[Mishmash] Eastman Kodak Ditches Better Business Bureau

[Richard Barth]

The BBB apparently has no clout with companies that are not members; 
the only power they have is probably a threat to eject them.  If a 
business doesn't care what BBB says about them (or if it's already 
saying unpleasant things, as seems to be the case here) they can quit 
and save the dues.

I recently had occasion to deal with BBB when somebody backed into my 
car in a 7-11 parking lot.  He admitted he was responsible; his boss 
(it was a company truck) asked me to get an estimate and send it to 
their insurance company.  The insurance company, which was out of 
state, wanted an estimate from the local auto dealer they were used 
to dealing with so I went there for another estimate.  Their 
estimator told me, flat out, that the insurance company was going to 
turn down my claim.  He was right.  After stalling for several 
months, including asserting they hadn't received my claim letter (for 
which I had a signed receipt) and repeatedly making assertions I had 
already stated were false, their rep made it quite clear they were 
going to weasel out of paying by trying to invoke a contributory 
negligence provision in Maryland law that says a claimant who is even 
1% responsible cannot collect.  They came up with a set of 
double-talk arguments saying, essentially, that I could have avoided 
the accident by being someplace else when their driver backed 
up.  The BBB could get nothing from them, and suggested I contact a 
lawyer.  I did so, asking about small claims court, and found out 
that since they insurance outfit was out of state they could stall 
the process for months, and then appeal an unfavorable decision.

I finally decided to file a claim under my own collision 
coverage.  My insurance company -- GEICO -- immediately paid the 
claim, then took a look at the record I'd accumulated and filed for 
binding arbitration against the other outfit.  And won.  I got my 
deductible back.

Interesting thing I discovered in the process of researching the 
other company.  There is a web site that lists 100 insurance 
companies, rating them in terms of the complaints filed with state 
insurance commissioners.  This outfit was dead last, and had been 
last or nearly so for years.  The web site recommended that anyone 
having coverage with that outfit cancel it and go elsewhere.

It all seems to hinge on whether a company cares about its 
reputation.  Some don't.  Or figure a big advertising budget will 
cover up the facts.

Dick

At 09:04 AM 3/27/2007, you wrote:
>Eastman Kodak Ditches Better Business Bureau
>FOX News
>
>What do you think about this?
>My experiences with the BBB have been nothing but positive.  I 
>always check with the BBB before making any major purchase 
>(automobiles, especially).
>Did I ever tell the story of how the BBB forced General Motors to 
>buy my car back from me because they would make no significant 
>effort to identify the cause of my intermittent highway speed brake fa

Richard Barth *** W3HWN(at)ARRL.NET *** Silver Spring, MD