The BBB Standards for Trust are a comprehensive set of best practices for how businesses should treat the public in a fair and honest manner.
Yes. Every BBB Accredited Business is monitored for continuing adherence to BBB standards.
No. BBBs review accredited and non-accredited businesses alike. Reviews only note a business's accreditation status.
The BBB grade is based on BBB file information about the business. In some cases, a business’s grade may be lowered if the BBB does not have sufficient information about the business despite BBB requests to the business for the information. Find more information about our rating system here.
Our basic policy is to refrain from recommending or endorsing any business, product or service. This is done to ensure continued public trust in our fairness.
BBB Accredited Businesses must meet certain standards to qualify for accreditation and to remain accredited. You can search on our website for BBB Accredited Businesses by location and/or industry.
Start here with our online complaint form.
Alert BBB by completing our scam report form.
Although BBB does not have legal and policing powers, we provide information about marketplace fraud through alerts on scams to the public.
BBB works closely with local, state and federal law enforcement agencies, providing them with valuable information on potential frauds. We are often the first organization to know about a developing scam and alert authorities and the public. When a scam develops in one part of the country, the news travels quickly between BBBs in the U.S. and Canada that in turn alert the public in their communities.
BBB’s value to the business community is based on our marketplace neutrality. Our purpose is not to act as an advocate for businesses or consumers but to act as a mutually trusted intermediary to resolve disputes and provide information to assist consumers in making wise buying decisions. Businesses have supported BBB for more than 100 years because a trustworthy marketplace is in everyone's best interest.
BBBs do a lot more than help settle disputes. Through the support of their accredited businesses, BBBs work for a trustworthy marketplace by maintaining standards for truthful advertising, investigating and exposing fraud against consumers and businesses and providing information to consumers before they purchase products and services.
Yes, BBB reports on actions against businesses and/or their principals brought by government agencies that involve legal or regulatory violations that are relevant to consumers. This information can be found in BBB Business Profiles.
Private lawsuits are generally not reported on by BBB. However, BBB may report on criminal convictions against a business or its principals if the matter relates to the business's marketplace dealings with the public.
Use our BBB Locator.