Many shoppers online think that a business that has the BBB (Better Business Bureau) seal is a business that is trustworthy, but, as I will explain in this post, a BBB seal on a website is worthless. Why, you make ask?

Well, simply because of BBB’s business model: its clients are the same companies that people may want to rank unfavorably. You see, the BBB only ranks and publishes reviews of its clients. Let me explain a bit more how things work:

• You, as a business, buy a “subscription” from the BBB.

• The BBB will list you as a BBB member and will allow you to put a seal on your website with a link to a dedicated page (for your business on their website).

• If a customer has any complaint about your business, then he will complain to the BBB (by the way, the BBB is a for-profit non-governmental business; the government has nothing to do with it).

• The BBB verifies and registers the complaint and tries to resolve it with you as soon as possible.

• If you don’t comply, then the BBB will remove you off their list.

All the above is fine and dandy, except that the last step typically never happens, because, as a customers, you can just leave and the whole issue will be gone. Which means it is not in the BBB’s best interest to let you go, they just want your money. So, they might come up with creative ways to resolve the issue without taking into consideration the best interest of your dissatisfied client.

Yes, the BBB will add a certain trustworthiness to your business, but it is undeserved, because that trustworthiness is literally bought and never earned.

This article (as well as all other articles on this website) is an intellectual property and copyright of Fadi El-Eter and can only appear on fadi.el-eter.com.