does reporting a bad business to the BBB actually do anything?? cuz i got screwed

chinkgai

Diamond Member
Apr 4, 2001
3,904
0
71
meanin, does the BBB actually take action?

basically this is the situation:

i go to a car shop get new axles and about five other people buy the same axles from this same company (all through the shop that i go to)

they're about 600 bux for two axles

all the axles have problems (for all of us), so they were all returned as defective.

after over six months of dealing with this damn company thats giving everyone the run around and voicemail treatment, they finally refund us...only 150 per axle (300 total per person)

now my question is, will reporting this to the BBB actually help? does BBB actually do anything or do they just make a note of it and say "sorry, try to avoid these guys in the future"?

if bbb doesnt actually do anything, i wont bother with them. any suggestions?

the company in question is fidanza by the way.
 

chinkgai

Diamond Member
Apr 4, 2001
3,904
0
71
but i can get other testamonials from the other people that got screwed too, would they ignore that as well?
 

KarenMarie

Elite Member
Sep 20, 2003
14,372
6
81
yes... they enter your complint into the database and when someone else looks them up, they see all the complaints.

 
Nov 5, 2001
18,366
3
0
Originally posted by: KarenMarie
yes... they enter your complint into the database and when someone else looks them up, they see all the complaints.

true, but they don't actually DO anything for you
 

Darthvoy

Golden Member
Aug 3, 2004
1,825
1
0
they ain't gonna do sh!t. It only cost 20.00 dollars to become a memeber of BBB...unless money has exchanged hands, which in your case it has, they 'might' do something.
 

Reel

Diamond Member
Jul 14, 2001
4,484
0
76
I had a rebate that a company didn't send and wouldn't respond to my inquiries about. I filed a complaint with the BBB. The BBB guy acted as the middleman and spoke wtih the company directly. He relayed my story and explained to them that I wanted the rebate. They agreed and sent me the rebate and said to let them know if the first check they had sent me ever showed up. I am still holding my breath that the first check will show up. That was the only time I ever used the BBB complaint service and it worked for me.
 

chinkgai

Diamond Member
Apr 4, 2001
3,904
0
71
okay one positive result with a couple people that said they dont do jack...

of the people that said they dont do jack, how many people actually dealt with them? other than that one guy that said they ignored him.
 

labgeek

Platinum Member
Jan 20, 2002
2,163
0
0
Originally posted by: KarenMarie
yes... they enter your complint into the database and when someone else looks them up, they see all the complaints.

ONLY if the company does not "respond" to the complaint, or the BBB has excessive complaints then they'll show an "unsatisfactory record". Since the company's are themselves members and thus paying the BBB's bills, they do little to nothing. Of the 2 times I had filed complaints they've done nothing but forwarded on the message to the company. When 1 of them responded with lies that I responded to with proof, the BBB closed the complaint as "resolved"... hmm... Fortunately for me neither Toyota HQ nor the La. A.G. Office saw their "response" as satisfactory especially as it contradicted itself in the same letter.

BTW, check out ripoffreport.com
 

Valkerie

Banned
May 28, 2005
1,148
0
0
Now if there was an accident in which the axles had any involvement, you'll take a good chunk out of the company's bank account. Future proof you car and safety for you and your passengers as well as everyone in town. Tell them that something is wrong, the company, and they'll probably look into it. Business is about improvement.
 
Nov 5, 2001
18,366
3
0
Originally posted by: chinkgai
okay one positive result with a couple people that said they dont do jack...

of the people that said they dont do jack, how many people actually dealt with them? other than that one guy that said they ignored him.

they requested and were sent copies of all my records. Basically, the company was failry new to the area, and had only one other complaint so they sid it wasn't a widespread problem and they ignored it.
 

bsobel

Moderator Emeritus<br>Elite Member
Dec 9, 2001
13,346
0
0
Chinkgai, did you call the BBB before going to that shop? If not, you answered your own question....
 

chinkgai

Diamond Member
Apr 4, 2001
3,904
0
71
Originally posted by: bsobel
Chinkgai, did you call the BBB before going to that shop? If not, you answered your own question....

the shop is fine...they were the ones dealin with the bastard company this whole time

i guess i'll resort to bbb, the state attorney thing, and whatever else you guys may suggest =)
 

dullard

Elite Member
May 21, 2001
25,655
4,172
126
The BBB does several things:
1) They provide lists of complaints to potential customers. So your complaint will possibly hurt this company in the future.

2) They allow companies to use the BBB symbol on ads. You'd be surprized at how many people avoid companies with ads that don't use the BBB symbol. This is especially true for the service industry. Too many complaints and the BBB membership is cancelled and the BBB symbol must be pulled from all ads.

3) Many people (especially the elderly) call the BBB for recommendations. The BBB does give out lists of places to go. However, the BBB won't recommend a company that has unresolved complaints. So you are instantly cutting off many customers to that company.

Conclusion: a bad BBB complaint can significantly hurt a company's future profits.
 

Carazariah

Senior member
Aug 11, 2003
336
0
0
Depends on how important a satisfactory ranking is to the BBB. If the company isn't a member than there isn't a lot the BBB can do. I did have luck in my one BBB complaint, but the company was large and they actually cared if their BBB ranking is good or not.

All good suggestions here. . . g/l
C
 

jadinolf

Lifer
Oct 12, 1999
20,952
3
81
I've only had one reason to complain to BBB and that was because I was being screwed around by Comp-U-Plus.

Their local BBB did absolutely nothing but MBNA stood by me (as expected).