I would appreciate any feedback on your experience with the Better Business Bureau's arbitration process. For example:

I realize they are supposed to be impartial, but do the arbitrators tend be more consumer- or corporation friendly?

I will likely be going to arbitration with Acura on my 04 TL and would like to be well-prepared. Thank you,


S

 

Is it covers by lemon law?

 

Yes

 

What I know about the BBB's process is that their decisions are NON-BINDING on the consumer but BINDING on the manufacturer. That means if you like their decision, the manufacturer has to agree to it and do whatever they mandate. However, if you dislike their decision you can continue to pursue other means, legal included.

 

I went through a Lemon Law claim some years back using the BBB. It was a joke. They were definately for the dealership, not me. I later found out that I couldn't file a claim with the local Consumer Affairs because you can only use one for the arbitration. I would suggest using your local Consumer Affairs office for any arbitration if it is available rather that the BBB.

 

Shouldn't it had been manufacturer vs. you instead of the dealership? Successful Lemon Law claims might have involved the dealership at one point (so they can be the conduit by which the manufacturer "buys" the car back) but I thought those type of claims were directly with the manufacturer?

 

I went through the BBB with Nissan last year. Both Lore and Pro are correct. If the auto manufacturer states "it's a normal characteristic of the vehicle", BBB will say they are done and rule in favor of the manufacturer... Like mentioned, a BBB ruling is not binding to the consumer. After my ruling I didn't even respond to the BBB, I went straight into my state lemon law filing. Nissan purchased the car back shortly there after.

In my mind the BBB was a total waste of a 5 hour afternoon and well over 6 weeks of forms, copying, and writing/explaining my cars issue just to get them to the court room. I had over 8 repair attempts/dealer work orders with documentation that the dealer and mechanic stated the car had issues. I also had over an inch of paperwork from the internet of others fighting the same problem. The BBB came back stating due to the manufacturer saying it's normal, it must just be normal... It was truly a joke in my mind.


Really, Best of luck!
Try not to strangle/kill anyone along the way. Just thinking about that moment t in my life and dealing with many ignorant individuals gets my blood-pressure up

 

I just finished the BBB process with my Infiniti (Nissan) FX35. I won - even though Infiniti said the sunroof leaking was normal.

I suggest you go through it...and I would be happy to provide you with my suggestions of what to and what not to do. Just as long as whoever asks for help understands that I'm not a lawyer and you can't get pissed at me or anything if you lose.

I won, but in hindsight there are a few things that I would have changed.

 

I personally say nix the BBB. My experience (in many situations and states) has been that they are a joke. I had better luck working with the zone rep for the manufacturer. Should you get no results and it is truly a serious problem and not something annoying rather than major, contact your state's AG office. The attorney general will love to deal with consumer complaints IF YOU HAVE THE DOCUMENTATION TO BACK IT UP!

I can't stress that enough. Don't go to any arbitration board, BBB meeting, AG office or anytyhing without a well documented case history showing repeated attempts to work with the dealer to get the situation corrected. Using the Lemon Law to try and get something done can be really hard.

If you are a long time customer of the manufacturer they will be more interested in keeping you as one. I will say again to not pin your hopes on the BBB! It doesn't hurt to find other people that have the same issue as you (if possible) and to get written statements from them.

I fought with Audi over an issue and they claimed it was because the car was chipped. I finally got the to capitulate when I called the local new crew, the AG office and took numerous photographs when after the umpteenth time I got my car back from service the check engine light was on. The valet driver had no sooner brought my car around and there was the cursed engine light on glowing in my face. I went and got the service mgr and the GM of the dealership and said in very loud tones so all the waiting customers could hear that I must have the fastest hands in the world if I can swap out a chip or ECU so fast that the valet hasn't even left my car so that I could cause the check engine light again.

Less than a week later Audi bought my car back! I had documented every service visit, phone call, dealership contact, etc. You need to come to a gun fight with a cannon to win these a lot of times. They will try and make you guilty of causing the problems. If you are, don't try and pin it on Acura as well will all pay for you idiocy but if you have a legit gripe, then by all means pursue it!

 

My experience with the BBB is that they'll typically ask the business to handle the complaint on their own. The business, of course, will state that they'd be happy to do that, and the BBB will consider the matter taken care of.

When the business DOESN'T do anything (which is usually the case), you end up going back to the BBB to file another complaint, and you'll simply start over. I've never been able to get the BBB to get past that point. About the only way they do is if the business in question has stupid management, and doesn't even try to satisfy the BBB (by agreeing to handle the matter themselves). Personally, I've never seen a business so stupid, but from the responses in this thread, I guess it does happen.

You'll usually have better luck contacting your local FTC (Federal Trade Commission) office, or your local Attorney General's office. Both of these have the power to really cause problems for local businesses (up to and including shutting them down... although, it very rarely comes to that), and thus the businesses tend to take the matter a little more seriously when the complaint comes through those channels. The only drawback is that it's quite a bit harder to get these offices to help you (or often, to even find the right person with which to lodge your complaint). You pretty much have to show that the business has tried or is trying to screw you over, otherwise you end up in administrative limbo.

Think of it this way. The BBB has to deal with a lot of crap complaints, so they're less likely to sort out and help the legitimate complaints. The other offices are a bit harder to file a complaint with, so they have an easier time sorting through everything, and filtering out the crap. Thus, they're like like rabid rottweilers when it comes to going after someone with a legitimate complaint against them.

May the Force be with you on your quest. You'll probably need it (unfortunately).

 

I agree and disagree with you here. This is their process for any old member. The BBB Auto Line program they are fully involved with until the end of the arbitration.

Many states REQUIRE you go through arbitration before filing under the lemon law. Look up your states lemon law, follow it by the LETTER. Keep copies of EVERYTHING you send. Keep ALL your service documents.

When sending stuff, use FedEX or UPS and keep tracking numbers.

The Michigan lemon law (where I won my case) requires that I send a letter between the 3rd and 4th repair on the same item or after the 25th day of out of service and allow the mfgr reasonable time to respond and attempt to repair the vehicle. If your state requires this, I would state in your letter that you want all conversations done in written statements via Certified Mail. (Just so you have documentation)

Allow them to try to repair. Then go to the arbitration process. If you lose, hell reject the decision and file under the lemon law. If you win great, you saved yourself a hell of a long time in the court system.

Documenting every little detail is important.

I requested the arbitration in writing as this gave me time to think about my responses and detail. The little details all matter in these letters. You want to read and read your letter out loud, have others read it. Unless you are a lawyer, you want multiple people to read and critique the letters.

Granted, most of you are much older than I am (19 here), but in High School the english teachers emphasized using the tab key and indenting every paragraph. None of that crap in real business/legal letters. Dates on all letters, reference line, etc etc. No extra jabbering in your letters, simple facts, emphasize that whatever the problem is cannot possibly be considered normal.

good luck

 

Here: my full take on the arbitration - it is more of exactly how the process works with some of my own suggestions
https://acurazine.com/forums/showthr...63#post1044863

 

Try some thing:

http://www.lemonlawamerica.com/

http://www.nationallemonlawcenter.com/

http://www.cashforlemons.com/english/home.html

http://www.dr.bbb.org/autoline/lemonlaw.asp