St. Louis, Mo., Jan. 11, 2011 – St. Louis, Mo., Jan. 11, 2011 – Consumers and businesses turned to the Better Business Bureau (BBB) in St. Louis more than 5.8 million times last year, a 29 percent increase in activity from 2009.
“For nearly 100 years, the BBB has stood for high ethics and exceptional business standards,” said Michelle L. Corey, president and CEO of the BBB Serving Eastern Missouri and Southern Illinois. “Last year’s statistics show that the BBB remains the go-to source for information on how businesses conduct themselves with customers, suppliers and other companies, even in the Internet age.”
BBB Reliability Reports and letter grades from A+ to F reflect customers’ experience with businesses over a three-year period. Grades are based on 16 factors, including how long a company has been in business, how it handles disputes and whether complaints are addressed promptly, among other variables.
Requests for BBB reports on businesses jumped to 1,529,848, up 72 percent from 2009. Complaints declined 4 percent to 25,239. The BBB fielded 370,765 telephone calls. However, the bulk of traffic came through the local BBB website, which logged 3.96 million page views for the year, up 17 percent from 2009.
The BBB’s
dispute resolution service was able to obtain responses for 84 percent of the 25,239 complaints filed with the BBB by consumers, and 78 percent were resolved, including many by mediation. Just 61 disputes went to arbitration, down 25 percent from 2009.
The cable and satellite television industry again led all other industries in the number of complaints. The cellular telephone industry generated the second largest number, followed by companies that provide Internet sales and services.
Monitoring of advertising remains an important function at the BBB, which challenged 657 ads for questionable claims or noncompliance with BBB standards, an increase of nearly 6 percent. The BBB asked the companies to modify their ads to eliminate false or misleading information.
The BBB’s
Charity Information Service produced reports on 954 charities, including 147 who meet all
20 Standards for Charity Accountability. Twice a year the BBB publishes a
Wise Giving Guide to nearly 600 charities in Missouri and Illinois. The guide and all charity reports are available online at stlouis.bbb.org/charity.
The St. Louis BBB is known for investigating questionable practices by businesses and charities. Last year, the BBB issued 110 warnings and press releases.
In October, Missouri Attorney General Chris Koster presented the BBB with a Justice Award, recognizing the BBB’s role in building the case for Koster’s lawsuits against 10 service contract firms, which generated the largest number of inquiries at the BBB in 2009 and the second-largest number in 2010.
In March, the BBB issued a
report describing the growth of the puppy industry in Missouri that was cited in the successful campaign to further regulate the industry in November. In December, the BBB issued another
report on the used car industry, with recommendations for increased vigilance by consumers, dealers and consumer advocates. The studies are available online from links in the News Center of the St. Louis BBB website.
BBB services to the public are free. Consumers may obtain
Reliability Reports 24 hours a day by going online to
www.bbb.org or by calling 314-645-3300. To subscribe to the BBB’s free Consumer e-newsletter, send your e-mail address to
bbbstl@stlouisbbb.org.
| |
Top 10 Industries For BBB Inquiries |
|
|
1. |
Home construction/remodeling contractors |
104,498 |
|
2. |
Auto service contract companies |
66,253 |
|
3. |
Roofing & guttering contractors |
54,813 |
|
4. |
Mortgage brokers |
37,075 |
|
5. |
Auto repair shops |
36,152 |
|
6. |
Auto dealers - used cars |
33,447 |
|
7. |
Landscape contractors/design |
28,481 |
|
8. |
Siding contractors |
22,274 |
|
9. |
Auto dealers - new cars |
20,757 |
|
10. |
Plumbing contractors |
18,791 |
|
Total for all industries |
|
1,529,848 |
| |
Top 10 Industries For Complaints In 2010 |
|
|
1. |
Television cable/satellite contractors |
4,016 |
|
2. |
Telephone service/cellular |
2,759 |
|
3. |
Internet sales & services |
2,450 |
|
4. |
Auto service contract companies |
1,072 |
|
5. |
Auto dealers - used cars |
795 |
|
6. |
Auto repair shops |
645 |
|
7. |
Home construction/remodeling contractors |
628 |
|
8. |
Auto dealers - new cars |
505 |
|
9. |
Publishers - directory & guide |
453 |
|
10. |
Roofing & guttering contractors |
277 |
|
Total for all industries |
|
25,239 |
Contacts: Michelle Corey, President & CEO, 314-645-3300,
mcorey@stlouisbbb.org, or Chris Thetford, Director of Communications, 314-645-3300,
communications@stlouisbbb.org
