Thousands of Americans have been victimized by the Nigerian e-mail scam, fallen for pyramid schemes or simply experienced the effects of underhanded business practices, Better Business Bureau CEO and President Jim Winsett said.
He wants to put a stop to it.
"Some of the stories are heartbreaking, but it's all about consumer awareness," he said.
Fifty years ago, the Chattanooga Better Business Bureau was founded with 56 members to provide information to consumers and make sure businesses in the area conform to industry standards.
"We report on business, try to prevent fraud and have a dispute resolution center," Mr. Winsett said. "We provide businesses and consumers with a neutral third party."
Mark Webb, a BBB board member, said maintaining trust between businesses and consumers is an important facet of BBB operations.
"The ability to trust, the ability to honor your word in every realm is important," Mr. Webb said. "I know I feel very convicted and glad that the BBB is around because they promote trust and honesty within the business community."
The BBB also provides education resources to new businesses, from marketing tips to help with strategic planning, and monitors advertising for false claims, according to BBB board member Tim Tolar.
"It gives businesses and it gives the advertising community a way to standardize the practices that they think are important as far as establishing the integrity of the business community," Mr. Tolar said.
Charter Members 1960 to todayCapital ToyotaChattanooga Gas Co.ChattemEPBFirst Tennessee BankFischer EvansGordons CleanersHazlett, Lewis & BieterLong of ChattanoogaMayfield DairyMountain View ChevroletOlan MillsRegions BankRone RegencySunTrust BankKrystal Co.UnumSource: Chattanooga BBB
Staffers do an advertising review every other week, looking through newspapers, trade magazines and television commercials, he said.
For consumers, the BBB has broadened its online presence to expand its appeal to younger consumers. Originally, reports on a particular business were delivered by hand. As the years passed, the BBB moved to a telephone system staffed by operators, then an automated system.
Now, company records are available online, accompanied by a letter grade.
A business with few or no complaints receives an A or a B, while a business with many unresolved complaints may receive a failing grade, Mr. Winsett said.
Jay Leggett, the group's chairman, said demand for services has shot up in response to new methods of presenting information.
"In 2009, the BBB answered more than 130,000 consumer inquiries, and the volume of these inquiries has increased 40 percent since 2009," Mr. Leggett said. "This year to date, we have answered more than 90,000 consumer inquiries."
The next project for the BBB is search engine optimization, Mr. Winsett added, making sure that BBB business reports pop up when users search for a particular type of business on the Internet.
"If you search for a plumber in Tennessee on Google, you should see a BBB report on Joe's plumbing pop up on the front page," he said.
The Chattanooga BBB has 10 employees covering 11 counties in Tennessee and 10 in Northwest Georgia.
Editor's Note: Jim Winsett of the BBB writes a weekly column on business-related consumer matters that appears Friday in the Times Free Press.