What an amazing oxymoron, I get a call from one of my dispatchers at one of my companies that I have, telling me that theres a problem with the BBB and that someone made a claim. Being a business owner as long as I can remember without any bad reputation, I rushed to call and find out what happened, No, some DON character, proceeded to tell me pricing about the BBB and I asked if it was a marketing call, or if he is asking for money because thats another department. he said no, and explained imporantce of bbb he said his prices, I said, whats your email? "I don't have an email I am a talker give me their number and I'll talk to them. I said, no, that department will email you, reluctantly gave me his email, then told me "I'm not going to be doing some email thing either you want it or you don't" Excuse me DON from BBB not sure who you think you are, but you are representing a trustworthy brand that people go to for professionalism and you should be a beacon of that. So once refusing to receive an email from our company not only will we not be joining your BBB we will also not allow our other businesses participate in your terrible representation thinking we can't complain because your the complaint department. Well DON the rest of us people working our ass off for a living, take pride in not being a poor representation of companies., I suggest @BetterBusinessBureau @BBB you take this serious as he's representing your firm, where us citizens go to complain, its a shame sir, you should be more fitting for a loan shark or collections department. read more

I have used the BBB for over 20 years. I find their business reviews to be very helpful in my making informed decisions before making purchased or getting services. I use them for both local and nationwide business information. I have also used the BBB dispute resolution services once about 12 years ago. It save me the time and expense from having to go to court to sue the business. I was extremely pleased with the results they obtained for me. I think the BBB is an outstanding asset to the Tri counties community. read more

I emailed bbb Santa Barbara because I could not get a refund from Giddy up fulfilment after sending some merchandise back. After connecting with bbb. Santa Barbara and they investigated I finally received a refund on 10/20/20. They had told me twice before they had issued a refund which never reached my credit card co. This was for $297 and I was not going to forget it, It took me 5 months to get & not until bbb Santa Barbara started investigating. THANK YOU BBB SANTA BARBARA GENEVA read more

We were looking to buy equipment online. Found what we wanted at probably too low price. We checked with BBB and found this vendor had an F rating. We found there were several complaints about this vendor. I think we saved a lot of money be checking BBB before buying. read more

Is there a way to file a complaint against the Better Business Bureau?? They ARE a business after all and should be held to high standards, specially if they claim to be the "watchdog" for other companies. Is anyone else getting deceptive marketing messages on their personal cell phones? They say the call is about "customer inquiries" but they really just want to turn you into a customer. The guy on the phone wasn't able to produce any "customer inquiries" and didn't even know the name of the business. So how did they get my information?? Hmmmm... They have effectively convinced me NOT to join and would advise every business owner to do the same. The Better Business Bureau is no longer the company we once thought it was. It only cares about $$, and that should scare everyone. read more

Over the past two months we have had an employee that works for Santa Barbara BBB named Ben Spradley continually call us, disrespect us for not purchasing his list of contacts from out of business contact lists and harassing our other businesses that we own. The BBB is a 501(c)(6) not for profit that has for over 100 years tried to focus on trust in the marketplace. Why is Mr Spradley trying to get us to pay for these lists or inside information? The actions of Ben Spradley is absolutely not what the originators of this Bureau intended this service to accomplish. We have blocked Mr Spradley through phone and email to have him continually harass our employees. I hope the owners of the BBB SB or National read this review and terminate him immediately for his actions that border verbal harassment. We are working to make this matter known throughout the community! read more

The triple B is a scam. They take your membership money and do nothing for you. Then when you decide it's not doing anything for you, and stop your membership, they lower your rating. Save your money and advertise on Google, yelp, Instagram and Facebook. Don't waste your good earned dollars on the longest running nationwide scam known as the BBB. read more

I see that companies that don't pay can get a rating of A+ I'm in favor of rating companies that put ratings above revenue. It's one thing to he a marketing company, another to be a ratings forum. read more

