Consumers

Two weeks ago, we mailed the 2018 Diamond Certified Directory to more than 800,000 homes and businesses throughout the San Francisco Bay Area (if you didn’t get your FREE copy, click here). We’ve made some exciting changes to the Directory this year, so it’s time to get reacquainted!

Every April, American Ratings Corporation publishes 10 versions of the Diamond Certified Directory, covering all of the Greater Bay Area (including Monterey). Read more

In mid-March, our design team flew to Las Vegas to oversee the production of the 2018 Diamond Certified Directory. “Press check” takes place while the directory is actually being printed on the big publishing machines at Creel Printing. During press check, our team stays up all night (the presses run 24/7!) and checks to make sure everything looks exactly as it’s supposed to. Here’s a behind-the-scenes look. (We’ve already started mailing 840,000 copies of the Diamond Certified Directory to consumers throughout the Bay Area. You can order one by signing up to become a Diamond Certified Preferred Consumer here—it’s free!)

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Welcome Aboard!

We are pleased to introduce these Bay Area companies that recently earned Diamond Certified. Each has passed our rigorous 12-step ratings process and scored Highest in Quality and Helpful Expertise™. Read more

If you’re going to be laid up for a couple of weeks with the flu, the Bay Area is a good place to do it. A remarkable number of services and conveniences are a phone call or swipe away.

For example, take-out food and grocery delivery services are a godsend when you’re sick. During a recent illness, I couldn’t leave the house for almost a week (my husband was out of town) and needed some basic groceries. The first delivery service brought canned chicken noodle soup, eggs, juice, bananas, ginger ale and a dozen other things in less than 90 minutes. I used a second grocery delivery service for a larger order, placed 24 hours in advance. Read more

The 2018 Diamond Certified Directory is in the final stages of production, which means printing is just around the corner! More than 800,000 copies of the Directory will be sent to homes and businesses throughout the Greater Bay Area. Each Diamond Certified company is presented with a full-page profile that includes:

• Contact information (address, phone number, website, email)
• Services and service areas
• Business profile and philosophy
• Verbatim survey responses from real, verified customers
• In-depth ratings information, including customer loyalty and customer satisfaction rankings
• Legal information (insurance coverage, California business license)

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Being a savvy consumer takes a little extra work, but you’ll get big payoffs in the long run. In this video, Chris Bjorklund, Consumer Advocate, and Joy Lanzaro, Director of Mediation & Compliance, walk you through 10 steps you can take to ensure your transactions go smoothly. When you’re done, check out our Problem Resolution & Mediation Hub to learn more about consumer affairs. Lastly, remember, Diamond Certified Preferred Consumers are backed by a Double Diamond Certified Performance Guarantee when they use Diamond Certified companies (enroll here, it’s free!).

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Since the recent California wildfires, many of us have been reassessing our relationships to our possessions. Since my home was safe, my immediate response was to find useful items to donate to the fire victims. In fact, many Sonoma County donation sites were overwhelmed with people’s generosity and had to turn away used clothing and furniture. They requested cash donations instead or things like toaster ovens, hot plates and electric teapots for those living in temporary housing.

The stories about what evacuees took with them and what they left behind made many of us think about which of our belongings have value and meaning and which don’t. Read more