IMPORTANT NOTICE!

SPOTLIGHT ON: Feldman Law Center

Below is a story written by Consumer Advocate Martin Andelman. Mr. Andelman knows the Feldman Law Center employees, Steven Feldman and Greg Feldman intimately.... If you are considering using ANY attorney for a loan modification Feldman  Law Center has done thousands of them. Unfortunately there are competitors and disgruntled employees that use the Internet to slander companies and law firms like the Center. The truth is Feldman is one of the best choices for this service. They provide an service to the community and have saved thousands of homes from foreclosure... there are to date 4 legitimate complaints to the State Bar about Feldman and ALL have been answered and Steven Feldman is still helping homeowners every single day. The funny thing is.... ALL 4 CLIENTS THAT COMPLAINED RECIEVED LOAN MODIFICATIONS THAT FELDMAN LAW CENTER NEGOTIATED! THEY JUST THOUGHT FELDMAN COULD HAVE DONE BETTER.... PRETTY TYPICAL FOR THIS LINE OF WORK.... I GUESS YOU HAVE TO HAVE PRETTY THICK SKIN AS A LOAN MODIFICATION ATTORNEY... BTW- STEVEN C. FELDMAN IS A NATIONALLY RENOWN SPORTS AGENT AS WELL... WHY THE HELL WOULD HE RISK LOSING EVERYTHING HE'S WORKED HARD FOR? FOR A FEW THOUSAND DOLLARS? YOU'RE KIDDING RIGHT!

The Feldman Law Center was founded by Steven C. Feldman who has been licensed by the State Bar of California for over 25 years. The firm is an advocate for consumers and homeowners  who are concerned about protecting their homes. The Law Offices were established to focus on real estate matters that include debt negotiation, predatory lending violations and settlements. Their primary mission is to provide our clients with proper legal advice and share our knowledge and expertise in the areas of real estate transactions, mortgage negotiations, loan modifications and debt settlement.

They are there to help stop foreclosures and fight mortgage fraud. In addition, theyre committed to assisting in mitigating losses in the hard hit financial sector and restore stability to our banking industry. With state of the art technology and a very professional staff Feldman Law has the experience necessary to achieve the most dynamic resolutions available and help stop foreclosure in this troubled market, fast and effectively.

Ive spent quite a bit of time with Steve Feldman and many of the others in his firm.  In fact, on several occasions Ive spent the entire afternoon there and was able to really get a sense of how the people and the firm operates.  This is the kind of firm where a real person answers the phone and I like that a lot.

One of the things that impressed me was their system for talking to and accepting new clients its all automated and networked throughout various departments, so files move efficiently from one department to another.  This is no amateur operation, Ill tell you that.  I asked how much the firm invested in their technology (they have a programmer on staff, and on-site) and were talking something in the many tens of thousands range.

The other thing that impressed me about Feldman Law Center is attorney Steve Feldman himself.  I have to admit here that Steve is my kind of attorney in that hes no kid.  (Sorry, Steve.)  Im not saying that younger lawyers arent just as good or maybe even better in some situations, but I like someone my own age thats been around the block at least once.  Dont get me wrong, Steves probably only a year or two older than I am (Im about to turn 48).  But, hes confident and that kind of confidence comes from experience.

I also believe that Steve is a very ethical attorney and honorable person.  While I was there he showed me the three complaints that had been filed by clients of the firm I believe two had received loan modifications, and one had been refunded their money.  Theyve helped thousands of homeowners, so three complaints arent that big a deal.  But he was very concerned about each one.  Very concerned.

The thing to remember is that the firm uses their new client system to screen every new client, so if they take your case, its because they think they can help in a meaningful way.  They do charge a retainer to take your case, but they also offer to return a significant portion of that retainer should they be unable to persuade your lender to be reasonable.

Every homeowner should understand the banks are rarely easy to deal with and no one can know what theyre going to do until they do it.  Still, I think hiring an expert helps, and I would think that hiring an expert like Steve Feldman would certainly produce a better outcome than I could do myself.  But thats just me

You can contact Feldman Law Center at 800-527-8497.

And their offices are in South Orange County, right off the 5 Freeway and very easy to find.

27201 Puerta Real #200
Mission Viejo, CA 92691

Tell Steve I said hello and ask him whatever questions you have on your mind.

Hes the kind of guy who will help you in any way he can.

Martin Andelman from www.mandelmanmatters.com speaks out on Feldman Law Center... see below!

My Experiences With Feldman Law Center

I first walked into Feldman Law Center more than six months ago.  The doors to the law firm were open wide and the office, although quite nice, wasnt anything remarkable just what youd expect from a small law firm.  I wanted to meet with Steve Feldman, of Feldman Law Center, because several others told me that they were one of the larger firms helping homeowners at risk of losing their homes with loan modifications.

Id heard that Feldman advertised a lot on radio and television, and that always makes people talk law firms, I suppose, arent supposed to advertise, for some reason, although theyve been doing it for many years now and are allowed to do it within certain parameters.  Anyway, I wanted to go see this well-known loan modification firm to see if they were doing good things for people, or whether, as my government was telling everyone they were scammers.

Now, before I got started on my journey into the world of loan modification firms, I had to decide what the definition of scammer really was, and I decided that it was someone who took your money and delivered nothing in return.  Simple, right?  I thought so.

So, I called Mr. Feldman.  And he answered the phone.  He was at dinner when I called; it was, apparently, his cousins 50^th birthday and they were celebrating.  Pretty normal, so far.  We agreed to meet the following week and we did.  He was in my neck of the woods visiting a client, so we decided to meet at a TGI Fridays for a drink and some potato skins.  (Come on their potato skins are the bomb.)

Steves a lawyer, and a nice guy.  We talked for a couple of hours and frankly, there was nothing that indicated that he was doing anything but fighting with lenders and servicers on behalf of homeowners, which is no easy task, I might add.

Its become a very unpopular job, by the way, which Ive always found to be absolutely weird, to be entirely candid.  I mean, doesnt it sound weird to everyone else too?  Why in the world would a lawyer who offers to help people save their homes from foreclosure be thought of as unpopular?  Lawyers that take peoples homes away I understand why theyd be unpopular, but the other way around?  Its really strange

So, I arranged to visit Feldman Law Center a few days later.  I got there in the late afternoon and Steve walked me around the office introducing me to the various members of his staff.  The firm has several attorneys and each attorney has maybe 4-5 people assisting.  Its not a very big office; they use the space well.  Theyre also very organized and very technology driven.  Each department is set up to work seamlessly with the others, and the whole operation works on a computer system that they had someone build from the ground up to meet their specifications.  I have to tell you its very cool.

When a potential client calls into Feldman Law Center the person they talk to is entering information into the system from the very beginning, and the system is designed to tell the lawyers at Feldman whether the homeowner is a likely candidate for a loan modification.  If they are, fine, their case gets assigned to an attorney and the process starts.  And if theyre not, then they talk to them about other alternatives to foreclosure, such as short sales and the like.  Its really very efficient and everyone that works on that clients file has access to the system so they all know whats happening at all times.

They know exactly when a clients file went to the lender, when the lender responded and what was said.  They can easily get the lender or servicer copies of whatever they lost which happens all the time and if the lender or servicer is following the rules of the government program, they say that they generally get the loan modified.

