Ha! Killer headline

/them and JD Power

+1 subby, well done, and so very true.

My current favorite is the one with bill collectors claiming to be cops. Claiming you'll drive to the nearest police station to meet them so you can pay up is pure classic humor.

BBB rates Hamas A- (new window)

unicron702: My current favorite is the one with bill collectors claiming to be cops. Claiming you'll drive to the nearest police station to meet them so you can pay up is pure classic humor.

Holy shnikeys that's illegal.

Anybody in business that knows from a hole in the ground knows what a scam the BBB is. I can't believe it has existed as long as it has without either being sued out of business or firebombed to the ground. And salting the earth under it. And flipping over the top six feet of soil. And irradiating the soil. And then burning the ground once or twice more for good measure.

I don't see 'the modern economy' anywhere on that list.

Well done submitter.

What a load of crock BBB was.
Perhaps hundreds of people filed complained when options to cancel ECA membership online was removed and must be done by letter, calling BS. Rating spiraled down to F.

Next day, BBB "ECA told us everything is ok, cases closed." All complaints marked "resolved". Rating went to B+.

I lol'ed.

Thought the headline was in reference to the BBB e-mails that went out to a lot of people saying they had a (phony) claim against them...

Yeah, how is the BBB a "scam?" They're not taking anything from us, right? They're just a "watchdog" organization with no authority to do anything, like a Yelp that attempts to intervene every now and then?

Before learning just how useless they were I made a few BBB reports of crappy local businesses...nobody ever asked for anything from me. They're a steaming pile of crap but that doesn't make them a "scam." Unless someone has info I don't.

Bravo on the headline Subby. Learned that BBB was completely worthless over a decade ago, and haven't used them for any vetting of any business since then.

/I LOL'ed

The BBB might be a scam, but they're amateurs compared to the Chamber of Commerce.

Brick-and-mortar dating scam still going on: get you in for an interview (along with your checkbook or credit card). Actually, they're feeling you up for how much they can take you for -- which seems to be in the area of 1000 to 10000 dollars. If they can match you up with the ideal mate, wouldn't it be worth it? But then they barely do any work at all on the actual matchmaking. Whether that's because they have hardly anyone in their database, or they're just lazy, I'm not sure. Probably both. Also they use generic ads that don't mention their business name up front for some reason.

Telemarketing cold-call fire/police donation scam: "I'm with the association of left-handed police chiefs, and we're soliciting for donations to help the widows of fallen heroes." Caller speaks with authority as if he's an actual policeman. Caller is not a policeman. All money goes to the telemarketer.

penthesilea: Every time my mom calls me up to sign her up for something online or buy something I always google the company and the word Scam. 9 out of 10 times it's some really shady shiat that one of her scummy church pals wants her to buy into.

Never met a pyramid scheme she didn't like.

I once got a job as the head IT guy for a DVR surveillance company. We touted our product as it something where it would off-site all of their footage to our servers so they could always have access to it (up to like 1 month or so).

Within a week I learned that the DVR's were pure shiate and that the IP address we were giving them was actually a poorly masked loop back. They were just connecting to their machines locally. It sucked such hard balls because I needed the job but I was lying my ass off daily, both to customers and to the boss acting like I didn't know (the latter of that baffles me, how can I be both good at my job and NOT know?).

I also was finding out from other area DVR companies that I was working for the biggest scammer in the business and he was currently getting sued by a ton of people. The worse story about the job was we had our equipment in this high end sushi restaurant and everytime I went in there to do tech support the manager would just mad hook it up. Went there once with a date and he made a $300 check come out to $20. They called me up because a female employee's crazy ex had come in the back door and roughed her up and they wanted footage. Standing in the office, 2 manager's, 2 metro detectives, and me. The POS DVR decided to crash 2 days before the incident, and they had no evidence. The guy ended up walking.

/Quit that night
//CSB

nytmare: Telemarketing cold-call fire/police donation scam: "I'm with the association of left-handed police chiefs, and we're soliciting for donations to help the widows of fallen heroes." Caller speaks with authority as if he's an actual policeman. Caller is not a policeman. All money goes to the telemarketer.

YES. Always ask if the person you're speaking with is actually a police/fire/EMT/whatever. They have to answer you honestly. If they are not, they're taking something ridiculous off the top and your "donation" mostly goes to the company paying the poor schlub making $8/hour to call you and read a script.

Mark Ratner: Scrotastic Method: Yeah, how is the BBB a "scam?" They're not taking anything from us, right? They're just a "watchdog" organization with no authority to do anything, like a Yelp that attempts to intervene every now and then?

Before learning just how useless they were I made a few BBB reports of crappy local businesses...nobody ever asked for anything from me. They're a steaming pile of crap but that doesn't make them a "scam." Unless someone has info I don't.

So, anyone can falsely report a bad experience about a company and the bbb doesn't verify it?

What would stop one business from making false claims against a competing company?

If this is true, then the bbb is a scam, but I find this hard to believe.

