Archive for Business
Action Line: How the Better Business Bureau complaint process works
Posted by: | CommentsI recently filed my first complaint with the Better Business Bureau regarding a problem with dry cleaning. I carefully submitted every detail of the problem and sent copies of all my receipts and pictures of the ruined items with the complaint. I did receive a less-than-satisfactory response from the company and responded back to them, but never heard anything else. When I followed up today, I found the company had been given an “F” rating for ‘failure to respond to complaints,’ but they wouldn’t tell me who had made the complaints so I don’t know if mine was included. Why wasn’t this company forced to replace my comforter and pillow shams? What good does it do to file a complaint if the company doesn’t have to fix the problem?
The Better Business Bureau complaint process is based on fairness, to both the consumer and the business. We accept comments, both complaints and compliments, about any business regardless of size or industry. We appreciate consumers like you who supply us with comprehensive information in your complaint, including pictures of the damaged items in question. At the same time, we also want to give the company an opportunity to respond to your complaint thereby starting a dialogue that will, hopefully, result in resolution of the problem. In your particular case, the company chose to end the dialogue after receiving your follow-up response and to ignore further efforts at communication. When that happens, the complaint is closed as unresolved and most likely will result in a negative impact on the company’s grade. The complaint will remain on the business’ Reliability Report for 36 months, our standard reporting period.
If the company had belonged to the BBB as an accredited business, their membership would have been terminated. BBB accredited businesses are held to a higher standard and sign a contract committing to excellent customer service and resolution of consumer complaints at the time they join the BBB.
The BBB is not a government agency and cannot compel a business to either respond to a consumer complaint or to provide adequate customer service to resolve the issue at hand. What we do is offer a free process that provides consumers and other businesses with the opportunity to talk with each other and share their views and concerns. The results are recorded in the company’s Reliability Report and provide neutral information for future inquiring consumers or businesses. While your complaint did not result in a satisfactory ending for you, that company’s report now reflects that they have failed to resolve a customer service issue. That information is shared with people calling or going online to check on that company before making a decision to do business with them. (Your name, contact information and complaint specifics are not shared with anyone for privacy reasons.)
I wish I had a solution to change the results of your complaint process. However, as a result of your actions, you have helped protect future consumers who might face the same problems with that company.
Rocky Boy lending business in confusing world of complaints
Posted by: | CommentsA new local business has embroiled the Chippewa Cree Tribe of Rocky Boy’s Indian Reservation in a confusing world of complaints and investigations. The Better Business Bureau assigned the online payday loan company PDL Ventures — which Neil Rosette, the executive administrative officer for the Chippewa Cree Tribe, said originally was named Rocky Boy Technologies and Rocky Boy Ventures — 90 complaints filed in 13 months, with more complaints coming in during September and October. “This group doesn’t only draw a lot of inquiries, but also a lot of complaints,” said Zan Deery of the Spokane Better Business Bureau, which covers eastern Washington, northern Idaho and Montana. “It is probably in our top three complaintgetters.”
The bureau reports that some complaints were resolved by PDL Ventures, but 82 complaints remain unanswered. Rosette said new procedures were being implemented to make sure the staff members at PDL Ventures at Rocky Boy respond to complaints and also keep the Tribal officials informed. “We’re not doing anything wrong,” Rosette said. “The more information and discussion we provide to people the better.” In the first conference call, Belcourt said the online business was started to promote economic development. “We look after the interests of the Tribe,” he said. At least one complaint appears to Be connected to the Tribal business. Michael Lee of Rochester, N.Y., said he had “a terrible experience” with Rocky Boy Technologies.
Lee said he suddenly saw unexplained activity on his bank account statement — someone had deposited money into his account without his permission, then debited payments back out. Even after receiving some repayment from Rocky Boy Technologies, Lee said, with bank fees and charges he still has lost money. “I am at a loss of $390 due to this company,” Lee said. In a letter faxed to the Havre Daily News after the second conference call on Oct. 23, Rosette wrote that the Rocky Boy company does “not provide payday loans to residents of Rocky Boy, Havre or in the state of Montana for that matter so we are very confused as to why you want to publish a story of this nature in the first place.” Rosette did not respond to messages asking why the Rocky Boy business did not provide loans to Montana residents.
Payday loans go online The concept of online payday loans raises questions about the payday loan business — already under increasing scrutiny — to a new level. Payday loans are short-term loans made against the borrower’s payday, typically using a check written by the loan applicant to the lender at the time the loan is awarded as the only security.
When housing news is good or bad, complaints follow
Posted by: | CommentsI totally understand. If you’re in the business of selling houses, the last thing you want is some prat at the paper telling folks that the market has turned to mush – even if house sales and prices are indeed in the tank.
But now that the worst appears over in the local residential market, I was totally unprepared to hear from people who are angry that the home sector is doing better.
That’s right. Some North Texans are getting absolutely livid over articles that say that home prices are firming and sales have picked up.
