Why CC'ing the BBB on Your Refund Email Works Even If You Never File a Complaint

I started CC'ing bbb@bbb.org on my refund emails. The BBB does not actually receive emails sent to that address. Companies do not know that. When a company sees the BBB in the CC line, they assume a complaint has been filed. I have used this technique 4 times. 3 companies responded within 24 hours. 1 asked if I had actually filed a complaint with the BBB. I said I would if we could not resolve it. They processed the refund anyway. Is this deceptive? The companies could verify if they wanted to. But most companies prefer to resolve issues rather than investigate whether the BBB was actually CC'd. This is a gray-area tactic. Use it only when you need a quick response and only for companies that have genuinely wronged you. Do not use it for buyer's remorse returns.