Many consumers are shopping on line today to purchase all sorts of merchandise. There are also many consumers posting questionable reviews of companies anonymously online. Sometimes it can be made by a competitor. And sometimes the person making the review did not even purchase a product from the company. So how does one really know the truth. There are several different ways to check out a company that you want to do business with.
One way is reviewing the companies Better Business Bureau report. They do not allow for anonymous claims. The BBB can provide some basic general information about what other (verifiable) consumers are saying about the company. You can see our BBB report by clicking here.
A consumer can also go to the Federal Trade Commission to see if they are working a case on any company. Usually for the FTC to be involved that would mean that the company has had many incidences where a consumer has made a valid complaint.
Another third party source would be the Attorney General of the state where the business resides. If the company has been practicing any shady business tactics the AG for their state would have received an official complaint. And if it were deemed bad enough they would have filed a case against the company.
These are just a few of the main ways a consumer can check with a 3rd party institution regarding a business. Instead of believing what anonymous people (or competitors) may write on a blog or across the internet a consumer should do their due diligence. Also purchasing with a credit card instead of paying by cash or check also gives a consumer far more protection just in case anything goes wrong with the order.