When reports come out that the U.S. economy is improving, I often see the same measure of vitriol in our reader comments. But who would expect venomous rants about home prices edging up after more two years of declines?
Home sales prices have been flat or slightly higher in each of the last four months, statistics from the Multiple Listing Service show. And local home sales were up a whopping 11 percent in October from a year earlier. This week the National Association of Realtors reported that quarterly home prices in North Texas rose slightly for the first time since late 2007.
Oh, there’s still some bad news. Foreclosures continue at record levels in the D-FW area. And the number of people who are behind on their loans is still going up. But that has more to do with yesterday’s housing market – bad mortgages made or home buys done a couple of years ago.
What really matters now is where the home market is going next month and next year. But analysts doubt that the recent gains mean that our housing market is headed back to the good old days.
“We need to start thinking in terms of how to define recovery and what a good market will look like,” said Dr. James Gaines, an economist for the Real Estate Center at Texas A&M University. “Does it mean that we return to the heights of the 2005-2007 period or something else?”
EU sends anti-trust complaints to American
Posted by: | CommentsThe European Union has sent anti-trust complaints to American Airlines and two of its partners over a proposed alliance that would coordinate operations and marketing on trans-Atlantic routes, Bloomberg reported Friday.
The “statement of objections” to the so-called Oneworld Alliance between Fort Worth-based American, British Airways Plc and Spain’s Iberia and other airlines said the alliance may be a “breach of European rules on restrictive business practices,” Bloomberg said.
The three carriers want the alliance to help cut costs and to compete against two competing alliances for trans-Atlantic routes, called the Star Alliance and SkyTeam. American and its partners asked for anti-trust immunity last year, Bloomberg said.
“We look forward to the opportunity to address and overcome the EU’s concerns, especially given the substantial benefits for consumers that would result from our trans-Atlantic joint business,” said Tim Smith, an American spokesman, in an e-mailed statement. “The EU’s thorough review of our plans and supporting evidence was anticipated and is similar to its continuing review of the Star and SkyTeam alliances, which already have anti-trust immunity from the U.S. Department of Transportation.”
Smith’s statement added that the “quickest way to robust competition and more travel choices for consumers is to ensure that all three global airline alliances can compete on an equal footing. Our joint business would benefit millions of customers with greater access to discounted fares, more convenient connections and better access to a global network of more than 500 destinations.”
Mortgage ‘middlemen’ tapped to help are subject of complaints
Posted by: | CommentsThe mortgage and real estate industry has resembled a battlefield marred with carnage and destruction with what appears to have no end in sight. 210 imploded lenders and thousands of mortgage, real estate professionals and anything related to these professions in one way, shape or form, litter the path of no jobs and no hope.
The bad apples spoiled it for the good apples. Loose lending standards and easy money for everyone (loan officers, real estate agents, appraisers, homeowners, investors, lenders and anyone associated with real estate) may have killed this business for good.
Many have said they can’t find a job outside the industry because there is now a stigma associated with all mortgage professionals. Lack of regulation on the loose cannons and bad seeds, resulted in unscrupulous mortgage broker, chop shops sprouting up in almost every neighborhood in the country. Churning out cheesy, unlicensed loan officers, fresh out of high school, that sold one toxic and fraudulent mortgage after the other.
Unfortunately, it may be difficult to decipher the good broker from the bad broker because many borrowers were victims of the old wolf and sheep’s clothing. So, human tendency is to just place blame on the whole lot of them.
Trust is not going to come easy and brokers may never get a chance to earn that trust back.
Many lenders are slowly but surely cutting off access to mortgage brokers by closing down their wholesale channels. The day I saw that Bank of America announced it was closing down it’s wholesale business back in October, I thought to myself that this was the beginning of the end of the mortgage brokerage business. B of A is one of the more conservative players and survivors in the lending game. Many suspect that the other major players will soon do the same.
If more lenders follow suit and shut down their broker business, this will mean that there is no way a broker can survive. Couple this with an already severe mortgage and credit crunch and you have a lethal cocktail for the mortgage broker professional.
There are just not that many loans to be had out there and there isn’t much money being made. These people need food and shelter and selling mortgages or real estate doesn’t seem to be cutting it these days.
This isn’t about saving an industry, it’s about business survival. Make no bones about it. When people and massive companies are in survival mode, they make common sense and wise cut throat business moves to increase their bottom line.
Hearing on Consumer Financial Protection Agency
Posted by: | CommentsBusiness and trade-group lobbyists are beating a path to Capitol Hill this week for the first major battle over the Obama administration’s efforts to overhaul the financial regulatory system.
A coalition of business representatives, who are skeptical about a proposed Consumer Financial Protection Agency, has met repeatedly in recent weeks to hone their argument that a new regulator could cause more harm than good and to strategize about which members of Congress might be sympathetic to their cause.