But the best part of my tour that day was when I was standing off to the side listening to one of the Feldman negotiators who was obviously talking with a bank employee.  She was saying:

No.  No.  My borrower cannot afford that!  You have to make the monthly payment fit within their budget or whats the point?  Yes you can!  No.  No.

She was relentless.  And it went on for at least  10 minutes.  There was no way this Feldman employee was going to let this bank give her client a modification that wouldnt work.  But she was having trouble getting the bank to see it her way.  She placed the call on hold and went over to speak with Steve.  I dont know what she said to him because I was too far away to hear clearly.  Steve heard though, and went to his desk and closed the door, while she transferred the call to him.

Steve was on the phone with that bank for 45 minutes.  I know because I was waiting to talk with him and it seemed like it was taking forever.  When he came out he was happy he slammed the file down in front of me. Got them to reduce the monthly payment by over $ 1300 a month.  They initially wouldnt come off of the 5 1/2 % number, but they finally did.  I got them 3% fixed for 5 years.  We just hit a home run, but you watch the client wont like it theyll complain that they wanted a principal reduction.  This business is insane, he said.

Steve opined about how the clients want the world from their lenders but that the lenders dont even want to give them what the Presidents plan allows let alone anything more.   It must be very frustrating to do what he does day in and day out.  I dont think I could do it.

While I was there that afternoon, I saw nothing but dedicated people doing a thankless job while getting attacked by everyone the banks servicers the government the media no one likes someone whos helping a homeowner get their loan modified and like I said its weird.

Feldman completes hundreds of loan modifications each month, and theyre not the least bit afraid of taking on the difficult cases, which I find to be admirable.  Ive seen them save homes that were already sold!  Seriously theyve gotten cases overturned after the persons home was sold and they got it back for the homeowner.

Ive even seen Feldman Law Center get principal reductions of more than a hundred thousand dollars!  No, not everyday, or even every week, but at least half a dozen times and thats just when theyve shown the case to me.  Im sure its happened more than that.  And they almost always get modifications that are frankly amazing in my opinion.  I havent needed to apply for a loan modification as yet, thank God, but some of the deals Ive seen Feldman get would certainly help someone stay in their home.  I mean, were talking many hundreds of dollars a month being shaved off of someones payment here not twenty bucks.

Heres the thing about Feldman Law Center that I think gets lost for some people they are a big firm, in that they help a lot of people.  Their records show that theyve modified many hundreds of loans.  And theyve helped people with short sales, cash for keys, deeds in lieu, and whatever else they can arrange to help a homeowner avoid foreclosure.  Its a bad situation that people find themselves in today, but Feldman Law Center certainly does everything they can to make it the best it can be and I dont think you can ask for much more than that.

But when you deal with that many homeowners, especially during times like were experiencing in this country today, there will some you cannot please.  There will be a few that wont be satisfied with the amount of their loan modification and there will be a few that will complain about their lawyer even though in truth they really should be complaining about their banker or loan servicer.  And Im sure there will be times when the firm will fall short of expectations for other reasons.

I understand.  Id be pissed at the situation too.  I cant imagine what someone goes through when losing their home as a result of an economic meltdown that was caused by bankers in the first place.  It makes me sick to my stomach every time I hear about another homeowner losing a home, and later that day I get to read about Citibank giving out billions in bonuses to the very same people who either caused this crisis, or watched it unfold without saying a word.

Growing up in this country, I would have said that whats happening today would be impossible.  Our government would never bail out the banks with trillions and then let the homeowners swing in the breeze.  Were the voters, remember?  How can we be letting our government do what theyre doing?  I dont care whether youre on the left or on the right whats happening to homeowners today is flat out wrong.  Period.  And to those that dont think so well, theres no reason for us to talk, because were not going to be friends.  Such people arent bright enough or caring enough to be my friend, hows that for being clear about where I stand on this issue?

So, its understandable that people are upset at the situation.  And its understandable a small percentage are going to complain.  After all, Wells Fargo doesnt have a complaint department for people unhappy with their loan modifications.  But you can certainly go online and complain about your lawyer.

Ive talked to many homeowners who were unhappy about the firm they hired to help them obtain a loan modification, and many, justifiably so.  But, I also look at the data from the Treasury Department showing that lenders and servicers have only modified a tiny percentage of mortgages under the HAMP program.  I also have looked at the number of lawsuits that have been filed against lenders and servicers, and the blunt truth is the behavior of the lenders and servicers seems much more offensive than all but the worst of the private sector firms.  Unquestionably, a lot worse than anything Ive even heard anyone say about Feldman Law.

I looked at my watch that first day as I listened to various others talk with lenders and servicers and it was 7:10pm and everyone was still going strong, and seemed happy about what they were doing for a living.  Amazing, was all I could think at the time.

Then about a month ago, someone who Chairs a committee at the California State Bar invited me to come to the Bars annual meeting to attend a symposium on loan modifications in San Diego.  I went and sat right up front ready to learn something about how the Bar saw the situation.

I was shocked.  Not just at their obvious lack of empathy, but also at their appalling lack of knowledge of what was going on in real life today for millions of Americans.  Honestly, it was sickening.  If I had a fork at my table I would have stabbed it into my thigh just to stop the pain.

The speaker was an academic a law school professor.  He had never done a loan modification; never known anyone who got a loan modification what he knew about the subject you could put in a thimble.

A week later the California State Bar published a list of attorneys they said were being investigated for some undefined type of misconduct.  Some of the names on the list were lawyers who had already been shut down by the FTC and Attorney Generals office.  But there, towards the bottom of the list was the name: Steve Feldman.  And I have to tell you, I was taken aback.

First of all, I was surprised that Steves name would appear on such a list, but I was also shocked that the State Bar would publish such a list in the first place.  Its unbelievable to me that an organization that reports to the Supreme Court of the State of California an organization supposedly dedicated to the laws in this country, which last time I checked included protections against being put on a list without knowing why or being found guilty of something that kind of organization would do something like this well, its just unconscionable.

I went to visit Steve the next day.  I knew hed be upset who wouldnt be.  Steves been practicing law for like 25 years without appearing on any lists, so this was bound to be unsettling.

When I arrived, and he came into the office where I was waiting, he sat down, put his head into his hands and said to me: Why am I on that list, Martin?

I felt terrible for him.  Id feel terrible for anyone in that type of situation, who didnt even know why he or she was on the list.  How would any of us like to wake up one morning to find that someone had placed our name on a list saying that we were being investigated for some sort of wrongdoing?  It would stress out anyone.  And its unquestionably wrong.

Feldman isnt hard to find or get a hold of hell, their front door to their office is always wide open, just like it was the very first day I came for a tour.  Ive been there more than a dozen times since then and its always the same place.  Ive walked in unannounced on several occasions.  Nothing exciting just a law office with a bunch of people doing their jobs helping homeowners save the most important possession in their lives their homes.

In my way of thinking, if the State Bar wanted to investigate something about Feldman Law Center why couldnt they have simply called or dropped by?  You know like normal people would.