I give 2 stars because the front desk receptionists is very pleasant. She is most likely the one who keeps the office afloat. Unfortunately, I cannot say the same for Ben. I received a call at 9AM Monday morning from a man calling himself Better Business Bureau. He had mentioned a man brought a complaint to him and that I was party to that complaint. After I asked whom was calling and what is your affiliation to this complaint, Ben aggressively mentioned he is the better business bureau over and over again, assuming I should know him. I then asked if he was an authorized representative for 'the complaining man' and upon what claim is he calling me for. Ben proceeds to ask me if I want to sign up as a member of the Better Business Bureau for an annual fee. I mention to him that it would be a conflict of interest if I was to pay the same business that is supposed to give unbiased accolades. He then entered into a high-pressure fear instilling tactic to try to get me to comply. The Better Business Bureau is an out-dated company and holds no bearing on the integrity of my self or any business or private renderings I may engage in. Shame on Ben and at this rate, the Better Business Bureau...except for the receptionist girl, she was very kind. read more

The BBB is really like an old worn out sock these days. Their loyalty lies with the people that pay their dues. It is not helping a customer make a good decision on a reputable company. As an example they give The Solar Energy Company, Inc. an A+ rating. This company has had their license taken away numerous times and has practiced unscrupulous business conduct in the community of Santa Barbara County for many years and yet the BBB will continue to take their money from this man and give him an A+ rating. This is inexcusable and is a clear example of their greed. Do not use the BBB to make decisions as to who you would do business with in this county! They have no credibility whatsoever! read more

Despite the BBB's continued claims that they actually did their job with regard to my complaint last year, please see the Yelp reviews of Vinesse Winery (here, I'll even give you a link: https://www.yelp.com/biz/vinesse-westlake-village). By the way, the Vinesse website still lists themselves as "A BBB Accredited Company" with a rating of an "A" (as of 9/28/16) *despite the fact* that there have been 96 complaints against this company brought to the BBB in the last 12 months alone (and out of 24 reviews, 22 of them are negative). Makes one wonder what it takes to get a lower BBB rating, hmmmm??? I really shouldn't have to defend myself against the BBB but I don't want others to learn the hard way. The BBB of Santa Barbara, CA is NOT a trusted source for consumers. read more

Total BS From the BBB of Santa Barbara. Was never contacted as he says I was. Was never offered any help. Just remember, Read how a Business can buy a good review. Google it. There are ever News reporters that went undercover to expose them. In short, The BBB is bought and paid for. read more

Awful experience. We were on the fence about this company until the sales rep. insulted me because I didn't make the decision on the spot. I would like to mention his name publicly and have a 'beware' sign next to him however, I will wait until a supervisor contacts me here to resolve this issue. As of now I recommend not to do any type of business with this outfit. Sales orientated and not customer friendly. Not the BBB of old where they protect customers against shady businesses rather they seem awfully shady themselves. read more

The BBB is an outstanding organization that works for business and the consumer. The only people that seem to have a problem with the BBB are businesses that receive bad ratings and business customers that are unhappy when they make unrealistic demands on a business or the BBB. The Santa Barbara based BBB makes hundreds of investigations each year and have been instrumental in gaining convictions against unscrupulous businesses in the three counties they serve (Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo and Ventura). Just ask the District Attorney's Office for any of these counties. I've been a member of the BBB for more than twenty years - I've even had to respond to two complaints in that time in order to maintain my rating. Bar none, it is the most reliable database you can access to research local business. Don't listen to the disgruntled business men who can't maintain a good rating because of customer complaints.... read more

We had a frightening experience at a restaurant in Solvang in December 2020. The owner went ballistic and the police were called to intervene. I attempted three times to file a complaint with the BBB (info@santabarbara.bbb.org ). I did not receive a response. Is anyone watching the ship??? read more

Brent was absolutely wonderful! I was completely surprised that he followed up with me so quickly and compassionately! He listened to my issue and made sure my complaint went to the correct person. Hearing him care so much and giving me additional information on the business completely calmed me down and I appreciate that deeply. The BBB is very lucky to have him. I've never had such a positive experience with a representative; he should be recognized for his hard work and dedication. Again, thank you so much Brent! read more

