*** BBB OF MAINLAND B.C. CONSUMER BULLETIN - JANUARY 14, 2008 *** 

Vancouver, BC – The Better Business Bureau (BBB) celebrates its 70-year birthday by announcing it’s changed the way businesses affiliated with the organization are designated, from "BBB Member" to "BBB Accredited Business." This change is part of a larger public outreach campaign highlighting the valuable information, resources and services the BBB offers to help people make informed pre-purchase decisions and avoid scams and frauds.  

"Consumers should always Start With Trust with their BBB for reliable, objective advice, including which businesses they can trust and which businesses they need to avoid," Pasacreta added. "Your BBB is, and always has been, the standard for trust in business. We want to make sure the public doesn’t lose out on all the information and services available."

The new accredited designation highlights the fact that businesses affiliated with the BBB contractually agree to meet and uphold the BBB’s high standards for integrity and reliability when dealing with consumers. The BBB reviews each potential accredited business and strictly enforces its standards, rewarding only those meeting and upholding BBB Standards For Trust.

"Accreditation speaks to what a business has achieved, stands for and promises to consumers," said Lynda Pasacreta, President and CEO of the Better Business Bureau serving Mainland BC. "BBB Accredited Businesses pledge to follow through on their commitments, deliver on their promises and right any wrongs if honest mistakes are made."

In a recent survey conducted by Princeton Survey Research Associates International on behalf of the BBB, two-thirds of consumers "say they think the term BBB Accredited Business is a better way to identify a company affiliated with the BBB."

Other visible changes at the BBB include a new logo, a soon-to-be-released redesigned website and a new tagline—"Start With Trust." This new tagline describes the vision and spirit of the BBB to work with businesses and consumers to create a strong marketplace where buyers and sellers can trust each other.

To further the BBB’s goal to cultivate and encourage trust between consumers and businesses, the BBB has introduced the BBB Torch Awards for Marketplace Ethics to give public recognition to these small, medium and large businesses that consumers feel are committed to customer service excellence.

 In addition, the BBB continues to offer the same services consumers have always relied upon for help in every stage of the buying process, including:

* BBB tips and alerts – The BBB provides pre-purchase advice on a wide range of issues and also posts alerts on the latest scams and fraud incidences and tips on how to avoid them. 

· BBB reports on businesses and charities – BBB Reliability Reports on businesses and reports on

charities help people make informed decisions and find trustworthy businesses and charities with factual and

objective information gathered by the BBB.

· Complaint and dispute resolution services – People can contact their BBB to help them resolve disputes

 with any type of business and for specific automobile manufacturer issues, they can get help from The

Canadian Motor Vehicle Arbitration Plan.

For more information about BBB and to see and access new products and resources, visit www.bbb.org or call 604-682-2711 or for those outside the “250” area code call: 1-888-803-1222 (1BBB).

 The Better Business Bureau of Mainland BC is a private, nonprofit association that has been promoting integrity in the marketplace for 70 years. The BBB serves all of British Columbia in the Lower Mainland, Thompson - Okanagan, Northern, Central and Southern Interior of BC.

For more information, please contact:

Sheila Charneski, President
Better Business Bureau of Mainland B.C.
Tel: 604-688-8731
Email: president@bbbvan.org

Simone Lis, Director of Operations
Better Business Bureau of Mainland B.C.
Tel: 604-681-7476
Email: simone@bbbvan.org

Better Business Bureau of Mainland B.C.
Suite 404, 788 Beatty Street
Vancouver, B.C., V6B 2M1
Tel: (604) 681-0312, Fax: (604) 681-1544
Website: www.bbbvan.org