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ABC Special Report
Investigation: New Home Heartbreak
Trump - NAHB Homebuilders Shoddy Construction and Forced Arbitration
 

Outrageous! Buy a New Home - Don’t Sue and Shut Up
Homebuilders will stop at nothing – Now Buyers must agree not to Speak

Beware of New Builder Clause – Homebuilder requires that homebuyer sign clauses forcing buyers to give up their constitutional rights.  It’s a decision between constitutional rights and the American Dream. 

SEE: KB Warranty Conditions - Sign A Shut Up Agreement or No Repairs
PLUS: It's Your Choice, Homebuilder Contracts - Hold Harmless

IS YOUR STATE NEXT?
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Consumer Affairs: BBB Favors Big Business - Not Consumer Friendly
Saturday, 31 October 2015

Do dues-paying members get higher grades than non-members? Many people think of the Better Business Bureau as a consumer watchdog, but a report by CNN Money finds the organization has given top ratings to companies that have faced action by government regulators and lawsuits by angry consumers... BBB also notes that it does not identify itself as a consumer watchdog, but rather as a mediator between businesses and consumers.

Do dues-paying members get higher grades than non-members?

Many people think of the Better Business Bureau as a consumer watchdog, but a report by CNNMoney finds the organization has given top ratings to companies that have faced action by government regulators and lawsuits by angry consumers.

In an extensive report, CNN Money raises questions about the organization's rating procedures and cites the case of Military Credit Services. It enjoys an A- rating, even after being sued for allegedly illegal debt collection practices and ordered to refund $2.7 million to borrowers. 

The CNN report quotes Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring, who joined with federal regulators in prosecuting the case, as saying the BBB "may want to take a second look" at the company's high rating.

Military Credit Services, CNN notes, is a dues-paying member of the BBB. It cites numerous other companies that enjoy high ratings despite successful prosecutions and lawsuits and suggests that members tend to enjoy higher grades than those who don't cough up annual dues ranging as high as $10,000.

The organization's revenue last year totaled nearly $200 million, most of it from dues, CNN said.

Defending reviewing practices

In its defense, the BBB says it carefully reviews businesses before inviting them to become members. It says that grades are calculated using more than a dozen factors, including the type of company, length of time in business, and complaint volume in relation to its size.

"Accredited Businesses have a special responsibility to maintain the ratings they've earned," BBB Council President Mary Power said in a written statement to CNN, after declining to be interviewed in person. "This ensures that BBB ratings are consistent with our goals as an organization: to flag substandard behavior, but also to encourage businesses to adopt best practices and earn better grades."

BBB also notes that it does not identify itself as a consumer watchdog, but rather as a mediator between businesses and consumers.

The full CNNMoney story is available online.

http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news/better-business-bureaus-practices-questioned-by-cnnmoney-100115.html

By James R. Hood
ConsumerAffairs' founder and former editor, Jim Hood formerly headed Associated Press Broadcast News, directing coverage of major news events worldwide. He also served as Senior Vice President of United Press International and was the founder and editor of Zapnews, a newswire service for radio and television.  Read Full Bio→


 
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 Texas, First Home Lemon Law Debated in the Nation
Homebuyers Need a Home Lemon Law

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Reckless Endangerment
BY: GRETCHEN MORGENSON
and JOSHUA ROSNER

Outsized Ambition, Greed and
Corruption Led to
Economic Armageddon


Amazon
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Part I Listen Now
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 Feature: Mother Jones Magazine
Are you Next?
People Magazine - Jordan Fogal fights back
Because of construction defects Jordan’s Tremont Home is uninhabitable
http://www.tremonthomehorrors.com/
You could be the next victim
Interview with Award Winning Author Jordan Fogal

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Warranty Scams that fool the public 25 years, 50, 100 or even a “Lifetime Warranty,” what’s the difference?

PROFITABLE DEFECTIVE PRODUCTS
 
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