BETTER BUSINESS BUREAU (BBB) ERRORS - BUSINESS RECOVERY SERVICES RELIABILITY REPORT
The Better Business Bureau (BBB) is not always a reliable source of information. For example, the BBB has made several misrepresentations about Business Recovery Services, LLC, an Arizona Limited Liability Company, in the BBB's Reliability Report for Business Recovery Services. The nature of the errors would indicate that the BBB has a personal vendetta against Business Recovery Services, as on several occasions the BBB put items in the BBB's Reliability Report for Business Recovery Services that were discovered to be merely hearsay and innuendo as opposed to facts and figures. These errors are as cited below in the letter from BRS' attorney to the BBB dated January 20, 2009: Law Offices of Michael E. St. George A PROFESSIONAL CORPORATION (480) 968-9068 ATTORNEY-AT-LAW (480) 968-0436 FAX Admitted in January 20, 2009 Matthew Fehling President/CEO Better Business Bureau of Central, Northern and Western Re: Business Recovery Services, Inc. Dear Mr. Fehling: This office represents Business Recovery Services, Inc., an In reviewing the Better Business Bureau of Greater Arizona Website, I note that the Better Business Bureau has seen fit to give Business Recovery Services, Inc., an “F” rating citing the following reasons: 1) The length of time the business has been operating. 2) Advertising issue found by BBB. With respect to the advertising issue, this office has responded to two letters received from the Better Business Bureau’s National Office about the fact that Business Recovery Services formally made a reference to the Better Business Bureau on its website. These letters were sent to the National Better Business Bureau headquarters months ago and we have yet to hear any response. Since the National Better Business Bureau has not responded to date, one can conclude that there never was a tradename violation. Regardless, my client has removed the reference to the Better Business Bureau from its website for other reasons not related to rating. However, since it appears that using the Better Business Bureau’s tradename is not a violation of tradename or trademark law, Business Recovery Services reserves the right to use it as appropriate in the future, including on the website www.businessrecoveryservices.org. Previously, your website made references to “numerous complaints” that had been received by the Better Business Bureau. When my client asked for the complaints, having not been notified of any complaints, the reference was removed from the Better Business Bureau website. Additionally, the current website states that Better Business Bureau files indicate that the company is exclusively targeting past customers of the Greatest Vitamin in the World. This is not true. The efforts by Business Recovery Services are not limited in any way to the Greatest Vitamin in the World and such a reference that it is should be removed from the website. Additionally, your current website states that “callers to the Better Business Bureau have indicated the company states ‘the Greatest Vitamin in the World has been ‘shut down’ by the FBI and there is only 1.7 million left to give out.” This is not true. It has not been so stated by any employee of the Business Recovery Services and the Better Business Bureau is hereby called to provide the names, addresses and telephone numbers of any callers to the Better Business Bureau who have made such statements. Further, your website states that “additionally, information in BBB files allege this company is soliciting customers that are registered on the National Do Not Call Registry.” This is absolutely untrue and the Better Business Bureau is hereby charged with the responsibility of providing this office with whatever information you claim is in your files in this regard. All calls made by my client, Business Recovery Services are “washed” and no consumers on the National Do Not Call Registry are called. Business Recovery Services, Inc. is recovering tens of thousands of dollars for its customers from unscrupulous companies who sell worthless products on the internet and on television. We have the proof and we have turned it over to the United States Postal Inspector’s Office. The amount of successful recovery grows every day. One of the companies that Business Recovery Services has recovered monies for, on behalf of its customers, is “SMC Promotions, Inc.” This company has an “A+” rating” by the Better Business Bureau despite the fact that your website reports 19 complaints filed with the Better Business Bureau. Business Recovery Services has only one complaint filed against it as reported by the Better Business Bureau. The Better Business Bureau needs to get its facts straight and we request that an investigation be made into the unfounded statements made on the Better Business Bureau website and that my client be given the credit that it deserves for helping people who have been victimized when no other federal or state agency is doing so. I trust you will give this matter your consideration and respond accordingly. Should you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact this office. Sincerely, Michael E. St. George MES/jm cc: Client
So, what have the results been from this letter?
