May 4, 2004 - The nation's Better Business Bureaus (BBBs) today reported that services provided to consumers and businesses in 2003 surged to 52.9 million, up 27 percent from the 41.5 million instances of service provided in 2002.  All told, BBBs in the U.S. and Canada logged 56 million instances of service in 2003. 
 
BBBs provide an invaluable service in today’s marketplace.  Consumers and businesses have come to rely on our millions of reliability reports to select reputable businesses here and in Canada and to avoid companies that are the subject of too many complaints.  With the growth in e-commerce and cross-country shopping, BBBs are needed more today than ever before.
 
Pre-purchase Information: Pre-buying inquiries in the United States increased to 48.8 million in 2003, up nearly 28 percent from 38.2 million in 2002. These requests included 30.8 million BBB reliability reports on businesses located in the U.S. - member companies as well as businesses that are not BBB members but that have generated inquiries or complaints from the public.
 
Other pre-purchase inquiries included 4.6 million instances of shoppers checking for confirmation that an online merchant participated in BBBOnLine Reliability and Privacy programs, up 28 percent from 3.6 million in 2002, and 13.5 million requests for general information on shopping wisely and avoiding questionable promotions, up 40 percent from 9.6 million such requests in 2002.
 
When it’s time to spend your hard-earned money on a product or service, it’s time to check with the Better Business Bureau.  BBB information and services are available 24-7 to assist you at the time you want to make your purchasing decision.
 
Complaints:  U.S. BBBs processed 773,042 complaints in 2003, a 23.5 percent jump in the 626,081 complaints processed in 2002.
 
The growing complaint volume doesn’t necessarily indicate a decline in service by the business community; it’s more a reflection of the increased reliance on the BBB system and the tremendous effort BBB staff persons devote to helping resolve disputes that arise in the marketplace.
 
In another 964,666 instances, BBBs in the U.S. assisted the public by providing complaint counseling or referrals to appropriate agencies or organizations.  The BBB AUTO LINE program, which assists car buyers with warranty-related disputes, handled an additional 30,987 complaints.
 
The BBB's online complaint form, which is accessible through the www.bbb.org Web site, makes it easy for consumers to seek assistance in resolving disputes with businesses in the U.S. or Canada. This use of technology also permits BBBs to provide businesses with a speedier means to be responsive to customers and quickly address issues that are causing dissatisfaction.
 
Information on Charitable Organizations: BBBs not only offer information on the reliability of specific businesses, they also provide information to those interested in checking out charitable organizations.
 
Just as the BBB helps consumers to be savvy shoppers, BBBs encourage members of the public to be discerning donors.
 
The BBB Wise Giving Alliance produces reports on national charities that are available at www.give.org. In 2003, the public accessed national charity reports on the give.org Web site 2.19 million times, an increase of nearly 78 percent over the 1.23 million charity report requests in 2002.
 
Advertising Review: Since its founding, the BBB has worked for "truth in advertising," asking businesses to voluntarily change or halt advertising or selling claims that appear to be false, misleading or deceptive, or that cannot be substantiated.  In 2003, BBB advertising review experts at the national and local levels reviewed 7,535 advertisements.