BBB gets involved

Discussion in 'Accreditation Discussions (RA, DETC, state approva' started by Kizmet, Nov 2, 2016.

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  1. Kizmet

    Kizmet Moderator

  2. TomE

    TomE New Member

    Yeah, definitely seems like more of a PSA than an attempt to actually add anything new to the conversation. But I guess if you harp on something enough...
     
  3. Johann

    Johann Well-Known Member

    To me, the message confuses BBB Accreditation (a term they often use to denote a co. with a good BBB record) with academic accreditation.

    In fact, if you click on the article's link to BBB's "Online Accredited Education Business Directory," the very first entry you find is - guess what - a BBB-accredited GAMING company, not a school!
    Another complicating factor: We've often found less-than-wonderful schools touting their BBB Accreditation - making it sound like academic accreditation, which they most often lack.
    What the BBB article says (about academic accreditation) is a good warning but with the addition of BBB Accreditation, I feel the message is open to misinterpretation.

    J.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Nov 2, 2016
  4. Johann

    Johann Well-Known Member

    Last edited by a moderator: Nov 3, 2016
  5. Johann

    Johann Well-Known Member

    The school was also accredited by Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools (ABHES) which is USDoE recognized as a career-school accreditor. I think we're talking vocational - strictly non-degree programs here.

    J.
     
  6. John Bear

    John Bear Senior Member

    I u sed to keep a list of a dozen or so beyond-any-doubt diploma mills that had an A or A+ rating from BBB -- including one of the most notorious and biggest of all, Columbia State University. I used to tug on their sleeve and point out what a terrible disservice they were doing, and the only reply was that they were dues-paying members and there were no complaints on file, so what's your problem, kid.
     
  7. Kizmet

    Kizmet Moderator

    Sort of like that old "Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval."
     
  8. Neuhaus

    Neuhaus Well-Known Member

    Many people are also confused by what the BBB is and is not.

    Perhaps the inclusion of the word "Bureau" has many people thinking that it is a government organization and/or that it possesses some regulatory or enforcement authority.

    But it's just a complaint repository. It's an older and more elegantly branded version of RipOffReport. The BBB can't force the mechanic to give you back your money and their "investigation" is nothing more than them soliciting a company response. If the company doesn't want to play ball with the BBB then they might end up with a crappy rating. That might matter or it might not.

    I see dozens of negative Yelp reviews on matters ranging from poor instruction to parking issues for Amberton University. It is undeniably a legitimate school. Meanwhile there are glowing reviews to be found for Almeda. Complaints, resolved or otherwise, doesn't indicate much for an institution as complex as a university. But the BBB in its struggle to remain relevant in a world that frankly doesn't need its services in an internet age is going to do its damnedest to make itself sound like an authority on the matter.
     
  9. TomE

    TomE New Member

    This is a great point. I know that I look much more closely at other user reviews of organizations long before I find myself scouring a webpage or other company literature for the BBB seal of approval. Then again, it is kind of one of those things where nobody really cares...unless it has a low or bad rating.
     

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