Can you rely on the Better Business Bureau?

When I was considering becoming an EASI Affiliate, one of the many inadequate steps that I took was to check with the Better Business Bureau. After all, everyone has heard of the BBB, and surely their information can be relied upon. Correct? They are reputable, aren't they? Don't they exist to help protect the little guy?

At that time, BBB indicated no red flags. That was encouraging, and contributed to my decision to move forward with EASI.

Fast forward a few years to when I filed a complaint against EASI with the BBB and pursued it over a period of time. The BBB facilitated a correspondence between myself and EASI which consisted of me laying out my basis for complaint with the BBB and EASI admitting nothing, denying everything, and making counteraccusations. After a few rounds of this correspondence, the BBB dropped out of the process, citing an unfortunate inability to resolve the dispute. The reality is that they didn't really do anything but pass written communications between myself and EASI.

If you were to look on the BBB website during the time of this complaint and after, it showed that there were zero complaints on file about EASI. I don't really understand that. Clearly, they were mediating an active complaint. I could be wrong, but the impression I got from the BBB was that their process only works if the defending party agrees that there was a wrong and agrees to take action to make it right. If that does not happen, the BBB drops out of the process, and will not record it as a complaint. Since I am not aware of EASI ever admitting to wrongdoing, I guess I should not be surprised to see zero complaints against EASI on the BBB website.

Here is a link to another blog on the web (with which I have no affiliation) that discusses the subject of EASI and the BBB:

http://bizop.ca/blog2/due-diligence/better-business-bureau-of-midd.html

Are you confused yet? Me too. Apparently I do not understand what the BBB is all about and how it works.

Do you? If you don't fully understand how the BBB works and whose interests they serve, maybe that's reason enough to not rely on their information.

Washington State Law Violated by EASI

I have added a new link to the January 5, 2009 document from Washington (State):

"STATEMENT OF CHARGES AND NOTICE OF INTENT TO ENTER ORDER TO CEASE AND DESIST" filed by the State of Washington against EASI.

Similar to recent findings by the State of Maryland, Investigation by the State of Washington found that EASI sold dealerships to individuals in the State of Washington while not registered to do so, and failed to disclose required information to those dealers, including a 2002 Chapter 7 Bankruptcy of Paul Bleiweis and various lawsuits.

EASI had been registered to sell their business opportunities in Washington on more than one occasion in the past, dating back to June 1999, indicating their awareness of the responsibility to meet state-mandated requirements to sell dealerships there.

A prospective dealer must ask the question, "Why, when EASI has been aware of state requirements to register and to disclose required information to prospective dealers since at least 1999, do they continue a pattern of behavior in which they fail to disclose material information to prospective dealers?" Have they been sloppy and negligent about complying with state laws that are designed to protect prospective buyers of business opportunities, or is this behavior intentional? Either way, neither answer is good for a prospective dealer.

The document may be found by searching for "EASI" at http://dfi.wa.gov/sd/ordersearchengine.htm

Which leads to:
http://dfi.wa.gov/sd/orders/S-07-480-08-SC01.pdf