Better Business Bureau

While each BBB has its own accreditation standards, all BBB Standards must meet the following minimum:

To be an accredited business with the BBB, an applicant must, at a minimum:

1. Area Ties
   Be in business in the BBB's service area for not less than six months, or such longer period of time as necessary to evaluate an applicant's record, unless:
• The principals previously operated a firm with a satisfactory record in this or another BBB's service area, or
• The firm is a branch of an existing accredited business or company which has met these standards, or
• The company has signed a Pledge to Arbitrate agreement and/or an ADR precommitment program with the BBB and is not engaged in a type of business that historically generates unresolved complaints or patterns of complaints.
2. Accredited Business Dues
   Sign the Accredited Business Application and pay the appropriate dues and fees as set by the BBB.
3. Background Info
   Supply background information about the business, its principals and/or other information deemed essential to the BBB's responsibility to provide inquiriers with factual reports which bear on the reliability of the business.
4. Licensing
   Fulfill all licensing and bonding requirements by applicable city, county, state and federal agencies and authorities, provide license numbers upon application for BBB accredited business status and provide periodic updates on request of your BBB.
5. Customer Service
   Promptly respond to any and all complaints forwarded by your BBB, and make a good faith effort to resolve all such complaints in accordance with generally accepted good business practices.
6. Headquarters Record
   Be free from an unsatisfactory report at the BBB in whose service area the business is headquartered.
7. Arbitration
   Comply with any decisions rendered through BBB arbitration programs in which the firm agrees to participate.
8. Complaint Prevention
   Cooperate with the BBB in efforts to eliminate the underlying cause of patterns of consumer complaints which the BBB may call to the business's attention.
9. Self-regulation
   Cooperate with the BBB's activities and efforts to promote voluntary self-regulation within the business's industry.
10. Policy Adherence
    Adhere to established BBB standards of advertising and selling, and cooperate with the BBB in matters relating thereto.
11. Non-actionability
    Be free from any governmental action concerning the marketplace and its consumers that demonstrates a significant failure of the business to support the principles and purposes of the BBB. Accredited business status must be suspended by the BBB's board when an action is filed if the allegations suggest such a failure.
12. BBB Logo Integrity
    Refrain from using the name or logo of the BBB for commercial, sales or advertising purposes in any manner not specifically authorized in writing by the BBB.
13. Probity
    Support the principles and purposes of the BBB and not engage in activity that reflects adversely on the BBB or its accredited businesses.