In 1990,91 & 92 My consulting services company "Top Rank Business Club" was a member of this so called
non-profit BBB organization in Toronto Canada.

A BRIEF INTRODUCTION:
Hi, I'm Dr. Israel O.G.A. Fagbemi. I am the CEO of the Top Rank Business Associates Group of Companies, Inc.
Prior to 1990, which was June 1987- April 1990, I was a small scale manufacturer of Automotive Cleaning and Detailing & Maintenance Products.
Such as: Car wash liquid soap, car engine cleaners, Leather cleaners, alkaline battery acid charger chemicals, gasoline saver chemicals and lube oil
in Canada but to even that, I used to be an International trade consultant since 1984 in another country.

When I returned to the consulting business April 1990 in Canada & the USA. I was not charging a per hour fee as lawyers and consultants do. Instead,
I turned my consulting business into a consulting business club where members
will not pay any hourly rate but pay only $99 a year membership. 3 years later and after I was well known, I started Charging $150 per hour for consulting services until July 1996
As of august 1996, my Consultant's fee has been increased from $150 to $500 per hour.

When the internet largely changed what used to be the feel of consulting business at all levels. I retrained and reajusted.It took a few years.
Now, I will not even take $1,000 per hour and dedicate my time to only one client assignment when I can have over
300 clients and still able to manage them using lesser time and resouces with the world wide web.
Travelling and expensis has been reduced drastically as well due to some sofisticated web video conferences devices and etc.
I sacrificed my time, trained hard to quickly adjust to the www. system. Now while a lot of consultants failed and went belly-up, I excel.

WHAT I EXPERIENCED WITH THE "BETTER BUSINESS BUREAU" BBB
It all started in 1990 when I advertised my consulting business in the local newspaper in Toronto, Canada
I was approached by a BBB membership sales rep who persuaded me to join.

The same day, over 3 potential customers phoned my office and after I had sent them some
presentation / information by fax or by UPS express courier services and as they were comtemplating to join my T
op Rank Business Club for $99 a year, they vehemently demanded to know whetehr or not I was a member of the BBB.
They said that it was very important to them.

So, I called the BBB sales rep to come and sign me up for the BBB membership.

At that time, membership in BBB was $350 a year. or $300 a year if you purchased 2 years or more (membership) and pay in advance. I subscribed to the yearly membership and paid $350.

The founder of the BBB in Toronto, Canada in those days used to advertise all over the subway system & in the newspapers. He will fold his shirt sleeves to show that he was working hard and he'll say in his ad. things like: "LET THE BBB WORK HARD TO KEEP THE BAD GUYS AWAY FROM GETTING YOUR HARD EARNED MONEY" "THE BBB IS PROTECTING CONSUMERS" ONLY BUSINESSES THAT WERE REPUTABLE CAN JOIN AND WERE THE MEMBERS" and etc....but it's all a load of BBB balonies and I'll tell you why:

I was a member but getting nothing as benefits. The only thing that kept me as a member for 2 years or so, was the fact that the BBB went to broker a deal with AT&T long distance phone carrier. In those days. Long Distance Phone Cards or Deals were very important. Members used to buy the long distance phone air time at more cheaper prices from AT&T through the BBB. There wasn't a few other means of cheaper communicating. VOICE OVER IP TECHNOLOGY, VONAGE SKIPE AND ETC WEREN'T AROUND in those days. They 'the BBB' got the better deals from AT&T simply because they BBB had about 5,000 members at that time

That was the only reason that kept me there as a member, never because of protecting me or anybody as a consumer or proctecting me or anybody as a business owner.

BBB SCAMS EXPOSED

In 1992 around the same month that I paid to renew my membership. Big news was out all over the newspapers that the founder of BBB in Toronto had embezzelled $1,000,000.00 (A cool one million dollar) from BBB purse/ Bank account.

The same BBB which claimed that any business who is not a member DOES NOT OPERATE A BETTER OR A GOOD BUSINESS. To be a better business, you must be a member of BBB. That same BBB founder had just stolen a cool $1 million in HARD cash. In one LUMP SUM CASH.

Well, when 5,000 people paid $350 a year to join and NO TAX TO BE PAID since it was a non-profit organization. That's $350 x 5,000 = $1,750,000 (one million, seven hundred and fifty thousand dollars), Tax free.

When asked when he'll pay back the $1 million. He responded that he will not pay it back and that when he retires a few years down the road and get his severance pay and etc, then he will pay back the $1 million stolen.

He had been stealing small money from its BBB prior. This time he decided to go for a big $1million chunk. WoW! anybody but not the Better than Better Business ceasar

This was the BETTER BUSINESS CEASAR, THE MOST HIGH. STEALING $1 MILLION? He was forced to resign.

