|
Consumers should first contact the business and attempt to
resolve the complaint.
If there is no satisfactory resolution,
consumers can submit the complaint to a local BBB or file it electronically
using a BBB online complaint form.
The BBB presents the complaint to
the company involved. The majority of companies seriously
consider customer satisfaction to be good business.
Your BBB may offer three major
dispute resolution options.
Conciliation:
In BBB conciliation, the BBB staff helps the customer and
business communicate so they can resolve their dispute
informally. BBB staff will provide information about the
complaint to the company and pass along offers made by either
side to solve the problem. They can effectively present the
customer's views to the business and offer the business'
viewpoint to the customer in a neutral way. Conciliation, which
usually occurs by telephone or mail, frequently settles the
matter simply and quickly.
Despite extensive efforts, some
complaints cannot be resolved through initial contacts with a
business. In such cases, a BBB may offer a dispute settlement
process such as mediation or arbitration.
Many Member companies sign pre-commitment pledges with BBB's to
arbitrate disputes. These pledges offer interested businesses the opportunity to
commit in advance to resolve any disputes not settled through conciliation.
There is no fee for conciliation
services.
Mediation:
In BBB mediation, a professionally trained mediator meets with
the parties face-to-face in a neutral location and guides them
in working out their own mutually agreeable solutions.
During the confidential mediation session, the BBB mediator
clarifies and reframes problems and helps the two sides talk
with each other and discuss solutions.
Mediators don't decide who is right or
wrong. Instead, they help people reach a solution on their own
one that works best for them.
There is a fee
for mediation services for non-member businesses.
Arbitration:
In BBB arbitration, the parties state their views at an
arbitration hearing, offer evidence, and let an impartial third
party from the Bureau's pool of certified arbitrators make the
decision that will end the dispute.
The arbitrator is trained to listen to both sides and weigh the
evidence presented at the hearing. The arbitrator will make a
decision about the dispute after the hearing is over.
BBB arbitration is a fast and
inexpensive way to settle a problem and keep it out of court.
There is a fee for parties who are
not members of the bureau.
In some situations, the BBB may be unable to obtain
cooperation from a company. A pattern of unanswered or unresolved complaints
becomes a part of that company’s BBB record and is reported to any persons who
ask about that company. An unsatisfactory report will lead to termination of a
company’s BBB membership if applicable. In extreme cases, the BBB may refer its
file on a company to a law enforcement agency to determine if legal action is
warranted. |
