Angies List Complaint - Yet Another Bit of Feedback
I got this email the other day and wanted to share it with y'all. The original author informed me that she was asking for a refund and was planning to cancel payment via her credit card company if Angies List didn't give her a refund.
Edit for clarity:They sent this to Angie's List customer support first and then sent a copy to me
Dear Angie,We are in the midst of remodeling several portions of our home and were quite excited to discover your service. Last Thursday I signed up for a one year membership and contacted a contractor from your list. I was very excited because this company had awards and eight times more reviews than the other contractors in the category. The prices quoted on all of their jobs in the reviews were low. The quality of the work in the picture appeared impressive.
I scheduled an appointment for Saturday afternoon. The company was very pleasant on the phone and the representative who came to our home was also nice.Angie's List is a great concept, but it's not turning out to be as easy or helpful as I at first believed it would be.
Reason? It seems more of a starting point, with lots of investigative work still to be done. Good contractors may not be on the list and bad ones may be.
The caveat is that I'm still new to this and have only contacted one business.
I will not, however, even consider using the business I contacted.Here is my problem.
I understood that the contractors on your list could only be there if one of their clients (nominated them) wrote a review and put them there. "They cannot buy their way onto the list."
Is this correct?
In a general conversation with this contractor, I was told that you solicited him. "Angie's List was mostly on the East Coast. A couple of years ago when they expanded West they (needed a list and) called us and asked if they could list us. At first I was skeptical, but I finally told them that as long as it was free they could list us. Our business took off from there."Do you solicit businesses?
The story has a ring of truth to it. If the story is true, it bothers me immensely.
At least in the beginning, it doesn't appear that this company came to your list from a client.
Of course. You need a list to start building a list. You have to start somewhere to get members so that they can submit reviews.
Angie's List is a business.
However...
It seems that building a list in this way compromises the list's integrity.
This is not the online Yellow Pages advertising and supporting businesses, but rather a service to help consumers choose a business they can trust. Right?
How can you build trust on a foundation of deception?Actually, to take this a step further, what is to prevent someone from getting on the list by writing a review of their business while posing as a client?
What's to prevent someone from padding their reviews by writing several himself or by soliciting friends or family to do so?
Checks and balances. Consumers can post unfavorable reviews...
but perhaps there is also an easy way around that...
My husband found one company with an unfavorable review and felt strongly that the contractor padded his account with positive letters - I think he said five - to raise his average and counteract the negative report. My husband felt all five letters were written by the same person because all were typed in caps and the language structure was the same. Is this a possibility?
Could a person join for one month just to submit a review?
Paying someone $20 (buying them a membership) to submit a favorable review of your company could be very inexpensive advertising. Even paying lots of people to do that would be cost effective and give a business a huge boost.
This could be especially true if the business stood out incredibly far ahead of the pack - as the one I chose did. Subliminal marketing...
I wonder now if the contractors with less reviews might actually be more real.I pose these questions because of the quality of work the contractor I contacted showed me. Although the homeowner was very happy, I still wonder if this company may have padded their listing. Perhaps they really do have a huge business going -- and maybe I don't know what a professional remodel should look like.
Okay.
I've got it.
My criteria: There should be no obvious defects in workmanship and the job should blend well with the house. It should not stand out as a remodel.The contractor took us to see a "high-end" ($80,000) kitchen remodel that he had just completed. He was very proud of the workmanship and the homeowner was also very happy. I believe she found him on Angie's List and that they did not know each other prior to the project. He said that she did not submit a review but I'm quite sure it would be favorable if she were to submit one.
The cost of this remodel was far higher than the (advertised) prices in the reviews that get a subscriber's attention to call the company. Marketing. I'm just making a point. This is not a money issue for me.I'm not an expert, so some of the things that I didn't care for may not really be a problem. Maybe just personal taste...
However, there were two things I noticed that I really believe were wrong...
After we returned home, I asked the contractor about the location of the seams in the granite counter top. I told him that I would prefer the seams in my counter to be located near the corner of the L.
He was quite adamant that these things were done properly and skillfully and that my opinion was wrong.This contractor made the granite seam straight through the center of the sink!
Not only was that the focal point of the kitchen, but it was also the narrowest and weakest part of the entire slab. The seam was wider than usual and the filler color made the joint obvious. I could also see the joint seam along the front edge of the bull nose from several feet away. The contractor told me that the bull nose seam is always visible regardless of who does the work. That is not true. This homeowner got shoddy workmanship on a very expensive part of her kitchen.
The cabinets were "custom", but the upper cabinets on the sink side looked more like random pieces that would work. They were probably made for that kitchen and maybe the designer just wanted a lot of space around them. The staining on the cabinets didn't look professional to me; I also had some issues with the tile work and edge pieces on the back splashes. The kitchen was not large and it did not have a huge number of cabinets. I think they overpaid for what they received, but I really don't know.