I meant I, as a consumer, filed reports, but the BBB never asked for any money from me. They claimed to have attempted to contact companies regarding a resolution, but it wasn't a service where I personally could have been ripped off.

That's why I'm saying it's not really a scam. They're useless, but that doesn't mean we're being taken advantage of.

That site ate up half my resources through my browser. F-them and their 2 videos at a time launching automatically.

/rant

The BBB sits there doing nothing until a complaint shows up. Then they make their money.

All the bad reports are for companies that didn't pay to have them taken down.

All that gold/whatever bullshiat BBB partnership stuff just certifies that the company can pay the BBB to keep their profile clean.

You know, there are a lot of things to dislike about the BBB. But most of what's in this thread is bullshiat.

Mark Ratner: Gotcha. At least they tried to negotiate a resolution with the companies you filed a complaint about. In that case though, I wouldn't necessarily call them useless.

They reported to me that they'd done as much. In reality, they claim they tried calling them several times, the contact was "unresponsive" or some such thing, and this blatantly criminal UPS Store still has an A rating. They didn't do anything.

Meanwhile, their Yelp is so scathing it might as well be about a candy shop selling mercury lollipops and cyanide brownies.

nytmare: Brick-and-mortar dating scam still going on: get you in for an interview (along with your checkbook or credit card). Actually, they're feeling you up for how much they can take you for -- which seems to be in the area of 1000 to 10000 dollars. If they can match you up with the ideal mate, wouldn't it be worth it? But then they barely do any work at all on the actual matchmaking. Whether that's because they have hardly anyone in their database, or they're just lazy, I'm not sure. Probably both. Also they use generic ads that don't mention their business name up front for some reason.

Telemarketing cold-call fire/police donation scam: "I'm with the association of left-handed police chiefs, and we're soliciting for donations to help the widows of fallen heroes." Caller speaks with authority as if he's an actual policeman. Caller is not a policeman. All money goes to the telemarketer.

Telemarketing cold-call fire/police donation scam: I did this for a week in the late 90s. I felt dirty. I have a soft secretarial voice; they told me I needed to sound more like a cop.

Like I said, for a week.

hamsack: That site ate up half my resources through my browser. F-them and their 2 videos at a time launching automatically.

/rant

If only there were someone to complain to

//Not BBB apparently

RminusQ: First time someone said it to me, I thought it meant Quit Farking Talking, which is quite the opposite thing.

Heh. You learn something knew every day....

I love when customers threaten to call the BBB when they aren't happy. I tell them "Go ahead!". The BBB is utterly toothless. I've never heard of ANY business suffering ANY loss of business because of the BBB. I, too, wonder how they make any money.

nytmare: Brick-and-mortar dating scam still going on: get you in for an interview (along with your checkbook or credit card). Actually, they're feeling you up for how much they can take you for -- which seems to be in the area of 1000 to 10000 dollars. If they can match you up with the ideal mate, wouldn't it be worth it? But then they barely do any work at all on the actual matchmaking. Whether that's because they have hardly anyone in their database, or they're just lazy, I'm not sure. Probably both. Also they use generic ads that don't mention their business name up front for some reason.

Telemarketing cold-call fire/police donation scam: "I'm with the association of left-handed police chiefs, and we're soliciting for donations to help the widows of fallen heroes." Caller speaks with authority as if he's an actual policeman. Caller is not a policeman. All money goes to the telemarketer.

I worked for a similar telemarketing scam, and we kept 8 to 12 percent, but some money went to actual programs. It was less than the commission amount, but what kept them legal for almost a decade.

realmolo: I love when customers threaten to call the BBB when they aren't happy. I tell them "Go ahead!". The BBB is utterly toothless. I've never heard of ANY business suffering ANY loss of business because of the BBB. I, too, wonder how they make any money.

Businesses must pay them to get any accreditation, the amount of which isn't told until you apply. Also sounds like the more a business pays, the better/cleaner their rep stays. I was considering applying for accreditation but if the potential price isn't listed on the website, chances are it's too much for our little business to find worthwhile.

Badmouth the BBB all you want, the fact is the time I went through them to lodge a complaint against a business, they pursued it aggressively and got me the desired resolution.

When I moved out of my apartment a couple years ago, the complex management sent me a certified letter a couple weeks later, alleging false damages, and then trying to claim I never paid a pet deposit (even though I had signed paperwork upon moving in declaring to them that I had 2 cats and that I was paying an additional fee on top of my rent in lieu of a lump sum deposit). They were attempting to bill me for $1,000 for damages and lease violations. I called their collections department, and the ghetto trash coont I had to speak with refused to hear my side of things at all, and repeated over and over that if I did not pay, they were going to sue. I looked up their corporate contact information on line, and was given the phone number of a regional manager. After calling and leaving 2-3 messages a day with this woman's secretary and not once receiving a callback, I received another certified letter with a deadline for payment. At this point I contacted the BBB, registered an online complaint describing in detail the actions of the company, the horrible maintenance of the complex, and said that if the complex management did not drop their complaint, that at the time I was unemployed and had nothing but time on my hands, and I would make it a point to go to every single apartment rental and review site I could possibly find on the internet and post details of my experience. In about 3 days, I received a call from the regional manager, apologizing profusely, offering to do whatever it takes to right the situation, and begging me to close the complaint with the BBB.

realmolo: I love when customers threaten to call the BBB when they aren't happy. I tell them "Go ahead!". The BBB is utterly toothless. I've never heard of ANY business suffering ANY loss of business because of the BBB. I, too, wonder how they make any money.

