This should give you a really good idea what it's like trying to get a DUNS number (a requirement for doing contract work with the government as a business). Their entire business is basically the front-end to a scam. Somebody pulled a network contact to wedge their company in between businesses and the federal government.
You are guaranteed to get scammy-sounding emails and phone calls from D&B after signing up. Emails with subjects like "Your business is in danger!" or messages like "Your business credit report has some big issues!" and you find out that in order to get "protection" or to find out what these "issues" are, you have to pay Dun and Bradstreet a shitload of money.
That company is a SCAM and a perfect example of how completely retarded/bought-and-paid-for the United States government is.
It's not just contract work with the government. Once you are a business of sufficient size it's almost inevitable that you'll run into some random thing where you're required to have a DUNS number before proceeding (and it's always unclear why this is a requirement). So dumb.
They have the same slimy up sell tactics as every other credit reporting agency, but the core business is far from a scam.
The startup crowd doesn't see it much, but D&B is a critical component of how non-technical medium to large businesses vet each other and prevent fraud. They are effectively the Better Business Bureau for B2B.
You are guaranteed to get scammy-sounding emails and phone calls from D&B after signing up. Emails with subjects like "Your business is in danger!" or messages like "Your business credit report has some big issues!" and you find out that in order to get "protection" or to find out what these "issues" are, you have to pay Dun and Bradstreet a shitload of money.
That company is a SCAM and a perfect example of how completely retarded/bought-and-paid-for the United States government is.