Better Business Bureau of North Central Texas

Advertising review: This program dates from the origins of the BBB system in 1912. It consists of the systematic review of advertising in the North Central Texas area to determine compliance with the BBB code of advertising. The purpose is to promote trust in advertising, enhance the believability of advertising, and maintain a level of playing field for all advertisers. The BBB contacts advertisers about questionable claims, seeking substantiation or modification of the claim in question. All members are required to adhere to the BBB code, and non-members are also asked to do so. Non-compliance is detailed in the BBB reports and ratings are affected adversely. In 2023, there were 137 ad review investigations.

Dispute resolution: this program is engaged in the conciliation and arbitration of complaints filed by consumers against area companies. The purpose is to resolve differences between companies and their customers in an effort to restore trust in the marketplace. We accomplish that purpose by accepting complaints without charge, contacting the company for response, inviting customers rebuttals when warranted, and closing complaints as resolved, unresolved, or unjustified. In 2023, we processed 119,000 complaints in this fashion, with a 88.7% resolution rate. Collectively, the BBB system is the largest out-of-court dispute resolution mechanism in the nation.

Reporting on companies' performance: this program consists of preparing and issuing reports on some 144,000 area companies' customer experience records. These records consist of their complaint-resolution records for the last three years, and any record of law enforcement actions relating to marketplace issues, and adherence to the BBB code of advertising. Companies are issued grades ranging from A+ to F, based on elements identified in our files. The purpose of this program is to steer consumers toward reputable firms, and away from fly-by-night and dishonest operations. A total of 5,214,241 reports were accessed by the public without charge in 2023.