One thing I'll add about the BBB-- if you are just trying to find out what information is available on a certain business, then you have to pay the BBB a service charge fee.

I called the BBB one day and asked if they had a file on "So-N-So" (for example). The BBB said, yes they did. I responded, what does the file say?; and they told me there is a service charge fee for specific detailed information regarding any business on file.

That's how the BBB makes their money-- they get a complaint from the accuser; then they "may/may not" get a reply from the business, but they will only give-out that information to a common outsider if they pay a service charge fee. The BBB service is not free; it collects data, then sells that data to whoever is interested. If the accused business never made a reply to the accusation, then that's the result/resolution that is sold. The BBB can be somewhat irrating sometimes and their service charge fee's are non-refundable. Hmmm, how do you file a BBB complaint against the BBB??? Ponder that!!!

The only thing that is truly "free" is if you call and ask the BBB if they have a file on "So-N-So" (for example), and they reply YES. Then just hang-up the phone, as you then know that the business had a complaint "filed" at some point in time. You don't really need to know the specific details or result/resolution of the matter. A perfect business is not going to have a BBB file of any kind on record, because no one ever made an accusation about the business to the BBB. Basically, no news is good news.