Mandatory Reliability Database for Companies Now!
David Kessel
June 22, 2007
You know, I love the Better Business Bureau. I can go online and check if a company I will be dealing with is legit or not, see if there have been consumer complaints and then decide if I want to deal with them or not. The problem is, though, is that the membership in the Bureau does not seem to be obligatory. If a company does not want to join, it does not have to.
We, consumers, on the other hand have to be members of the three credit bureaus whether we like it or not. So, if someone wants to rent us an apartment, give us a credit card, or carry out other dealings with us, they can very easily pull a credit report on us. So, the big guys have access to many minute and private details of our lives; however, us, little guys, cannot easily check up on those big guys. If we missed a payment on a check three years ago, or were late paying a credit card bill because of illness, it can be known to the whole business world within minutes, but the dealings of large (and small) companies and the way they treat consumers can remain closed to us until it is too late, or some big scandal ensues. I just don't think it's fair or democratic at all.
The fact that so many business are clothed in secrecy and privacy, are not the BBB members, and that an average Joe Customer cannot readily access their records, accounts for so many rip offs, misrepresentations and scams carried out daily with huge amounts of public money being lost down the drain.
I suggest that just like we are accountable for our actions to the Big Three, so should companies be answerable to the public. Either the membership in the BBB should be made mandatory, or some supra- network of company reliability should be established. There ought to be a big site with a database and bulletin boards or discussion forums (moderated and with ways to stop slander and abuse, of course) devoted to such companies. Honest and reliable businesses will also be able to use such databases to advertise their services and prove their honesty to their present and future customers. These have nothing to hide and will attract huge numbers of potential customers. If some businesses, however, refuse to become members, well, then they may not be allowed to operate.
I do not expect this system to be foolproof, but I do anticipate a huge reduction in the number of people who are regularly cheated, fooled, ripped-off, lied to, overcharged, given false representations of products and services and who now have to rely on the lengthy court processes to get their money back (after the fact, that is). With a mandatory online database, a consumer can just go to his computer and check the company record. If the company is clean, then, he or she can decide that it warrants further dealing with. If it is too new or has too many complaints, then we can decide if we want to buy from them or just slam the receiver on them. Consumer advocates always tell us to do our due diligence, don’t they? Well, this should make it much easier.
Of course, privacy guard should be in place as well. The company's online record could be protected by a password, and it would be up to them if they would want to make that information public. If they refuse to reveal it upon request, well, then we can always turn to their more transparent competitor to obtain the same goods and services that these are trying to offer us. The former’ loss and the latter’s gain.
An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, and an “ounce” of such a database check will be worth far more than a “pound” of lengthy and painful court hearings against a shady-rip off artist. I think it is an idea whose time has come. Implementing it may not be easy, but that is something that our politicians should look into as soon as possible and figure out the nicities in the process. It will be good for business, it will cut down on corruption, but most importantly, it will help improve the way various comercial establishments treat their customers. With so many bamboozles, double dealings, and fleecings affecting us, consumers, every day, with some coming from even supposedly reputable companies, it is definitely high time for such action.
We, consumers, on the other hand have to be members of the three credit bureaus whether we like it or not. So, if someone wants to rent us an apartment, give us a credit card, or carry out other dealings with us, they can very easily pull a credit report on us. So, the big guys have access to many minute and private details of our lives; however, us, little guys, cannot easily check up on those big guys. If we missed a payment on a check three years ago, or were late paying a credit card bill because of illness, it can be known to the whole business world within minutes, but the dealings of large (and small) companies and the way they treat consumers can remain closed to us until it is too late, or some big scandal ensues. I just don't think it's fair or democratic at all.
The fact that so many business are clothed in secrecy and privacy, are not the BBB members, and that an average Joe Customer cannot readily access their records, accounts for so many rip offs, misrepresentations and scams carried out daily with huge amounts of public money being lost down the drain.
I suggest that just like we are accountable for our actions to the Big Three, so should companies be answerable to the public. Either the membership in the BBB should be made mandatory, or some supra- network of company reliability should be established. There ought to be a big site with a database and bulletin boards or discussion forums (moderated and with ways to stop slander and abuse, of course) devoted to such companies. Honest and reliable businesses will also be able to use such databases to advertise their services and prove their honesty to their present and future customers. These have nothing to hide and will attract huge numbers of potential customers. If some businesses, however, refuse to become members, well, then they may not be allowed to operate.
I do not expect this system to be foolproof, but I do anticipate a huge reduction in the number of people who are regularly cheated, fooled, ripped-off, lied to, overcharged, given false representations of products and services and who now have to rely on the lengthy court processes to get their money back (after the fact, that is). With a mandatory online database, a consumer can just go to his computer and check the company record. If the company is clean, then, he or she can decide that it warrants further dealing with. If it is too new or has too many complaints, then we can decide if we want to buy from them or just slam the receiver on them. Consumer advocates always tell us to do our due diligence, don’t they? Well, this should make it much easier.
Of course, privacy guard should be in place as well. The company's online record could be protected by a password, and it would be up to them if they would want to make that information public. If they refuse to reveal it upon request, well, then we can always turn to their more transparent competitor to obtain the same goods and services that these are trying to offer us. The former’ loss and the latter’s gain.
An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, and an “ounce” of such a database check will be worth far more than a “pound” of lengthy and painful court hearings against a shady-rip off artist. I think it is an idea whose time has come. Implementing it may not be easy, but that is something that our politicians should look into as soon as possible and figure out the nicities in the process. It will be good for business, it will cut down on corruption, but most importantly, it will help improve the way various comercial establishments treat their customers. With so many bamboozles, double dealings, and fleecings affecting us, consumers, every day, with some coming from even supposedly reputable companies, it is definitely high time for such action.
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