Check with the BBB (to Start)
Today’s tip was inspired by a recent recent question from Robert in Illinois:
Hi Johnny, know anything about my flight search (travel agency site)? Any good?
I had never heard of them so all I did was Google their name and the BBB. Up popped the Better Business Bureau page stating that the company wasn’t registered with them. To me that’s a red flag (see update below) so I recommended that Bob stay away from Flight Search Inc.
UPDATE: As a number of readers have pointed out, this is not a perfect system. The BBB is a for-profit enterprise, meaning accreditation comes with a fee—and more importantly, that plenty of wonderful, trustworthy businesses are not BBB-accredited. So, checking with the BBB is just one tool to use when researching a company, and it comes with that caveat. Use it, but keep that in mind!
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Johnny, I’m not sure I would discount the travel agency (or any company) for not being registered with the Better Business Bureau. Companies who are BBB members have to pay to be members, membership doesn’t necessarily mean that they are a standup company. I work for a 95 year old accounting firm that has a great reputation and we are not BBB members. I would suggest instead Googling the company to find out if there are any complaints about them.
Good advice. Noted
Just because a company isn’t registered or “accredited” with the BBB doesn’t make them bad. I’ve been in business 13 years, never had any complaints filed with the BBB, and I’m not accredited. I’ve just decided not to pay their $300+ yearly fee to be able to display their logo and boast that I’m accredited.
From the BBB website: “To be accredited by BBB, a business must apply for accreditation and BBB must determine that the business meets BBB accreditation standards, which include a commitment to make a good faith effort to resolve any consumer complaints. BBB Accredited Businesses must PAY A FEE for accreditation review/monitoring and for support of BBB services to the public.”