Im not sure if this is the one handling my case. but they have responded promptly to my complaint again Nissan Consumers and called me withing 2 weeks with a settlement. although i did not accept the settlement, i thought it was great customer service and promptness. i will give them anothe star if they can get nissan to buy that piece of crap back. Stay tuned... read more

I've had the (ostensibly) new owner reach out to me about my experience. He appears to be genuinely concerned with maintaining the integrity of this organization and I appreciate that. read more

I think the LAX "dog in restaurant" policies in general need to be posted in full view for patrons just as their health dept letter is posted. I had a very very close call today with 2 dogs who SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN IN A RESTAURANT This review is of Rooster Creek in Arroyo Grande Please take a look. When I mentioned to the waitress that we could really have used the Mgr. she just nodded in agreement. I should have called the police because the 2 women with the aggressive golden retriever were verbally abusive as if we the other patrons were at fault. Can you do something about the lack of (or non existant) regulations governing retail food service establishments? Thank you BBB for getting back on this problem. read more

The Better Business Bureau is a sham organization. Business have to pay them to get an A rating. See this ABC report for more info: http://t.co/WVHNFir read more

I had some questions that I needed to be answered by the BBB. I was directed to Ben who was a great help in answering my questions. Ben was very knowledgeable and helpful in helping me with my questions. I'm glad to be part of a very professional organization like BBB. My business is accredited with the BBB. Thanks again Ben. SeaSide Air read more

Don't waste your money the bbb of Santa Barbara is a joke their only interested in your money. They do nothing for you but raise their rates continually now up to 600 a year. Tried to con me into rejoining at 2014 rate which is still a rip off. They bug the hell out of me with phone calls i find the bbb very annoying, rude, and a scam. Not worth the fee for a a+ rating. My reputation and referrals speak for it self. I don't need the bbb for my business. They claim my membership lapsed it didn't lapse i quit the bbb. The bbb is a joke. Look how many complaints they have on yelp what does that say about their reputation? i guess the bbb doesn't care about maintaining an A+ rating do they? read more

I'd give this place zero stars if I could. The massive quantity of negative reviews is telling: lots of people (mostly businesses) don't like this place. What follows is my horrifying experience as a friend of a consumer. My friend, a Mexican woman who speaks very little, broken English, purchased a car from a prominent dealership here in Santa Barbara (I'll refrain from giving the name because I'm not sure how these reviews are flagged - that's another horror story for another time.) The original terms of the purchase contract were roughly $33K with a $20K down payment (as sizable some for them as they are not well-off by any means) with a $13K loan. She came in a few months later and said she wasn't quite happy with the model and inquired about exchanging it. They said it would be no problem and they convinced her to trade in her vehicle for a $17K trade-in price ($16K loss in value for four months) and get a three-year lease on the second vehicle, which would depreciate $5K in three years (vs. $16K in four months) leaving her after trade-in with a $24K tab at the end of three years if she wanted to purchase the vehicle. The entire transaction was done in Spanish with multiple, charismatic, Spanish-speaking people and in the end, she walked out of there having lost her $20K down payment and being had. She only realized what happened later that evening and came to us in a panic (we have no financial interest in this matter whatsoever). Our friend isn't the brightest person in the world, yet the law was broken. Section K of CA Civil Code 1632 states that if a transaction is done in Spanish, a Spanish-language translation of the contract must be provided, and they didn't do that. My friend and I went to the dealership to try to resolve this matter amicably. They said they could perhaps add $2K to the trade-in value, but they were not going to concede anything more than that. This car dealership is an accredited A+ member of the BBB and I remembered a highly positive experience with the BBB in Milwaukee where these contractors (also accredited BBB members) totally botched a job on my sunroom and refused to refund the money. The BBB (in Milwaukee) offered arbitration services and they were wonderful: I ended up getting $3500 of my $4000 back. I inquired about the possibility of arbitration at the Santa Barbara branch and they also said were a branch at which arbitration is possible. They said the procedure was to file a complaint, the business would reply, I would reply if I wasn't satisfied, then they would reply, then a decision would be made whether to arbitrate. If ever there were a clear-cut case of arbitration, this was it (or so I thought). I filed the complaint and the next day, got a call from the dealership. The guy said in so many words that they weren't going to revert the contract, that they might give us more concessions if we came in and talked, but if we said that the transaction was done in Spanish, they were going to (lie and) say that it was done in English and they had witnesses (a funny, sad and easily-disprovable assertion if you knew my friend's level of English). They officially responded to the BBB complaint saying that they disagreed with my version of the facts and that we were always welcome to come and talk to them (which we had already tried to do). I responded to their response stating that we had already tried to talk to them, and given their refusal to honor Section K of CA Civil Code 1632 and furthermore, given that they had stated they were claim the transaction was done in English, these were not people I wanted to deal with directly and wanted to BBB to be my intermediary. The dealership responded again said that they were willing to meet with us directly and as far as they were concerned, the case was resolved. I wrote back a lengthy response where I reiterated that we had already tried meeting with them directly, that they were being dishonest about the transaction having been conducted in English, and that we didn't want to deal with these people directly given all of this. Guess what the BBB did after this? They closed the case as "Answered". They didn't even publicly post the complaint on their website. I called them afterwards and pleaded with them to do the right thing. The CEO himself refused to review the case. I now believe that a company can buy their way to this kind of dismissal of valid complaints. If the BBB responds (with the same indignation they've responded to the myriad other negative reviews here), they'll probably rehash the same "We are not lawyers" drivel. Nonsense. These people claim to be able to do arbitration and I've benefited from these services at another BBB. I tend to give people the benefit of the doubt, but I believe that these are actually bad people. My only scant consolation is the hope that they are receiving the daily punishment of their mere existence, which I believe to be self-limiting, miserable, meaningless and scammy. read more