So...what do I want?
Answers -- and some reassurance that the list is valid and my experiences should improve.
Maybe, since Angie's List depends on feedback, you might find my experience yesterday helpful. I did not (and will not) use this contractor, but I don't care to leave negative feedback about work that someone is proud of and the homeowner is happy with. I wonder how many others out there might feel the same way?
Comments
Did you send this letter to Angie's List or just this site?
When a report comes in, it is reviewed by a department at Angie's List. It has a name, member number and address associated with it. While names aren't published on the site, they can be viewed by companies and are viewable to employees of Angie's List. Contractors are more than welcome to encourage members to submit reports. Therefore, it isn't unusual to see a "bad" report and then positive reports following. After all, anyone in any service industry can tell you that you can't make all people happy and you will eventually meet someone that doesn't like the work you do.
Can a company buy memberships? When members purchase memberships, it is billed on a card that much match the name on the account. Can you get seated at a restaurant faster if you tip? I don't know, but I'm sure someone can slip anyone $20. Can they do this as a marketing tool? Angie's List would hear about it eventually. Some member would let it slip that John the Contractor bought him a membership in which case a legal investigation would ensue and that company would be permanently banned from Angie's List.
I hope this new member takes the time to call or email Angie's List to get reassurances. She obviously isn't going to get it here!
clarification of origin of the mail
Tina,
I've clarified the introduction to make it more obvious that this was sent to Angies List first and then copied to me.
You have a lot of faith that "Angies List would hear about it eventually." I don't have the same faith that you do. Especially given all of the horror stories that people have related in the comments on these posts, it appears that there is a lot more shady dealings going on than there is honest we're in it to help you kind of good natured company.
Angie's List: The Real Deal
This submission is authored by a former employee of Angie's List who has seen things from the inside. First, Angie's List employs people to scour the web for references to their company and respond to them, shedding doubt on a naysayer and coming up with a spin that makes their halo shine. Second, companies can't "buy their way onto the list" BUT Any Company can and does buy memberships for family members and others so they can submit positive reports. Then Angie's List can sell Any Company advertising. They limit advertising spots depending on the size of the market so that companies pay a premium for their spot. Third, Angie's List promotes on-the-job drinking and drinking during their numerous over-the-top parties. Finally, Angie's List keeps their cost down by frequently laying off employees with major health problems (interesting since they so heavily promote drinking.)
My experience with Angie's List leads me to hope that there is divine justice so the owners and leaders will "reap what they have sown." They would benefit from experiencing the agony they have caused so many others.
casting doubt on naysayers
In my own experience they've taken a surprisingly hands off approach to me. I did get a call and had some e-mail conversations with an employee and she was very reasonable.
There are certainly lots of people who have tried to discredit me or the other commenters on this site, but it's not clear that any of them were Angies List employees.
Fees
There is no way I'm paying for a service such as this. There is so much room for deception that it's scary. Not only that, they charge a 10.00 sign up fee along with the monthly fee. No thanks. There are others ways to get ripped off that may bring enjoyment to my life but not this.
Same here. NO WAY is this worth the cost...
I heard them 'advertise' Angie's list on WHYY in the Philly area, decided to check them out.
WTF's up with the fee? Somehows Craigslist manages to be FREE. I understand there are apples and oranges here, but the point is that they're both message boards...
I mean, how OFTEN would you use Angie's list? How OFTEN do you get your kitchen redone? Or, assuming you find a good fix-it guy, plumber, etc., why would you look for another?
I understand that Angie is entitled to WANT something for her effort, but, for me, you'd have to add something to the offering like articles, exclusive deals, coupons, etc., rather than just host a message board in which the members provide all of the content.
The opportunities for abuse are obvious, of course, and the story about them canvassing businesses to 'get them going' in a certain area has the ring of truth.
I'm reminded of a certain website (name escapes me) who wanted $50 for a year of TV guide listings. THAT isn't around either...
Pay for angies list :(
I think they are taking everybody for a ride.
The contractor has a monthly fee, The home owners pay a monthly fee. Sounds like double dipping to me ???
And they are false advertising on TV. They say you don't have to pay to be on Angies list. That is bull. If you don't pay your listing gets pulled, and states that.
The BBB is the same way. If you do not pay there 400.00 charge, you get a BIG fat " F "rating. I am sorry the last time i checked our country was in a recession. Not all small business's has the extra.
Oh yeah did i mention, that if you choose to use your lawyer instead of the BBB with a complaint, they revoke you.
Its all a scam.
They say it's a service to home owners, so they don't get scammed ?
