In many reports we see that the Federal Trade Commission has referenced the Better Business Bureau. It appears that the Federal Trade Commission is using this private business as an example and potential justification of their on-going rule making and regulation in many industry sectors and categories. Some feel that any association with the Better Business Bureau is bothersome in that if they are in constant alliance with the Federal Trade Commission then the Federal Trade Commission, is not watching their potential abuses or manipulations in the free market.
We had done a report approximately three years ago to find out exactly what the Better Business Bureau was all about after a decade or more of what we believed were to be questionable practices as they attempted to interact with our Independent Contractors, Company Owned Units, Franchisees, Customers, Consumers, Business Associates and Chambers of Commerce in which we or our associates were members of.
Here is what we found:
We had found what we believe to be Better Business Bureau Fraudulent Sales Practices. We asked our contacts in the 23 states we have set up franchises in if any other small businesses had a problem with the Better Business Bureau and there sales practices? We have for quite some time. Our franchisees are required to join the local Chambers of Commerce as part of their franchise when one exists in their exclusive territory. But as soon as they do the Better Business Bureau calls up and says;
"We have been getting a lot of calls about your service, but we did not know what to tell those customers who inquired about you with The Better Business Bureau?" Then the pitch goes on? "for about $300 plus dollars you will receive?."
I contacted the Washington D.C. head office of the Better Business Bureau and they denied that any such incident has ever occurred and referred me to the fact that they are a 90-year old organization. Maybe, but as it stands have been and probably still are breaking the law. This has occurred five times in sales calls to me personally from Better Business Bureau representatives.
I feel these sales techniques are fraudulent and disreputable. I am also concerned with the "Boomerang" closing techniques when the Better Business Bureau sales person gets a negative response to join.
"We will not be able to tell the people who call us that you are a reputable company."
Implying that the consumer will assume the opposite, that you are disreputable company. This in itself maybe good for Better Business Bureau sales, but it is an extortion technique. Asking small companies to fork over $300 plus dollars is unnecessary and they will receive little if any benefit for their Better Business Bureau membership. Perhaps the plaque displayed may be of value to customers in a store, but the way in which they attempt to sell it is dishonest. The Federal Trade Commission is hereby on notice that these alliances if gone unchecked mean that the Federal Trade Commission is a clear and present danger to the consumer and accessory to fraudulent sales tactics and misrepresentations.
The Better Business Bureau works closely with the Federal Trade Commission and after contacting the Better Business Bureau to make a complaint about their sales tactics, the gentleman in charge told me I was wrong, and that I did not know what I was talking about and that the Better Business Bureau would never do such a thing? Which is also a falsehood since I have experienced it first hand. When I told them that I might have to contact the Federal Trade Commission in this matter, they said go-ahead knowing their strength in alliance with the government. Knowing that they were considered beyond reproach? So the saying: "Absolute power corrupts, absolutely" again has a home at both the Federal Trade Commission and the Better Business Bureau in my opinion. Maybe you have a different opinion on this; Do you think something should be done about it?
"Lance Winslow" - If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; www.worldthinktank.net/wttbbs
Batchtown Chicago prom limo .. Lockport Chicago limo O’HareThe use of religion is well-documented as a social engineering... Read More
Maybe some of the people complaining ought to go to... Read More
As you know Delta Airlines is close to bankruptcy. Their... Read More
Conor MacDari was a Mason but his Masonry deplored the... Read More
The 'Land of the Free' is teaming with individual rights... Read More
1) IS HAVING A DEMOCRACY MORE EFFECTIVE IN ADDRESSING POLITICAL... Read More
Former Senator, Daniel Moynihan, accurately summed up the situation when... Read More
Is it just me or are you concerned that illegal... Read More
Few understand the Franchising Format and even fewer have correlated... Read More
Recently the CIA staged a practice simulation of a cyber... Read More
America has some monetary issues, which need to be addressed.... Read More
Is Starbucks a monopoly? It fits all the definitions. Does... Read More
Bosnia-Herzegovina (heretofore "Bosnia") is an artificial polity with four, tangentially... Read More
Many MLM sales people mean well but they inadvertently commit... Read More
Those of us hundreds of miles from ground zero sat... Read More
From the comfort of their plush offices and five to... Read More
As you can see from some of our previous articles,... Read More
Recent international wars and the often spectacular ways in which... Read More
I watch the TV news and I get angry. I... Read More
We are having a problem in America with Public Notaries,... Read More
As more and more cities and states set up websites... Read More
Peace in the Middle East - whoa that is a... Read More
Tonight I resigned myself to the fact that this is... Read More
The Flow of Trade is a major consideration of civilizations... Read More
The United States is losing its industrial capacity quite rapidly.... Read More
shuttle from Midway Munster are ..Believe it or not, every theatre, church, or Britney Spears... Read More
Let's put it all into perspective: the U.S. has an... Read More
Commission for Africa (CFA), one is made to understand is... Read More
I just got done reading a series of articles dating... Read More
The evacuation of Gaza is now completed, and the world... Read More
A few hours ago, Colonel Ely Ould Mohamed Vall, the... Read More
Do you ever wonder how everything gets to the super... Read More
I'm getting a little tired of being lectured by that... Read More
"When you are right you cannot be too radical; when... Read More
De-classification of official documents have been a routine practice in... Read More
Einstein when ask how did he believe WWIII would be... Read More
There are many mines around the world, which are owned... Read More
Legislation is getting legs to further curtail your use of... Read More
Businesses advertising alcohol either in TV or non-broadcast format need... Read More
The Connecticut Conference of Municipalities (CCM) is interested in the... Read More
You are not going to believe what is going on... Read More
China is serious about breaking into the bio-tech field and... Read More
The European Court of Justice ("ECJ") ruled in Praktiker Bau-... Read More
Let the reader be reminded, that this document we are... Read More
In Belarus parliament is going to struggle with degeneration of... Read More
We are having a problem in America with Public Notaries,... Read More
The United States and other first world nations have been... Read More
Some call it the "unofficial" or "informal" economy, others call... Read More
The United States has enemies, which call the country the... Read More
Ever wonder why labor unions consistently endorse democrats over republicans... Read More
Political |