How to Remove a Negative Review from Better Business Bureau?

As a small business owner myself, I know how frustrating it is to face the consequences of that one not-so-perfect sale. While it is rare for customers to leave a review when everything goes well, a dissatisfied customer is more likely to devote time and energy to share their negative experience in vivid detail.

Studies confirm that effective reputation management is essential for business survival. A single negative review can drive away 22% of customers, and three negative reviews can turn off up to 59% of them. That is why I address every instance of a negative review, aiming to resolve the issue for the customer and improve their perception of my brand.

In trust-sensitive industries, Better Business Bureau is among the key platforms where brands should maintain an active presence and a positive online reputation. A strong BBB rating and positive reviews can attract new clients, enhance a business’s competitive edge, and signal a commitment to ethical practices. Conversely, negative sentiment can significantly hurt the brand’s trust and dissuade potential clients.

Read this article to discover the key strategies for removing negative BBB reviews and addressing complaints in order to maintain customer trust and attract new clients.

What is the Better Business Bureau?

The Better Business Bureau (BBB) is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting trust and ethical behavior in the marketplace. There are over 5.5 million business profiles on the platform, with 400,000 of them being accredited by BBB.

While platforms such as Google Reviews or Yelp focus on collecting customer opinions, the BBB’s mission is to ensure fair and transparent relationships between businesses and consumers. It does this through accreditation, which signals a company’s commitment to ethical practices and responsiveness, as well as a formal complaint resolution system where disputes are mediated professionally rather than aired publicly.

The BBB rates businesses with grades from A+ to F, using factors such as complaint history, responsiveness, and transparency, not just customer ratings. While customer reviews exist on the BBB site, the emphasis lies on verified complaints and how effectively a business resolves them. This approach creates a reliable picture of a company’s integrity and accountability compared to open review systems.

How to get listed on BBB website

When I first decided to get my business listed on the Better Business Bureau website, I was surprised by how straightforward it was. I visited the BBB website, found the “Get Your Business Listed” section, and filled out their online application with essential business information.

The next step was to get it BBB Accredited. For this, the business must be in operation for at least 6 months, have all required licenses and permits, and agree to BBB’s eight Standards for Trust. After submitting, BBB may contact the company within 21 days if it needs clarification on any details. Following their review, BBB staff will present their findings to the Board of Directors with a recommendation to either accept or reject the application. If approved, the business is required to pay annual membership fees, with the amount determined by the company’s size and other considerations specific to your local BBB office.

Pros of using the Better Business Bureau for companies

• Attracting new clients. A strong BBB rating and positive reviews increase trust in potential clients, leading to more sales.
• Enhanced competitive edge. In industries where trust and reliability are crucial, a good BBB standing can differentiate a business from its competitors.
• Higher credibility. Accreditation with the BBB signals a company’s commitment to ethical practices for potential clients.
• Structured complaint resolution. The BBB provides a formal system for mediating disputes, which can help businesses resolve issues professionally instead of airing them publicly.

Cons

• Maintaining a good reputation requires resources. Addressing and resolving negative feedback and maintaining a positive BBB presence requires substantial amounts of time and money.
• Requires constant attention. Continuous monitoring of your BBB profile, responding to complaints, and encouraging positive reviews to maintain a favorable rating requires time.
• Unresolved complaints might have long-term effects. Negative complaints, if not resolved, remain part of the BBB’s public record and can significantly impact a business’s image.

How to remove a review from BBB

There are two types of customer feedback available on Better Business Bureau: review and complaint. A BBB review is similar to feedback on platforms like Google reviews or Yelp; it is a public expression of a customer’s opinion or overall experience, contributing to a star rating without requiring a formal response from the business.

A BBB complaint is a formal request for dispute resolution that triggers a structured process. When a customer files a complaint, the BBB officially notifies the business, which is then required to respond and work out a solution for the customer, with the BBB often acting as a mediator. The outcome of this complaint process directly impacts the business’s official grade.

What to do if you face a negative BBB review

It is important to understand that directly removing a review isn’t typically an option, as the BBB aims to maintain transparency and uphold consumer trust. 

The platform only considers review removal or takedown requests if they are submitted by an authorized business representative. Casual users or third parties cannot request that a review be removed.