I filled out an online inquiry for add'l information on the BBB secure services for small businesses. I got a call from a very, pushy young lady named Katrina. She immediately wanted to get all my information to open an account. I had to stop her to ask what this costs. She said it would cost $300 for the service so I stated that I'm just starting a business and I'm not looking to spend a lot of $ until I can start generating revenue. So she asks if that will be next month. I said I dunno, how about I call you back. She replies "ok, I'll go ahead and shred your application" and slams the phone down. Unbelievable and ironic that I just got done talking to someone at the BBB, an organization that is supposed to uphold good business practices in the interest of the consumer! Thumbs down!!! read more

I would agree with this, now!! Hey, I thought they were supposed to be independent and aid in negotiating between consumers and business. Turns out they are paid for by business, solely. BTW, I don't know that there is a CC BBB, the only one I could find was for the "Southland" when I googled for an LA BBB. You are correct. They were not only useless, they indicated the business was acting according to warranty, which it was not! I had the proof, even! BBB used to indicate if a customer was not satisfied with the business' actions; I notice they do not do that any more. Well, steer clear of Marina Vacuum and Appliances is all I can say. They have my vac-- I have nothing. PS. There is no way to give NO stars, is there? Thanks for your input, which I only just read. read more

The BBB is a joke. A waste of money! These people are such a con. They first said we will get a plackard in the mail and I ended up with some dinky frame. Then I tried canceling my services and they make it impossible. I tried emailing, calling, contacting their sales person. What a waste of money! I want my money back. Don't sign up for this service! read more

As a small business owner, I believe that it is important to help customers navigate throughout their various options and the BBB is helping bring more transparency on the marketplace. As a member, the BBB team is supportive and provides best practices to be recognized as a trustworthy and reliable company. I would recommend small business owners becoming a member of the BBB. read more

My mother-in-law was scammed by a local business. I reported it to the Santa Barbara BBB about 8 months ago. The business was notified by the BBB and the the offending business retaliated by not refunding us an agreed upon amount of approximately $300. The BBB did get my complaint, because the the offending business called and complained to me about it. The BBB performed absolutely no follow up with me an 8 months later I still have no resolution. I have made about 10 attempts to telephone the BBB with no success. I have since read that the BBB has been under investigation since 2010 for similar issues. The below excerpt is from 20/20 or http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/business-bureau-best-ratings-money-buy/story?id=12123843#.T8bCF1KNN8E "...The Better Business Bureau, one of the country's best known consumer watchdog groups, is being accused by business owners of running a "pay for play" scheme in which A plus ratings are awarded to those who pay membership fees, and F ratings used to punish those who don't....To prove the point, a group of Los Angeles business owners paid $425 to the Better Business Bureau and were able to obtain an A minus grade for a non-existent company called Hamas, named after the Middle Eastern terror group...." read more