What about the contractors that get scammed. The home owners don't pay for services rendered, where is there site for contractors to file a complaint ?
But hey way to go Angie, you will never have to work another day in your life.
This is the case of the fox
This is the case of the fox guarding the chicken coup.
It is true that if Angies discovers a company has paid for a client's posting, the company will be forever banned. But now, who's going to tell?
If my cousin, my mother, or my 5 girl friends want to give me a "goods" review, I haven't paid them a penny, but how on earth is Angies going to know?
THIS "LIST" IN UNRELIABLE AT BEST, AND POSSIBLY A CONSUMER FRAUD.
Consumer fraud
As a former "Angie's List" subscriber, all I can say is that I feel sure this organization is a Scam! As I read earlier about the sign up fee such as what I paid initially, how does this make sense to punish a new member as they're signing up for the first time. Secondly, when is comes time to renew your membership, they wanted a "whopping" sixty-nine dollars a year to continue. All the while, if you look a their home page about their fees, as a newcomer, you could get a three year deal for, yes, sixty-nine dollars. So much for member appreciation, eh? It's too bad this concept, at least with this organization, just doesn't work. It really sounds like something consumers could really use to expose shady contractors, as we all know there are way too many out there with not much of a police force, if any, to shut them down and punish them for their rip offs of people who have worked very hard for their money, only to be taken advantage of. Furthermore, as I hear all the expensive advertising on television and radio from this "shady" organization, it's a no-brainer where all your money is going. Any time I, or my brother has tried to use the highly rated contractors on this site, the results have been much less than professional! What a shame.
Well said, greggles
I own/operate a local business directory which I will not mention.
I heard about Angieslist.com recently and decided to check them out for ideas
about my own site.
After searching through five (5) categories, I finally found one with businesses listed
under it for my city.
I found it very interesting that, out of the four businesses listed, all of them received
a grade of ... drum roll ... wait for it ...
"A"
That's right. They all have the magic "A" next to their business, but no one left a specific
review for those companies. Isn't that a bit curious? I think so.
See, my site utilizes two basic methods for rating a business: an anonymous
system of adding one (1) to five (5) stars, and a slightly less anonymous system of adding
a personalized review.
In the short time that my site has been up, most reviews have come from the star-based method.
There have been a few of what I call "drive-by" reviewers: a local business owner who works in
the same field/category, such as the cleaning services area, who adds one star to all of his
competitors, and he/she adds five stars to his own listing. Hence the drive-by method for adding
a review.
I track all visitors to my site, so I am my own system for checks and balances. If someone leaves
a negative review for a company so be it.
I really have to question Angieslist.com for the simple reason that if they're soliciting businesses to
join their site, they're not being honest and unbiased.
potential for an interesting algorithm!
If you see lots of sessions (or IP addresses) that "mark other people as 1 star and one business as 5 star" then you could start automatically removing those votes, our discounting their value in the final tally for the voters. Interesting ideas.
Angies List
Companies can not join Angies List. My company was on Angies List for as year before I knew one of our customers had put it on the site. You can not pay them to put you on it, and you can not request to get your company name off of it. They will refuse to take it off. They will tell you that they "can't" remove it. Things go well for your business if you get the good reports. But get one F report and you are pretty much down the tubes for any new business until someone else puts a good one above it. The F report my company got is pretty much bogus. Yes I have not gotten the job done, but my work is seasonal, when you have 3 dry days in 30 its pretty hard to get there and finish. They said they called 3 times, they called once. I returned the call but no answer and no voice mail. They said that paid more than half of the job cost in a deposit and we had processed the check and that should have put them at the top of the list. Not so, the people that sent contacts in weeks before they did were about them on the top of the list. The job was for $550.00 and the deposit for $150.00...I'm sorry but that is not half. And I can rebuttle the report. But what I type in will be edited as I can not say that they did not pay that amount. That they didn't call 3 times. So for the use of my company name that I can not get off this list I get a nice paper award and an invitation to pay 100.00 for my own nice wood and pretty one. So Angies list makes money on the people that sign up, I believe around 50.00 a membership, and the ride on the backs of the business owners. If they didn't have the small business owner listed they wouldnt have a business, but the small business owner will get NO backup from Angies list. Your hung out to dry and told to call and talk to that person.
Similar Problem
Angie's List does absolutely nothing to prevent people from going on their site and bashing companies. I have a completely false negative review posted against my company, and Angie's List claims that they "can't" remove it. They say that the remarks are owned by the "member" that posted them, and they have no right to remove them. However, they will continue to broadcast these falsehoods to millions!