The BBB may remove a review if it contains profanity, threats, hate speech, personal attacks, or private information. Additionally, it can delete reviews that are false, misleading, unverifiable, or left by individuals without actual marketplace interaction (think competitors or fake reviewers), as well as incentivized or paid for.

Pros of working with reviews

• Removing a negative review improves your online reputation and builds customer trust.
• It also addresses inaccuracies and false information.
• Shows customers you value their feedback and are committed to resolving issues.

Cons

• Disputing reviews and contacting customers can be time-consuming with no guarantee of success.
• Poor handling can escalate the situation and further damage your reputation.
• The BBB and the customer ultimately control the review’s content, so removal or alteration is not guaranteed.

How to remove BBB complaints by yourself

There are several methods for how business owners can address and potentially remove negative BBB complaints. While direct removal by the business is not an option, actively engaging with the customer or the platform’s support can lead to a resolution that either removes or mitigates the impact of a complaint. 

Responding to the complaint

• Acknowledge and investigate the issue. Confirm that you’ve received and understood the customer’s concerns. Gather all relevant information from your records to fully understand the situation from your perspective.

• Offer a solution. Propose a fair and reasonable resolution to the customer, such as a refund, exchange, repair, credit, or an apology and a commitment to improve. Even if the review is unfair, avoid becoming accusatory. Focus on facts and a willingness to resolve the issue and maintain a professional tone and respectful attitude. 

• Respond through the complaint resolution system. This keeps a clear record of your efforts and shows the BBB you are engaged in their process.

Resolve the issue directly with the customer

1. Communicate outside the BBB. If appropriate, a direct phone call or email can expedite a resolution. However, always document any communication.
2. Seek mutual agreement. Reach a resolution that satisfies the customer. If they are satisfied, they may withdraw their complaint or indicate that the issue has been resolved. Make sure to deliver the solution promptly and as agreed after you promise it.
3. Politely ask the customer to delete the complaint. Politely suggest to a customer that they delete or amend their complaint on the platform if they haven’t done so yet.

Request BBB mediation

If direct communication fails, Better Business Bureau offers mediation services. This involves a neutral third party helping the business and the customer reach a mutually agreeable solution.

1. Provide evidence. If you believe the complaint is inaccurate or fraudulent, you can submit relevant documents to the BBB to support your position. This could include contracts, invoices, communication logs, etc.
2. Wait for results. The BBB will review the information provided when assessing the complaint.

Here is an example of a formal mediation request:

How long does it take to remove a review from BBB?

On average, BBB’s team response time depends on the region and specific state, but typically takes up to a week or less. In most cases, BBB provides confirmations of the email receipt and the approximate timeframe. If you don’t receive a response within this period, consider sending a follow-up to help expedite the process.

Understanding complaint status

Though still visible, BBB will mark resolved complaints as ‘Resolved’ on your BBB profile, mitigating their negative impact, while they may entirely remove ‘Customer-withdrawn’ complaints if the customer is fully satisfied. Conversely, Unresolved complaints will remain visible and can negatively affect your BBB rating.

Pros of working with complaints

• While still visible, the resolved status of a complaint significantly mitigates its negative impact.
• If a customer withdraws a complaint, it may be entirely removed from your profile, which is the best possible outcome.
• Engaging in the process demonstrates your commitment to customer service to both the BBB and potential customers.

Cons

• Requires time and effort to investigate and formulate a professional response.
• Unresolved or unanswered complaints remain visible and can severely impact your BBB rating and business reputation.

How Reputation America can assist you with BBB review removal

So why choose Reputation America for negative BBB reviews removal services?

• Removal in 45 days. Our streamlined process ensures that damaging content is addressed and removed as quickly as possible, minimizing its impact on your business. 
• Result-driven pricing. Our review removal services start from $500 and is based on a case’s complexity, expert involvement, and other aspects. We offer a lifetime guarantee — if the same negativity appears once again, we will remove it at no additional cost.
• Approach aligned with BBB policies. We work directly with the appropriate BBB office and assess each situation individually, taking into account both the client’s perspective and the BBB’s guidelines. We help business owners locate their specific office using the BBB Directory of Local Offices, ensuring we engage with the right regional authority.
• Hassle-free process. Our contracts clearly define all pricing aspects, expected results and timeframes. Our reputation management services cover every aspect of the content removal process, so you can focus on running your business while we handle all aspects of reputation management.

