megram - Index

megram - 55JulGTA - Index

A Better Choice
The Better Business Bureau helps consumers make better decisions
If you are unsure about what
contractor to use for that new
roof, leaf pick-up or snow
plowing this year, don’t sign anything
before checking out the
company.
One of the most cost effective
and simplest ways to do this is
to check with your local office of
the Better Business Bureau (BBB).
The BBB provides a wealth
of free information, consumer
advice and company reports that measure the trustworthiness
of all sorts of businesses. BBB Reliability Reports™ are
a key resource for consumers to research businesses before
they choose to work with one. Reports are based on factual
information gathered by BBB, such as if a business is
licensed or not, the number of consumer complaints filed,
and whether a government agency has taken action against
a business. More than 25,000 Reliability Reports on businesses
are provided by the BBB to consumers each month.
BBB also provides consumers an easy way to identify
trustworthy businesses through its Seal Program.
Businesses accredited by BBB earn and display the BBB seal
and contractually agree to meet and uphold the organiza-
July/August 2008 • 74 • Fifty-Five Plus Magazine
tion’s high standards for integrity
and reliability. BBB reviews each
business that applies for the BBB
seal and strictly enforces its standards,
accrediting only those
meeting and upholding BBB
accreditation standards, and
revoking seals from those businesses
that don’t.
In addition, BBB offers these
services to consumers to help in
every stage of the buying
process, including:
BBB advice and alerts: BBB provides pre-purchase
advice for consumers on a wide range of issues, and posts
alerts on the latest consumer fraud incidences and tips on
how to avoid them.
Complaint and dispute resolution services:
Consumers can contact BBB to help them resolve disputes
with any type of business.
Even if the company you are checking out is not registered
with the BBB, it does keep records of complaints.
And, chances are you might be able to ward off a problem
by simply picking up the phone.
See page 80 for additional related information.