Their solution was for me to tell my clients to go to their website and post positive reviews. So, the only way for me to attempt to repair the damage that has been (and continues to be) done to me and my company, is to provide free advertising for them so they can make more money from MY clients! How convenient for Angie!!!! They even offered to provide me with brochures to hand out to my clients.
Why would I send my clients to a website that broadcasts lies about my company?
Angie's List unreliability
One disturbing thing about Angie's List is that they allow a business to comment after I've made a comment and I have no chance to reply. If my comment is negative, the company invariably makes me sound like a grouchy crank and exonerates themselves completely. I've complained to Angie's List about this before, but they really don't care.
I think this is because Angie's List is oriented to steer work to businesses that pay to advertise with them. They're not Consumer Reports; they take money from businesses and serve their needs first, not the members' needs. It's always been suspicious that so many companies get all A's. Or that a company can get two F's out of 40 reports and still have an A overall. And, I think it probably happens frequently that businesses have friends and family buy memberships and file glowing, but false reports. Angie's List must be fully aware of this practice, but as long as they get their $60 per year they have no incentive to try and stop it
It's a great idea, but their product is just too suspect to trust any longer.
WELL SAID
Well said. I could not have said it better.
You are all missing the point about Angie's list
First of all, why does everybody get an A ? This is done so that they can sell search positions for a huge monthly fee, or so I am told by a contractor that had to pay a monthly fee.
Beware of Angies List Worth
I have found that Angies List does very little, if anything, to ensure any sort of accuracy of information posted about a company. And it is true that Angies List edits a companies response to a posting; especially if it contains any negative comments in regards to Angies List itself. Our company has a posting against it from a woman that we have no record of ever doing business with her nor any record that she has even called our company. I brought this to the attention of Angies List and so far they have done nothing. Anyone can submit anything they want to about a company; true or false. And once a company is put on Angies List, those companies are contacted about advertising with them; regardless of what kind of rating that company has. Angies List is all about making money and nothing about providing factual information.
paying for advertising on Angies List
Used to be an honor to be accepted for advertsing in Angies List, and very little cost for a special ad. then the yellow bar came around...companies are told this keeps them at the the top of the list and only offered to award winners (and there can my many award winners in the came class.) Price a few years back way under 100.00, now around 600.00 a month for that little thing. My customers think that Angie is showing them the BEST company, no, I tell them, we have to pay for that...they say "your kidding". And yes now every little things cost hundreds of dollars. I call that double dipping....50.00 a month from members and then more bucks to make all these companies looked good. This is a copy of one I got just a day or so ago, I have removed my city as I want no problems out of them:
Hello,
In our February monthly magazine, we are going to be featuring 11 companies that have recently received outstanding reports from our members. You were one of the companies eligible to be on our Honor Roll page for February. Click here to see what the page will look like.
I was wondering if you would be interested in filling one of the spots left. This magazine will go out to the 42,670 paid members we have in the ______________ market. The one time fee is $638 for a color ad. We will also design the ad for you free of charge.
Let me know ASAP if you are interested and I will save you a spot-I have 4 spots left but they are first come, first serve. I will need your information by Wednesday, November 26th.
Thanks!
i think they should have to
i think they should have to show some kind of proff that thay used the company email a copy of their contract or recipt something that shows they in fact used them and not be able to bash a business just cause they can that is called slander and that is unlawful
renewal
Check your credit card statements.....I had asked Angie's List to not renew my subscription in July of 2008 because I came to conclusion that they really don't research their contractors to see if they do good work or not. You are better off just looking in the phone book and asking the contractor a ton of questions based on the research you learn from the project. If they start saying stuff that doesn't make sense....get rid of them.
I was charged in September for a renewal. When I called to find out why....they stated and I quote, "So sorry we will go ahead and credit your account....you shall see a credit in November." When I asked further why I was charged when I sent the postcard back explaining why I didnt want to renew they had no answer. Angie's list gets an F.
FREE CONSUMER SITE
Instead of joining Angie's list, go to:
http://www.trustedones.com
It's Free
An Expensive Joke
I see no reason to pay to get a list of contractors. A google search for your area will give you the same info a list will give you. As to the "ratings": yah, and I believe in the tooth fairy.
Only gullible people trust online ratings that cannot possibly be checked and double-checked by Angie's or Service Magic. They are a joke. Unfortunately, they are an EXPENSIVE joke.
The LOCAL BBB does a much better job as they interview the contractrs IN PERSON.
Better Business Bureau better than Angies List?
"The LOCAL BBB does a much better job as they interview the contractors IN PERSON."
Are you kidding me? The only interview is when the big fat sales guy comes over to get the check. I started a business 10 years ago, filed a new business registration and got solicited by BBB within a few days. The sales guy came over to make his presentation. I asked him how he knew that we were a "better business" since we had only been in business for three weeks. He blustered and blathered about how we had filed a DBA and a gotten a business license and…and, er – -all the while looking at the open checkbook on my desk.
