Posted on 03/08/2016 11:46:54 AM PST by Kaslin
During last week's Fox News GOP debate in Detroit, Donald Trump was confronted by anchor Megyn Kelly about Trump University.
Trump claimed during the debate Trump University received an A-rating from the Better Business Bureau. As Kelly pointed out in an exchange with Trump at the debate, that is false. Trump then claimed the BBB faxed him in the middle of the debate to confirm the A-rating. They didn't. Trump's people handed moderators a sheet of paper and claimed it was from the BBB to verify the A-rating. It wasn't.
Megyn Kelly EXPOSES Donald's TRUMP University SCAMS! - GOP Debate
Trump University came under fire more than a decade ago when thousands of students issued complaints about fraud in the program. Turns out, Trump University was a massive scam.
Trump University was never a university. When the “school” was established in 2005, the New York State Education Department warned that it was in violation of state law for operating without a NYSED license. Trump ignored the warnings. (The institution is now called, ahem, “Trump Entrepreneur Initiative.”) Cue lawsuits.
Trump University is currently the defendant in three lawsuits — two class-action lawsuits filed in California, and one filed in New York by then-attorney general Eric Schneiderman, who told CNN’s New Day in 2013: “We started looking at Trump University and discovered that it was a classic bait-and-switch scheme. It was a scam, starting with the fact that it was not a university.”
Today, the BBB is confirming that they a) did not fax Trump in the middle of the debate b) Trump University did in fact receive a D- rating and didn't improve to an A-rating until nearly 10 years after it was established. From a statement released by BBB (bolding is mine):
1. BBB did not send a document of any kind to the Republican debate site last Thursday evening. The document presented to debate moderators did not come from BBB that night.
2. Trump University does not currently have an A rating with BBB. The BBB Business Review for this company has continually been “No Rating” since September 2015. Prior to that, it fluctuated between D- and A+.
3. The document posted on social media on Thursday night was not a current BBB Business Review of Trump University. It appeared to be part of a Business Review from 2014.
4. BBB ratings are based on information we obtain about a business, including complaints received from the public. The reporting period is three years. Detailed information about BBB ratings is available on all 5.3 million Business Reviews on our website, bbb.org.
5. At no point did BBB change the rating of Trump University based upon a demand from anyone. BBB followed its standard evaluation process applicable to all businesses.
6. During the period when Trump University appeared to be active in the marketplace, BBB received multiple customer complaints about this business. These complaints affected the Trump University BBB rating, which was as low as D- in 2010. As the company appeared to be winding down, after 2013, no new complaints were reported. Complaints over three years old automatically rolled off of the Business Review, according to BBB policy. As a result, over time, Trump University’s BBB rating went to an A in July 2014 and then to an A+ in January 2015.
7. Trump University has never been a BBB Accredited Business. The document handed to the debate moderators on Thursday night could not have been an actual “Better Business Bureau accreditation notice” for this business.
Trump University only received an A+ rating right before it shut down and after years of complaints. In 2013, the year the rating improved, Trump University was sued by New York's Attorney General for $40 million. Donald Trump Sued for Fraud N Y Attorney General Says Trump University Students 'Fleeced'
Trump admitted during the debate to refunding thousands of students who signed up for his program and a class action lawsuit, which includes more than 5000 people, is still ongoing.
I'll leave you with this: Sherri - 60 Seconds
For purposes of this statement, we will refer to Trump University, which is how it is most often referred to in news stories. There is only one BBB Business Review for Trump University, and we noted the name change to Trump Entrepreneur Initiative when it was brought to our attention by the company.
1. BBB did not send a document of any kind to the Republican debate site last Thursday evening. The document presented to debate moderators did not come from BBB that night.
2. Trump University does not currently have an A rating with BBB. The BBB Business Review for this company has continually been “No Rating” since September 2015. Prior to that, it fluctuated between D- and A+.
3. The document posted on social media on Thursday night was not a current BBB Business Review of Trump University. It appeared to be part of a Business Review from 2014.
4. BBB ratings are based on information we obtain about a business, including complaints received from the public. The reporting period is three years. Detailed information about BBB ratings is available on all 5.3 million Business Reviews on our website, bbb.org.
5. At no point did BBB change the rating of Trump University based upon a demand from anyone. BBB followed its standard evaluation process applicable to all businesses.
6. During the period when Trump University appeared to be active in the marketplace, BBB received multiple customer complaints about this business. These complaints affected the Trump University BBB rating, which was as low as D- in 2010. As the company appeared to be winding down, after 2013, no new complaints were reported. Complaints over three years old automatically rolled off of the Business Review, according to BBB policy. As a result, over time, Trump University’s BBB rating went to an A in July 2014 and then to an A+ in January 2015.
