Home

Standards of Membership

To qualify for, and maintain, membership in the Better Business Bureau®, Inc. a firm must:

1. Be in business not less than one year.  The Bureau may, at its discretion, extend this requirement if it deems that additional time is required for a proper evaluation of the applicant firm, unless:
   a) The principals of the applicant business previously operated a business with a satisfactory record in this or another BBB's service area; or
   b) The applicant business is a branch of an existing member or company that has met these standards.
   
   
2. Have a "satisfactory" BBB record in the Bureau's database or be evaluated to determine whether the firm would deserve a "satisfactory" record, if not in the Bureau's database.
   
   
3. Respond promptly and fairly to all complaints that the company receives from the Bureau and report its disposition to the Bureau within 25 calendar days of the mailing date of the complaint.  Make good faith efforts to resolve all such complaints in accordance with generally accepted good business practices.   A member must have no unanswered complaints at the BBB.
   
   
4. Make diligent efforts to eliminate the underlying cause(s) of any pattern(s) or trend(s) of customer complaints which the Bureau may call to the company's attention.
   
   
5. Cooperate with the Bureau's activities and efforts to promote voluntary self-regulation within the business's industry.
   
   
6. Have no significant ethical failures by management in this or prior businesses.
   
   
7. Be free from any governmental action concerning the marketplace and its customers that demonstrates a significant failure of the company to support the principles and purposes of the Better Business Bureau.  A membership must be suspended by the BBB's Membership Standards Committee when an action is filed if the allegations suggest such a failure.
   
   
8. Meet all of its financial obligations to the Bureau.
   
   
9. Agree to use the BBB name and logo only in accordance with the BBB, Inc.'s Identification Policy.   Refrain from using the name or logo of the Better Business Bureau for commercial, sales or advertising purposes in a manner not specifically authorized in writing by the BBB.  Abide by the BBB name and logo policies of the BBB Membership Identification Program, and or BBBOnLine.
   
   
10. Adhere to established standards of advertising and trade practices, as set forth in the BBB Code of Advertising and other Bureau guidelines; adhere to relevant laws, regulations, and industry standards, where appropriate; correct advertising and trade practices where recommended; supply upon request substantiation for advertising and selling claims.
    
    
11. Fulfill all licensing and bonding requirements of applicable city, county, state and federal agencies and authorities, provide license numbers upon application for BBB membership and provide periodic updates on request of the Bureau.
    
    
12. Arbitrate all disputes presented for arbitration, if pre-committed to the MIP Program, and/or BBBOnLine program.  Comply with any arbitration decisions rendered as a result of a BBB arbitration hearing or an alternative provider's binding arbitration program, or make a good faith determination as to whether to adhere to any informal dispute settlement decisions.  Abide by the MIP, and/or the BBBOnLine Participant Agreements.
    
    
13. Sign a Membership Application, and any applicable program agreements.
    
    
14. Supply background information about the company, its principals or other information deemed essential to the Bureau's responsibility to provide factual reports that bear on the reliability of the business.
    
    
15. Support the principles and purposes of the Better Business Bureau and not engage in any activity that reflects in a negative manner on the Bureau and its members.
    
    

Participants in the Membership Identification Program must also meet the following standard number 16.

16. Agree to, for unresolved complaints,
    (a) non-binding informal dispute settlement (IDS) under the BBB Rules for IDS, or
    (b) binding arbitration under BBB Rules of Arbitration (Binding) if the consumer also agrees, or
    (c) pre-commitment to a dispute settlement process through a provider other than the Bureau, and which the Bureau determines fully meets Bureau consumer dispute resolution criteria.
    
    
17. Be free from an unsatisfactory report at the BBB in whose service area the company is headquartered.