BBB

The Better Business Bureau (BBB) is a non-profit organization. It was founded in 1912. It focuses on marketplace trust. It has 106 independently incorporated local groups in the United States and Canada. The main group is in Arlington, Virginia. It is called the International Association of Better Business Bureaus (IABBB). Almost 400,000 local businesses in North America support BBB. BBB isn't connected to any government agency.

What BBB does

BBB collects information about businesses. It gives each business a rating. The ratings go from A+ (best) to F (worst). The rating is based on things like how long the business has existed and how it answers customer complaints. People can read these ratings for free on the BBB website.

BBB also helps people who have problems with a business. A person can send a complaint to BBB. BBB then contacts the business and asks it to reply. BBB also warns people about scams. It runs a free tool called Scam Tracker, where people can report scams.

Businesses can become "accredited" by BBB. Accredited businesses pay a fee. They must promise to follow BBB rules, such as being honest in advertising.

Controversy

BBB has been the subject of controversy. The controversy is mainly related to its alleged practice of giving higher ratings to businesses that pay membership fees. In 2010, a television report by ABC News said that some paying businesses got better ratings than famous businesses that did not pay. After this report, BBB changed its rating system. It says that payment from businesses is not required for them to receive an "A" rating. In 2013, the national organization removed the Los Angeles BBB group because of problems with its practices.