Then I saw something that I thought helped explain things about the California State Bar.  It was in the news:

Governor Schwarzenegger Refuses to Sign SB 641 to Allow the State Bar to Collect Dues From its Membership

It seems that the State Bar is a real mess.  So much so, that the Governor wouldnt sign the bill that would allow them to collect dues from its membership until things get fixed and back on track. Unbelievable.

Among other things, Governor Schwarzenegger said:

• Salaries for staffers have risen significantly over the past five years.
• Lack of internal controls led to embezzlement of $676k by former employee.
• State Bars role in evaluation of judicial nominees suggest Bars political agenda continues.
• Disciplinary costs up by $12 million, 2004 to 2008, while disciplinary inquiries have declined.
• By failing to follow law, JNE Commission damaged its and State Bars reputation for impartiality.
• Bar has become overly political, unresponsive to its membership, and inefficient.

And not only that, but the Chief Justice of the California State Supreme Court recently said that he no longer trusts the judicial nominations made by a committee of the State Bar that theyve failed to adhere to various statutes, and that theyve become overtly political at least thats how I read it.  You can decide for yourself because the actual letter from the Governor follows:

Heres the letter from the Governor to the State Assembly:

To the Members of the California State Senate:

I am returning Senate Bill 641 without my signature.

This bill would, among other provisions, authorize the State Bar to collect annual bar dues from its members for 2010.

In 1997, Governor Pete Wilson vetoed the annual State Bar dues bill, citing numerous concerns that the State Bar had become overly political, unresponsive to its membership, and inefficient.

Unfortunately, twelve years later, inefficiencies remain unaddressed and questions about the State Bars role in the evaluation of judicial nominees suggest that the State Bars political agenda continues.

In July, the State Auditor released a report critical of the State Bar. Among the problems noted by the report: salaries for staff have risen significantly over the past five years; the costs of its disciplinary system have escalated by $12 million from 2004 to 2008 while the number of disciplinary inquiries opened has declined; and a lack of internal controls allowed the embezzlement of nearly $676,000 by a former employee. As the organization charged with regulating the professional conduct of its members, the conduct of the State Bar itself must be above reproach. Regrettably, it is not.

In addition, recent actions by the State Bars Judicial Nominees Evaluation Commission (JNE) also call into question the State Bars impartiality in considering judicial appointments. All JNE Commission proceedings are required by law to be confidential and qualification ratings are not to be released to the public prior to the Governor considering an appointment. Unfortunately, recent events have required the State Bar to launch an official inquiry into the confidentiality of such proceedings.

Moreover, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court has recently questioned the reliability of the Commissions recommendations by noting its failure to follow statutory guidelines when considering judicial nominees. By failing to follow the law, the JNE Commission has damaged its reputation for impartiality and, in turn, the State Bars.

There is no question the State Bar has an essential role in the states justice system and must continue to oversee the licensing, education, and discipline of Californias lawyers. However, I am returning this bill without my signature because the State Bar cannot continue with business as usual. It must take the time to reexamine the problems noted by the State Auditor and continue its investigation into the JNE Commission. I urge the State Bar to resolve these issues as soon as possible so the Legislature can reintroduce this measure early next year.

Sincerely,

Arnold Schwarzenegger

So, now Im not at all sure that the State Bar should even be allowed to publish such a list.  Theyre obviously an organization whose judgment cant always be trusted or relied upon the Governor wont even allow them to collect dues from their own members.  So, why would I believe them when they list someone without saying why?  Without any proof of anything what country do we live in?

I think every American should be offended by this list of lawyers, many of whom I assume, dont even know why their names are listed I know that Steve Feldman certainly didnt know why his name was there.

And I also know that a lot of people believe their lawyer should have done more to save their home but there will be over 4 million foreclosures in this country this year alone.  Are they all just victims of bad lawyers?  No homeowners should think about where they direct their anger its the banks that are causing this national pain and were all suffering as a result.  And the faster we wake up and realize whats happening and scream our heads off in the voting booth the faster well start to see a real recovery.

Yes, its not a popular thing for attorneys to do these days try to help people save their homes from foreclosure its certainly working against the odds.  But when I think about these lawyers who are trying to help, I think about the following and I hope Steve does too:

The only lawyers in this country that are honored and revered by history are the lawyers who stood up for others when it was unpopular to do so.  In fact our country was founded by lawyers who stood up when it was unpopular to do so.

So, I for one have seen what Feldman Law has accomplished and continues to try to accomplish every day, and I for one am glad there are lawyers like Steve Feldman who push ahead for the rights of ordinary homeowners in this country.  Because if not lawyers like Steve then who?

In fact, I know at least one law firm that has stopped helping people obtain loan modifications because theyve been in a word extorted by clients on several occasions.  And Ive seen some of the letters with my own eyes.  In one case, a client who had received a loan modification after the law firm worked on the clients file for six months, wrote in to say that they could have done it themselves and now wanted their money back or they would complain to the State Bar.

Ive tried to learn as much as possible about our foreclosure crisis over the last year and then some.  And I havent seen anything in the way of answers thats anywhere near perfect.  Even the giant non-profit Neighborhood Assistance Corporation of America, which is led by Bruce Marks, has an F rating with the Better Business Bureau, and a huge line of people who say that they were misled and ignored by the group who claims an 80% success rate, and same day solution.

A few months ago, I even read more than 600 complaints written by homeowners who did NOT hire anyone to help them with a loan modification, and they gave Barack Obama an F with their own private version of the BBB.

So so far, since this crisis began, Ive seen just about everyone blamed for something egregious.  Ive seen the borrowers blamed, the brokers blamed, the lenders, the lawyers, the government, the president, the butcher, baker and candlestick maker.  And Im quite sure that there will be some who will want to blame me for advocating that people need help and should hire an attorney to help them obtain a loan modification.  Maybe everyone is just mad.  Maybe we all have the right to be mad.

But Im not going to be mad at Steve Feldman, just because a handful of people have been unhappy with his firms performance for one reason or another.  Considering that his firm has helped many hundreds of homeowners, if he was operating a scam, there would certainly be hundreds of people complaining, which is not the case.

Are all lawyers perfect?  Of course not.  Are all ethical?  No, I would think not.  But most are ethical, and most do try to successfully resolve their clients cases.  In the case of loan modifications, lawyers all charge a flat fee, so were it up to them, getting a loan modification would take 72 hours and end in a principal reduction and reduced interest rate.  Why?  Because when working under a flat fee arrangement, thats how youd make the most money, thats why.

Since SB94 has been signed into California law on October 12, 2009, Feldman Law Center is still helping homeowners avoid foreclosure and postpone trustee sale dates but operating much differently these days. Feldman no longer accepts advance fees for loan modifications and has adopted new policies and procedures for helping troubled homeowners.

My name is Martin Andelman and no one asked me to write this letter, nor was I compensated in any way for writing it. I just know people need help and Feldman is one attorney I would trust to help me. You can reach me by emailing: mandelman@mac.com or if you need help you can reach Feldman Law Center at www.feldmanlawcenter.com or just call them at 1-800-681-9230.