These opponents of a new agency have begun visiting members of the House Financial Services Committee, which plans to take up the proposal in the coming weeks, and are putting a top priority on centrist Democrats, according to people familiar with the meetings. Though the groups represent different industries with often divergent interests, they share concerns that the new agency proposed by the administration could intervene in business activities in overbearing and unproductive ways.
After 24 Years of Unusual Complaints, BBB Leader to Exit
Posted by: | CommentsThe woman who complained about the lack of curls atop her cone of Dairy Queen ice cream stands out.
Then there was the one about the Athens rancher who believed the government used fertilizer as a mind-control weapon.
During her 24 years as the president of the Better Business Bureau in Tyler, Kay Robinson has seen the unusual, the funny, the frightening and the tragic.
Now, Ms. Robinson has her sights set on retirement, which she announced this past week.
“I think I worked myself out of a job,” she joked Friday from her Old Bullard Road office. “The staff knows how to do everything. They don’t need me anymore.”
Ms. Robinson, 73, signed on as the BBB office’s president when it was created in 1985.
Today, the office boasts 1,823 members spread across 19 East Texas counties.
The office also has seen its share of scoundrels and scams, carried out by shady business owners taking advantage of the gullible.
Bond Dinettes complaint: furniture store owner needs to provide better service
Posted by: | CommentsFor a small-business man, Stephen Pawlak Jr. is unaware of several crucial facts about his Newington store, Bond Dinettes of Fairfield.
Pawlak said he was unaware that his company has an F rating from the Better Business Bureau for failing to respond to some complaints.
He said he’s unaware that there are judgments against his company from Connecticut small claims court that he hasn’t honored.
And he said he doesn’t understand how some customers can complain about waiting for months for special orders when he and his salespeople fully explain the possibility of delays because of factory problems overseas caused by the recession.
He insists that he has responded to every complaint filed with the Better Business Bureau and has paid all judgments in small claims courts. The data must be incorrect, he said Wednesday. He said all calls are returned.
Yet every few weeks I receive complaints from customers saying they’ve been misled by promises that their furniture will arrive within a certain time frame.
How to Check into the Complaint History of a Business
Posted by: | CommentsIn recognition of National Consumer Protection Week, I am issuing a series of press releases that provide valuable information and resources on consumer protection issues. In this fourth release the topic is how to check the complaint history of a business or file a complaint.
According to the Federal Trade Commission, scams and fraud are on the rise during this time of economic downturn. Consumers are looking for ways to save money and stretch their dollars which can open the door for unscrupulous businesses to take advantage of people. Consumers can protect themselves by checking the complaint history of a business and by filing official complaints with the state. These tactics can help prevent a scam from developing and safeguard other consumers.
In Wisconsin, consumers can file official complaints with the Department of Agriculture Trade & Consumer Protection (DATCP). DATCP is a state agency that works to investigate and remedy consumer complaints. DATCP also offers consumers the free service of providing the complaint history of a business. This allows consumers to educate themselves before becoming engaged with a business. This service is available for any type of business including vendors offering products for sale or services.
How to write a complaint letter – To obtain the results you want
Posted by: | CommentsHave you been double-charged on your credit card? Did the poor service at that restaurant ruin your special evening? Were the flowers you ordered delivered to the wrong address?
Then it’s time you write a complaint letter that gets the situation resolved to your satisfaction:
Make your opening sentence a positive one and get to the point in the first paragraph. (The flower shop doesn’t need to know this was your grandmother’s 90th birthday, but they do need to know that you’ve been their customer for five years. )
Beginning on an upbeat note will let them know you want to continue doing business with them. Tell your story precisely and in as few words as possible. (You don’t need to tell the restaurant that you were hosting a business dinner with your new boss, but rather this was a special evening to celebrate an important occasion.)
State specifically what went wrong, such as the food was cold or they neglected to bring the appetizers until the main course was served. Be humorous if possible- this wasn’t brain surgery even though it was important to you.
Don’t threaten. Swearing to never shop there again or to call the Better Business Bureau just makes you appear out of control.
No one will be in a hurry to handle your problem. If you act respectfully, you can expect the same behavior in return.
State exactly how this mistake cost you (time, money or embarrassment) and what result you want (refund, free meal or gift certificate).
Be reasonable in your request- you won’t get unlimited free meals for life because the waiter spilled coffee on your new suit. However, you may get a free bottle of wine on your next visit.
Provide a copy of your receipts, correspondence or contracts with your letter. If you had a contract with a caterer and he didn’t provide the desserts you ordered, having the agreement to prove it will further your cause.
When the matter has been resolved, be sure to do the company a favor in return. Telling your friends about the flowers that were delivered to the wrong hospital and how the florist personally took a fresh arrangement to the patient himself shows how far the merchant was willing to go to provide excellent customer service.
Remember, the purpose of business is to keep the customer coming back. How you let the company know about their mistake is just as important as how they remedy the situation- it can be a win-win solution for both parties.