Better Business Bureau Customer Service, BBB Complaints and Reviews

The Better Business Bureau, commonly called the BBB, helps consumers research businesses, file marketplace complaints, leave customer reviews, report scams, and locate BBB Accredited Businesses. Better Business Bureau customer service is primarily handled through BBB.org and regional BBB offices rather than one centralized call center.

Hours note: Better Business Bureau telephone, email, appointment, and office hours vary by regional BBB. Some locations operate remotely, require appointments, or do not accept walk-in visitors. Use the BBB Directory and check the page for the office serving your ZIP or postal code.

How to Contact the Better Business Bureau

The Better Business Bureau operates through regional organizations across the United States and Canada. For a complaint, business-profile question, accreditation issue, customer review, or local marketplace concern, contact the BBB responsible for the business’s location.

Use the Better Business Bureau Directory to search by state, province, ZIP code, or postal code. Each local page may provide its own telephone number, email contact, address, office hours, phone hours, appointment policy, and service area.

The International Association of Better Business Bureaus is the network hub for BBB organizations in the United States and Canada. It currently lists:

International Association of Better Business Bureaus
4250 North Fairfax Drive, Suite 600
Arlington, VA 22203

IABBB states that its staff works remotely. Do not visit or mail original evidence without confirming that the office is the correct destination.

Is the Better Business Bureau a Government Agency?

No. The Better Business Bureau is a private nonprofit organization and is not affiliated with a federal, state, provincial, or local government agency.

BBB provides business profiles, ratings, accreditation, customer reviews, marketplace complaint handling, scam information, consumer education, and dispute-resolution services. However, BBB does not have the same authority as a court, regulator, attorney general, police department, or licensing agency.

The Better Business Bureau generally cannot:

• Order a business to issue a refund
• Fine, arrest, prosecute, or close a business
• Issue a binding court judgment
• Provide legal representation
• Force every non-accredited business to respond
• Collect a debt for a consumer or business
• Award compensation for bodily injury or emotional distress
• Replace a government complaint or regulatory filing

A BBB complaint can still be useful because it gives the business an opportunity to respond, documents the dispute, and may affect the information displayed on its BBB Business Profile.

How to File a Better Business Bureau Complaint

Use the official Better Business Bureau complaint form when you want BBB assistance resolving a marketplace problem with a business.

Information to Gather Before Filing a BBB Complaint

• The company’s legal or commonly used business name
• Business address, website, phone number, or other identifying information
• Date of purchase or service
• Order, invoice, contract, account, or case number
• Amount paid or disputed
• Product or service involved
• Copies of receipts, agreements, estimates, warranties, and correspondence
• Dates and results of previous contact with the business
• A concise timeline explaining what happened
• The specific resolution requested

Keep the complaint factual and focused on the marketplace transaction. Explain what the company promised, what happened, what steps you took, and what reasonable outcome you are seeking.

BBB Complaint Eligibility

Better Business Bureau complaint guidelines generally require:

• A BBB Consumer Portal account with the complainant’s name, email address, and postal code
• Enough information to identify and contact the business
• A marketplace relationship with the business
• A request for BBB assistance
• A product or service issue, normally arising within the previous 12 months
• A complaint that is not already being litigated or resolved by a prior court action, arbitration, or settlement
• No abusive language or serious threats
• A consumer located in the United States or Canada, subject to stated exceptions

BBB limits consumers to one complaint against the same business within a 24-month period to reduce duplicate submissions.

What Happens After a BBB Complaint Is Filed?

BBB currently explains that:

1. The complaint is reviewed for eligibility.
2. The information is generally forwarded to the business within two business days.
3. The business is asked to respond within 14 days.
4. If no response is received, BBB generally sends a second request.
5. The consumer is notified when the business responds or when BBB receives no response.
6. Complaints are generally closed within 30 days.

A response is not guaranteed. Non-accredited businesses generally cooperate voluntarily, while BBB Accredited Businesses have made a commitment to respond to marketplace disputes.

BBB Complaint Versus BBB Customer Review

A Better Business Bureau complaint and a BBB customer review serve different purposes.

File a BBB Complaint When You Want a Resolution

File a complaint when you want the Better Business Bureau to contact the business and help facilitate a response. The requested resolution might involve a refund, repair, replacement, cancellation, billing correction, delivery, warranty service, or explanation.

BBB complaints can affect a business’s BBB letter grade and generally remain reportable for 36 months.

Leave a BBB Review When You Want to Share an Experience

Leave a customer review when you want to describe a positive, neutral, or negative marketplace experience but do not need BBB assistance obtaining a resolution.

BBB customer reviews use a star rating and do not affect the company’s BBB letter grade. BBB may verify the reviewer’s email address or phone number and may ask for information supporting the marketplace interaction.

Anonymous, compensated, third-party, and unsupported reviews may not be accepted. Use the BBB customer review form to locate the correct business.

