Vehicle dealers topped list of BBB complaints in 2007

At the beginning of each year, I look at what caused people to lodge complaints with the Better Business Bureau in the previous year and offer perspective on the nature of those complaints.

This year, more than ever, the Internet and the global shopping it offers have changed what we see and the way we see it.

For Eastern Washington and North Idaho, the major complaints centered on:

1. New-car dealers.

2. Used-car dealers.

3. Real estate management, including landlord-tenant complaints.

4. Advance-fee loan brokers.

5. Movers.

6. Collection agencies. (Usually, debts being complained about are legitimate – the debtor is asking us to ask that the collection activity cease, and we do not do that.)

7. Remodeling contractors and services.

8. Insurance companies. (Insurers made it into the top 10 for the first time in a few years, but they are doing better than average at resolving problems.)

9. Auto repair.

10. Furniture sales and retail.

Here are the top industries people checked into before making purchases:

1. Contractors and home builders.

2. Online electronics sales.

3. Roofing contractors.

4. New-car dealers. (Buyers can research car models at consumerreports.org and dealers’ reports at bbb.org.)

5. Youth organizations.

6. Insurance companies.

7. Credit and debt counseling.

8. Remodeling contractors.

9. Work-at-home offers. (A majority of them are scams. Check first and avoid up-front payments.)

10. Mortgage companies.

The mantra in 2008: “Start with trust, start with BBB.” You can check on any company at bbb.org, and your best move is to do so before you buy. Take a look at your competitors, a potential or current employer, or your own company.

We have nearly 130,000 companies in our database, and that list keeps growing. In 2007, we closed 5,600 complaints, resolving 100 percent of those if the company involved was a BBB Accredited Business, 72 percent if they were not.

The number of incoming calls broke records again. We delivered 22,000 lists of accredited businesses in specific industries to callers or Web visitors, and total inquiries exceeded 300,000. Some 95 percent of those requests came over the Internet. Our Web site hovers just below 3 million hits a month. As more people use us, the Internet is the fastest way to obtain BBB advice and information – so you can begin a business relationship with trust.