It's mind boggling what some people will do for a few thousand dollars. I mean do you really think a nationally recognized attorney of 30 years who comes from a family of doctors and lawyers ... who makes well over 1M a year without loan mods would screw around for a few thousand dollars? Honestly, it saddens me to see how ex-employees, unscrupulous competitors and a few actual clients with unreal expectations will use this forum to slander a man that has helped thousands of California home owners avoid foreclosure and keep their homes. Steven Feldman, Greg Feldman, and the entire staff at the Feldman Law Center wake up EVERY morning fighting for home owners to stay in their homes. They have pioneered this industry and should be commended for the work they've done. The State Bar and the Attorney Generals office would have shut them down along time ago if any of this BS was true. Seriously, Feldman Law Center is the REAL DEAL! The truth of the matter is the bigger you are, the more people envy you and have no way to compete other than to attack your character. The BBB rating is a f...in joke, just like they are. Hell, the BBB was originally opened by the mob in NY as a means to extort money from legitimate businesses by giving them an "F" rating if they didn't pay up! Do you really think the AG, District Attorneys office and the State Bar hasn't called them, stopped by, planted an employee etc... etc... etc? Bill Handle endorses Feldman Law Center, Martin Andelman endorses Feldman Law Center, HOPEA endorses Feldman Law Center! The Orange County and LA County Sheriffs department offices have sent more than 50 police officers to Feldman Law Center to get their loans modified.... entire churches send their congregations and staff to Feldman Law Center.... even though Steven Feldman is Jewish! Maybe he's like a Jesus.... sacrificing himself for others less fortunate.... only to be nailed to a cross. Should we pray for Feldman or to him? That should be the question. I mean who else is going to take a beating like this an keep on keeping on. The bottom line is Feldman is the bomb, and anyone who doesn't see through the BS on the Internet probably has a sub 100 IQ... a sub 100 FICO as well. Stop f...in around with Steve Feldman and the Feldman Law Center and focus on something good.. your family, your home, your business.... or just get a life and let Mr. Feldman and the legal staff at the Feldman Law Center do their job.... you might be next!

Merry Christmas Everyone.

This story is absolutely untrue.  The Feldman Law Center helps countless people with loan  modifications, people who couldn't get help elsewhere or who got scammed somewhere else.  Here's one true report:

"After being denied for a refinance I thought we had no options. My lender referred me to Feldman Law Center and 1 month later I am now a confident homeowner again."

The man that wrote this complaint was SHOT DOWN BY THE California State Bar and the Attorney Generals office. Feldman got him a great loan modification and this moron didn't like it. Last time I checked when you're 10 months behind on your mortgage payments and you get 4.50% fixed for 30 years while you're sporting a sub 500 FICO you should take the mod and run! Not slander an attorney who's trying to help you and report him to the state bar because the bank didn't give you a pricipal reduction. There are some patheticly unapreciative morons out there!

Man......that says it all. Good work putting the BBB on blast!!

In defense of the Feldman Law Center you need to read this by freelance writer Martin Mandelman.

Also, the man that wrote this complaint was SHOT DOWN BY THE California State Bar and the Attorney Generals office. Feldman got him a great loan modification and this moron didn't like it. Last time I checked when you're 10 months behind on your mortgage payments and you get 4.50% fixed for 30 years while you're sporting a sub 500 FICO you should take the mod and run! Not slander an attorney who's trying to help you and report him to the state bar because the bank didn't give you a pricipal reduction. There are some patheticly unapreciative morons out there!

the BETTER do BUSINESS with us BUREAU
By Mandelman - Last updated: Friday, April 17, 2009 - Save & Share - Leave a Comment

I grew up believing in our country's institutions, and one of those was the Better Business Bureau.

Even as a young child, I remember Saturday trips to the hardware store with my father. We'd walk in and I'd watch and listen as my dad discussed something that sounded so technical, so important. The man behind the counter looked serious as his listened to what my father was attempting to fix, and then the two of them would go walking down an aisle to find that perfect part or tool that would make our lives that much better.




And I remember, always behind the counter, mounted on the wall, like a plaque of distinction, were the initials that signified this business as being a member of the Better Business Bureau BBB.



I remember asking my father what BBB, the Better Business Bureau was all about. I remember him telling me that the Better Business Bureau was the place you could call if you had a problem with a business that had treated you unfairly. They would help right what was wrong. They were your protectors. Businesses had to treat people fairly or face the long and powerful arm of the Better Business Bureau. They made sure that life was fair. I grew up believing that the Better Business Bureau was the Business Police.



Of course, when we're young, everything seems more powerful, more imposing, and as I grew-up and went into business for myself, I instinctively knew that the Better Business Bureau couldn't possibly be the all-powerful institution that I imagined in my youth. But, I still had respect for the organization as being one that protected consumers from businesses that would harm them, or treat them unfairly.



I certainly never believed that the Better Business Bureau was just a franchise operation that went around selling the use of its widely recognized initials to businesses who paid whatever they asked for fear that the BBB would say bad things about them, or give them a negative rating. I certainly never believed that the BBB operated very much like a protection racket. Pay your dues or else? That's not the BBB I grew-up with and I was shocked to learn the truth.



As it turns out, the Better Business Bureau is nothing more than a marketing gimmick that basically scares businesses into paying annual dues in order to be given an A' rating. Pay, get an A' choose not to pay, and you'll be rated something less, regardless of whether the BBB has received any complaints about your business or not.



Of course, the Better Business Bureau also seems like a relic of days gone by. I can't remember the last time I noticed the BBB plaque prominently displayed in a business. I'd never called them, and I never bothered to check with them before I did business with a company. Nowadays, with the power of the Internet at my fingertips, I Google a company to learn more about them, visit their Website, or read a review on one of the many Websites that offer information about products and services offered by companies around the globe.



But, while printed newspapers are struggling to survive and producing online versions, and the Yellow Pages doing the same, the Better Business Bureau has survived and perhaps even become that much stronger as a result of the World Wide Web. We may not think about it as much, but since we no longer have to call them to inquire about a company, it's much easier to find out if a company we're considering has the all-powerful rating A' or something less.



We're human beings in the U.S.A. and it's been drilled into our mind throughout our developing years that receiving an A' is doing things right getting a B' means something less. A C', we've been told is average, but we know the truth about a C' a D' is flat out unacceptable and an E' or F' unthinkable.



Those letters, of course, refer to grades we receive in school, but we learn that they are the keys to our future. We grow up understanding that they will dictate how our parents will view us, where we will be allowed to go to college, and ultimately what we will do for the rest of our lives. So, when we see or hear that a company has a C' rating from the Better Business Bureau, we recoil in disgust something's wrong with that company that's a company to be avoided. We certainly don't assume that the company with a C' rating from the BBB is simply one that chose not to pay the organization's annual dues.



But that's the truth of the matter. The companies with A' ratings are those that pay the BBB, the C' rated companies don't. Lowe's near my house has a C'. Wal-Mart, which is just a few miles from Lowe's, has an A'. Guess which one is a member of the Better Business Bureau. That's right Wal-Mart.



The Better Business Bureau says that it has received 14 complaints against Lowe's, but only one against Wal-Mart. But being a private company and only a franchise of the national BBB organization at that they don't disclose any details, nor are they required to. And it's pretty hard to believe, when you consider that there are over a million people living within 20 miles of my town, that Wal-Mart has only one complaint, while Lowe's has fourteen. Maybe the BBB is the one that lodges the complaints who knows.



