Is Dun & Bradstreet & dnb.com a Scam?

Who is the owner dnb.com

The domain dnb.com is owned by Dun & Bradstreet, a prominent American company providing commercial data, analytics, and insights for businesses. Dun & Bradstreet is well known for its business credit ratings and the D-U-N-S Number, a unique identifier for businesses used globally. The company serves clients with information that helps them make informed decisions about risk and opportunities.

What is the Major Business of Is Dun & Bradstreet?

The major business of Dun & Bradstreet (D&B) revolves around providing business data, analytics, and insights that help organizations make informed decisions in areas like risk management, compliance, sales, marketing, and supply chain operations. The company’s services are essential for improving business performance and managing uncertainty. Key aspects of its business include:

1. Business Data and Analytics

Collecting and analyzing vast amounts of business data from millions of companies globally.
Offering insights to evaluate business creditworthiness, financial stability, and overall performance.

2. Risk Management Solutions

Credit Risk Assessment: Tools to evaluate the creditworthiness of potential and existing customers.
Fraud Mitigation: Solutions to identify and reduce fraudulent activity in business transactions.

3. Compliance and Regulatory Solutions

Helping organizations comply with global regulations, including anti-money laundering (AML), know-your-customer (KYC) requirements, and other due diligence protocols.
Providing tools to manage third-party risk effectively.

4. Sales and Marketing Solutions

Helping businesses identify new growth opportunities by targeting potential customers with tailored data insights.
Enabling companies to enrich customer databases and refine market segmentation for better outreach.

5. D-U-N-S Number (Data Universal Numbering System)

Offering a unique identifier for businesses worldwide, which is widely used in supply chains, compliance processes, and government contracts.

Key Products and Services

Some of D&B’s notable products and services include:

D-U-N-S Number: A unique nine-digit identifier for businesses, widely used for credit reporting and government contracting.
D&B Hoovers: A sales intelligence platform for prospecting and company research.
D&B Credit: A subscription service for accessing business credit reports and analytics.
Data Cloud and Live Business Identity: Comprehensive structured global commercial data and analytically-derived insights to drive growth, manage risk, and increase efficiency.

Is it D-U-N-S Number scheme a Government Initiative or Private Initiatives

The D-U-N-S (Data Universal Numbering System) Number scheme is a private initiative, not a government one. It was developed and is managed by Dun & Bradstreet (D&B), a private American company specializing in business data and analytics.

Key points about the D-U-N-S Number:

Origin: Launched in 1963 by Dun & Bradstreet to support their credit reporting practice.
Purpose: Assigns a unique nine-digit identifier to business entities worldwide.
Widespread use: Although privately created, it has been widely adopted by governments and businesses globally.
Government adoption: The U.S. federal government has used D&B services for identifying and validating federal contractors since 1978.
Transition: As of April 4, 2022, the U.S. federal government has moved away from using DUNS numbers in favor of a new Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) system.

While the D-U-N-S Number scheme itself is a private initiative, its widespread adoption, including by governments, has made it a de facto standard for business identification in many contexts. However, the recent transition to the UEI system by the U.S. government indicates a shift towards a government-managed identification system for entities doing business with the federal government[15].

What is the use case of D-U-N-S Number?

D-U-N-S (Data Universal Numbering System) Numbers serve multiple important purposes for businesses across various sectors. Here are the key use cases:

Business Identification and Credibility

D-U-N-S Numbers act as unique nine-digit identifiers for businesses, establishing their legitimacy and credibility. They help:

Showcase authenticity to potential partners, investors, and customers
Validate a company’s existence and operational history
Facilitate easy identification and distinction from other businesses

Credit Reporting and Financial Assessment

D-U-N-S Numbers play a crucial role in credit reporting and financial assessment:

Enable businesses to build a credit file with Dun & Bradstreet
Allow lenders, suppliers, and partners to assess a company’s creditworthiness
Provide access to business credit reports, scores, and ratings
Help in evaluating financial stability and predicting reliability

Government Contracting and Grants

Many government agencies require D-U-N-S Numbers for various purposes:

Prerequisite for bidding on government contracts
Required for applying for federal grants and cooperative agreements
Used by the government to track electronic commerce with businesses

International Business

D-U-N-S Numbers facilitate international business operations:

Provide a globally recognized business identifier
Help multinational companies verify the credibility of foreign businesses
Simplify the process of conducting due diligence across borders

Supplier and Partner Relationships

D-U-N-S Numbers enhance business relationships:

Allow suppliers to assess the financial stability of potential clients
Facilitate smoother transactions and collaborations
Help businesses evaluate potential partners and seek new contracts

Regulatory Compliance

D-U-N-S Numbers aid in meeting various regulatory requirements:

May be required for licensing, permitting, or registration processes
Help demonstrate commitment to regulatory compliance
Streamline interactions with regulatory authorities

Business Intelligence and Risk Management

D-U-N-S Numbers provide valuable business intelligence

Allow access to detailed company information, including corporate structure and financials
Aid in risk assessment and management
Help in identifying cross-selling opportunities within corporate family structures

By serving these diverse purposes, D-U-N-S Numbers have become an essential tool for businesses seeking to establish credibility, manage relationships, and navigate the complexities of the modern business landscape.

Why Google Play Store and Apple App Store Mandatory D‑U‑N‑S Number?

Google Play Store and Apple App Store require a D-U-N-S Number to verify the legitimacy of businesses, ensure security, and maintain compliance with global standards. It helps prevent fraud, establishes legal accountability, and supports regulatory compliance like AML and KYB. The D-U-N-S Number builds trust, ensures only verified entities publish apps, and enhances the credibility of the app ecosystem for users and developers. For Apple, it’s mandatory for business accounts in the Developer Program.

Business Verification

D-U-N-S Numbers allow Google and Apple to verify the legitimacy and legal status of organizations publishing apps. This helps ensure that only genuine businesses can participate in their developer programs, maintaining the integrity of their app ecosystems.

Fraud Prevention

By requiring D-U-N-S Numbers, Google and Apple can better prevent fraudulent entries into their developer programs. This protects both developers and users from potential scams or malicious activities.

Transparency for Users

The use of D-U-N-S Numbers enables app stores to provide more transparent information about app developers to users. This allows users to make more informed decisions about the apps they download and use.

Compliance and Accountability

D-U-N-S Numbers help ensure that businesses comply with various legal and regulatory requirements. They hold developers accountable for their apps, ensuring they meet the stringent standards set by Google and Apple.

Global Recognition

D-U-N-S Numbers are widely recognized and used by government departments and Fortune 500 companies, providing a consistent and reliable way to identify businesses globally.

Enhanced User Trust

By verifying developer identities through D-U-N-S Numbers, Google and Apple aim to maintain a high level of trust within their app ecosystems. This helps users feel more confident about the apps they’re installing.

What is the deadline for Google Play Store and Apple App Store for D‑U‑N‑S Number?

For Google Play Store:

Google has implemented a phased approach for D-U-N-S Number verification:

From August 31, 2023, new organizational developer accounts were required to provide a D-U-N-S Number.
Existing accounts created before September 2023 were given the opportunity to choose their preferred verification deadline between November 8, 2023, and February 29, 2024.
For developers who did not select a deadline by February 29, 2024, Google automatically assigned a deadline.
The verification process can be started in Play Console 60 days before the chosen or assigned deadline.
Developers must complete the account verification by their deadline to prevent their developer profile and apps from being removed from Google Play.

For Apple App Store:

Apple has required D-U-N-S Numbers for organizational developer accounts for some time now. There is no specific deadline mentioned in the search results for Apple, as it is an ongoing requirement. However, developers should note:

D-U-N-S Numbers are mandatory for organizations joining the Apple Developer Program or the Apple Developer Enterprise Program.
It can take up to 14 business days to receive a D-U-N-S Number and for Apple to process the information.
Developers should obtain their D-U-N-S Number well in advance of when they plan to enroll in Apple’s developer programs to avoid delays.

It’s important for developers to act promptly to meet these requirements and avoid any disruptions to their app publishing capabilities on both platforms.

Why Business Owners are Frustrated in process of getting D‑U‑N‑S Number?

Thank you for clarifying! Here’s a concise summary of why business owners are frustrated with the D-U-N-S Number process based on the detailed issues you’ve highlighted:

1. Excessive Delays

Despite claims of a shorter timeline, it can take 2-3 months or longer, with many still waiting for resolution.

2. Lack of Email Support

Multiple emails to support go unanswered, leaving applicants in the dark about the status of their application.

3. Website and Form Issues

The Dun & Bradstreet website often fails to process submissions properly, with broken forms or issues uploading required documents (e.g., ZIP files).

4. Aggressive Promotion of Paid Services

Applicants frequently receive promotional offers for paid or expedited services but receive little to no assistance for the free application process.

