Better Business Bureau of Chicago & Northern Illinois

A left a review on BBB's website about a horrible contractor who has been banned from working in our county. He has two major lawsuits against him and one of his $1MM+ houses may be a tear down....that's how bad he is. I watched as the number of "helpfuls" on my review went up and I felt good that I was preventing other people from being harmed as some of us have been. Imagine my horror when I suddenly see that this contractor has an A+ rating from BBB. Apparently, he was washed clean by paying them money. My negative review was gone. I rewrote my review a week ago thinking there may have been a mistake and....it has never shown up. BBB has embraced Houzz's business model...anyone can pay for good reviews; they will block negative ones for cash (notice that everyone on Houzz has five star reviews) Please join me in reporting BBB to the Attorney General in Illinois. They should not enjoy not for profit status when they are intentionally misleading consumers for the right price. I am leaving a negative review here, but will also be writing a letter. Please write one as well!! There are a lot of reviews on here about the same problem. It should be stopped.

I received a response within the hour; BBB contacted the disputed merchant the same day I filed a complaint. Within 2 days, my problem was solved. By contrast, my state Consumer Affairs department in the Attorney General's office took 3 weeks to respond with a mere form letter requiring me to send tons of documentation snail mail. My sincere thanks to the Better Business Bureau!

I had an issue with Sears. I had a warranty issue with an appliance that they deemed not repairable. The Sears Technician Supervisor was dragging his feet in completing the proper paperwork to authorize my replacement appliance. I dealt with their repeated messages from the call center to the supervisor and continued warnings to wait 48 hours with for response. After two weeks of failing to receive a response from the Technician Supervisor, I contacted the BBB. I received a response within 48 hours from Sears telephonically along with an email. They resolved the issue immediately with the paperwork and I am expecting my appliance to arrive tomorrow. I had been dealing with this issue since the middle of September. I was amazed at the speed of the resolution once the BBB contacted them. I appreciate their efforts with resolving my issue and now I know where to turn when I have a problem.

The BBB has helped me on many occasions over the years in resolving issues I've had with unfair business practices. It's also a good way to add a business to the database which can help other consumers. I had been receiving harassing calls from a Debt Collector for a year. Since I didn't owe the debt I ignored the calls, but they got worst. [They] started to send mail addressed to someone I didn't know. The company is listed on the BBB with consumer complaints.This prompted me to file my own complaint and the issue was resolved in a matter of days. I'm very thankful for the BBB's assistance and encourage anyone to utilize this valuable resource.

Like some other users, I'm sure, I was not sure my little problem would get much attention but it was important to me. A worldwide company that has headquarters in Chicago had sent me an entirely wrong product and would not accept a return nor refund my money. After filing a complaint with this BBB, I was contacted within 24 hours by the company and given my refund. I was very happy. After weeks of hassle with this company, I got results in a day by using the BBB.

I am giving the BBB 5 Stars for their work! The whole process on-line was convenient, easy to follow, and done in a time frame I thought was fair. The response back from the BBB was prompt and concise. I got to "say" what happened to me and felt the business I was confronting had to respond back because of the BBB. It was a great feeling to get justice and I feel I owe it all to the BBB!!!! Thank you,BBB.

The BBB is something everyone should be aware of. A BBB accreditation does not mean one business is better than another, it does mean, however, the accredited business has agreed to adhere to standards and operating practices prescribed by the BBB.

In my case, the company representative and I were not on the same page. I filed a complaint with the BBB and once I was able to communicate my needs and discuss these in a professional and courteous manner with the company we were able to reach an agreement.

The BBB may not be the "Golden Ticket" that solves every problem but they will promote a favorable environment for communication. I have had both good and bad experiences with BBB accredited businesses but the experience (whether negative or positive) depend on the business and their willingness to work with the customer.

I live in Canada and booked a travel package to Europe with CheapTickets. Problems arose due to the Air France strike. The people at CT knowingly ignored the issue and only offered to rebook on another carrier on the very last day but at twice the cost. Needless to say our trip got cancelled and they took no responsibility but just blamed the carrier. Worse still they claimed they could only offer a refund on the air tickets but not the 8 day hotel stay or one tour.

I contacted the Better Business Bureau, filled an online form and got a quick response with a case number.The process took a few weeks but with the BBB's help and perseverance CT reconsidered and reimbursed me in full. I still hope to be compensated by CT if they want my business ever again.

Thank you BBB for the prompt, courteous mediation and assistance provided.

With a $649 charge that was inappropriate, the local company ignored my calls. I had no idea how to get a hold of the corporate office. I tried the 1-800 number of the company, but it was to no avail, so I turned to the BBB. They knew how to put me in touch with the corporate office. The corporate person was very apologetic for the actions of their local office and immediately took care of the situation. Thank you BBB for facilitating the communication which helped us to resolve a very expensive issue!

Over the past decade or so, I have found myself entangled in some "interesting" business practices. After trying to work things out with these various businesses and getting no where, I found the BBB website. The online filing form is clear and the process is easy to follow so you know where everyone in the communication chain stands. Reputable businesses seem to "jump" when they get something from the BBB and that is also reassuring that you'll probably get a good resolution. A company that is shady doesn't really care about the BBB. I also check the site prior to doing business with a company for the first time to make sure there aren't numerous actions or complaints. I recommend the on line BBB process to anyone.