7. Trump University has never been a BBB Accredited Business. The document handed to the debate moderators on Thursday night could not have been an actual “Better Business Bureau accreditation notice” for this business.
To be accredited, a business must apply for accreditation and BBB must determine that the business meets BBB Accreditation Standards which include a commitment to make a good faith effort to resolve any consumer complaints.
BBB publishes ratings for both Accredited and non-Accredited businesses when we have sufficient information and the business continues to operate. While a business may earn an A rating from BBB by improving its customer record over time, BBB Accredited Businesses must meet higher requirements. Businesses must first earn a high rating and confirm compliance with other BBB Accreditation Standards before being eligible for Accreditation. Once Accredited, they are vetted annually and must maintain compliance with the Standards to continue as a BBB Accredited Business.
Source
was the letter that he produced at the debate forged?
Having actually watched the clip of Trump presenting the fax, I can say that he never said it was from the BBB directly. He said it was sent from his office. Any suggestion that it came directly from BBB is a lie (the Big Lie, in this case), and a feeble attempt to in turn accuse Trump of lying.
As a small biz owner, I can tell you BBB ratings are a matter of money.
ABC did a piece on this in 2010. BBB the best ratings money can buy.
http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/business-bureau-best-ratings-money-buy/story?id=12123843
How fast will the Trumpeters foam up and scream fake?
BBB gave a Hamas front group an A- rating and has also giving Wolfgang Puck an F rating, with no justification. Also gave Ritz Carlton an F rating.
It’s pay for play at BBB, always has been.
So if someone anyone complains about any company that is a start up company, automatic D rating by the BBB. Kinda stupid to put whole lot of weight in this.
It’s possible, but I have no idea.
A+ before the real estate collapse in 2008
D- in 2010 due to 14 complaints out of 30,000, 9 of which were resolved and unresponsive
A in 2012 as complaints were resolved
Unrated in 2016 as 3 years passed without activity
So, Trump’s a liar.
I wonder if all the TrumpBots who were hollaring “Cruz is a LIAR” will now consider Trump disqualified too.
Helps to read the story rather then just get all excited over the headline
Cruz’s fault.
“Operating under the guise of ‘legitimate authority’ – a title which was never officially given by any government agency, the highly profitable BBB abuses non-member businesses and consumers through intimidation, coercion, bogus ‘ratings,’ favoritism and blackmail. Businesses caught up in this Mafia-like racket have used terms such as shakedown, criminal, illegal, immoral, and unjust when they find out the truth about the BBB, and how their businesses are affected by this fraudulent organization.”Another source (Orlando Sentinel) claims that the KEL Law Firm sued the Better Business Bureau over rating system. The suit alleges the rating system is flawed, erroneous, misleading and, in short, anything but the unbiased process the BBB claims in its promotional material.
The bureau “intentionally provides biased and inconsistent ratings of businesses, specifically favoring businesses that have chosen to pay money to and participate in the Defendants own accreditation program,” the suit said.
In before the Trumper BBB conspiracy theory.
Trump just lied. Happens.
So the “A+” rating Trump was talking about only came about because the company had basically been forced out of business by the complaints, and since they had not been doing business for more than 3 years, all of the complaints had rolled off the record.
As part of the ABC News investigation, an ABC News producer with a camera was present as two small business owners in Los Angeles were told by Better Business Bureau tele-marketers that their grades of C could be raised to A plus if they paid $395 membership fees.
Terri Hartman, the manager of a Los Angeles antique fixtures store, Liz’s Antique Hardware, was told only a payment could change her grade, based on one old complaint that had already been resolved.
“So, if I don’t pay, even though the complaint has been resolved, I still have a C rating?”
Hartman then read off her credit card number and the next business day the C grade was replaced with an A plus, and the one complaint was wiped off the record.
In a second case, Carmen Tellez, the owner of a company that provides clowns for parties was also told she had to pay to fix her C- grade, based on a two-year old complaint that she says had already been resolved.
The C minus became an A plus the very next day after she provided her credit card number for the $395 charge.
“If I’m paying for a grade, then how are the customers supposed to really trust the Better Business Bureau?” she asked.
This is very true. We’ve seen it with our own business which has ZERO complaints...but our rating depends on what we pay.
http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/business-bureau-best-ratings-money-buy/story?id=12123843
The just can’t face the truuth, and I expect this to be moved to chat with those ridiculous topics any time
" no new complaints were reported. Complaints over three years old automatically rolled off of the Business Review, according to BBB policy. As a result, over time, Trump University’s BBB rating went to an A in July 2014 and then to an A+ in January 2015."
What what the complaints stopped? ...ME-Gyn and Cruoozers don't want that.
so everyone is right?
Do you own a small business? Are you listed with the BBB?
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