BBB Ratings are meaningless. I filed a complaint against Ace Handyman Services, the owner of which boasts about his A+ BBB rating. The owner of Ace responded with a nonsensical letter in which he offered me a refund covering about 40% of the cost of the work done so unsatisfactorily that it needed to be redone. The BBB made no effort to examine the merits of my arguments or his non-arguments, but simply informed me that the complaint was closed as follows: "We understand you are NOT satisfied with the business's response, and have noted your dissatisfaction in our files. While we regret we were unable to reach your desired resolution, the business has provided BBB with its position. This matter is now closed in BBB files, and will appear in the company's BBB Business Review as: 'Answered - the business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer remains dissatisfied.'" The A+ rating is unchanged, but the BBB site now lists "Response to 1 complaint(s) filed against business" and "Resolution of complaint(s) filed against business" as "factors that raised the rating for Ace Handyman services." The BBB even italicizes "raised"! In other words, if you complain to the BBB and the business owner responds within a certain timeframe, even if the response is absurd, the owner's rating will go up! Since writing this review, I have had a brief correspondence with Richard C. the "Owner" (if that's really the proper term here). I'm now convinced that the BBB operates in good faith, but I'm still not convinced that they are very effective. Their site still indicates that Ace Handyman's rating was raised because of my letter. I will grant that a BAD rating from the BBB is probably a red flag for consumers; I'm just not convinced of the value of positive ratings. read more

What a scam! If you do not pay them money as a business they say your not rated or non compliant and give you a D rating. When they call to solicit business they are rude and try and scare you in to paying money threatening to report poorly about your business. They said my license had expired and they would report me as a business with expired licenses and it would make me a non compliant business. When I called to check on my license the state said everything was up to date. They tried to scare me into paying them money in the name of Better business. I am appalled. STAY AWAY FROM THE BBB. read more

If you are a paid member they will take care of you and your business. If you're not - then watch out. My business received 1 complaint in 7 years. I was never notified by BBB of Tri-Counties of this complaint. They closed the case without any notification to us. Even though we took care of this customer in-house and resolved all issues, BBB and it's rating system drove our company rating down from an A- to D- with just the one complaint. I have no doubt if we were a paying accredited member this would never have happened. Best Ratings that money can buy. Beware! read more

The BBB is a joke. You pay them for a membership to better your score. Is that how a company should be rated?

Thank you, BBB! I had a problem with a local appliance repair service for unnecessary charges and wrote to BBB. They helped me to resolve the issue. This is a great service for consumers. read more

Kahlon of Anaheim has not resolved my purchase issue with a battery purchaed in nov. 2012. They do not respond to phone calls or e-mail . They had agreed to send a replacement battery but never have. i have paid for shipping back & forth & had several phone calls with "Andrew" to no avail . re these people trustworthy? or a sham? . read more

I had an issue with a web site that was listing my personal information, (phone number, address, etc.), as a business for everyone to see. This is one of those web sites that takes information from other companies and then lists it hoping that you will want to edit your business information so that they can charge you for their 'service'. And the phone number for this business only lead to a recorded message and my voice mails were never responded to. After contacting the Santa Barbara BBB, my grievance was presented to the company. The company responded that they did not have my information in their data base. I then responded to the company through the BBB with a PDF of the web page that contained my information along with the URL. The company then proceeded to wipe my information from their web site, and apologized. I could not be happier with the process or the result! read more

Springleaf Financial in Corona, CA at Corona Hills Plaza, 340 N McKinley Street, Ste. 102, Corona, CA 92879; does business in a misleading way. They gave me a loan to fix the transmission in my truck and took my clear title as collateral. Then they would not give me the money but held up the work to be done by taking the money to the transmission people themselves. Then I paid the loan off with a Cashiers Check from Chase Bank and was told by doing this my title would be released immediately but they held my title for over three weeks. The 33% interest rate they charged me was not enough for them they kept my title. They have shady practices that I felt I needed to let people know about. read more