Southwest Airlines an A' rating. American Airlines a C' rating. But American Airlines has roughly ten times the number of flights from my local airport than Southwest. Still, come to find out that Southwest is a member of the BBB, and American Airlines chooses not to pay what the BBB demands.



What kind of world do we live in when you can't trust an organization like the Better Business Bureau? Talk about sad. What's next? Will I find out that the Red Cross sells blood to the highest bidder? That the Salvation Army forces homeless people to work in sweatshops? I sure hope not. I'm not sure I could stand it. I think we need to believe in something, especially these days. I'm sure having a hard time trusting my bank, and I stopped trusting politicians before I graduated from high school.



I grew up believing that business is the backbone of America that if I built a better mousetrap, the world would beat a path to my door. That things in this country would, for the most part be fair.



It's sad to find out that it's not always the case, but I suppose that's part of growing up. That's what they mean when they say live and learn.



So, I've learned that the Better Business Bureau isn't what I thought it was. Oh well. I guess that's just one more institution that's out to make a buck so what? Well, the so what? is that I'm in business today, and it's hard enough to make it these days there's plenty of people shooting at you out there. We really don't need an organization calling itself the Better Business Bureau trading on our memories, deceiving us into believing that they exist for our own good, when the truth is that they exist only for themselves.



I recently looked at the BBB Website because I saw that a law firm owned by someone I knew had received an F' rating. I called my friend and asked him if he knew. He did and was very upset about the whole thing. He explained that his firm was helping people negotiate with their mortgage companies to avoid foreclosure and that when he contacted the BBB they refused to even listen to what he had to say.



Being a writer, I decided to call them myself check the whole thing out. Want to know what they told me? The woman on the phone said that her BBB franchise was simply giving all law firms involved in foreclosure avoidance services, such as loan modifications, an F' even if there were no complaints on file against them. I told her that sounded terribly unfair, and I asked if my friend's firm could submit their case as to why they should receive a higher rating. She said he was welcome to do that.



But, then she said the sentence I won't soon forget. She said: They can submit whatever they want, but it's not going to change a thing.



I hung up the phone and thought to myself Wow. Someone should really report her to the Better Business Bureau.





Martin Andelman is a freelance writer and journalist. He lives in Fullerton, California with his wife and daughter. And he shops at Lowe's and flies on American Airlines, no matter what the BBB says.




Posted in Loan Modifications Tags: better business bureau, mandelman, martin andelman, ml-implode Top Of Page

Comments
jimmierivers says at Sat Apr 18, 2009 2:24 am
Nice article about the decline of the Better Business Bureau. Unfortunately, the decline seems to be limited to their ethics and not their financials. For more information visit http://www.bbbroundup.com

mandelman says at Sat Apr 18, 2009 6:19 pm
jimmierivers wrote:
Nice article about the decline of the Better Business Bureau. Unfortunately, the decline seems to be limited to their ethics and not their financials. For more information visit http://www.bbbroundup.com


jimmierivers...
Thanks for the link... It's nice to know they're doing so well. And that I'm not the only one who's discovered they're a scam and a protection racket.

CITYSMART says at Thu Apr 23, 2009 9:07 pm
Mandelman, has this pegged. You are an excellent writer. The BBB has cost our Law Firm Hundreds of Thousands of Dollars. We are now contemplating our legal actions against them. I have access to a group that is definitely mounting a class action. My father was an Illinois Attorney, he explained that the BBB was started by the Mob in the 1930's. The were extorting moneys from small business owners.

I remember a long time ago, they were a legitimate

In defense of the Feldman Law Center you need to read this by freelance writer Martin Mandelman.

Also, the man that wrote this complaint was SHOT DOWN BY THE California State Bar and the Attorney Generals office. Feldman got him a great loan modification and this moron didn't like it. Last time I checked when you're 10 months behind on your mortgage payments and you get 4.50% fixed for 30 years while you're sporting a sub 500 FICO you should take the mod and run! Not slander an attorney who's trying to help you and report him to the state bar because the bank didn't give you a pricipal reduction. There are some patheticly unapreciative morons out there!

the BETTER do BUSINESS with us BUREAU
By Mandelman - Last updated: Friday, April 17, 2009 - Save & Share - Leave a Comment

I grew up believing in our country's institutions, and one of those was the Better Business Bureau.

Even as a young child, I remember Saturday trips to the hardware store with my father. We'd walk in and I'd watch and listen as my dad discussed something that sounded so technical, so important. The man behind the counter looked serious as his listened to what my father was attempting to fix, and then the two of them would go walking down an aisle to find that perfect part or tool that would make our lives that much better.




And I remember, always behind the counter, mounted on the wall, like a plaque of distinction, were the initials that signified this business as being a member of the Better Business Bureau BBB.



I remember asking my father what BBB, the Better Business Bureau was all about. I remember him telling me that the Better Business Bureau was the place you could call if you had a problem with a business that had treated you unfairly. They would help right what was wrong. They were your protectors. Businesses had to treat people fairly or face the long and powerful arm of the Better Business Bureau. They made sure that life was fair. I grew up believing that the Better Business Bureau was the Business Police.



Of course, when we're young, everything seems more powerful, more imposing, and as I grew-up and went into business for myself, I instinctively knew that the Better Business Bureau couldn't possibly be the all-powerful institution that I imagined in my youth. But, I still had respect for the organization as being one that protected consumers from businesses that would harm them, or treat them unfairly.



I certainly never believed that the Better Business Bureau was just a franchise operation that went around selling the use of its widely recognized initials to businesses who paid whatever they asked for fear that the BBB would say bad things about them, or give them a negative rating. I certainly never believed that the BBB operated very much like a protection racket. Pay your dues or else? That's not the BBB I grew-up with and I was shocked to learn the truth.



As it turns out, the Better Business Bureau is nothing more than a marketing gimmick that basically scares businesses into paying annual dues in order to be given an A' rating. Pay, get an A' choose not to pay, and you'll be rated something less, regardless of whether the BBB has received any complaints about your business or not.



Of course, the Better Business Bureau also seems like a relic of days gone by. I can't remember the last time I noticed the BBB plaque prominently displayed in a business. I'd never called them, and I never bothered to check with them before I did business with a company. Nowadays, with the power of the Internet at my fingertips, I Google a company to learn more about them, visit their Website, or read a review on one of the many Websites that offer information about products and services offered by companies around the globe.



But, while printed newspapers are struggling to survive and producing online versions, and the Yellow Pages doing the same, the Better Business Bureau has survived and perhaps even become that much stronger as a result of the World Wide Web. We may not think about it as much, but since we no longer have to call them to inquire about a company, it's much easier to find out if a company we're considering has the all-powerful rating A' or something less.



We're human beings in the U.S.A. and it's been drilled into our mind throughout our developing years that receiving an A' is doing things right getting a B' means something less. A C', we've been told is average, but we know the truth about a C' a D' is flat out unacceptable and an E' or F' unthinkable.



