[Mindless2112]

When an optometrist chose to file a claim against my medical insurance (which did not pay) rather than my vision insurance (which would), the only way I was able to get them to fix it was by filing a complaint with the BBB. Multiple calls with customer service only resulted in "there is nothing we can do to change it", but somehow they figured out how to fix it when they got the BBB complaint letter.

How else can private citizens keep businesses honest? Complaining on the internet only works if you have lots of followers.

[decimalenough]

> How else can private citizens keep businesses honest?

I know this was a rhetorical question, but in many countries there is some type of Fair Trading Office, meaning a government body with power to adjudicate consumer complaints about businesses and the legal teeth to enforce its judgements.

[cwmma]

Depending on where you live your state may actually have one of these, in mine it's in the office of the state Attorney General.

[Eddy_Viscosity2]

> government body with power to adjudicate consumer complaints about businesses and the legal teeth to enforce its judgements

These would in fact be great thing. The problem being that if this existed and did what it was supposed to do, it would only be a matter of time before Trump appointed someone to either destroy it or weaponize it against perceived enemies.

The bigger question is how can we have a body that can both protect consumers from bad businesses AND can also be itself protected from the purchased political influence of those bad businesses.

[charlesabarnes]

The BBB complaints list is a glorified internet post. It's not keeping a business any more honest than posting a review on Google or Yelp.

[kstrauser]

That’s exactly right. BBB is Yelp for boomers, and that’s it. I’ve heard plenty of older family and acquaintances wave it around like a weapon: “if they don’t honor my (ridiculous) request, I’ll sic the BBB on them!” And then… what? I’m sure someone, somewhere checks BBB before doing business with a company, but I’ve never personally seen someone do it, and without that feedback loop, the BBB is just another private review site with zero teeth.

[izacus]

The person you're responding to literally claims otherwise. Are you calling them a liar or do you have something to substantiate your claims?

[BoredPositron]

Small claims usually works quite well.

[jimmydddd]

This must be some sort of weird optometrist thing. Mine always asks for my medical insurance, and after I tell them they have my vision plan info, they still want my medical plan info. Then they try to bill me medical plan instead of the vision plan. I then correct the situation, but it takes time and several phone calls. Maybe it's some sort of scam where they think the medical insurance will pay more?