Ever complained about a bad meal at a restaurant or a poor job done for a contracting job? Every day, Better Business Bureau (BBB) serving Mainland BC receives dozens of complaints to our branch, which serves not only the majority of BC, but the Yukon as well.
Our latest data shows that there are around 36,000 complaints submitted across our Canadian branches in a single year.
Notably, there are always a few submissions that take us by surprise. “On rare occasions, we do receive complaints that make us do a double take,” said Aaron Guillen, media and communications specialis for BBB Serving Mainland BC.
“No matter what, our BBB team is devoted to going through every complaint, review and scam report that is submitted to ensure its authenticity. It’s important to tell your good and bad experiences with businesses to BBB.” Here are the top four most unusual complaints submitted to BBB in 2022:
- A consumer wanted a refund from a bar after he offered to buy a round of drinks for a group of women and they took the drinks and didn't engage in conversation with him.
- A consumer wanted a refund from a business after a bath bar they received for Christmas wasn't as foamy or bubbly as they'd hoped it be.
- A consumer complained about his oil technician because he smelled 'like a dead cat in an alleyway' and looked like Marv, the tall bandit from the Home Alone movie.
- A consumer wanted a refund after not receiving enough seasoning fillings in their ramen noodle package that they bought.
How to File A Complaint with BBB If you have a complaint, use the online complaint system first or get in touch with us by email and briefly outline the problem. After that, a BBB representative will be able to guide you. If you have not contacted the business directly, your local BBB will encourage you to call the business first to discuss the problem, but it is not required that you work with the business before filing your complaint. Your local BBB may have the name and number of a person at the business for you to contact. How Dispute Resolution Works BBB serving Mainland BC offers mediation as the main strategy to help you resolve your dispute without going to court. This process is informal, user-friendly and helps to resolve thousands of complaints each year. In mediation, BBB staff will work with the business and customer to encourage communication and assist in settling the problem. BBB staff can present the customer's views to the business and offer the business's viewpoint to the customer in an impartial way. Mediation frequently settles the matter simply and quickly — usually in a couple of weeks, but sometimes in a few days.
- To submit a complaint to BBB, go to bbb.org/file-a-complaint.
- To submit a report to Scam Tracker, go to bbb.org/scamtracker.
