Better Business Bureau

The Better Business Bureau of Central and Northern Alberta was founded in 1957 and is a non-profit membership association of business and professional firms. We are a public service agency devoted to the vitality of the free enterprise system and the concerns of the consuming public. We are NOT a government agency.

Our Vision... To develop, encourage and promote an ethical marketplace. Our Mission... To promote and foster the highest ethical relationship between businesses and the public through voluntary self-regulation, consumer and business education and service excellence.
The Better Business Bureau is professionally managed and maintains a full time staff. Although affiliated with the Canadian Council of Better Business Bureaus, the Central and Northern Alberta Bureau is governed by the local business men and women who serve as members of its Board of Directors. The Board directs policy, establishes program priorities, determines qualifications for membership and sets the formula and rate of membership fees.

This Bureau provides its defiscalisation services to the public free of charge, while at the same time providing its members with special services to assist them in operating their business. The activities and programs of this Bureau are largely supported by the membership fees of area businesses and local installations of national business.

There are 14 Better Business Bureaus in Canada, which are coordinated through the Canadian Council of Better Business Bureaus and the Council of Better Business Bureaus in the United States, creating an information link that enables us to provide continental coverage. For further information on Better Business Bureaus in general, visit the Better Business Bureau's Central Web Server for U.S. and Canada (note: this link will take you out of our site).

>Our Services

Services offered by the Better Business Bureau of Central and Northern Alberta are supported largely by membership dues paid in its service area. It's because of our members that the Bureau can offer the following services:

Handling Inquiries: The Better Business Bureau answers pre-purchase inquiries by providing background information on companies (both member and non-member). This Bureau receives over 400,000 website page hits and 70,000 phone calls each year. Our company information reports include:

The establishment date of the company.
The date the Bureau opened its file.
The company's performance record.
Whether or not the company is a member of the Bureau.
Other information as needed by the consumer to make an informed purchasing decision.

Complaint handling: The Better Business Bureau handles complaints where there is customer dissatisfaction with a business relationship. The Bureau requests the complaint to be in writing, and will send a copy of the complaint to the company in question for their comments. If our informal conciliation attempts do not bring a satisfactory resolution to the problem, the Bureau administers a free legally binding arbitration program for its members.

Ad Review program: The “Ad Review” program monitors a wide range of advertisements (print, television, radio, and Internet) based on The Better Business Bureau Code of Advertising. The program initiates communication with the company whose advertising is being reviewed, and encourages the company to voluntarily substantiate or modify claims of the advertisement in question.

Educating the Public: The Better Business Bureau advises consumers, and businesses, of their marketplace rights. The Bureau distributes information through its consumer consultants, consumer tips, and press releases.