Those letters, of course, refer to grades we receive in school, but we learn that they are the keys to our future. We grow up understanding that they will dictate how our parents will view us, where we will be allowed to go to college, and ultimately what we will do for the rest of our lives. So, when we see or hear that a company has a C' rating from the Better Business Bureau, we recoil in disgust something's wrong with that company that's a company to be avoided. We certainly don't assume that the company with a C' rating from the BBB is simply one that chose not to pay the organization's annual dues.



But that's the truth of the matter. The companies with A' ratings are those that pay the BBB, the C' rated companies don't. Lowe's near my house has a C'. Wal-Mart, which is just a few miles from Lowe's, has an A'. Guess which one is a member of the Better Business Bureau. That's right Wal-Mart.



The Better Business Bureau says that it has received 14 complaints against Lowe's, but only one against Wal-Mart. But being a private company and only a franchise of the national BBB organization at that they don't disclose any details, nor are they required to. And it's pretty hard to believe, when you consider that there are over a million people living within 20 miles of my town, that Wal-Mart has only one complaint, while Lowe's has fourteen. Maybe the BBB is the one that lodges the complaints who knows.



Southwest Airlines an A' rating. American Airlines a C' rating. But American Airlines has roughly ten times the number of flights from my local airport than Southwest. Still, come to find out that Southwest is a member of the BBB, and American Airlines chooses not to pay what the BBB demands.



What kind of world do we live in when you can't trust an organization like the Better Business Bureau? Talk about sad. What's next? Will I find out that the Red Cross sells blood to the highest bidder? That the Salvation Army forces homeless people to work in sweatshops? I sure hope not. I'm not sure I could stand it. I think we need to believe in something, especially these days. I'm sure having a hard time trusting my bank, and I stopped trusting politicians before I graduated from high school.



I grew up believing that business is the backbone of America that if I built a better mousetrap, the world would beat a path to my door. That things in this country would, for the most part be fair.



It's sad to find out that it's not always the case, but I suppose that's part of growing up. That's what they mean when they say live and learn.



So, I've learned that the Better Business Bureau isn't what I thought it was. Oh well. I guess that's just one more institution that's out to make a buck so what? Well, the so what? is that I'm in business today, and it's hard enough to make it these days there's plenty of people shooting at you out there. We really don't need an organization calling itself the Better Business Bureau trading on our memories, deceiving us into believing that they exist for our own good, when the truth is that they exist only for themselves.



I recently looked at the BBB Website because I saw that a law firm owned by someone I knew had received an F' rating. I called my friend and asked him if he knew. He did and was very upset about the whole thing. He explained that his firm was helping people negotiate with their mortgage companies to avoid foreclosure and that when he contacted the BBB they refused to even listen to what he had to say.



Being a writer, I decided to call them myself check the whole thing out. Want to know what they told me? The woman on the phone said that her BBB franchise was simply giving all law firms involved in foreclosure avoidance services, such as loan modifications, an F' even if there were no complaints on file against them. I told her that sounded terribly unfair, and I asked if my friend's firm could submit their case as to why they should receive a higher rating. She said he was welcome to do that.



But, then she said the sentence I won't soon forget. She said: They can submit whatever they want, but it's not going to change a thing.



I hung up the phone and thought to myself Wow. Someone should really report her to the Better Business Bureau.





Martin Andelman is a freelance writer and journalist. He lives in Fullerton, California with his wife and daughter. And he shops at Lowe's and flies on American Airlines, no matter what the BBB says.




Posted in Loan Modifications Tags: better business bureau, mandelman, martin andelman, ml-implode Top Of Page

Comments
jimmierivers says at Sat Apr 18, 2009 2:24 am
Nice article about the decline of the Better Business Bureau. Unfortunately, the decline seems to be limited to their ethics and not their financials. For more information visit http://www.bbbroundup.com

mandelman says at Sat Apr 18, 2009 6:19 pm
jimmierivers wrote:
Nice article about the decline of the Better Business Bureau. Unfortunately, the decline seems to be limited to their ethics and not their financials. For more information visit http://www.bbbroundup.com


jimmierivers...
Thanks for the link... It's nice to know they're doing so well. And that I'm not the only one who's discovered they're a scam and a protection racket.

CITYSMART says at Thu Apr 23, 2009 9:07 pm
Mandelman, has this pegged. You are an excellent writer. The BBB has cost our Law Firm Hundreds of Thousands of Dollars. We are now contemplating our legal actions against them. I have access to a group that is definitely mounting a class action. My father was an Illinois Attorney, he explained that the BBB was started by the Mob in the 1930's. The were extorting moneys from small business owners.

I remember a long time ago, they were a legitimate

In defense of the Feldman Law Center you need to read this by freelance writer Martin Mandelman.

Also, the man that wrote this complaint was SHOT DOWN BY THE California State Bar and the Attorney Generals office. Feldman got him a great loan modification and this moron didn't like it. Last time I checked when you're 10 months behind on your mortgage payments and you get 4.50% fixed for 30 years while you're sporting a sub 500 FICO you should take the mod and run! Not slander an attorney who's trying to help you and report him to the state bar because the bank didn't give you a pricipal reduction. There are some patheticly unapreciative morons out there!

the BETTER do BUSINESS with us BUREAU
By Mandelman - Last updated: Friday, April 17, 2009 - Save & Share - Leave a Comment

I grew up believing in our country's institutions, and one of those was the Better Business Bureau.

Even as a young child, I remember Saturday trips to the hardware store with my father. We'd walk in and I'd watch and listen as my dad discussed something that sounded so technical, so important. The man behind the counter looked serious as his listened to what my father was attempting to fix, and then the two of them would go walking down an aisle to find that perfect part or tool that would make our lives that much better.




And I remember, always behind the counter, mounted on the wall, like a plaque of distinction, were the initials that signified this business as being a member of the Better Business Bureau BBB.



I remember asking my father what BBB, the Better Business Bureau was all about. I remember him telling me that the Better Business Bureau was the place you could call if you had a problem with a business that had treated you unfairly. They would help right what was wrong. They were your protectors. Businesses had to treat people fairly or face the long and powerful arm of the Better Business Bureau. They made sure that life was fair. I grew up believing that the Better Business Bureau was the Business Police.



Of course, when we're young, everything seems more powerful, more imposing, and as I grew-up and went into business for myself, I instinctively knew that the Better Business Bureau couldn't possibly be the all-powerful institution that I imagined in my youth. But, I still had respect for the organization as being one that protected consumers from businesses that would harm them, or treat them unfairly.



I certainly never believed that the Better Business Bureau was just a franchise operation that went around selling the use of its widely recognized initials to businesses who paid whatever they asked for fear that the BBB would say bad things about them, or give them a negative rating. I certainly never believed that the BBB operated very much like a protection racket. Pay your dues or else? That's not the BBB I grew-up with and I was shocked to learn the truth.



As it turns out, the Better Business Bureau is nothing more than a marketing gimmick that basically scares businesses into paying annual dues in order to be given an A' rating. Pay, get an A' choose not to pay, and you'll be rated something less, regardless of whether the BBB has received any complaints about your business or not.



Of course, the Better Business Bureau also seems like a relic of days gone by. I can't remember the last time I noticed the BBB plaque prominently displayed in a business. I'd never called them, and I never bothered to check with them before I did business with a company. Nowadays, with the power of the Internet at my fingertips, I Google a company to learn more about them, visit their Website, or read a review on one of the many Websites that offer information about products and services offered by companies around the globe.



