How to Check a Business at the Better Business Bureau (BBB)
William Smith The Better Business Bureau or BBB “helps people find and recommend businesses, brands and charities they can trust.” They are one of the oldest and most respected resources when you need to research where you spend your money. The Better Business Bureau (BBB) allows you to look up reviews, find resolved and unresolved claims against a company and, most importantly, get general ratings about a company. Checking a business with the Better Business Bureau (BBB) is easy.
From the Better Business Bureau’s homepage, you have a few options to find the business you are looking for.
The BBB is organized by location. If you don’t know exactly what you are looking for, you can search for your local BBB branch. This is especially useful if you know the service you need, but don’t have a specific company in mind. For example, you might need auto repair and want to find the best rated shop in town.
To find local BBB accredited businesses, follow these steps:
- Open up a browser and go to the Better Business Bureau website.
- Select the FIND YOUR BBB tab.
- Type in your city and state or zip code.
- Select the Search button.You will be redirected to the appropriate page where you can use the search tool to search for categories or specific local businesses.
- To search a specific business name, choose the Name option above the search bar.For example, you could search for “Bob’s Auto Repair.” You will see a list of options. Once you choose the business, you can see the BBB rating and any reviews or cases related to your search.
- To search a category, select the Category option and fill in the type of service you are seeking.For example, you could type “auto repair.” You will be provided with a list of accredited options that fit your search category. From here, you can view the Better Business Bureau Profile to see a rating or request a quote.
If you are attempting to find information on a specific business, you can search directly from the Better Business Bureau homepage.
Select the FIND A BUSINESS tab from the Better Business Bureau Home page.
Type in the name of the business and the approximate city and state.
Tap the Search button.
Click the business from the list of displayed options.Now that you have found your business and selected it, you can read the BBB’s report.
Most major companies have ratings with the Better Business Bureau. The ratings are based on how the company responds to consumer reports. The report also includes general information about the business such as location, contact info, and how long they have been in business.
