The Better Business Bureau does not always live up to its powerful brand name.
The Orange County Register found the Southern California office - the nation’s largest - grants to reports positive troubled companies while devoting 40 of its 100 employees to soliciting membership dues from businesses.
The name connotes office ethical business practices, consumer protection and fairness. But critics say the Better Business Bureau of the South countries engages in practices that discourage complaints. Until just a few months ago, the office charged consumers $ 5 to lodge a complaint about a business over the telephone.
The Register findings include:
The bureau lists with a “satisfactory” or “clear” record more than 50 businesses that have been sued or disciplined by government agencies for shoddy or illegal practices. The businesses were identified during a check of about 150 firms listed on the bureau’s Web site www.bbbsouthland.org.At least three businesses accused by California regulators of a pattern of consumer fraud are still members of the South Country office.
The office gives an additional members a chance to clear from their record complaints.Several business owners telemarketers office alleged that promised they could clean up their record company if they paid annual membership fees ranging from $ 300 to $ 600 The dues are based on a company’s size.
William G. Mitchell, the president of the South Country office, acknowledged his problems with telemarketers staff and said he has moved to correct them. But he said no records were sanitized business and that his office never authorized any such offers. He also expressed frustration with the quality of the bureau’s reports on individual companies.
“Our information is not always right,” said Mitchell, who earns $ 245000 per annum. “Is that a good thing? No, it’s not a good thing. I’d love to be able to report all this information but there are limits to the resources and the people. I think we do a hell of a good job with the budget we have. “
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