We – the nation’s red-pilled – continue to have the scales fall from our eyes regarding…everything we thought we knew.
Institutions in DC and throughout the nation – that we thought were righteous and good – turn out to be utterly corrupt. People and places we thought were straight shooters – turn out to be crass sell-outs to the highest crony bidders.
Well, here’s yet another to add to the Naughty List: The Better Business Bureau (BBB).
Here’s how they describe themselves:
“Vision: An ethical marketplace where buyers and sellers trust each other.
“Mission: BBB’s mission is to be the leader in advancing marketplace trust….
“BBB sees trust as a function of two primary factors – integrity and performance. Integrity includes respect, ethics, intent, and working toward a diverse, inclusive and equitable marketplace.”
And there’s our first clue that there is something amiss: “Integrity includes…working toward a diverse, inclusive and equitable marketplace.”
The BBB has gone woke. And that’s never good – and is about as anti-business as you can possibly be.
The BBB – has gone DC-native and full-on Elite. If you can’t make it to their DC-area office in uber-tony McLean, Virginia – you can visit their Madison Avenue office in New York City.
Because nothing says “small business” and integrity – like uber-tony McLean, Virginia AND Madison Avenue, NYC.
Here’s how the BBB describes their accreditation:
“In a market saturated with companies vying for customers, BBB Accreditation gives consumers confidence that they’re dealing with an ethical and vetted business.
“Apply for BBB Accreditation and show customers that your company operates honestly and with integrity.”
Except here’s how you get accredited:
“Membership in a local Better Business Bureau (BBB) is the same as being accredited by a BBB. In 2007, the Council of Better Business Bureaus (CBBB) officially changed the title of “member” to ‘BBB accredited business’….
“It’s important to note that just because a business isn’t accredited doesn’t mean that it was rejected by a BBB. Application for accreditation is voluntary, and many business owners simply choose not to apply.”
“To qualify for BBB accreditation, a business must fill out an application, pay membership dues and prove that it conforms with the local BBB accreditation standards.”
Get that? You must pay the BBB – to get “accredited” by the BBB. And they long ago intentionally obfuscated the ideas of being a “member” – and being “accredited.”
“But wait” you say – “you still have to meet their ‘accreditation standards.’”
In true Corrupt USA form, “conforming with BBB accreditation standards” – seems to mean “your check cleared.”
Terror Group Gets ‘A’ Rating From Better Business Bureau?:
“The Better Business Bureau, one of the country’s best known consumer watchdog groups, is being accused by business owners of running a ‘pay for play’ scheme in which A plus ratings are awarded to those who pay membership fees, and F ratings used to punish those who don’t.
“To prove the point, a group of Los Angeles business owners paid $425 to the Better Business Bureau and were able to obtain an A minus grade for a non-existent company called Hamas, named after the Middle Eastern terror group….
“Errors seem to abound at the Better Business Bureau. As reported by an anonymous blogger the BBB also awarded an A minus rating to a non-existent sushi restaurant in Santa Ana, California and an A plus to a skinhead, neo-Nazi web site called Stormfront.
“Each listing cost $425.
“‘They ran the credit card and within 12 hours they were an approved, accredited member,’ said the anonymous blogger, who runs a site called bbbroundup.com.
“‘They’re more interested in the money than their credibility,’ he said….
“(A)n ABC News producer with a camera was present as two small business owners in Los Angeles were told by Better Business Bureau tele-marketers that their grades of C could be raised to A plus if they paid $395 membership fees.
“Terri Hartman, the manager of a Los Angeles antique fixtures store, Liz’s Antique Hardware, was told only a payment could change her grade, based on one old complaint that had already been resolved.
“‘So, if I don’t pay, even though the complaint has been resolved, I still have a C rating?’
“Hartman then read off her credit card number and the next business day the C grade was replaced with an A plus, and the one complaint was wiped off the record.
“In a second case, Carmen Tellez, the owner of a company that provides clowns for parties was also told she had to pay to fix her C- grade, based on a two-year old complaint that she says had already been resolved.
“The C minus became an A plus the very next day after she provided her credit card number for the $395 charge.
“‘If I’m paying for a grade, then how are the customers supposed to really trust the Better Business Bureau?’ she asked.”
An eminently fair question.
And since the BBB has firmly established that its business model is to weaponize itself for businesses that pay them – and against businesses that don’t? And to shake down those that don’t – until they do? One has to question everything about their latest “study.”
Payday Loan Scams & Predatory Lending:
“BBB study finds uneven laws and stolen data allow predatory payday loan companies and scammers to thrive.”
No more thought need be applied to this BBB “study.”
Our inherent reaction is – and should be – “Well, I guess the payday lenders wouldn’t pay up.”
Because that’s how the corrupt BBB operates.
Because the phrase “consider the source” has never carried more weight – than it does right now in modern day America.