5 Ways Better Business Bureau® Helps Homeowners

 

 Owning a home can be stressful sometimes. From dealing with sudden roof leaks to faulty appliances, you’re bound to encounter a variety of challenges. When problems arise, Better Business Bureau can help. In fact, more than 3.4 million Marylanders visited BBB.org in 2020  to find reliable information about local businesses. If you own a home or a rental property, here are five ways BBB can help you.

 

Find trustworthy service providers like contractors, roofers, and more – in your neighborhood.

When you see the BBB Accredited Business seal on a storefront or on a business profile in the BBB Business Directory, you can make confident decisions fast. That’s because the BBB Accredited Business seal is a badge of honor. Only those who uphold our standards for trust can display the BBB Accredited Business seal.

 

Evaluate businesses before hiring them.

Recommendations from friends and family, commercials, and social media can all help you find new businesses, but sometimes you want to learn more before making a commitment. Over 49,000 Maryland businesses have a BBB profile, which displays their BBB rating, customer reviews, and complaints if they have any. Researching businesses on BBB.org allows you to determine if a company is trustworthy and responsive, so you can make confident decisions about where to spend your money.

 

Stay informed about scams affecting homeowners.

Between 2019 and 2020, reports of scams jumped, due in large part to the pandemic. In November 2020, BGE revealed their customers reported a major rise in utility scams, following the end of a utility shutoff moratorium that had been in place up to that point. Thanks to the BBB Scam Tracker, an online crowd-sourcing tool where Marylander's report scams they’ve encountered, BBB always has relevant tips and scam alerts to help protect you from fraud.

 

Resolve complaints against service providers.

Even after doing ample research, some purchases just don’t live up to the expectations, or worse they become a major problem. When this happens, customers can submit a complaint to BBB. Although BBB cannot guarantee complainants receive the desired outcome, we have helped countless customers resolve issues with businesses. In doing so, we hold businesses accountable to high standards of trustworthiness, and consumers learn important information about local businesses.

 

When tough issues arise, BBB offers Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR).

Let’s face it. Some conflicts between businesses and consumers aren’t easily resolved. Conflicting parties can’t always come to a consensus, but most people don’t want to escalate their disputes to the costly and time-consuming legal system. That’s where BBB’s ADR services can help. Through ADR, the conflicting parties can work towards a resolution alongside a trained neutral party.


Credits: BBB of Greater Maryland