BETTER BUSINESS BUREAU Agency offers ways to get facts on a company

The BBB wants consumers to check its database before signing a contract.
THE VINDICATOR
By CYNTHIA VINARSKY
VINDICATOR BUSINESS WRITER
YOUNGSTOWN -- Ah, spring! The season brings flowering trees, balmy temperatures, warm weather sports -- and home improvement scams.
Debbie Rodgers of the Better Business Bureau in Youngstown says she's seen them all: fly-by-night contractors who collect deposit money and never return, others who perform shoddy work, overcharge or leave the job half-done.
Unfortunately, the agency often hears about the scams after one or more homeowners have been victimized. Rodgers, director of the BBB's dispute resolution department, said the bureau's goal is to get consumers to contact the BBB first, before they sign a contract
"We try to help when a consumer calls to report a problem, but we'd rather educate them," she said. "We'd like to get to them before they make the mistake instead of after."
The local BBB has complaint records on file for 8,207 area businesses, and the agency is constantly fine-tuning its information systems to make it easy for consumers to check up on a company. The information is always free, and includes BBB members and nonmembers.
Consumers in the Youngstown area still prefer talking to a BBB customer service representative, either in person or by phone. In bigger cities, Rodgers said, they're more receptive to the online and automated telephone information services.
Getting the facts
To get information by phone, the consumer must punch in the company's phone number on a touch-tone telephone keypad or provide the number to the BBB representative. Both services are available by calling (330) 744-3111.
Online, the consumer can use a telephone number, a business name and address or a Web address to access the information. The Youngstown BBB's Web address is www.youngstownbbb.org.
Beth Roman, director of marketing and public relations for the BBB, said the bureau's reports include a description of the company's business, the number of complaints filed against it in the past three years and how many have been resolved.
In the case of unresolved complaints, the report will state whether the company made a reasonable effort to resolve them or failed to respond. For BBB members, the report also lists their number of years as members.
The bureau never recommends or bans a business, Roman said, but an unusually large number of complaints or a company's repeated failure to respond to complaints could be red flags.
BBB's automated phone system and its online information are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Bureau representatives are available to talk to consumers in person or by phone only during regular business hours.
Sometimes, in the case of a newer company especially, the BBB might not have a listing for the contractor under consideration.
"That could be a good sign. It might mean we haven't received any complaints at all about the business," Rodgers said. "Then again, you could be their first victim."
One-year rule
The bureau will not include a company in the data base until it's been in business for at least a year.
When no complaint report is available on a business, and even if the company does have a satisfactory complaint report, the bureau recommends a consumer ask for references and check it out in person. The consumer should also ask for proof that the company is insured, and licensed, if applicable.
Homeowners should be wary when a contractor says he "just happened to be driving by" when he noticed a problem with the consumer's roof, chimney, porch, spouting or driveway.
"If you didn't call them, or if they try to pressure you to sign right away, keep your guard up," Rodgers said.
vinarsky@vindy.com