I have been dealing with Mercury Insurance for the last four months, another company that is well-known for being greedy and dishonest. I have a very strong case against them but Mercury knows they're a big fish and they can contort law, policy, and honesty into whatever they deem fit. I felt like I had been handed a saving grace when a friend of mine mentioned the BBB; it was a brilliant idea, I thought. In the end it was just a complete waste of time, Mercury took me slightly more seriously, possibly because it was now in writing, but the BBB does absolutely nothing to assist in the issues. After opening a case with the BBB and continually being fed misinformation from Mercury, I emailed BBB customer support for assistance where I received a response (3 days later) that was complete rubbish and had nothing to do with the simple questions I was asking. I was primarily requesting for them to get involved in my case, whether they find it in my favor or not... after all, that's what they are there for, right? Wrong... the BBB is only a service that you can use to contact a company. Means of contacting a company has been in existence for quite some time, the phone or email. The BBB is essentially an email service with a character limit that gives you a false sense of security, brandishing the idea that they are going to help you come to a resolution. In conclusion, as a full time college student that works, I'm learning at a young age that there is nothing that will protect hard working citizens from the select powerful money-hungry companies. If you need to go as far as the BBB, don't bother. By then it should be clear that the company is not willing to make it right, and I promise you the BBB isn't willing to help you make it right. read more

The Better Business Bureau of the BBB is a scam. They refuse to investigate legitimate complaints - especially against Anthem Blue Cross, Athem scams their members and literally stops all coverage for their "customers" for absolutely no reason - even when this places their "customers" in urgent situations. The BBB simply REFUSES to help and MORE THAN THIRTY DAYS AFTER ANTHEM STARTS FRAUDULENTLY TELLING DOCTORS AND PHARMACIES that there is no coverage and Anthem refuses to respond, the Better Business Bureau of the Tri-Counties has the audacity to close the complaint and states that the "BBB found business made good faith effort to resolve complaint but customer not satisfied with business response." Yes, and pigs really do fly . . . read more

I was trying to access the site for Megans Law on the internet. A company called KIDS LIVE SAFE has opted to pay to have their website appear to be Megans Law and to come up 1st in a web search. I entered my name, email and address before realizing this was a site run by someone else for profit (pretty disgusting since Megans Law was designed to help parents find out the location of Pedophiles in their area and is totally free). I backed out of this site and went to the real Megans Law Site and looked up the information I needed. Within days Kids Live Safe had sold my information they had captured, without my permission or consent, to their marketing partners and I started receiving copious amts of email from all types of sites concerning everything from redoing my mortgage to sites offering sexual remedies to "keep me hard".....yuck! I called KIDS LIVE SAFE and they admitted they capture info from people trying to go to the Megans Law Website and they do share the information with their "marketing partners". To me that is unethical on so many levels. 1st setting a trap online to lure people to your website, pretending to be Megans Law then capturing their personal information is downright unethical! I noted their proud display of their BBB membership, I clicked on it.....31 complaints, THIRTY ONE!!!!! why are they a member? I tried calling the BBB, they do not answer often. Today I got lucky......well someone answered at least? The woman I talked to told me over and over there are 16 criteria that a business must meet to be in good standing with the BBB. She could only name a couple, I was referred to the website....I had the website open on my computer and she kept telling me to look under a section that did not seem to exist.........how unusual. Finally she said file a complaint. I said there seems to be no point as you allow a business with 31 complaints to remain a member............she hung up on me......heavy sigh......I guess they work for those who pay them the most....the business's.....no matter how wretched that business's record is......dismal. I used to work for the BBB they were very pro consumer while not being anti business......apparently that's no longer the business they are in? read more

I filled a complaint with the BBB and they just closed it without doing anything. So you should all know that the BBB gets it money from the companies that are supposed to help us with, guess how things worked out. read more