5. Poor Communication and Transparency

Lack of updates, vague guidelines, and minimal customer support lead to confusion and frustration.

These problems have led to growing dissatisfaction among business owners, as the process feels inefficient and heavily skewed toward pushing paid solutions.

Is it Scam? Based on my experience – YES

There are indeed significant issues and inefficiencies with the D-U-N-S Number application process. While the D-U-N-S Number system itself is not a scam, the process seems to be plagued by delays, technical problems, and poor customer service, which can make it feel frustrating and potentially exploitative for applicants.Several points support this assessment:

Lengthy processing times: The standard processing time for a free D-U-N-S Number can take up to 90 business days. In your case, waiting for three months without receiving a form to fill out business information is exceptionally long and indicates a serious breakdown in the process.
Technical issues: The problem you mentioned with non-functional file upload options on the website is consistent with reports of technical issues in the application process. Such problems can significantly delay applications and cause frustration for users.
Pushing paid options: The practice of canceling submissions and offering paid expedited services when technical issues arise is concerning. This aligns with complaints about D&B’s sales tactics, as mentioned in a Federal Trade Commission complaint against the company.
Inconsistent communication: The lack of communication you experienced, such as not receiving forms or updates, is echoed in other reports. Some users have noted that D&B doesn’t send confirmation emails or provide status updates during the waiting period
Verification challenges: The rigorous verification process, while necessary for maintaining data integrity, can lead to delays and frustration, especially when combined with poor communication.
Mandatory nature: The fact that D-U-N-S Numbers are required for certain business activities, such as registering apps on major platforms or bidding for government contracts, adds to the frustration when the process is inefficient.

The frustration you’re describing with the D-U-N-S Number process is shared by many business owners and raises concerns about transparency and efficiency. Here’s why the process can feel problematic, even to the point of appearing scam-like:

1. Unreasonable Delays

Waiting for 3+ months with no progress, even after submitting all required documents, suggests inefficiency or intentional stalling.

2. Broken Systems

Issues like forms not working (e.g., upload failures for ZIP files) and support canceling submissions instead of resolving problems reflect poor technical infrastructure.

3. Lack of Customer Support

The absence of meaningful responses to emails and inquiries leaves applicants stranded, eroding trust in the process.

4. Pressure to Pay for Expedited Services

Applicants often experience deliberate delays with the free service while being actively marketed expensive expedited options, giving the impression that delays are intentional to push paid services.

5. Cancelling Forms Without Resolution

Canceling submissions due to minor issues instead of assisting applicants adds to the frustration, suggesting a lack of commitment to resolving problems.

6. Perception of Exploitation

These practices—poor communication, unresolved technical issues, and an emphasis on paid options—can feel exploitative, especially for small businesses that rely on timely issuance of the number.

This behavior undermines trust and fairness in a system that is essential for global business operations. Many believe a more transparent, responsive, and functional process is needed to restore confidence in the D-U-N-S Number application system.

List of Country specific websites for D‑U‑N‑S Number by Dun & Bradstreet

Here is a list of country-specific websites for obtaining a D-U-N-S Number from Dun & Bradstreet:

Americas

United States: www.dnb.com
Canada (English): www.dnb.ca
Canada (French): www.dnb.ca/fr
Latin America (Spanish): www.dnblatam.com
Latin America (Portuguese): www.dnblatam.com/pt
Colombia: www.dnbcolombia.com

Europe

United Kingdom: www.dnb.co.uk
Ireland: www.dnb.com/ie
Germany: www.dnb.com/de
Austria: www.dnb.com/at
Switzerland: www.dnb.com/ch
France: www.dnb.com/fr
Italy: www.dnb.com/it
Spain: www.dnb.com/es
Netherlands: www.dnb.com/nl
Belgium: www.dnb.com/be
Denmark: www.dnb.com/dk
Sweden: www.dnb.com/se
Norway: www.dnb.com/no
Finland: www.dnb.com/fi

Asia Pacific

India: www.dnb.co.in
China: www.dnbchina.com
Hong Kong: www.dnb.com.hk
Taiwan: www.dnb.com.tw
Australia: www.dnb.com.au
New Zealand: www.dnb.co.nz
Singapore: www.dnb.com.sg
Malaysia: www.dnb.com.my
Japan: www.dnb.co.jp
South Korea: www.dnbkorea.com

Middle East & Africa

United Arab Emirates: www.dnbsame.com