Better Business Bureau Revokes Six Memberships

Tuesday, May 29th 2007, 8:15 pm

By: News On 6

The Better Business Bureau of Eastern Oklahoma has decided to kick out a half-dozen of its members. The organization says the companies failed to meet its standards. The News On 6â€™s Chris Wright reports the Better Business Bureau usually revokes the membership of several companies every year, but says it has never booted this many at the same time.

Better Business Bureau CEO, Rick Brinkley, says he doesn't take pride in eliminating businesses from his organization's ranks, but the rules are the rules.

"It's not something we're real proud of when we have to revoke membership, but it's something that we do take a little bit of pride in the fact that we have a set of standards," said Brinkley.

The Better Business Bureau claims that six companies violated those standards. They are Liberty Locksmith, John Waller and Company, American Exteriors L.L.C., Neighbors Construction, JM Construction and Jim Walter Homes. The violations vary from not responding to formal complaints, to false advertising. Brinkley says the organization had no choice but to get rid of all six.

"We're pretty tight about our standards because when one company who is a Better Business Bureau member does something they're not supposed to do, or doesn't act like they're supposed to, it ends up giving all the members a bad name," Brinkley said.

Brinkley says one of the most glaring violations was made by Liberty Locksmith. The company advertises in the phone book, listing several addresses and numbers.

Liberty Locksmith lists nine locations throughout Green Country. The Better Business Bureau says all of them are vacant.

Turns out the company is run out of New York, and subcontracts its calls to area locksmiths. Its listed addresses are all nonexistent. The Better Business Bureau says that is misleading advertising and hopes the expulsion of Liberty Locksmith's, and the other five companies, sends a message.

"If you're not going to do business ethically, then you can't be a member of the Better Business Bureau," said Brinkley.

The six companies have 30 days to appeal the Better Business Bureau's decision.

For more information, visit www.tulsabbb.org.

Watch the video: Six Better Business Bureau Members Get The Boot