- Real reasons for a call include accreditation outreach, a complaint or review needing a response, and verifying business information.
- Scammers impersonate the BBB, so never act on a call you cannot verify.
- Never call back the number the caller gave you. Find your local BBB on bbb.org and call that number.
- Accreditation is voluntary and separate from your rating, and dues do not buy a rating.
- A complaint that needs a response has a clock on it, so verify quickly rather than ignoring it.
The Four Reasons Behind a BBB Call
A call that claims to be from the BBB is most often one of four things: accreditation outreach, a complaint or review, a business information check, or a scam.
There is no single script for these calls, and we do not claim to know how any one BBB runs its outreach. What we can do is sort the possibilities by what BBB publishes about itself and by the way scammers use its name.
| Reason | What it usually sounds like | How to treat it |
|---|---|---|
| Accreditation outreach | Someone invites you to join or asks about becoming accredited | Optional. Take your time and decide on the facts |
| A complaint or review | You are told a customer has filed something and you are asked to respond | Verify, then respond inside the window |
| Business information check | A request to confirm details such as your address, owner or licenses | Verify the caller first, then confirm details through your profile |
| Scam impersonation | Pressure, fees, gift cards, or a threat about your rating | Hang up, and do not call back the number given |
The first three are plausible because they match things BBB says it does. The fourth is why this page exists. Whichever you think it is, the safe first step is the same: verify the caller before you share anything.
Step Zero: Verify the Caller Yourself
Verify any call that claims to be from the BBB by finding your local BBB on bbb.org and contacting it directly, never by calling the number from the call.
Local BBBs are independently incorporated, and the International Association of Better Business Bureaus sets standards and runs bbb.org. That means the right office to ask is your local BBB, and the listing on bbb.org is the way to find it.
Do not give anything away
No payment details, no account logins, no one-time codes, no personal information. A real office can wait while you check.
Write down what they said
Note the caller's name, the office they claim, the reason for the call, the number that called and the time.
End the call politely
You can say you will contact the office yourself. A legitimate caller will not mind.
Find your local BBB on bbb.org
Type the address into your browser yourself rather than following a link from an email or text.
Call the number listed there
Ask whether anyone from the office contacted you, and what the call was about.
Check your own profile
Look up your business on bbb.org and see whether a complaint, review or request is showing.
A scammer can give you a real-looking number that connects back to them. Caller ID can also be faked. Only a number you found yourself on bbb.org is worth trusting.
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Reason 1: Accreditation Outreach
A call about accreditation is an invitation to a voluntary, paid program, and you can say no without any effect on your rating.
BBB says accreditation is voluntary and separate from the rating. It also says the rating is based on the business's complaint history and its interactions with customers, not on whether it pays dues, and that dues do not buy a rating or remove a complaint.
So if a caller suggests you need to join to protect or fix your grade, that is not what BBB's published position says. Accreditation does not change your rating.
What accreditation involves, according to BBB's published standards, is a B rating minimum at all company-owned locations and headquarters, at least six months actively selling, a fee that depends on factors including business size, and ongoing compliance with eight standards for trust. Your local BBB makes the accreditation decision.
What to do
- Ask the caller to send details in writing so you can verify them through bbb.org
- Do not agree to or pay anything on the call
- Confirm your current rating before deciding, because a B is the minimum
- Read is BBB accreditation worth it to decide on the numbers
- Tell the caller no thanks if it does not fit. That has no effect on your rating
Reason 2: A Complaint or Review Needs a Response
A call about a complaint is worth taking seriously because BBB asks for a response within 10 to 15 calendar days of filing, and an unanswered complaint carries the widest published point range.
According to BBB's complaint process, it forwards a complaint to the business within two business days, asks for a response within 10 to 15 calendar days of filing, sends a follow-up if there is none, and generally closes complaints about 30 calendar days after filing. We advise responding within 10 days.
The reason to care is the scoring. BBB's published scale lists unanswered complaints at 40 to 0 points and unresolved complaints at 30 to 0. A complaint that sits without a response can matter a lot more than the complaint itself.
If a call is the first you hear of a complaint, verify it through bbb.org, then look for the complaint in your profile. Reviews work differently. BBB gives the business a chance to confirm the interaction and respond before a review is published.
What to do
- Verify the call using the steps above, not the number the caller gave
- Log in to your BBB business profile, or ask your local BBB, to see what is open
- Note the filing date and count forward to find your deadline, or use our complaint deadline calculator
- Read how to respond to a BBB complaint and write a specific, courteous reply
- If the complaint is not one BBB handles, say so in writing. See can a BBB complaint be removed
Reason 3: Verifying Business Information
A call to confirm your business details can be genuine, because licensing, time in business and transparency are rating elements, but it is also a favorite scam opening.
BBB's published rating elements include time in business, transparent business practices and licensing information. A BBB file depends on accurate information, and BBB states that a rating is built from information in a business's BBB file. So a request to confirm or update details is plausible.
It is also the easiest opening for a scam, because it sounds routine. The rule is the same. Do not read out or confirm anything until you have verified the caller yourself. Then update details through your own profile rather than over the phone.
A missing or outdated license can carry a published deduction of up to 41 points in the licensing element, so keeping your profile accurate is worth doing on your own schedule, whether or not anyone calls.
Reason 4: A Scam Using the BBB's Name
A call is probably a scam if it pushes you to pay now, demands unusual payment, or threatens your rating or accreditation unless you act.
The Better Business Bureau name carries trust, which is why it gets copied. We cannot tell you how common this is, and we will not invent a number. What we can say is that BBB states it is not a government agency and holds no regulatory power, so any caller claiming it can fine you, freeze you or take legal action is not describing BBB's published role.
Warning signs
- Pressure to act today or lose your rating
- A fee demanded by phone, gift card, wire or crypto
- A threat of fines, legal action or shutdown
- A request for passwords, codes or full card numbers
- A caller who dodges when you ask to call back via bbb.org
- A claim that paying will fix your grade
What to do
- Hang up without sharing anything
- Do not call back the number that called you
- Report it through the FTC at ftc.gov
- Tell your staff so nobody else acts on a similar call
- Check your own profile on bbb.org for the real status
If you already shared information or paid, contact your bank or card provider right away, change any affected passwords and report it. Acting fast helps.
Does Accepting or Declining Change Your Rating?
No. BBB states that accreditation is voluntary and separate from the rating, and that dues do not buy a rating.
Owners often wonder whether saying no to a sales call will hurt them. According to BBB, it will not. Your rating is built from the information in your business's BBB file, and the published elements are complaint history, type of business, time in business, transparent business practices, failure to honor commitments to BBB, licensing information and advertising issues.
Your rating moves with complaints and how you handle them, not with whether you join or answer a phone. Read how BBB ratings work for the full published scale.
You do not have to like the BBB, or take its calls, to do well on it. Verify, respond to what is real and decide on accreditation as a business decision.
If the Real Reason Is a Low Rating
If the call exposed a rating problem, the next step is a clear picture of what is costing you points, which a free audit gives you.
Sometimes a call, real or not, is what finally makes an owner look at the profile. If you find open complaints, a grade lower than you expected, or a pattern alert, the fix is usually in the published elements.
Business Rating Fix is an independent service operated by Reputation Resolutions. We are not affiliated with the BBB, and we cannot change a rating, because only the BBB assigns it. What we do is audit your profile against the published elements and tell you what is costing points, in priority order. All our work is results-based. Before work starts we agree in writing on the result, such as moving from a B+ to an A, and you pay when that result is delivered. The audit is free with no obligation. Start with the free BBB audit.