Others on this blog have commented on how lame the BBB is. BBB is a franchise in each US city. Some of those franchises are incredibly profitable, given that they are selling 1000's of $700.00 annual "memberships" in a BBB--and only providing a five cent sticker.
Last week I received a postcard solicitation from them (even though we are already members!) saying that "35 people had inquired" about our company in October". That's VERY interesting, as our business took a dive last month due to the economy. I don't think we got 5 new calls for work all month--so how come 35 people phoned the BBB about us? I called them on it, and they hedged and evaded. BBB is exactly the same as AngiesList and equally compromised.
Really?
Considering the BBB only allows businesses to become members if they've been in business for more than a year, I question your comment's validity.
BBB Is Not a Franchise
The Better Business Bureau is a non-profit organization, not a franchise. It is operated independently in each city or location, so there will be variations in how things are run, but the rule in my city is that you have to be in business for a year before you can join. Also, they do a background check on the businesses, and anyone who has unanswered complaints isn't allowed to join. Also, if you've been involved in fraud you aren't allowed to join.
They are non-profit, but the
They are non-profit, but the administrators get paid a HUGE salary. Google it and you'll see the stories!
The BBB is a sham. The only
The BBB is a sham. The only thing they care about is getting a check. They post only what is told to them by the member. it's a joke to say the least. With Angies list, at least the reviews are posted by the consumers. There are always those that cheat. But the truth will always come out. you will have a hundred time better chance of finding some one reliable by reading the reviews on Angies list, than with the BBB, that jerky rip off company called Service Magic, or by a recommendation from your cousin who probably doesn't know his a.. From his elbow.
Do your homework, ask for 3 references, check them out and you won't get taken.
I read some of the postings and to be honest, you sound like a bunch yo yo's that are ready to go with the first person that comes along.
Stop crying, you know what should be done. Don't get lazy......and don't blame others for your mistakes. WAKE UP!!!!
no "joke"
I wouldn't put Angies list in the same category as Service Magic, Yes service magic does carefully screen its contractors, requesting proof of insurance, and customer satisfaction. The local BBB is a joke, anyone who slaps down the fee is in.
You have got to be
You have got to be kidding......service magic will probably be receiving a cease and desist from the Attorneys general of the United. States and the principals indicted before the end of 2012......for their deceptive practices
the bbb doesn't check out
the bbb doesn't check out contractors, the call me every year and say " you have been selected because you have no complaints against you" And then want $6-800 to list me!
Angie's List Sucks and is a rip off
I signed up for one month. Then they charged me several months. RIP OFF. ANGIE' S LIST SUCKS!
Angie's List Complaint Resolution
I recently used Angie's List for a complaint resolution against a contractor we used, and the contractor finally came out (1 year after the original work was done) to finish the work. I told Angie's List that they finished the work, so they removed my complaint entirely and told me I could re-rate using only A's or B's. I'm sorry, but AVERAGE is a C, and it would be an improvement over the overall D I gave them originally. Personally, I think I rated them fairly the first time (with excruciating details) and would simply want to add an "update" to the post saying that the job was finally done. I told them that next time (if there IS a next time), I'd rather take the company to court! The BBB wasn't much help, either. Checkbook.org is decent, but it doesn't give enough room for extensive feedback when necessary. I'm seriously considering starting my own site... in my copious free time. ;P
Bait and Switch
Angie's List is total bait and switch. I signed up for a couple months, then after getting my contractor (and being satisfied enough), followed their exact procedure to cancel. The charge kept showing up on my card. So I called again. They of course have no record of the first call and I (like a dummy, I admit) did not get a confirmation number. I canceled again, got a name and confirmation number, but still a charge showed up. I am now calling the credit card company and disputing the charge. For a group that claims to be on the consumer's side, they are only on their side.
Watch out for Angie's List
Angie's List was based on their integrity and unbiased reporting. I heard they keep contractors who want to advertise on the top and member's are HARASSED about reporting on these companies. Companies that advertise always come up before companies that may have more ratings, or a better rating. Now here is the kicker. When I used to call I was assured that EVERY report was hand checked. Now it is some reports, or a percentage. I heard that they outsourced a lot of their jobs to India and that they can't guarantee that submitted reports get checked at all. I really loved Angie's List and thought it was an excellent service and I have found many great service providers from them, but now I will not recommend them to anyone, nor will I use them in the future. They are no long unbiased, and they have no way to insure users are getting truthful information.
Workpost.com is a good alternative
Our site is new, but we have nearly 600 professionals in our directory that are all able to be reviewed. As we get more people going to the site we anticipate meaningful reviews will begin to appear. Best of all, Workpost.com is free for all to use!
