Credit: Carmen of charmandhappy.com

In 2010, Carmen of charmandhappy.com was featured on the news show 20/20 on ABC. The 20/20 show was about the Better Business Bureau was being accused by business owners of selling grades for money. The show showed a few business owners running a sting on the BBB where they made up companies and were given an A after paying a membership fee. Many business owners felt this was nothing but a shakedown racket.

Carmen’s company provides clowns for businesses. Charm and Happy Clowns was listed on the Better Business Bureau’s website with a C- because of a two-year old complaint which had already been resolved. Carmen was told by a BBB telemarketer she had to pay a membership fee to remove the C-. Carmen paid $395.00 and the very next day her grade was changed to an A+. Carmen’s concern was if she is paying for a grade then how is the consumer supposed to trust the BBB?

In June of 2015, I reached out to Carmen to see how things were in the past five years. I asked the following questions and here are the answers:

Q: When the BBB found out about what was going on. Did the BBB give you your money back?

Before the 20/20 news story aired.

A: The Better Business Bureau did not give me my money back. At the end of the year, the BBB asked if I wanted to rejoin and I astutely said, “No way.” The BBB ended up charging my card for the full year amount. I shockingly could not believe they would even dare do that since there dealing with me. But the BBB did reverse the charges for the new charge.

Q: What happened after the news story aired? What happened with the BBB and your grade?

A: Nothing, they made no contact. The grade stayed as an A+ for the year. Then the next year after they reversed the charges for the membership, I had no grade and was not listed at all even as a business listing of a nonmember.

Q: I know your grade was a C- before the news story aired and on the story you got your grade changed to an A+. Now in 2015 its listed as a “no rating”. Do you know why your listing says “no rating”?

A: Yes, because I did not want to be a paid member.

Q: Have you had any other interaction with the Better Business Bureau since the news story aired?

After Carmen paid for membership with BBB.

A: The only interaction was when the BBB wanted me to renew the membership and when I called upset that the BBB had charged my card in full after I already stated I did not wish to renew.
Q: Please tell me anything you can about issues or happenings with the Better Business Bureau.

A: Before the TV exposure, for years the BBB would try to solicit membership on the grounds that they claimed clients checked with them for trust issues. Being a member would help clients trust the business. I would tell them I have excellent references from celebrities, schools, high profile companies, parents, and churches.

As of today Charmed and Happy, Clowns is listed as “no rating” with no complaints within in the last three years. Wonder why?

How charmandhappy.com is listed today.

The Better Business Bureau has been well respected for many years. That was because the BBB was impartial. The Attorney General at the time Richard Blumenthal said: “the grading system is unworthy of consumer trust.” The Attorney General at the time Richard Blumenthal sent a demand letter to the BBB calling on them to stop using the nationwide grading system. The Attorney General at the time Richard Blumenthal said: “the grading system is harmful and misleading to consumers.”

Credit: blumenthal.senate.gov

The Better Business Bureau later did close down the Los Angeles BBB and vowed to make changes and use a new system. But has the BBB changed?

After looking through hundreds of companies who became paid members, it seems they have not. Almost all paid members have some sort of “A”. I understand the members must follow the BBB’s rules, but it is hard for one to believe all those members deserve an “A.”

Do you think the Better Business Bureau is stilling giving out good grades to paid members? Please tell NIR News in the comments below.

The post Is The Better Business Bureau Really Better? appeared first on NIR News / National Investigative Report.

When what you need is ‘Straight Talk’ and not legal jargon that you will never be able to understand without full and detailed explanations every step of the way, where do you turn? Do you open up the phone book and throw a dart? Do you simply go off of the word of mouth from friends and relatives? Honestly, neither of these are good options. A legal representative that worked well for someone else may not work for you and your situation. Research is going to be your best option when it comes to a legal representative that will be able to represent you. This is especially true when it comes to family law, business law, and real estate disputes.

Here are some helpful items to look for in a Law Group:

* Free consultation: A firm that offers a 30 to 60-minute free consultation is obviously
vested in their clients. This gives the legal representative time to hear your point of view,
possibly review documentation and governing laws, and discuss with you what exactly the
options would be. From this free consultation, you will be able to make an educated
decision on whether or not the firm is a good fit for you and vice versa.

* Encourage Electronic Usage: There are plenty of firms that encourage correspondence
through forms of electronic measures instead of coming to the office every other day to
discuss something in person that could have been sent in an email. This saves money and
in turn shows you that the potential legal representative is concerned with your financial
health as well.

* Mediation versus Litigation: Not every case needs to go to court. This is not a new
realization for most legal representatives. Entertain the idea of meeting with legal
representatives that use mediation and collaborative law in your financial favor. They are
doing it to keep you out of court, keep your financial burdens low, and assist in closing the
case sooner rather than later. This is especially true if the outcome will be the same
regardless of going to court or not.

The post Three Points To Consider When Choosing A Law Group appeared first on NIR News / National Investigative Report.