But, while printed newspapers are struggling to survive and producing online versions, and the Yellow Pages doing the same, the Better Business Bureau has survived and perhaps even become that much stronger as a result of the World Wide Web. We may not think about it as much, but since we no longer have to call them to inquire about a company, it's much easier to find out if a company we're considering has the all-powerful rating A' or something less.



We're human beings in the U.S.A. and it's been drilled into our mind throughout our developing years that receiving an A' is doing things right getting a B' means something less. A C', we've been told is average, but we know the truth about a C' a D' is flat out unacceptable and an E' or F' unthinkable.



Those letters, of course, refer to grades we receive in school, but we learn that they are the keys to our future. We grow up understanding that they will dictate how our parents will view us, where we will be allowed to go to college, and ultimately what we will do for the rest of our lives. So, when we see or hear that a company has a C' rating from the Better Business Bureau, we recoil in disgust something's wrong with that company that's a company to be avoided. We certainly don't assume that the company with a C' rating from the BBB is simply one that chose not to pay the organization's annual dues.



But that's the truth of the matter. The companies with A' ratings are those that pay the BBB, the C' rated companies don't. Lowe's near my house has a C'. Wal-Mart, which is just a few miles from Lowe's, has an A'. Guess which one is a member of the Better Business Bureau. That's right Wal-Mart.



The Better Business Bureau says that it has received 14 complaints against Lowe's, but only one against Wal-Mart. But being a private company and only a franchise of the national BBB organization at that they don't disclose any details, nor are they required to. And it's pretty hard to believe, when you consider that there are over a million people living within 20 miles of my town, that Wal-Mart has only one complaint, while Lowe's has fourteen. Maybe the BBB is the one that lodges the complaints who knows.



Southwest Airlines an A' rating. American Airlines a C' rating. But American Airlines has roughly ten times the number of flights from my local airport than Southwest. Still, come to find out that Southwest is a member of the BBB, and American Airlines chooses not to pay what the BBB demands.



What kind of world do we live in when you can't trust an organization like the Better Business Bureau? Talk about sad. What's next? Will I find out that the Red Cross sells blood to the highest bidder? That the Salvation Army forces homeless people to work in sweatshops? I sure hope not. I'm not sure I could stand it. I think we need to believe in something, especially these days. I'm sure having a hard time trusting my bank, and I stopped trusting politicians before I graduated from high school.



I grew up believing that business is the backbone of America that if I built a better mousetrap, the world would beat a path to my door. That things in this country would, for the most part be fair.



It's sad to find out that it's not always the case, but I suppose that's part of growing up. That's what they mean when they say live and learn.



So, I've learned that the Better Business Bureau isn't what I thought it was. Oh well. I guess that's just one more institution that's out to make a buck so what? Well, the so what? is that I'm in business today, and it's hard enough to make it these days there's plenty of people shooting at you out there. We really don't need an organization calling itself the Better Business Bureau trading on our memories, deceiving us into believing that they exist for our own good, when the truth is that they exist only for themselves.



I recently looked at the BBB Website because I saw that a law firm owned by someone I knew had received an F' rating. I called my friend and asked him if he knew. He did and was very upset about the whole thing. He explained that his firm was helping people negotiate with their mortgage companies to avoid foreclosure and that when he contacted the BBB they refused to even listen to what he had to say.



Being a writer, I decided to call them myself check the whole thing out. Want to know what they told me? The woman on the phone said that her BBB franchise was simply giving all law firms involved in foreclosure avoidance services, such as loan modifications, an F' even if there were no complaints on file against them. I told her that sounded terribly unfair, and I asked if my friend's firm could submit their case as to why they should receive a higher rating. She said he was welcome to do that.



But, then she said the sentence I won't soon forget. She said: They can submit whatever they want, but it's not going to change a thing.



I hung up the phone and thought to myself Wow. Someone should really report her to the Better Business Bureau.





Martin Andelman is a freelance writer and journalist. He lives in Fullerton, California with his wife and daughter. And he shops at Lowe's and flies on American Airlines, no matter what the BBB says.




Posted in Loan Modifications Tags: better business bureau, mandelman, martin andelman, ml-implode Top Of Page

Comments
jimmierivers says at Sat Apr 18, 2009 2:24 am
Nice article about the decline of the Better Business Bureau. Unfortunately, the decline seems to be limited to their ethics and not their financials. For more information visit http://www.bbbroundup.com

mandelman says at Sat Apr 18, 2009 6:19 pm
jimmierivers wrote:
Nice article about the decline of the Better Business Bureau. Unfortunately, the decline seems to be limited to their ethics and not their financials. For more information visit http://www.bbbroundup.com


jimmierivers...
Thanks for the link... It's nice to know they're doing so well. And that I'm not the only one who's discovered they're a scam and a protection racket.

CITYSMART says at Thu Apr 23, 2009 9:07 pm
Mandelman, has this pegged. You are an excellent writer. The BBB has cost our Law Firm Hundreds of Thousands of Dollars. We are now contemplating our legal actions against them. I have access to a group that is definitely mounting a class action. My father was an Illinois Attorney, he explained that the BBB was started by the Mob in the 1930's. The were extorting moneys from small business owners.

I remember a long time ago, they were a legitimate

In defense of the Feldman Law Center you need to read this by freelance writer Martin Mandelman.

Also, the man that wrote this complaint was SHOT DOWN BY THE California State Bar and the Attorney Generals office. Feldman got him a great loan modification and this moron didn't like it. Last time I checked when you're 10 months behind on your mortgage payments and you get 4.50% fixed for 30 years while you're sporting a sub 500 FICO you should take the mod and run! Not slander an attorney who's trying to help you and report him to the state bar because the bank didn't give you a pricipal reduction. There are some patheticly unapreciative morons out there!

the BETTER do BUSINESS with us BUREAU
By Mandelman - Last updated: Friday, April 17, 2009 - Save & Share - Leave a Comment

I grew up believing in our country's institutions, and one of those was the Better Business Bureau.

Even as a young child, I remember Saturday trips to the hardware store with my father. We'd walk in and I'd watch and listen as my dad discussed something that sounded so technical, so important. The man behind the counter looked serious as his listened to what my father was attempting to fix, and then the two of them would go walking down an aisle to find that perfect part or tool that would make our lives that much better.




And I remember, always behind the counter, mounted on the wall, like a plaque of distinction, were the initials that signified this business as being a member of the Better Business Bureau BBB.



I remember asking my father what BBB, the Better Business Bureau was all about. I remember him telling me that the Better Business Bureau was the place you could call if you had a problem with a business that had treated you unfairly. They would help right what was wrong. They were your protectors. Businesses had to treat people fairly or face the long and powerful arm of the Better Business Bureau. They made sure that life was fair. I grew up believing that the Better Business Bureau was the Business Police.



Of course, when we're young, everything seems more powerful, more imposing, and as I grew-up and went into business for myself, I instinctively knew that the Better Business Bureau couldn't possibly be the all-powerful institution that I imagined in my youth. But, I still had respect for the organization as being one that protected consumers from businesses that would harm them, or treat them unfairly.



