A Better Better Business Bureau

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Since October the organization has spent over $1 million dollars on an ad campaign, complete with a new logo, "Start with trust," that is aimed at firmly placing the BBB at the start, not the end of the consumer advocacy process. Along with a new tag line, the BBB commissioned a national radio advertising campaign which runs on National Public Radio. "Competition has only made us better," Mattingly notes.

Other Internet sites like Complaints.com, GetSatisfaction.com, and Yelp have sprouted up in recent years to offer consumers space to vent about company misdeeds and demand better customer service. Matthew Smith, the founder and president of complaints.com, which he started in 2000, describes his site as a companion to the Better Business Bureau. "The BBB is a great help to so many people." Smith says his site is a forum for consumers to readily share information about bad corporate actors and failures in customer service. "It's a new way for consumers to share information and solve problems," he says.

The BBB also strives to share information with consumers by offering what it calls reliability reports compiled through a combination of consumer research, complaints, and company literature. These reports can guide consumers toward companies with feckless track records and help them avoid the ones that don't have a good record. "The reliability reports are the front line for consumers to avoid disputes," says Nora Carpenter, a senior vice-president with the Council of Better Business Bureaus.

The BBB offers consumers reports on over 400,000 companies. The reports are based on a company's history of service, its responsiveness to consumers, and an evaluation of whether its advertising is truthful. "Now I know that I should read up on a company ahead of time," notes Evans.

Trouble is, too few consumers actually know about reliability reports and, like Evans, only rely on them after a dispute has already arisen. Only 22% of consumers had contacted the BBB prior to making a purchase, according to a 2005 study commissioned by the organization. "We know consumers are well aware of the BBB, but associate us as complaint people," says Steve Cox, vice-president of communications. "We want consumers coming to us before the fact."

If Murphy had requested a reliability report from the BBB after seeing that commercial, she might have had a different experience. Murphy finally received her printer over a year after her final payment. Murphy now says she'll request a reliability report before making a similar purchase. "I can be a more educated consumer now."

Silver-Greenberg is an editorial assistant for BusinessWeek

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Silver-Greenberg is a reporter for BusinessWeek.com.