Maybe you're new to the area and looking for a good place to buy office supplies. Or maybe you've had a problem with a furniture store that you haven't been able to resolve. Or perhaps you are thinking about using an online marketplace. Whatever the situation, there's someone who can help - the Better Business Bureau.

Better Business Bureaus (BBB) are private, non-profit organizations supported mainly by businesses and professionals in the community. They work to promote an ethical business environment by encouraging honesty and accountability in member businesses. When you do business with a BBB member, you know the company operates according to the Uniform Standards of Membership for Local Bureaus. What does all that mean? Well, it means, for example, the company has agreed to promptly respond to customer complaints. You can be confident that member businesses support the goals of the BBB.

How do you know if a business is a BBB member? Simple - look for the BBB logo on display at the business location. The logo indicates that the business is a member of the BBB and is complying with BBB concepts. If you're still not sure, you can check the BBB website at www.bbb.org and click on the "Get Info on a Company" link. Follow the instructions to locate a specific business. You can also look in your Yellow Pages for a local BBB phone number.

Dispute Resolution is the BBB program that works to resolve consumer complaints with member businesses. If you have a problem with a member business that you're not able to resolve on your own, all you have to do is call the BBB. Best of all, it's free!

BBBOnLine is a special program of the Council of Better Business Bureaus aimed at promoting trust and confidence on the Internet. It does this through two programs - BBBOnLine Reliability and BBBOnLine Privacy. When you see the BBBOnLine Reliability seal on a website, you'll know the website is a member of the BBB and has been online for at least a year. The BBBOnLine Privacy seal on a website means your privacy has been safeguarded. You'll know the business adheres to specific principles related to disclosure, choice, and security regarding the way your information is collected, used, and shared. You'll also know your personal information, such as a credit card number, will be processed on a secure server.

When you see the BBBOnLine Kid's Privacy seal on a website, you'll know the website not only abides by the BBBOnLine Privacy guidelines, but also has special features in place to protect children who go online. You'll know, for example, that the website will be written in language a child can understand and that parental consent must be obtained before any information is collected.

The Better Business Bureau provides great tools to help you in the marketplace. To learn more about your rights as a consumer, read the related articles in our Library.