BBB is not a Better (than you) Business. In fact BBB is useless to both the consumers it claimed to represent and to its members that paid $350 a year just to be called a good business. In 1992, there were over 300,000 businesses in Canada ; only 5,000 businesses joined the BBB but when the scandal hit the news, the BBB membeship plummeted /fell to less than 1,000 members.

OTHER ORGANIZATIONS:

CFIB (Canadian Federation of Independent Business) has well over 100,000 members. I was a member as well. This was a reputable organization that represented the voices of small businesses most especially for getting some collective deals for business owners from the government.

NOW LET US SEE WHAT BBB ORGANIZATION IS IN REALITY.

Have you ever heard of a third party independent arbitrator? Who are they? What do they do?. Wait I'll tell ya

Arbitrators are independent persons or companies who GET PAID to act as a third party negotiator to resolve a business dispute between two parties. They are also called "dispute resolution managers" This is usually done by financial Counselors, accountants, some lawyers and people with psychological degree or with extreme negotiation ability. These professional services is used by people who have agreed to resolve their business dispute out of Court or without going to Court

THE BBB TURNED THE PROFESSIONAL ARBITRATION BUSINESS INTO A GARBAGIC FLAT OUT ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP TO BUSINESS OWNERS BUT FREE TO CONSUMERS OR INDIVIDUALS.

In other words, you as a business will paid $350 a year to BBB whether you have a business dispute or not....and if you did have a business dispute, the representation you'll get is far low from what you'll get if represented by a real professional arbitrator.

HOW BBB GAVE AN "F" RATING TO A COMMERCIAL BANK

A lady customer was having a problem with a TD bank teller. She tried to talk to the bank manager about the issue but he (the manager) was not interested. All of a sudden, she complained to the BBB. BBB sent a form letter to the bank manager asking him to respond, he (the manager) decided not to answer BBB directly but he sent the letter to the BANK'S LEGAL DEPARTMENT to be dealt with. However, when the Bank's lawyer received the BBB letter. After speaking to both the Bank Teller & the branch manager, he (the Bank's lawyer) decided not to answer BBB and he threw the letter in the trash can.

BBB gave TD Bank an "F" rating. Unbelievably hilarious! So, who is this ratings agency and why was the factor for the f rating (by this ridiculous rating agents) simply because the Bank had decided & preferred not to talk to an unqualified, unhired and unregistered arbitrator?

WHY I HAVE A PROBLEM?

I have a problem because BBB normally mess or talk or recommend companies that BBB members. They call them accredited member. So if you don't want them to talk about your company, you simply will refrain from joining them. ALL OF A SUDDEN BBB NOW TALKS ABOUT COMPANIES WHO WEREN'T EVEN THEIR ACCREDITED MEMBERS.

They sometime will provide misleading information to consumer about your company. For example, BBB is still pointing people to an office address and a show room that I had not used since 2003. I did not ask for this introduction or representation services from BBB

In the past, when people contacted the bbb about a business, they used to say, "they are not our members, therefore, we cannot comment on them" That has changed. This days BBB is commenting on any businesses without that business authorization.

BBB is still owing me at least $350 since 1992.

Anybody can file any bogus complaint with the BBB. Something that cannot withstand the test of a Court or an independent arbitrator. BBB will just file the Junk.

BBB is not a government regulatory agency or body. It's not a government business licencing office

BBB business accredition sticker ON A BUSINESS WINDOW is nothing more than A SIGN TO SHOW THAT BBB IS RECOMENDING THAT PARTICULAR BUSINESS. IT IS NOT A COUNTY LINCENSE TO OPERATE A BUSINESS. Consumers be aware.

I MIGHT PREFER TO HAVE THE CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE STICKER ON MY OWN BUSINESS WINDOWS WHILE THE OTHER FELLOW HAS A BBB STICKER ON HIS. That's my prerogative.

Or may be I just wanted to be a member of the professional handy men association or a member of association of immigration consultants and etc. or maybe I just did not want to belong to any professional association but only operate my government licensed business. HECK, not becoming a member of bbb is not a crime. Actually, becoming a member is useless and a complete waste of time.

If someone file a complaint , that's Ok but for this reckless BBB to start given an A - F ratings is completely ridiculous and unacceptable

With the internet popularity and a few junky bogus complaint, your business can sink if you don't fight back and litigate aggressively. I must choose you to be my arbitrator before you recommend me either in positive or a negative version. If hired, that way, you'll have a full unbias and complete information.

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WE ARE AN ONLINE & PRINT MEDIA ADVERTISING COMPANY

Top Rank Business Associates Group. We are a leader in the home-based, self-employment opportunity providers' industry since April 1990

Gate4deal.com. Absolutely Funtastic..

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Tell-Them Magazine. 2009

Dr. Israel Fagbemi

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