[6] In return, BBB allows accredited businesses in good standing to use its trademarked logo in marketing materials.

[citation needed] The Council of BBBs included the Philanthropic Advisory Service (PAS), which advised donors about national charities.

PAS later merged with the National Charities Information Bureau to form the BBB Wise Giving Alliance.

[citation needed] BBB handles complaints from consumers about their marketplace experiences with businesses, and also publishes customer reviews both positive and negative.

The organization provides dispute resolution through procedures established by the International Association of Better Business Bureaus, and implemented by local BBBs.

That process was changed in November 2010 in response to criticism in the media and from the Connecticut attorney general who accused BBB of using "pay to play" tactics.

[13] The Attorney General of Connecticut demanded that BBB stop using its weighted letter grade system, calling it "potentially harmful and misleading" to consumers.

[17] If a business chooses not to provide basic information, such as size and start date, BBB may assign a not-rated (NR) rating.

[2] There are eight BBB Standards for Trust that BBB expects its accredited businesses to adhere to: build trust ("maintain a positive track record in the marketplace"), advertise honestly, tell the truth, be transparent, honor promises, be responsive (address marketplace disputes), safeguard privacy (protect consumer data) and embody integrity.

[20] They reported that a man created two dummy companies which received A+ ratings as soon as he had paid the membership fee to the BBB of the Southland, serving the Los Angeles area.

"[21][22] The Los Angeles chapter disputed the charges and continued to operate under the new name of Business Consumer Alliance.

[27] In November 2013 the Council of Better Business Bureaus reassigned the Los Angeles area to three established California BBBs.

[29] On August 16, 2011, the then-named Council of Better Business Bureaus (CBBB) announced the formal integration of operations in the United States & Canada, effective immediately.

"Given the advances in technology and the globalization of services, it no longer makes sense to maintain two separate systems," said M. Jean Lemyre, chair of the CCBBB.

The Hamilton, Montreal & St. John's offices have also changed their names or closed following what they termed a takeover by the U.S.-based Council of Better Business Bureaus.