What the Better Business Bureau does and how to find your local office
The Better Business Bureau (BBB) is a nonprofit network of local offices that collects complaints about businesses and publishes those complaints publicly. Each office covers a specific geographic area — usually a state or region — and maintains a database you can search for free. When you file a complaint with the BBB, they contact the business and ask for a response, then post both your complaint and their answer on the BBB website so other consumers can see the pattern.
The BBB does not have the power to force a business to refund your money or punish them. What they do is create a public record. A business with many unresolved complaints will have a lower BBB rating, which can hurt their reputation and their ability to attract customers. Some businesses take BBB complaints seriously because of that pressure; others ignore them. The BBB also does not investigate — they straightforward relay what you tell them and what the business tells them back.
To find your local BBB office, go to bbb.org and enter your zip code or city name. The website will show you which BBB office serves your area, their phone number, and a link to their local site. Some states have one office; others have multiple offices divided by region. If you are filing a complaint about a business in a different state, you will use that state's BBB office, not your own.
Key Takeaways
- The BBB maintains a public database of business complaints and ratings that you can search for free at bbb.org.
- When you file a complaint, the BBB contacts the business and posts both your complaint and their response online so other consumers can see it.
- The BBB cannot force a refund or punish a business, but a low rating can pressure a business to respond to complaints.
- Each geographic area has one local BBB office, which you can find by entering your zip code at bbb.org.
- Filing a complaint with the BBB creates a public record but does not may provide the business will resolve your issue.
How to search the BBB database before you buy
Before you hire a contractor, buy from an online store, or sign up for a service, you can search that business on the BBB website to see if other people have complained about them. Go to bbb.org, click "Find a Business," and type in the company name and your state. The search will show you the business's BBB rating (A+ down to F), how many complaints they have received in the past three years, and how many of those complaints were resolved.
Click on the business name to see the full profile. This page shows individual complaints, the dates they were filed, what the customer said happened, and how the business responded (or whether they responded at all). You can also see how long the business has been BBB-accredited, if they are accredited at all. Accreditation is voluntary — many legitimate businesses are not BBB members — so the absence of a BBB rating does not mean the business is bad.
Pay attention to the pattern, not just the number. A business with fifty complaints over ten years is different from a business with fifty complaints in the past year. Look at whether complaints are about the same issue (for example, all about late delivery, or all about billing errors) or whether they vary. Read a few of the actual complaints to see what customers experienced, not just the summary rating.
Filing a complaint with your local BBB office
To file a complaint, visit your local BBB office's website (which you found by searching bbb.org with your zip code) and look for a "File a Complaint" button or link. You will need the business's name, address, and phone number if you have it. You will also need to describe what happened, when it happened, and what you want the business to do to fix it (refund, replacement, repair, and so on).
The BBB will ask you to provide any documents you have — receipts, emails, photos, contracts, or messages with the business. Upload these if you can; they make your complaint stronger because they show the business you are not making something up. The BBB will also ask whether you have already contacted the business directly and what they said. If you have not contacted them yet, do that first — many businesses resolve issues faster when a customer calls or emails them directly than when the BBB contacts them.
After you submit your complaint, the BBB sends it to the business and gives them a set number of days (usually ten to thirty) to respond. The business can deny your complaint, offer a partial refund, or agree to fix the problem. The BBB posts whatever the business says, along with your original complaint, on their website. If the business does not respond at all, the BBB will note that too.
What happens after you file and what to expect
Once your complaint is posted, the business knows that other customers can see it. Some businesses respond quickly because they want to protect their rating; others may ignore it. The BBB does not have the authority to make the business do anything, so if they refuse to respond or refuse to help you, the complaint stays on their record but you do not get a refund.
If the business does respond and offers to resolve your complaint, the BBB will ask you whether you accept their offer. If you do, the complaint is marked as resolved on the website. If you do not accept it, the complaint stays open and marked as unresolved. Either way, the public can see what happened.
The entire process usually takes two to four weeks. During that time, keep any communication you have with the business. If they contact you directly to resolve the issue, that is faster than waiting for the BBB process. You can withdraw your complaint at any time if the business resolves it on their own.
When the BBB is the right choice and when it is not
The BBB works best when you want to create a public record of a problem and you think the threat to the business's reputation might pressure them to respond. It is useful for complaints about local contractors, service businesses, and retailers because these businesses often care about their BBB rating and local reputation.
The BBB is less useful if you need money back quickly or if the business is judgment-proof (meaning they have no assets to collect from even if you won). In those cases, small claims court may be faster. The BBB is also not the right tool for complaints about banks, insurance companies, utilities, or government agencies — those have their own complaint systems run by state regulators.
If you have been defrauded or scammed, you can file a complaint with the BBB, but you should also report it to your state's attorney general office, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), or local law enforcement. The BBB complaint creates a record for other consumers; the FTC and attorney general can investigate and take legal action against the business.
BBB accreditation and what it means
Some businesses pay to become BBB-accredited members. Accreditation is not a government seal or a may provide of quality — it means the business has agreed to follow the BBB's Code of Business Practices and to respond to complaints filed through the BBB. Accredited businesses usually respond faster to BBB complaints than non-accredited ones, but accreditation does not mean they will not have complaints.
A business can lose its accreditation if it does not respond to complaints or if it violates the Code of Business Practices. You can see on a business's BBB profile whether they are accredited and how long they have been. If a business advertises that they are "BBB-accredited" or "BBB-approved," you can verify that claim by searching them on bbb.org.
Other complaint options if the BBB does not resolve your issue
If the business does not respond to your BBB complaint or refuses to help, you have other options depending on what kind of business it is. For credit card purchases, you can dispute the charge with your credit card company. For online purchases, you can report the seller to the platform they used (Amazon, eBay, PayPal, and so on). For services, you can file a complaint with your state's attorney general office or the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov.
If the amount is small (usually under $5,000 to $10,000, depending on your state), small claims court is an option. You file the case yourself without a lawyer, and the process is faster and cheaper than regular court. Your local courthouse or your state court website can tell you the filing fee and the important date for filing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the BBB have the power to make a business give me a refund?
No. The BBB can only post your complaint and the business's response publicly. They cannot force a refund or punish the business. If the business refuses to help, the complaint stays on their record, but you do not get your money back through the BBB. You would need to pursue small claims court or a credit card dispute.
How long does it take to get a response from a business after I file a BBB complaint?
The BBB typically gives a business ten to thirty days to respond, depending on the local office. The entire process from filing to resolution usually takes two to four weeks. Some businesses respond faster because they want to protect their rating, while others may not respond at all.
Can I file a complaint about a business in another state?
Yes. You use the BBB office that serves the state where the business is located, not your own state. Search bbb.org with the business's location to find the correct office.
What if the business is not listed on the BBB website?
Many legitimate businesses are not BBB members or accredited. The absence of a BBB listing does not mean the business is bad — it just means they have not joined the BBB. You can still file a complaint about them, and the BBB will contact them and post the complaint on their website.
Is a BBB rating the same as a government rating or certification?
No. The BBB is a nonprofit organization, not a government agency. A BBB rating is based on complaints and whether the business responds to them, not on government inspection or testing. Some industries (like contractors or home inspectors) have government licenses, which are separate from BBB ratings.