Angie's List
Hey guys and gals, I've been hearing a lot of complaints about this company. They're not that active in my city so I've decided to start a company that does pretty much the same thing. Any pointers or opinions from you all that I could consider before I roll the website out? What would be something that I could do to that Angie's list isn't doing? I definately appreciate your input. Thanks
Had to cancel and they intially refused to refund me
I called to cancel my month-to-month membership (which dragged on for far too long, how did I get sucked into this???). The reviews are pedestrian, the companies are not much better than average. I called to cancel and was initially told I could not get a refund on the current month's membership. It had been only 5 days and I had only used them once to look up their new Health Care section, that was when I decided it was not worth it to continue any longer. I asked to speak to a supervisor who gave me a refund on the last three months. That was at least the decent thing to do.
Options
It makes NO sense to charge consumers for the right to post comments on contractors. DIOPRO.COM offers the same service and charges the contractors to list them. If they fall below a 2.5 out 5.0 they're dropped. Make sure there are several examples of feedback before you hire the contractor. DIOPRO.COM will be in your city in March 2009.
If your contractor isn't on DIOPRO.COM ask them to sign up...then they know you're going rate them and will likely provide better service.
DIOPRO.COM also has a payment service where the contractor doesn't get paid until you approve of their work.
A MUCH BETTER OPTION!
Magnet
Boy, this discussion is a real magnet for every POS Angie's List clone on the internets. So sad they cannot see that they have the exact same flaws that everyone here is complaining about. I guess starting a message board beats working.
Not Honest in Dealing with Consumers
I called Angie's List (for West Coast) and was told in order for our rating of a contractor we hired, we would have to "join" Angie's List and pay to leave a review. Why should we have to pay to rate a company that we hired and paid for their services?
We called the Angie's List Rep and he said there was a way around and that Angie's List would post our review of a contractor we hired and they would post it and screen print it, without our having to join.
While we were giving the sales rep the contractor grade ratings, the rep was on the phone to us changing the contractor grades from B to A! Totally disregarding what we were saying. Because the contractor paid money to Angie's List the sales rep changed our ratings to A's.
We are now told that we cannot post on this website without joining and paying for one month.
But, from what I am reading once you "join" Angie's List, they will continue to charge your credit card.
suggest recording your calls
I recently started using Google Voice and/or Audio Hijack Pro (though other software exists and works well) to record my calls with service people. I've had too many experiences where the person told me something that is against company policy or just downright bad service and having a recording helps when you get a further run-around.
Not Honest
Sounds like there's some confusion here. Consumers get to assign grades -- we don't. We have an auto bill function, but you can opt out of that.
Please give me a call or email me so we can straighten this out.
Cheryl at Angie's List -- 317-396-9134 or cherylr@angieslist.com
Not Honest
Consumer = Anybody that pays to be a member.
I can become a member and talk fantastic stories about my own company.
Therefore Angie's List has no power to verify any grade assigned on any company, weather it is positive or negative.
I am a small business in
I am a small business in Columbus that started a remodelling company in the late 1990's. In my second year in business a lady I worked for posted a report on Angie's list about me. In the next couple years I had several different people post reports on me without me knowing. All those reports were excellent reviews about me from the client. Over time, as I kept getting positive reports from more and more people that I worked for, my business picked up and got better and better. I now have many dozens of reports and they are 99% great reports.
I know that my business has grown tremendously due to my exposure on Angie's list. And I also know that I go above and beyond for my new clients especially because I know I will probably get 'graded' and do not wish to let anyone 'fall through the cracks'.
My own experiences with Angie's list have been really good. Yes of course they are a huge company - they actually began their business right now the road from me back in the mid 90's before I knew about them. And now there are over 1 million members.
Of course with that many members and in such a large company, there are going to be people getting mad at you, angry about a mistake, maybe in some cases the ball got dropped by somebody at angie's list several times in a row, etc. This is unavoidable. EVERY COMPANY and especially every LARGE company takes a lot of slack. Companies are easy for people to get on and slander.
It is very common also for people to get mad and then change stories because of being mad. There are many things posted here that are slandering ANgie's list and I would be willing to bet that there is another side to the story in every case. Especially in today's world we are all taught from a very early age that we lie to get what we want, or when we get mad we can shift the facts around to our benefit. Everyone has done that at some point. All of us. And the people at Angie's list are human too and of course they are going to make mistakes. But, some of the stuff on here is outright bogus and is coming from people obviously frustrated and angry and using ANgie's list as a scapegoat.