I certainly never believed that the Better Business Bureau was just a franchise operation that went around selling the use of its widely recognized initials to businesses who paid whatever they asked for fear that the BBB would say bad things about them, or give them a negative rating. I certainly never believed that the BBB operated very much like a protection racket. Pay your dues or else? That's not the BBB I grew-up with and I was shocked to learn the truth.



As it turns out, the Better Business Bureau is nothing more than a marketing gimmick that basically scares businesses into paying annual dues in order to be given an A' rating. Pay, get an A' choose not to pay, and you'll be rated something less, regardless of whether the BBB has received any complaints about your business or not.



Of course, the Better Business Bureau also seems like a relic of days gone by. I can't remember the last time I noticed the BBB plaque prominently displayed in a business. I'd never called them, and I never bothered to check with them before I did business with a company. Nowadays, with the power of the Internet at my fingertips, I Google a company to learn more about them, visit their Website, or read a review on one of the many Websites that offer information about products and services offered by companies around the globe.



But, while printed newspapers are struggling to survive and producing online versions, and the Yellow Pages doing the same, the Better Business Bureau has survived and perhaps even become that much stronger as a result of the World Wide Web. We may not think about it as much, but since we no longer have to call them to inquire about a company, it's much easier to find out if a company we're considering has the all-powerful rating A' or something less.



We're human beings in the U.S.A. and it's been drilled into our mind throughout our developing years that receiving an A' is doing things right getting a B' means something less. A C', we've been told is average, but we know the truth about a C' a D' is flat out unacceptable and an E' or F' unthinkable.



Those letters, of course, refer to grades we receive in school, but we learn that they are the keys to our future. We grow up understanding that they will dictate how our parents will view us, where we will be allowed to go to college, and ultimately what we will do for the rest of our lives. So, when we see or hear that a company has a C' rating from the Better Business Bureau, we recoil in disgust something's wrong with that company that's a company to be avoided. We certainly don't assume that the company with a C' rating from the BBB is simply one that chose not to pay the organization's annual dues.



But that's the truth of the matter. The companies with A' ratings are those that pay the BBB, the C' rated companies don't. Lowe's near my house has a C'. Wal-Mart, which is just a few miles from Lowe's, has an A'. Guess which one is a member of the Better Business Bureau. That's right Wal-Mart.



The Better Business Bureau says that it has received 14 complaints against Lowe's, but only one against Wal-Mart. But being a private company and only a franchise of the national BBB organization at that they don't disclose any details, nor are they required to. And it's pretty hard to believe, when you consider that there are over a million people living within 20 miles of my town, that Wal-Mart has only one complaint, while Lowe's has fourteen. Maybe the BBB is the one that lodges the complaints who knows.



Southwest Airlines an A' rating. American Airlines a C' rating. But American Airlines has roughly ten times the number of flights from my local airport than Southwest. Still, come to find out that Southwest is a member of the BBB, and American Airlines chooses not to pay what the BBB demands.



What kind of world do we live in when you can't trust an organization like the Better Business Bureau? Talk about sad. What's next? Will I find out that the Red Cross sells blood to the highest bidder? That the Salvation Army forces homeless people to work in sweatshops? I sure hope not. I'm not sure I could stand it. I think we need to believe in something, especially these days. I'm sure having a hard time trusting my bank, and I stopped trusting politicians before I graduated from high school.



I grew up believing that business is the backbone of America that if I built a better mousetrap, the world would beat a path to my door. That things in this country would, for the most part be fair.



It's sad to find out that it's not always the case, but I suppose that's part of growing up. That's what they mean when they say live and learn.



So, I've learned that the Better Business Bureau isn't what I thought it was. Oh well. I guess that's just one more institution that's out to make a buck so what? Well, the so what? is that I'm in business today, and it's hard enough to make it these days there's plenty of people shooting at you out there. We really don't need an organization calling itself the Better Business Bureau trading on our memories, deceiving us into believing that they exist for our own good, when the truth is that they exist only for themselves.



I recently looked at the BBB Website because I saw that a law firm owned by someone I knew had received an F' rating. I called my friend and asked him if he knew. He did and was very upset about the whole thing. He explained that his firm was helping people negotiate with their mortgage companies to avoid foreclosure and that when he contacted the BBB they refused to even listen to what he had to say.



Being a writer, I decided to call them myself check the whole thing out. Want to know what they told me? The woman on the phone said that her BBB franchise was simply giving all law firms involved in foreclosure avoidance services, such as loan modifications, an F' even if there were no complaints on file against them. I told her that sounded terribly unfair, and I asked if my friend's firm could submit their case as to why they should receive a higher rating. She said he was welcome to do that.



But, then she said the sentence I won't soon forget. She said: They can submit whatever they want, but it's not going to change a thing.



I hung up the phone and thought to myself Wow. Someone should really report her to the Better Business Bureau.





Martin Andelman is a freelance writer and journalist. He lives in Fullerton, California with his wife and daughter. And he shops at Lowe's and flies on American Airlines, no matter what the BBB says.




Posted in Loan Modifications Tags: better business bureau, mandelman, martin andelman, ml-implode Top Of Page

Comments
jimmierivers says at Sat Apr 18, 2009 2:24 am
Nice article about the decline of the Better Business Bureau. Unfortunately, the decline seems to be limited to their ethics and not their financials. For more information visit http://www.bbbroundup.com

mandelman says at Sat Apr 18, 2009 6:19 pm
jimmierivers wrote:
Nice article about the decline of the Better Business Bureau. Unfortunately, the decline seems to be limited to their ethics and not their financials. For more information visit http://www.bbbroundup.com


jimmierivers...
Thanks for the link... It's nice to know they're doing so well. And that I'm not the only one who's discovered they're a scam and a protection racket.

CITYSMART says at Thu Apr 23, 2009 9:07 pm
Mandelman, has this pegged. You are an excellent writer. The BBB has cost our Law Firm Hundreds of Thousands of Dollars. We are now contemplating our legal actions against them. I have access to a group that is definitely mounting a class action. My father was an Illinois Attorney, he explained that the BBB was started by the Mob in the 1930's. The were extorting moneys from small business owners.

I remember a long time ago, they were a legitimate

I too have paid for a mod from this firm and would like to get in touch with all that have an experience with them before I lose my home

I am in the loan modification field. There are legitimate companies who do loan modifications. Most of those fielding calls are telemarketers/used car/shoe salespeople paid on commision. Greed often results in these people overstating or using fraudulent statements in order to deprive a victim of his money. It is the responsibility of the operators of the firm to make sure misstatements are not made. Law firms are not regulated as are DRE Brokers, so enforcement is hard to do.

In a case like this it is imperative that BBB reports made. Eventually, their account will end up an "F", in which case their sales will be diminished.

Below is an email I set up for eventually legal action against these firms. When enough parties have a complained, it will be efficacous to sue the parties. Clients may have recourse if their settlements are lower than the what the claims made by the employees. loanmodwatchgroup at gmail.

Larger, more organized companies will end up dominating media, google adwords, radio, television, thereby significantly reducing the business of these firms. The attornies can go back to chasing ambulances and stealing money from insurance companies.