St. Louis, Mo., Jan. 15, 2010 – Consumers and businesses turned to the
Better Business Bureau (BBB) in St. Louis more than 4.5 million times last year, a 16 percent increase in activity from 2008.
“The BBB is the go-to source for information on how businesses conduct themselves with customers, suppliers and other companies,” said Michelle L. Corey, president and CEO of the St. Louis BBB, which serves Eastern Missouri and Southern Illinois. “The BBB’s Reliability Reports and the letter grade system introduced last year can help consumers make wise choices in tough times.”
BBB Reliability Reports and letter grades from A+ to F reflect customers’ experience with the businesses over a three-year period. Grades 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.
Requests for BBB reports on businesses jumped to 888,983, up 13 percent from 2008. Complaints declined slightly to 26,407 from 26,522. The BBB fielded 263,366 telephone calls. However, the bulk of traffic came through the local BBB website, which logged 3.39 million page views for the year.
The BBB Tel-Tips service, an automated telephone service that consumers use to obtain pre-purchase buying tips, more than tripled in use, with 12,065 calls logged last year.
The BBB’s dispute resolution service was able to obtain responses for 89 percent of the 26,407 complaints filed with the BBB by consumers, and 82 percent were resolved, including many by mediation. Just 81 disputes went to arbitration.
Monitoring of advertising remains an important function at the BBB, which challenged 621 ads for questionable claims or noncompliance with BBB standards. The BBB asked the companies to modify their ads to eliminate false or misleading information.
The BBB’s Charity Information Service received 73,671 inquiries from donors seeking information about charities who solicit funds in the region, a 93 percent increase from 2008. The BBB has reports on 902 charities, including 136 who meet all 20 Standards for Charity Accountability. Twice a year the BBB publishes a Wise Giving Guide to nearly 600 charities in Missouri and Illinois. The guide is available
online.
The St. Louis BBB is known for investigating questionable practices by businesses and charities. Last year, the BBB issued 101 warnings and press releases.
A campaign targeting the auto service contract industry helped Missouri Attorney General Chris Koster build the case for lawsuits against 10 service contract firms, which generated the largest number of inquiries at the BBB. The cable and satellite television industry again led all other industries in the number of complaints.
In July, the BBB issued a report describing the growth of the payday loan industry in Missouri. Since the study was issued, state legislators have introduced bills that would restrict payday lending. The report is available at:
http://stlouis.bbb.org/Storage/142/Documents/PaydayLoanReport09color.pdf.
BBB services are free. Consumers may obtain Reliability Reports 24 hours a day by going online to
www.bbb.org or by calling 314-645-3300 during normal business hours.
To subscribe to the BBB’s free Consumer e-newsletter, send your e-mail address to
bbbstl@stlouisbbb.org.
Contacts: Michelle Corey, President & CEO, 314-645-3300,
mcorey@stlouisbbb.org or Chris Thetford, Director of Communications, 314-645-3300,
communications@stlouisbbb.org
St. Louis BETTER BUSINESS BUREAU
Top Ten Industries for Inquiries in 2009
| 1. |
Auto Service Contract Companies |
97,954 |
| 2. |
Home Construction/Remodeling |
84,824 |
| 3. |
Charities |
73,671 |
| 4. |
Roofing & Guttering Contractors |
44,191 |
| 5. |
Heating & A/C |
29,868 |
| 6. |
Mortgage & Escrow Companies |
25,226 |
| 7. |
Auto Repair Shops |
25,026 |
| 8. |
Auto Dealers - Used Cars |
23,422 |
| 9. |
Insurance companies |
17,804 |
| 10. |
Plumbing contractors |
17,125 |
Total for All Industries 888,983
Top Ten Industries for Complaints in 2009
| 1. |
Television Cable/Satellite Firms |
5,281 |
| 2. |
Telephone Service/Cellular |
4,108 |
| 3. |
Internet Sales & Service |
3,253 |
| 4. |
Auto Service Contract Companies |
1,607 |
| 5. |
Auto Dealers - Used Cars |
1,326 |
| 6. |
Home Construction/Remodeling |
808 |
| 7. |
Auto Renting & Leasing |
684 |
| 8. |
Auto Repair Shops |
667 |
| 9. |
Auto Dealers - New Cars |
548 |
| 10. |
Landscape Contractors/Designers |
256 |
Total for All Industries 26,407
Source: Better Business Bureau Serving Eastern Missouri and Southern Illinois
The BBB is a non-profit organization that sets and upholds high standards for fair and honest business behavior. The BBB provides objective advice, free business Reliability Reports, charity wise-giving reports, and educational information on topics affecting marketplace trust. Please visit www.bbb.org for more information.