How to Report a Scam to BBB Scam Tracker

Use BBB Scam Tracker to report a possible scam, imposter, fraudulent website, phishing message, fake business, deceptive offer, or scheme intended to obtain money or personal information.

BBB Scam Tracker is different from a complaint against a legitimate business. Choose:

• BBB complaint: You had a marketplace transaction and want help obtaining a resolution.
• BBB customer review: You want to share an experience without requesting resolution assistance.
• BBB Scam Tracker: You encountered suspected fraud, impersonation, or a deceptive scheme.

BBB reviews Scam Tracker submissions before publication. BBB states that the reporter’s name and personal contact information are not publicly displayed in Scam Tracker.

Include useful scam identifiers such as:

• Telephone numbers
• Email addresses
• Website domains
• Social media accounts
• Payment methods requested
• Names used by the suspected scammer
• Copies of messages without unnecessary personal information
• The amount lost, if any
• The date and location of the contact

BBB Scam Tracker does not replace an urgent report to a bank, card issuer, police department, or government fraud agency.

If money or account information was lost:

1. Contact the bank or payment provider immediately.
2. Change affected passwords and secure the associated email account.
3. Report identity theft at IdentityTheft.gov.
4. Report fraud to the Federal Trade Commission.
5. Report qualifying online crime to the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center.
6. Contact local law enforcement when appropriate.

How to Search BBB Ratings, Complaints and Reviews

Use the Better Business Bureau business search to search by company name, business category, keyword, phone number, website, email address, and location.

A BBB profile may show:

• Business name and contact information
• BBB accreditation status
• BBB letter rating or Not Rated status
• Reasons affecting the rating
• Years in business and file-opened date
• Customer complaints and business responses
• Customer reviews
• Government actions or advertising concerns when applicable
• Business categories and alternate names

BBB states that its profiles are intended to assist consumers in exercising their own judgment. BBB does not endorse a product, service, or business and does not guarantee the accuracy of every piece of third-party information.

Consider the business’s size, transaction volume, type of complaints, response quality, complaint resolution, and recent patterns—not only the number of complaints or overall letter grade.

BBB Accreditation Questions

Businesses can apply for Better Business Bureau accreditation through the BBB accreditation page. The appropriate regional BBB reviews the application, business history, licensing, advertising, marketplace conduct, and commitment to BBB standards.

BBB accreditation is voluntary. A company may lack accreditation because it did not apply, did not complete the process, did not meet BBB standards, or chose not to pay accreditation dues.

Accreditation does not guarantee that every transaction will be problem-free, that a business will always issue a refund, or that every complaint will be resolved in the consumer’s favor.

Businesses should contact their local BBB for:

• Accreditation applications and renewal
• Accreditation fees
• Use of the BBB seal
• Standards for Trust questions
• Business-profile access
• Responding to complaints and reviews
• Updating company information
• Disputing inaccurate profile information

Correcting a BBB Business Profile

If a BBB profile contains an incorrect address, phone number, website, business category, ownership detail, or operational status, contact the local Better Business Bureau identified on the profile.

Provide documentation supporting the requested change, such as:

• Business registration records
• Licensing information
• Official website details
• Current address or lease information
• Telephone or utility records
• Ownership documentation
• Proof that the company closed, moved, merged, or changed names

For a complaint or customer review dispute, respond through the process provided by BBB rather than submitting a separate public review about the customer.

Complaints the Better Business Bureau May Not Handle

BBB’s complaint guidelines exclude or limit certain matters, including:

• Employer and employee disputes
• Complaints about government agencies that do not involve a commercial service
• Complaints solely alleging discrimination or constitutional violations
• Requests for criminal prosecution or punishment
• Matters already in court, arbitration, or covered by a prior settlement
• Complaints against businesses that are no longer operating
• Debt collection on behalf of a person or company
• Buyer’s remorse or dissatisfaction based only on price
• Complaints against private individuals who are not conducting business
• Anonymous complaints
• Complaints that do not request BBB assistance
• Claims seeking compensation for bodily injury or emotional distress

A local BBB may direct the consumer to another organization when the matter belongs with a court, attorney general, licensing board, industry regulator, labor agency, health department, law-enforcement agency, or attorney.

BBB AUTO LINE and Vehicle Warranty Disputes

Some qualifying disputes involving a vehicle manufacturer’s warranty or possible Lemon Law issue may be directed to BBB National Programs’ BBB AUTO LINE.

BBB AUTO LINE generally handles participating manufacturer warranty disputes, not routine complaints against dealerships, repair shops, used-car sellers, or independent mechanics.

Start through the BBB complaint selection page and choose the vehicle-warranty option when it applies.

