BBB - Better Business Bureau aggressive marketing, harrassment, extortion Albuquerque, New Mexico

The New Mexico Better Business Bureau has been harrassing me relentlessly to join.  While I have declined each time, they refuse to stop calling me. When I did a web search to find out how to stop harrassing telemarketers, most of the results said to file a complaint with the Better Business Bureau!  What a joke! 

After three phone calls TODAY, I finally filed a report with the FTC (below).  Let's see if they are in bed with the BBB.

"The New Mexico Better Business Bureau has been calling me and harassing me to join for two weeks now.  The first call was answered by my husband.  He directed the representative to me as I am the office manage and make spending decisions for our company.  I politely told the caller that we were not interested in joining the Better Business Bureau at this time.  I explained that we were opening a new business and that we were only spending on necessary items.  He proceeded to tell me that my husband told him that we were to join the BBB and that I was to give him my credit card number.  Having been in the same room with my husband when he received the call, I knew for a fact that this was untrue.  I politely declined and said that I would call him if we were to change our minds but did not want him to call me back.  This gentleman has called me 5 times since I asked him not to call anymore.  His attitude has become increasingly aggressive and hostile.  He has made thinly veiled threats about negative ratings that we would see if we did not join and has made very disparaging remarks about women business owners.  I have asked him each occasion to stop calling.  While I want the calls to cease, I worry that he may harm my business by slandering our company name because I refused to pay – flat out extortion.  Ironically, you cannot report the BBB to the BBB as the Better Business Bureau is not a member of its own organization…"