The Better Business Bureau was founded in the early 1900s, in New York City, by a group of private businessmen. These businessmen were known as The Gentlemen's Advertising League, presently known as the Ad Club of New York. According to their website, the purpose of the Better Business Bureau was to combat and correct the unfair business practices, that were so common at that time.

These corrupt businesses tarnished the reputation of the honest businesses and this caused damage to the consumers and to all business relationships. Statistics show, the Better Business Bureau helped to decrease the number of fraudulent business practices and helped the consumers regain their trust.http://espanol.newyork.bbb.org/default.aspx?pid=310

Today, there are more than 123 Better Business Bureau offices located in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. These independent BBB offices work in conjunction, being licensed and regulated under the code of ethics of the Council of Better Business Bureaus.

Businesses listed with the Better Business Bureau, must be accredited. There are several requirements that the BBB looks for to help them determine if a business meet these qualifications. The BBB makes it clear that there is a fee for this accreditation, that includes, ongoing support of their services and regular reviews. The seal of approval from the Bureau does not indicate that the merchandise sold is endorsed by the BBB.http://www.bbb.org/us/Business-Accreditation/http://www.newyork.bbb.org/bbb-faqs/

Some of the BBB core services include:

• ■ Business Reliability Reports
• ■ Consumer Fraud Prevention
• ■ Resolution of Complaints and Disputes
• ■ Truth-in-Advertising
• ■ Consumer and Business Education
• ■ Effectiveness Education

If a business is not listed with the Better Business Bureau, that does not mean that the business does not have the same honest ethics as those who are listed with the BBB. It could just mean that the business in questions has not applied for accreditation.http://www.bbb.org/us/Business-Accreditation/

The responsibilities of the Better Business Bureau are discussed in this video. The local business owners in Alberta, Canada are shown talking about their personal experiences, their responsibilities and their affiliation with this particular BBB franchise. The accountability and responsibilities of the consumer is also discussed in the video.

The business practices of some of the men and women were not based on honesty and integrity, in the late 1800s and the early 1900s. They sold lies and made up promises that they sold to the consumers in the form of snake oil cures, healing lotions and potions, that were sometimes nothing more than plain water, mixed with an alcoholic beverage. The businesses that chose to deal honestly decided to form an organization, that later became known as the Better Business Bureau.http://www.csicop.org/sb/show/peddling_snake_oil/http://espanol.newyork.bbb.org/default.aspx?pid=310

Each BBB charter has a set of core values that they adhere to. The BBB website states, if a business in the community is listed with the local Better Business Bureau, each of these business has to represent a set of values and standards for trust, that are a requirement of inclusion.http://www.bbb.org/us/About-BBB/

• ■ Build Confidence - A proven and positive report in the business community must be established.

• ■ Honorable Advertising - The advertising and selling methods used by an establishment must be above board and the claims in advertising should always be true.

• ■ Transparency - The name of the owner, telephone number and location of the business should be available and publicly listed. Written and disclosed policies, guarantees and business procedures are necessary.

• ■ Quick responses - If there is a dispute or problem with any of your products or services, quick and favorable resolutions are the rule.

• ■ Privacy policy - The private, personal information collected from each customer is to be guarded and protected.

• ■ Integrity - All business dealings, including transactions, services and the products sold should convey honesty.http://www.bbb.org/us/bbb-standards-for-trust/