system. It appears that the BBB is getting some very poor grades of their own based on a web site I linked to which laid out a very convincing case that the BBB isn’t what it once was. It’s clear that Better Business Bureau has compromised their ethics and lost the trust of the business community – and now it’s reaching the consumer.

Low and behold, day before yesterday I started to get hit’s from this site and inquiring minds like mine wanted to know what was going on.

As it turns out, the author, who goes by the pen name Jimmie Rivers put a link to my article on his home page as yet another example of someone who’s fed up with the current grading system and believes there needs to be change. He’s also changed the home page considerably with a call to action and a bold statement that “Criticism against BBB mounts as protests go viral”.

He goes on to state his mission of the website:

bbbRoundup was always designed to be a central hub for resources dedicated to taking the “good fight” to the Better Business Bureau, hence the name roundup. The list continues to grow and will be added to as occasion warrants. Additionally, this list of resources will permanently occupy this homepage placement. With the help of our friends in the United States and Canada, here’s some great websites:

Wow! When a site like Ripoff Report has a couple of pages slamming the BBB, there’s definitely a problem. Not that I take anything from Ripoff Report as authentic or insightful. (Are you kidding me?) I just find it comical that the type of individuals who post there, are the exact same ones who would use the something from the BBB as a viable source to improve their stance that something is a scam.

Jimmie admits, and I would agree, that the grass roots effort has taken some time to gain momentum. My guess is that it’s because the BBB does have the perception of being one of the nation’s leading consumer advisory groups in the nation. They’ve been around a long time, (since 1912) and there was a day when people could look to them as a viable source regarding the quality of a business.

That all started to change when William Mitchell, CEO of the BBB chapter took on a charge of an A+ through F grading system four years ago in Los Angeles, California. As it turns out, that’s where most of the attention and criticism of this grading system resides. I know it’s hard to believe, but Disneyland, one of the world’s premier destinations for families all over the world, at one time had an “F” rating. All it took was a grand total of 30 complaints out of millions who visit there each year.

Jimmie is an Emmy nominated, and former CBS affiliate news director in a top 20 market. The reason for the pen name is because Jimmie doesn’t want to be harassed by the BBB, although they’ve attempted to reveal his identity on several occasions. The BBB obviously doesn’t take him very serious or a viable source for information. (Can’t imagine why!) However, enough of his journalist colleagues with real names and faces point to Jimmie and consider him insightful and valid with the information found on the bbbRoundup.

For me, it’s kind of a kick to have someone of Jimmie’s stature think enough about what I wrote to link to it. Kind of like George Dooley this summer during Convention. (Or the call I got from Rob Snyder and the article I wrote about Ignite.) I’m just glad I could do my part in helping to right an obvious wrong here.

But we need more than just a couple of news articles and blogs exposing the ethics of the BBB and how lame this new grading system is. We all need to do our part, and here’s where you can help. Jimmie has a petition that’s been growing slow and steady since he put it up. Sign it. (That is if you too feel the BBB needs to change it’s membership and grading practice.) An Attorney General and a U.S. Representative question new BBB grading system and this is just what they need to gain traction in getting some real change pushed through.

My hat’s off to you Mr. Rivers, who ever you are. Keep up the good fight. There are good people that support your efforts.

I just want to do my part in helping it go viral.

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I wrote about a new partnership with Grand Incentives on Monday. During my research of this program over the weekend, I ran into another web site that I remember seeing some time ago, but couldn’t seem to find again. During my research, I came across numerous articles over the last year which called up memory of this site but couldn’t quite remember the proper site to review all the information again in one place.

Until I found a link to it from the Grand Incentives website this weekend.

As it turns out, Grand Incentives has also been “black listed” by the Better Business Bureau with an “F” rating and low and behold, they too linked back to the wealth of information found on the BBB Roundup exposing this so called “Consumer Protection” group as a complete farce.

From the looks of it, the BBB is getting some very poor grades of its own.

The problem appears be multifaceted since the BBB changed their system in January of 2009 from a simple “satisfactory” or “unsatisfactory” rating system to a grading system that’s been exposed by most as unfair, and others as nothing less than corrupt.

So who’s watching the watchdog?

The number of articles over the last year are growing with more and more people who are fed up with the BBB and calling for reform, including BBB Roundup. The grievances have mostly been by local news organizations, but has even caught the attention of Congress and an Attorney General who’s demanding answers from the organization.

And the BBB response? For the most part, the concern is met with arrogance and deflection and appears to hold them under a completely different standard. (Hmmm, sounds like another group of Professionals I know.)