How to Escalate a Problem With BBB

If the issue concerns the Better Business Bureau’s handling of a complaint, review, accreditation decision, or business profile:

1. Log into the BBB Consumer or Business Portal and review the case status.
2. Reply within the existing case when possible.
3. Contact the regional BBB identified on the complaint or business profile.
4. Provide the complaint, review, or profile number.
5. Explain the specific information believed to be incorrect.
6. Attach supporting documentation without unnecessary personal data.
7. Ask for review by the appropriate complaint, review, accreditation, or profile team.
8. Use the BBB Directory to confirm that the correct regional BBB is handling the matter.

Disagreeing with the business’s response does not necessarily mean BBB will remove the response or decide the underlying legal dispute. BBB records the complaint process and the parties’ responses but is not a court.

Frequently Asked Questions About the Better Business Bureau

What is the Better Business Bureau customer service number?

The BBB network/general-assistance number is 1-703-276-0100. Because Better Business Bureau services are handled regionally, use the BBB Directory to locate the telephone number and hours for the appropriate local office.

How do I file a complaint with the BBB?

Go to BBB.org/file-a-complaint, locate the business, create or access a Consumer Portal account, describe the marketplace problem, upload relevant documentation, and state the resolution requested.

Is the BBB a government agency?

No. The Better Business Bureau is a private nonprofit organization. It is not a government regulator or law-enforcement agency.

Can the Better Business Bureau force a company to refund me?

No. BBB can contact the company, facilitate communication, document the response, and report complaint information, but it cannot issue a binding refund order like a court or regulator.

Does a company have to respond to a BBB complaint?

Non-accredited companies generally participate voluntarily. BBB Accredited Businesses have committed to responding to marketplace disputes, but a favorable resolution is not guaranteed.

How long does a BBB complaint take?

BBB says complaints are generally forwarded within two business days, businesses are asked to respond within 14 days, and complaints are generally closed within 30 days.

Can I delete a BBB complaint after submitting it?

No. BBB states that a complaint cannot be deleted after submission. Consumers can log into their account to provide corrections or additional information.

Will my BBB complaint be public?

After closure, complaint and response text may be displayed on the business’s BBB profile. Remove personal and sensitive information before submitting the complaint.

What is the difference between a BBB complaint and review?

A complaint asks BBB to assist with a resolution and can affect the company’s letter grade. A customer review shares an experience and star rating without requesting dispute-resolution assistance.

How do I report a scam to BBB?

Use BBB Scam Tracker for suspected fraud, impersonation, phishing, fake websites, and deceptive schemes. Contact financial institutions, government agencies, and law enforcement separately when appropriate.

Does BBB accreditation guarantee a trustworthy company?

No. Accreditation indicates that a business met BBB accreditation requirements and agreed to BBB standards, but it does not guarantee every product, service, transaction, or complaint outcome.

Where is the Better Business Bureau headquarters?

The International Association of Better Business Bureaus, the network hub for BBBs in the United States and Canada, lists 4250 North Fairfax Drive, Suite 600, Arlington, VA 22203. Its staff works remotely.

Is CustomerServiceNumbers.com affiliated with BBB?

No. CustomerServiceNumbers.com is an independent consumer-information and review website. It is not affiliated with the Better Business Bureau, International Association of Better Business Bureaus, BBB National Programs, or any regional BBB.

Page Update Note

Updated August 5, 2026: This Better Business Bureau page was restored with the current BBB network address, general-assistance number, local BBB directory, complaint and review processes, Scam Tracker information, accreditation guidance, business-profile corrections, complaint limitations, privacy notices, and BBB impersonation warnings.

Why Trust CustomerServiceNumbers.com?

CustomerServiceNumbers.com has helped consumers locate customer-service information, complaint resources, and company support routes since 2004. CSN independently explains how Better Business Bureau complaints, BBB customer reviews, Scam Tracker reports, accreditation questions, and regional office contacts differ so readers can select the proper route.

Share Your Better Business Bureau Customer Service Experience

Have you contacted the Better Business Bureau about a complaint, customer review, Scam Tracker report, accreditation issue, business-profile correction, or local BBB question? Share which regional BBB you contacted, the support route used, how long the process took, and whether the issue was resolved.

Do not use this comment section to file a complaint against an unrelated company. Submit those complaints directly through BBB.org. Do not post complaint documents, account numbers, phone numbers, home addresses, payment details, medical information, employee records, or other sensitive information.

Customer Service Numbers Disclaimer

CustomerServiceNumbers.com is not affiliated with the Better Business Bureau, BBB.org, International Association of Better Business Bureaus, BBB National Programs, BBB AUTO LINE, BBB Institute for Marketplace Trust, BBB Wise Giving Alliance, or any regional BBB. This page is provided for informational and consumer-review purposes. Contact details, complaint rules, processing times, accreditation standards, ratings, office hours, and support routes may change. Verify important information directly through BBB.org and the appropriate regional Better Business Bureau.

Last reviewed: August 5, 2026.