In January, 2009, the BBB made reference to "numerous complaints" that had been received by the BBB regarding Business Recovery Services. Business Recovery Services did (and still does) believe that when a complaint is received by the BBB against a company, the BBB forwards that complaint to the company for a opportunity to respond. When the BBB was confronted to provide documentation to support its position of “numerous complaints”, the reference was removed from Business Recovery Services' BBB Reliability Report.
In January, 2009, the BBB files indicated that Business Recovery Services was exclusively targeting past customers of The Greatest Vitamin in the World. This is a ridiculous statement, as indicated by the TESTIMONIALS on this website. When the BBB was confronted to provide documentation to support its position of “targeting past customers of The Greatest Vitamin in the World”, the reference was removed from Business Recovery Services’ BBB Reliability Report.
In January, 2009, the BBB made reference that “callers to the Better Business Bureau have indicated that Business Recovery Services states that The Greatest Vitamin in the World has been shut down by the FBI and there is only $1.7 million left to give out.” This claim is also 100% ludicrous. When the BBB was confronted to provide documentation to support its position of “callers to the Better Business Bureau have indicated that Business Recovery Services states that The Greatest Vitamin in the World has been shut down by the FBI and there is only $1.7 million left to give out”, the reference was removed from Business Recovery Services' BBB Reliability Report.
In January, 2009, the BBB made reference that “additionally, information in BBB files allege that Business Recovery Services is soliciting customers that are registered on the National Do Not Call Registry.” Again, this is a ridiculous allegation. When the BBB was confronted to provide documentation to support its position of “additionally, information in BBB files allege that Business Recovery Services is soliciting customers that are registered on the National Do Not Call Registry”, the reference was removed from Business Recovery Services' BBB Reliability Report. In January, 2009, the BBB made reference that “mail was returned from Business Recovery Services, implying that the company was no longer in business.” The BBB has always had the correct mailing address for Business Recovery Services. And, when the BBB did forward a complaint to Business Recovery Services through United States mail, Business Recovery Services responded to the complaint. Therefore, it is mind-boggling how the BBB could have possibly concluded that mail was being returned from Business Recovery Services. When the BBB was confronted to provide documentation to support its position of “mail was returned from Business Recovery Services, implying that the company was no longer in business”, the reference was removed from Business Recovery Services' BBB Reliability Report.
In October, 2009 the BBB made reference to Business Recovery Services’ tactics towards recovering money for victims of unscrupulous home-based businesses by stating “It has come to the BBB’s attention that Business Recovery Services has used threats and scare tactics towards companies while attempting to obtain refunds for clients.” This is Fantasyland! Although Business Recovery Services does on occasion enter discussions directly with merchants on behalf of its clients, Business Recovery Services does not use threats or scare tactics in these discussions. Business Recovery Services does spell out to the merchants the avenues available to the client in regards to their efforts to secure a 100% refund from the merchant. Those are facts, not threats.
However, the greatest BBB misrepresentation involves the BBB’s allegation that “The company has referenced an affiliation with BBB both on its website and, according to information in BBB files, verbally. As of February 18, 2009, the company has removed all references to BBB on the company's website. The company is not affiliated with BBB in any way. On September 9, 2008, BBB contacted this company regarding its misuse of the Better Business Bureau name on its website, www.businessrecoveryservices.org. This company has failed to discontinue the use of our federally registered trademark when demands have been made to do so.” The only thing that Business Recovery Services had on its website, www.businessrecoveryservices.net (which the BBB still has wrong on the report) was that Business Recovery Services includes a letter to the appropriate Better Business Bureau in each of Business Recovery Services’ “Do-It-Yourself” Business Recovery Kits.
The national BBB Office sent two separate letters to Business Recovery Services which suggested that, somehow, this was a violation of the BBB’s trademark and trade name rights. Each time, the legal counsel for Business Recovery Services responded and suggested that this is NOT a violation of the BBB’s trade name and trademark rights. Business Recovery Services has not heard from the BBB regarding this issue since. Business Recovery Services did remove the references because the BBB was becoming a distraction from our goal, which is to assist everyone in their efforts to try to recover every last dollar that clients have spent with ill-fated home-based businesses.
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