When the world’s most popular search engine (Google) has a “D” rating a year ago with 424 complaints – and today has a “B-” rating with 50 more complaints a year later (479 currently) – maybe we need to start with the truth in order to develop trust?

From everything that I’ve read (and there is plenty to read) there is some very compelling evidence that the BBB favors a “pay to play” type grading system that provide paying members better grades than non-paying members. Membership can range anywhere from $300 to $10,000 annually. If you don’t buy into the system, all bets are off – and there is very little if anything you can do to change a bad grade.

Short of forking over some big bucks.

It needs to be pointed out that not everyone in the BBB agrees with the National mandate handed out last year. Each “chapter” is independently owned and operated. According the Houston Chronicle, the local Better Business Bureau office there believes the new system has “tremendous inequities“.

The BBB, often confused for a government agency, is a non-profit franchise funded organization who primarily relies on membership fees to support itself. It’s widely known that an A+ rating is reserved only for accredited (or dues-paying) companies. Because of it’s reliance on membership dues, the BBB has come under fire for using high-pressure and heavy-handed sales tactics to force Businesses to pay for accreditation, which in return would boost their grades.

Wanna see how much accreditation pulls for you with the BBB? Let’s look at Leonard & Co. I found in this article — a Troy-based brokerage who received a $225,000 fine from the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority a year ago for securities violations, including the illegal sale of shares of some stock. But because they happen to be an accredited company with the BBB — you’ll find an A+ rating. Note, that there’s still no mention of the fine, which can be found at Financial Industry Regulatory Authority web site. Leonard & Co. has been a BBB-accredited business since 1998.

The new grading formula rates each business against 16 weighted factors and spits out the corresponding letter grade. According to the Springfield Business Journal an entire industry is automatically given a lower grade than another, because there are industries they consider “scams”. For example, a car title loan businesses raised “concerns”with the BBB and therefore received an “F” rating despite a three-year absence of customer complaints or any history of resolving complaints.

You would think that with all the myths, phobias, and social misgivings about MLM, our industry would automatically receive a lower grade than a traditional business model. One such company is Nu-Skin. In 1997 Nu-Skin was slapped with a $1.5 million fine for deceptive trade practices by the FTC, yet receives an A+ rating from the BBB. More recently, USANA was slapped with a 2007 Class Action suit for operating an illegal pyramid scheme that misled investors. There’s far more that I can elaborate on the USANA saga a couple years ago, including an investigation by the SEC. Yet USANA receives an A- rating from the BBB.

Why would the BBB give two such companies with this type of documentation such high grades? Because they’re corporate offices happen to reside in the MLM capital of the world, Utah. (More than 350 MLM companies make their home there.)

Makes you wonder what type of rating YTB could have if they were under the Utah chapter of the BBB instead of the Illinois chapter huh?

Fact is, the BBB doesn’t have the same type of control or system that a normal franchise does. You can go to McDonald’s here in Atlanta and expect to eat a cheeseburger of the same quality and consistency in St. Louis. Not so much with BBB – as there is plenty of evidence to support that each chapter ranks companies on a completely different scale without any control or oversight from the CBBB in Washington DC. A great place to start is the BBB Roundup website with a list of articles that point to this fact.

Sure, you’re going to find people who will continue to point to the BBB, thinking that each grade given is accurate or relevant. Me, not so much anymore after the pile of news articles and government intervention I’ve seen over the last year it’s clear that the BBB has fallen out of grace with many consumers and businesses.

If you’re as appalled as I am over the weight and pull the BBB appears to have, you can place a vote for the much needed change from the BBB Roundup website. I linked to it Sunday night on my Facebook page and thought it would be relevant for an entire post documenting how far the BBB has fallen from a respectable consumer advocate to a money grabbing atrocity.

That being said, I have no idea if any change is going to be made moving forward. The BBB continues to feel they are above any of the facts that have been laid out over the last year. The pressure is certainly mounting however, based on what I’ve seen on the internet and there are far more people than ever before who have discontinued their trust in the BBB. (I know I have.) There’s far more to it for me than simply not being a “government agency”.

It makes a big difference when an outfit designed as a consumer watchdog – has been called out itself for not being honest with the consumer.

So go place your vote for effective change to BBB and help make is a respectable and authentic consumer watchdog again.

Update: I’ve received word that a certain “someone” is using the BBB as a soapbox to stand on, attempting to out YTB’s partnership with Grand Incentives. While I’m certain that this individual didn’t look into the same issues I have with the BBB, to make an informed, educated decision about its relevance or importance – please understand why I no longer find this “someone” as a credible or relevant source, just as the BBB is no longer relevant or credible.

The author had no idea that this article was scheduled for today, turning his “soap box” into a big ol’ pile of dung. ;-P

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