People sometimes ask why I’m not accredited with the Better Business Bureau. The reason is simple: I don’t believe in paying for reputation. The BBB might sound like some kind of official government agency, but it’s not. It’s a private organization that’s set up to look authoritative while charging businesses to be listed and “verified.”
Here’s the issue: businesses pay yearly fees—sometimes in the thousands—for that BBB badge. In return, they get better visibility, a place to resolve complaints, and the privilege of using the BBB logo. The Bureau says the money doesn’t influence ratings, but multiple investigations over the years have told a different story. There’s a long history of non-paying businesses being rated poorly while questionable ones who paid up had glowing reviews.
That doesn’t sit right with me. I believe a business should be judged by its work—not by who it pays. The BBB built its image on trust, but in practice, it’s more of a reputation broker than an honest evaluator. It’s not illegal, but I do find it misleading and unethical. So no, I don’t pay them, and I don’t need their approval to do right by my customers.
Instead, I let my work speak for itself. I show up, do the job right, and stand by what I say. I’d rather earn trust the hard way than buy it the easy way. That’s the kind of business I run.