Angie's list is simply a company trying to make a profit and attempting to do so by best serving the consumer to find reputable companies to do business with. Of course this is not perfect. But there are over 1 million consumers who are angies list members. And thousands of service comanies (I am one). Even if only 1 out of every 100 people who become angies list members OR FOR THAT MATTER ANGIES list employees (and then leave angies list) - even if only 1 out of a hundred of these people go to the point of trying to blast angies list from either a sonsumer side or "past employee" side, that is still a THOUSAND PEOPLE making stuff up and blasting angie or all that jazz.
Of course if these negative comments in this web blog posting were balanced with the thousands of very satisfied members - yes things would tend to even out and people would get a more clear and accurate view of what ANgie's list is really about.
My own view is that reading some of the nasty reviews of angie's list on here says more about the person writing them than it does about Angie's list. Not all but many. For instance to say that Angie's list MADE them give only an A or B report is totally bogus.
Angie's list is like everyone else- working with real human beings within their company, many of them probably exemplary people, all of them going through things that each one of us who is living today on earth are all going through - real lives, family, friends, joys and sadnesses, let downs, hardships and challenges. I really have not seen anything over the last decade of my dealings with ANgie's list to lead me to believe they are cheating people, or conning them, or are evil. hahahaha.
wow, you sound like a paid
wow, you sound like a paid clone from angie's list.... funny how cheryl from angie's list posted about the misinfomation, and "confusion" from this site, and right after her, you pop up as an "actual" consumer trying to cherry coat the positive side of angie's list. Very ironic indeed.... and soooo see through. Listen, why would I even pay for this site anyway considering so many lists out there are FREE FREE FREE like CRAIGSLIST which I LOVE!!! You wouldn't even exist if it were not the opinions of consumers so why turn around and charge them for what you need to survive. So how do you make money, why dont you ask CRAIGSLIST people, they seem to be smarter than you. Or maybe you should stop throwing crazy parties, drinking and wasting time like surfing on the net and doing junk!
Wow, I forgot all about this
Wow, I forgot all about this site and my post last year and then I got an auto response today from this poster - calling me a clone from angie's list and such. I don't agree with certain rules from angie's list, but it is true that people leaving feedback about my small business has helped my business grow a good deal over the years. It is amazing how when you post something someone is there to launch on you, and become rude.
not rude
I don't really think the person that replied to you was rude. I think they were accusing you of being the representative from Angie's List "Cherryl" that posted above you and used the same spacing and sentence structure.
I don't know if you are legit or not. I've contacted people from Angie's List because of positive reviews also, so I could see it helping out a business. I also know that Angie's list completely screws over the customers by continuing to charge their credit cards and making it terribly difficult to cancel the service. Because of their awful customer service record, it seems natural to accuse the AL rep from impersonating a contractor in order to cast a more favorable light on the company. AL reps are already trolling the internet posting to blogs, so why not?
not rude - Well said and.....
Additionally, how would someone with such a glowing opinion of Angie's List wind up on this sight anyway? I had to do a search for "Angie's List Complaints" to get here. It's just so obvious that we've just read a work of fiction written by a troll.
My experience so far, long story short,
I purchased a discounted coupon for $16 (Groupon) for a 1 year membership to Angie's List. I only started the complaint search when AL refused to activate my membership unless I gave them a credit card number, expiration date and the three digit security code. When I asked why, I was told it was for automatic renewal. When I finally got a supervisor on the phone, I quoted the "rules of my Groupon that state "Fine Print: Limit 1 per person. Must activate subscription by 6/23/11; subscription expires 1 year from activation", so I shouldn't have to agree to automatic renewal since it doesn't say "automatic renewal required ". Then the supervisor did the fake apology thing: "I'm sorry but...." and I was told I
<
ul>HAD to give them my credit card for anything that I might charge. Charge? At that point, I realized the customer service people at AL are either stoned or just too dumb to wear shoes with laces.
AL must not get many people who are so satisfied with the service that they renew from year to year. They have to scam for it. Imagine the amount of revenue they get for charging people, nationwide, and using it for a couple of months before they have to give you a refund (IF you call and IF you are assertive).
If I can't get a refund on my Groupon, I'll just write off the $16 and call it a day. It's not worth getting into the headache that AL seems to be.
You sound like a disgruntled
You sound like a disgruntled ex employee that was fired by the Angies List company for being incompetent. Is that true? You don't have a clue of what you're talking about.......
I was thinking your payed to
I've seen too many sites were Angie's List is being complained about. At this point, I think only one of their own would give this good a reply about their services!! Try again!!!
Angies List is corrupt scam with unethical business practices
Angies List is corrupt scam with unethical business practices
Submitted by Dr Charles G (not verified) on Wed, 2010-06-02 15:36.