Which reviews are easily removed by reporting?

The BBB has specific content policies, and reviews that clearly violate them are the first candidates for removal. The platform will typically remove reviews that contain: 

• profanity or abusive language;
• identifiable customer information such as full names, phone numbers, or email addresses;
• advertising or spam;
• fake feedback (from someone who was not an actual customer);
• second-hand information describing someone else’s experience rather than the reviewer’s own.

To get these reviews removed, report them to the BBB and clearly state which policy has been violated, providing evidence where possible.

Keep in mind

• Clear violations are often removed quickly, providing immediate relief to your business’s reputation.
• The removal process is clearly defined. Once the content is gone, it’s gone for good.

Which reviews are difficult to remove from BBB?

Reviews are particularly hard to remove when they adhere to all content guidelines (meaning no profanity or false claims), originate from verified customers with legitimate interactions, and express opinions rather than easily disproven facts.

It is difficult to remove reviews that include subjective customer opinions based on personal taste (e.g., “The product design was ugly”), vague complaints lacking verifiable details (e.g., “I had a bad experience”), and dissatisfaction with company policies that the customer had previously agreed to (e.g., a no-refund policy).

Pros of trying to address such reviews

• Attempting to resolve the issue publicly shows other customers you are proactive and care about feedback.

Cons

• The chance of removal is extremely low, and the effort may be better spent on other reputation management strategies.
• Pushing too hard to remove a valid (though negative) opinion can sometimes backfire and make the situation worse.

How to protect your business from negative reviews?

The best defense against bad reviews is to be proactive. By putting solid strategies in place, you can stop negative feedback from happening, or at least minimize its impact.

An alternative to removal

Negative reviews are inevitable — even the most reliable business will face criticism at some point. What defines your reputation isn’t the presence of these reviews, but how you respond to them. The right reaction can turn even the harshest comment into an opportunity to demonstrate professionalism and care.

Quick and personalized reaction

Respond quickly (ideally within an hour or two) and always keep your reply short, polite, and factual. Avoid emotional arguments or public disputes. If you know the details of the situation, address them directly. If not, ask for more information and show you’re ready to resolve the issue.

AI can be used for responding to customer reviews as well. Here is an example of a prompt to create a genuine response to a negative review: 

Write a kind, professional, and empathetic response to this review on BBB.org: [add a review you want chat to answer to].

Maintain the company’s credibility, express genuine concern, and show commitment to resolving the issue without admitting fault publicly. The tone should be calm, sincere, and respectful.

Include:

• A polite acknowledgment of the customer’s experience.
• An apology for any inconvenience (even if the company isn’t at fault).
• A reassurance that their feedback is valued and taken seriously.
• An offer to resolve the matter privately (e.g., providing a contact or inviting them to email/call).
• A closing line that reinforces trust and appreciation for their feedback.

Strong base of positive reviews

Another great defense against the influence of negative feedback is a steady flow of authentic positive reviews that suppresses the impact of any occasional bad ones. Customers are far more likely to leave a review when reminded politely and when their experience feels worth sharing. After completing a successful order or project, send a short thank-you message and a friendly request for feedback.

To inspire genuine praise, focus on creating moments that exceed expectations — a personal note from the founder, a small bonus, or a follow-up check-in. These gestures turn a simple transaction into an emotional connection. When people feel cared for, they naturally want to recommend your business.

Conclusion

After years of reputation management on BBB, I’ve learned that managing a company’s profile is about understanding the system and working with it, not against it. Removing a BBB complaint or disputing a fake review requires patience, a robust strategy, and sometimes several attempts. 

In dealing with particularly damaging reviews or complex situations where the customer won’t budge, professional help is invaluable. At Reputation America, we know how to present a case for maximum impact and work with the platform’s regional offices effectively. Whether you choose to tackle negative reviews yourself or contact us, remember that, in the eyes of public opinion, the way a company responds to feedback says a lot about it.