By Denny Jacob


Business credits reporter provider Dun & Bradstreet Holdings Inc. said it has agreed to an order from the Federal Trade Commission to settle a complaint about engaging in deceptive and unfair practices.

The order requires D&B to enact substantial changes in the firm's operations that will benefit small- and mid-sized businesses. The company will also provide refunds to certain businesses that purchase the company's products in the belief that using them would improve their business credit scores and ratings.

Businesses have complained of errors in these reports that have cost them time, expense and opportunities. The FTC's complaint alleged D&B failed to give businesses a consistent and reliable process to get these errors fixed while profiting by selling them products that purported to help them improve their reports.

"This order arms businesses with new tools to ensure a fair shake, stops D&B from profiting illegally from businesses' pain, and returns funds to firms that got fleeced," Samuel Levine, director of the FTC's Bureau of Consumer Protection, said in prepared remarks.


Write to Denny Jacob at denny.jacob@wsj.com


(END) Dow Jones Newswires

01-13-22 1213ET