St. Louis, Mo., Jan. 19, 2012 - Consumers and businesses turned to the Better Business Bureau (BBB) in St. Louis nearly 6.6 million times last year, a 12.5 percent increase in activity from 2010.
“More than ever, the BBB is the place consumers turn to for verified reviews of companies when they are in the market for products and services,” said Michelle L. Corey, president and CEO of the BBB Serving Eastern Missouri and Southern Illinois. “BBB Business Reviews have been beefed up to give consumers more information than ever to help them find trusted businesses.”
Requests for BBB Business Reviews jumped to 2.06 million, up 35 percent from 2010. Home building and remodeling contractors were the most-requested reviews, at 139,280. BBB reviews and letter grades from A+ to F reflect customers’ experience with businesses over a three-year period. BBB ratings are based on 16 factors, including how long a company has been in business, how it handles disputes and whether complaints are addressed promptly, among other variables.
The BBB fielded 341,672 telephone calls from its new offices in downtown St. Louis. The bulk of traffic came through the BBB website, which logged 4.19 million page views for the year, up 6 percent from 2010.
Complaints rose slightly to 24,920. The BBB’s dispute resolution service was able to obtain responses for 86 percent of the complaints, and 80 percent were resolved, including many by mediation. Just 63 disputes went to arbitration.
The cable and satellite television industry again led all other industries in the number of complaints. The telephone industry generated the second largest number, followed by companies that provide Internet sales and services.
Monitoring of advertising remains an important function at the BBB, which challenged 522 ads for questionable claims or noncompliance with BBB standards. The BBB asked the companies to modify their ads to eliminate false or misleading information. BBB Accredited Businesses pledge to comply with the BBB’s Code of Advertising.
The BBB’s Charity Information Service produced reports on 860 charities, including 164 who meet all 20 Standards for Charity Accountability. Twice a year the BBB publishes a Wise Giving Guide to charities in Missouri and Illinois. The guide and all charity reports are available online at stlouis.bbb.org/charity.
The St. Louis BBB is known for investigating questionable practices by businesses and charities. Last year, the BBB issued 123 warnings and press releases, including the results of numerous investigations of companies or charities that provided poor service to consumers.
The BBB also issued two studies of troublesome industries. In May, the BBB issued a study of the auto service contract industry, which continues to be a major source of consumer complaints and inquiries. In December, the BBB published a study of debt collection practices, “They Deal in Billions: A BBB Study of the Debt Collection Industry, Its Soaring Growth and Problems for Consumers.”
BBB services to the public are free. Consumers may obtain BBB Business Reviews by going online to www.bbb.org or by calling 314-645-3300. To subscribe to the BBB’s free Consumer e-newsletter, send your email address to bbb@stlouisbbb.org.
Contacts: Michelle Corey, President & CEO, 314-584-6800, mcorey@stlouisbbb.org, or Chris Thetford, Vice President-Communications, 314-584-6743 or 314-681-4719 (cell), communications@stlouisbbb.org
Better Business Bureau
Top 10 Industries for Inquiries in 2011
| 1 |
Home Construction/Remodeling Contractors |
139,280 |
| 2 |
Roofing & Guttering Contractors |
97,716 |
| 3 |
Auto Dealers - Used Cars |
48,006 |
| 4 |
Auto Repair Shops |
44,409 |
| 5 |
Heating & Air Conditioning |
42,479 |
| 6 |
Siding Contractors |
38,130 |
| 7 |
Mortgage Companies |
37,305 |
| 8 |
Landscaping & Lawn Services |
35,284 |
| 9 |
Auto Dealers - New Cars |
22,474 |
| 10 |
Concrete Contractors |
21,628 |
| |
Total for All Industries |
2,063,625 |
Top 10 Industries for Complaints in 2011
| 1 |
Television/Cable/Satellite Contractors |
3,319 |
| 2 |
Telephone Service/Cellular |
2,120 |
| 3 |
Internet Sales & Services |
2,100 |
| 4 |
Auto Dealers - Used Cars |
896 |
| 5 |
Home Construction/Remodeling Contractors |
810 |
| 6 |
Auto Repair Shops |
771 |
| 7 |
Auto Dealers - New Cars |
590 |
| 8 |
Siding Contractors |
557 |
| 9 |
Publishers - Directory & Guide |
433 |
| 10 |
Roofing & Guttering Contractors |
341 |
| |
Total for All Industries |
24,920 |
Source:
Better Business Bureau Serving Eastern Missouri & Southern Illinois
The BBB is a nonprofit, business-supported organization that sets and upholds high standards for fair and honest business behavior. The BBB provides objective advice, free BBB Business Reviews, dispute resolution service, charity wise-giving reports, alerts and educational information on topics affecting marketplace trust. Please visit www.bbb.org for more information.