What BBB Will Actually Remove — and What Stays
A genuine complaint or review from a real customer stays on the profile for 36 months, even if it’s unflattering. Here’s what does qualify for removal or non-publication, and how to contest the rest.
Sometimes, and only in specific cases. BBB will not publish, or will remove, a complaint that doesn’t meet its acceptance guidelines — for example, it isn’t from someone with a genuine marketplace relationship with the business, it’s about a matter already resolved through litigation or arbitration, it involves abusive language or threats, or it falls outside BBB’s 12-month filing window. BBB Customer Reviews that are anonymous, incentivized, or that BBB can’t verify against a real transaction are also not published. A genuine complaint or review about a real transaction, even a harsh one, is not grounds for removal on its own.
BBB’s official Overview of RatingsWhich reviews can be removed?
- The complainant did not have a genuine marketplace relationship (a real transaction) with the business
- The matter has already been resolved through litigation, arbitration, or a signed settlement
- The complaint falls outside BBB’s 12-month filing window (with limited warranty-related exceptions)
- The complaint contains abusive language or serious threats, or the underlying issue is purely criminal (theft, assault, etc.) rather than a marketplace dispute
- A review is anonymous, incentivized (offered a discount or gift in exchange), or the reviewer cannot substantiate the transaction when BBB asks
If a flag or dispute is denied
BBB does not publish a fully self-service appeal form beyond its standard complaint and review submission channels — a business disputing a complaint or review as illegitimate should respond through the complaint/review record itself with supporting evidence, addressed to the specific acceptance guideline it fails to meet (no marketplace relationship, outside the filing window, already litigated, etc.).
Improve your rating instead
For reviews that don't qualify for removal, a professional response and a consistent flow of new reviews does more than chasing a removal that isn't coming.
Frequently asked questions
Respond to BBB directly with supporting documentation showing why the complaint doesn’t reflect a genuine transaction or doesn’t meet BBB’s acceptance guidelines — for example, proof there was no marketplace relationship with the complainant. BBB reviews the complaint against its published acceptance criteria before it stays on file.
No. A real complaint from a real customer about an actual transaction is reportable on the business profile for 36 months regardless of outcome — responding and working toward a documented resolution changes how it reads, but a genuine complaint isn’t removed simply for being unflattering.
BBB already screens reviews before publishing — it requires the reviewer’s name, does not accept anonymous submissions, and can ask the reviewer to substantiate the interaction. If a published review still looks illegitimate, a business can raise that directly with BBB for review against those same standards.
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