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I started a new business in Jan. 08 and have been fairly successful except for one major factor: The Better Business Bureau. Prior to starting my company I worked for another small company as COO; however, the job was really an office manager position with no real final say so in anything. The decision making power was in the hands of the 100% owner and CEO. I worked for this company for less than 1 year and resigned when I discovered the owner was totally unethical in his business dealings and could care less about taking care of customers and was going to bankrupt the company taking as many creditors as possible to the cleaners. The company has 150 complaints with the BBB and I had no control to satisfy or take care of any of them. Plus, all but a couple were not even during my employment. I was also COO #7 over the past 6 or 7 years. As a result, I resigned and started my new company. I have had -0- complaints and take care of all my customers because customer service is everything. It seems during May of this year, I looked on my BBB page and there was a paragragh that said I was formerly the COO of this other company who had an unsatisfactory record with the BBB and a history of not taking care of the customer. The BBB even posted a link to this other company on my new Company BBB page. Plus, to add insult to injury, they posted links to three other companies this CEO owned that I was never even employed by. I have asked many people look over this page and it looks like I am a crook and all I do is mistreat customers. This is totally false. In short: I contacted the local BBB (Central Texas BBB), met with them along with the accountant from the former company, and we tried to explain I had no decision making power, I could not have solved any of the BBB complaints because I had no power, I resigned from the company because the guy was a crook, I was one of 7 COO's this company had over the years but how come I was the only one listed; I brought good character letters on me stating how honest I am, etc, etc and they refused to even review the materials and basically said tough...live with it. They were not changing anything. I then complained to the National BBB in Virginia to file a complaint against the local people that turned their heads against me. The national BBB referred it back to the very people I filed the complaint about. This is ruining my new business. I need advice as to what I can do. I have done extensive research on the BBB and it is not regulated and it is basically a monopoly and they can do whatever they want to do and collect any fees they want to collect. Consumers look up businesses on the BBB and believe what they read even if it is false. What is my recoarse? Do I have to close my business after spending tons of money getting it started? It is very frustrating knowing that you try to do good and you are tagged with a crook just because you made a mistake to work somewhere for a very short period of time.
Sorry for the length of this memo; however, this will basically bankrupt me if it is not handled correctly. I do not have allot of money left and getting an attorney may be an option; but, I do not know any in my area. I am requesting advice as to options available in addition to and other than finding an attorney because finding a good attorney is also a shot in the dark many times.
Thank You Very Much...any help would be appreciated
I started a new business in Jan. 08 and have been fairly successful except for one major factor: The Better Business Bureau. Prior to starting my company I worked for another small company as COO; however, the job was really an office manager position with no real final say so in anything. The decision making power was in the hands of the 100% owner and CEO. I worked for this company for less than 1 year and resigned when I discovered the owner was totally unethical in his business dealings and could care less about taking care of customers and was going to bankrupt the company taking as many creditors as possible to the cleaners. The company has 150 complaints with the BBB and I had no control to satisfy or take care of any of them. Plus, all but a couple were not even during my employment. I was also COO #7 over the past 6 or 7 years. As a result, I resigned and started my new company. I have had -0- complaints and take care of all my customers because customer service is everything. It seems during May of this year, I looked on my BBB page and there was a paragragh that said I was formerly the COO of this other company who had an unsatisfactory record with the BBB and a history of not taking care of the customer. The BBB even posted a link to this other company on my new Company BBB page. Plus, to add insult to injury, they posted links to three other companies this CEO owned that I was never even employed by. I have asked many people look over this page and it looks like I am a crook and all I do is mistreat customers. This is totally false. In short: I contacted the local BBB (Central Texas BBB), met with them along with the accountant from the former company, and we tried to explain I had no decision making power, I could not have solved any of the BBB complaints because I had no power, I resigned from the company because the guy was a crook, I was one of 7 COO's this company had over the years but how come I was the only one listed; I brought good character letters on me stating how honest I am, etc, etc and they refused to even review the materials and basically said tough...live with it. They were not changing anything. I then complained to the National BBB in Virginia to file a complaint against the local people that turned their heads against me. The national BBB referred it back to the very people I filed the complaint about. This is ruining my new business. I need advice as to what I can do. I have done extensive research on the BBB and it is not regulated and it is basically a monopoly and they can do whatever they want to do and collect any fees they want to collect. Consumers look up businesses on the BBB and believe what they read even if it is false. What is my recoarse? Do I have to close my business after spending tons of money getting it started? It is very frustrating knowing that you try to do good and you are tagged with a crook just because you made a mistake to work somewhere for a very short period of time.
Sorry for the length of this memo; however, this will basically bankrupt me if it is not handled correctly. I do not have allot of money left and getting an attorney may be an option; but, I do not know any in my area. I am requesting advice as to options available in addition to and other than finding an attorney because finding a good attorney is also a shot in the dark many times.
Thank You Very Much...any help would be appreciated
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