Better Business Bureau

The Better Business Bureau provides dispute resolution services between consumers and businesses, educational information for consumers, business accreditation services, publishes business accreditation standards, provides business research tools for consumers to checkout businesses,  and a number of other services.

• Better Business Bureau Standards for Trust
• Better Business Bureau Code of Advertising
• Better Business Bureau Code of Business Practices

The Better Business Bureau website is organized so that when you specify your location on the main page, you are directed through localized resources for your area. You can tell the site to remember your location so future visits on that same computer will take you directly to your localized resources.  Once you arrive on the localized page for your area you will encounter links that allow you to quickly: 

• www.bbb.org

1. Identify and checkout Better Business Bureau Accredited Businesses and/or other businesses that consumers have filed complaints against.
    
2. Verify consumer complaints filed and/or resolved by a business.
    
3. File a BBB complaint about a business.

The following are excerpts of some of the Better Business Bureau Codes stating their expectations for businesses.

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Better Business Bureau Code of Advertising

• 7. Bait & Switch Advertising and Selling
• “bait” offer is an alluring but insincere offer to sell a product or service which the advertiser does not intend to sell or cannot legally sell.
• No advertisement should be published unless it is a bona fide offer to sell the advertised merchandise or service.  

Martial Art Fraud:trademark infringers and trademark counterfeiters are not licensed by the trademark owner to sell the products or services they are advertising and they cannot legally sell them.  

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Better Business Bureau Code of Business Practices

• 2. Advertise Honestly
• Adhere to established standards of advertising and selling.
  • An accredited business or organization agrees to:
  • F. Avoid misleading customers by creating the false impression of sponsorship, endorsement, popularity, trustworthiness, product quality or business size through the misuse of logos, trustmarks, pictures, testimonials, or other means.

Martial Art Fraud:trademark infringers and trademark counterfeiters are not licensed by the trademark owner to sell the products or services they are advertising.