I did not give a local electronics repair store my business because their BBB complaints were horrifying. I paid to ship it to another place and it worked out great.

QFT = Quit Farking Talking AND Quoted For Truth
It can be very confusing.


/BBB = Big busted babes?

WTFdoesitmatter: In about 3 days, I received a call from the regional manager, apologizing profusely, offering to do whatever it takes to right the situation, and begging me to close the complaint with the BBB.

Yep. It's not completely useless especially for the smaller places. I prefer to see a "BBB" logo on a business I patronize vs a "find us on yelp!" logo.

Sorry... if we reach the day when "Yelp" stands for more than anything else, I'm burning the forests down.

The vocal minority of the internet lives on Yelp.

Yes, irony.. I'm spouting my opinions of people who use opinion sites.

WTFdoesitmatter: ...and said that if the complex management did not drop their complaint, that at the time I was unemployed and had nothing but time on my hands, and I would make it a point to go to every single apartment rental and review site I could possibly find on the internet and post details of my experience.

You do realize that is a little thing in law called 'extortion', right?

Doctor Jan Itor: /BBB = Big busted babes?

Yes, please.

realmolo: I love when customers threaten to call the BBB when they aren't happy. I tell them "Go ahead!". The BBB is utterly toothless. I've never heard of ANY business suffering ANY loss of business because of the BBB. I, too, wonder how they make any money.

If I have a serious problem with a company, I'll call up and say, "I would like to speak to the highest person in charge who is in the building, now." That usually wakes up the receptionist. When the next person gets on the phone, I ask, "who are you?" If I am not satisfied that he/she is the highest person in charge, I'll demand to talk to that person. If I am satisfied, I explain my side of the problem, and let them try to figure out how to help. However, I end with these words, "If I don't get satisfaction, my next phone call will be to the [state that the company is in] Attorney General's Office for FRAUD." Once the person on the other end knows you aren't bullshiating around (by threatening to call the BBB), things are usually resolved in to your satisfaction.

1macgeek: WTFdoesitmatter: ...and said that if the complex management did not drop their complaint, that at the time I was unemployed and had nothing but time on my hands, and I would make it a point to go to every single apartment rental and review site I could possibly find on the internet and post details of my experience.

You do realize that is a little thing in law called 'extortion', right?

How is that extortion? There was no setup or blackmail involved. There is nothing illegal about going to websites in which consumers have the right to share and comment about their experiences in dealing with a company, and telling about things that actually happened.

Doctor Jan Itor: QFT = Quit Farking Talking AND Quoted For Truth
It can be very confusing.


/BBB = Big busted babes?

I always thought FTW meant Fark the World instead of For the Win.

FWIW, of course.

WTFdoesitmatter: How is that extortion?

Like this : "The use, or the express or implicit threat of the use, of violence or other criminal means to cause harm to person, reputation, or property as a means to obtain property from someone else with his consent."

You said either give me my money or I will ruin your reputation. That's extortion. Please note that current precedence states that violence or the threat of violence is no longer a limiting factor in determining if extortion has occurred.

Practially anytime you present an either / or situation to get your way in a financial transaction, that is extortion. Pure and simple. You never threaten to do anything with anyone ... you just do it. To do otherwise is to risk going up against a savvy person (count your lucky stars you did not) and they will have you clapped in the pokey. That is the reason lawyers charge so much money to send demand letters which are painfully exact in their wording. If it were not so, all demand letters would consist of :

PAY UP, SUCKER, OR WE ARE SUING !

And you could do them yourself. Really, all you can do is run to the end of your chain and bark. The very best of all possible worlds is to inform the other party, without it being an either / or demand, that you intend to protect your rights under the law since you are at an impasse. That's it.

If you would have contacted me in the manner you described, I would have immediately contacted the police to have you arrested. There would have been precisely jack-diddley-squat you could have done to avoid the prosecution. Why? Because most people are too stupid to keep their traps shut and babble like there is no tomorrow trying to explain their position to the arresting officer. All of which WILL be used against you in the prosecution. After all, you did freely admit the attempt to ruin their reputation if you did not get your money.

All in all, you were pretty damned lucky to be going up against stupid people. I wouldn't count on that luck holding out in the future.

SharkaPult: Doctor Jan Itor: QFT = Quit Farking Talking AND Quoted For Truth
It can be very confusing.


/BBB = Big busted babes?

I always thought FTW meant Fark the World instead of For the Win.

FWIW, of course.

Fail When I Win?