It is my hope that this reply will reach innumerable Angies List potential victims. Those who think AL detractors must be biased will find no substantive reason to challenge my negative conclusions. I am not an Angie List customer but when I "bit" on their marketing angle, I got a lot of interesting insight on just how they do business. As a business owner for over 35 years, I understand very well the importance of a good reputation and marketing. As a highly compassionate and caring medical doctor, I have been blessed to have people assume that I am both trust-WORTHY and relatively bright person. At the risk of not seeming as humble as I am, I believe I have repeatedly earned and honored that trust and respect.
Unfortunately my recent interaction with AL list representative Charles (no connection with me), showed a corporate culture that is not as noble as they pretend to be. Based on BOTH the way they set up their business model AND the disrespectful and pedantic (look that up, Charles) attitude of AL's rep., my biggest regret in contacting AL recently is that I allowed them to waste 15 minutes of my time as I politely (until the very end) encouraged them to be more open about disclosing the cost of their subscription service BEFORE requiring the caller (net contact) provide personal information like email address and password, etc.
My impetus for the call was to confirm (or refute) my impressions about the apparent NON-disclosure of service costs in a reasonable manner, before invading my privacy. As the call progressed, I came to see that the AL representative had no objectivity about business ethics. Even though the "List" does subject its viewers to overt advertising as I assume many or most service providing sites do, there is NOTHING in the way of a visible or public disclaimer about vested financial interests AND a FEE REQUIREMENT to get the promoted information from "The List", until it is quite possibly "too late" (for the sake of your privacy).
DESPITE my prior instruction to erase any information they had gathered about me from their lead development intake process (which I had objected to in writing and by voice mail), I received a rather impolite and cocky sales call from what I can best describe as an arrogant twit who chose not to understand my concerns. His "company position" was one of a sarcastic and false apology for my own "confusion" about their wonderful service. Apparently anyone would have to be stupid to object to their "bait and switch", or more correctly, their tease to get you to invest time and disclose private information before FIRST announcing that they want you to ALSO pay for the same service as their advertisers.
As I now read the comments in this blog about the other fees and procedures that are built into this self-annointed, angelic-sounding "LIST", the "Buyer's Beware" RED FLAGS go up all over the place. Beside the Better Business Bureau the most obvious place to look for reputation problems with a potential contractor for your home projects (etc) is the public record. Between the Clerk of Courts in your region, the state licensing agencies and other truly free resources, one does NOT NEED the self-promoting list. Just be sure you get the whole name of the contractor(s) who would actually do your work and hit the websites creatively - and cross check references in detail. Several readers above have pointed out how AL can be gamed, just like the List-folks game the poor suckers who get sold and give data before they find out about a fee, and another fee,... and a membership... and an upgraded listing... and so on!!
My dear fellow readers - talk with your friends and neighbors and get direct referral information from people you both know AND TRUST. Then just do your projects in an ordinary business like manner with partial payments at specific performance steps, see the insurance policy or declarations page of someone who claims to have insurance, verify licensure and lack of disciplinary actions or legal complaints, and do anything else that might protect you from the unscrupulous contractors and those who would sell you a gimmick for you to do less homework about the people you let into you home or business. There are lots of companies, INCUDING ANGIE's LIST, who will take your money by pretending to be worth the fees they charge you by surprise and then charge you again and again.
With "NO axe to grind", I wish you "good shopping" for your projects and services. Unfortunately "Angie's List" appears to JUST be another group of strangers with BUILT IN INCENTIVES to cost you more than they are worth.
Dr. Charles G. of Ocala, Florida
The concept is flawed from the get-go
You can't co-opt word of mouth or make a business model from it.
Word-of-mouth is based on personal relationships. The Advertising boys would like to be able to get a hold of it, but it is not the type of thing you can commercialize. It is like taking these 'grassroots' movements and astroturfing them. People smell fakeness a mile a way, particularly on the Internet.
Someone asked me the other day for a car repair recommendation. They asked me, not because I was a warm body, but a guy who studied Automotive Engineering at General Motors Institute and is generally a "car nut". I was happy to recommend a local place to them that I thought had a good shop, did good work, and charged reasonable prices - based on my expertise in the field AND my experience with that shop. Without one, the other is meaningless.
Now, if I asked the same recommendations from Aunt Hattie, she might say that the nice young man at the tire store did a good job on her Impala, and charged her only $2500 for the brake job on her tire store credit card. What a nice young man!
Look, if I want a cake recipe, Aunt Hattie is the go-to girl. But in terms of evaluating other things? Perhaps not.
And that is where ALL online evaluation sites fail. You have to KNOW the person who is giving the word-of-mouth advice, or otherwise the context is lost and the data is meaningless.
Word-of-mouth from strangers is useless information - and often is shilled.
So, no thanks. I am not paying $5 a month to get advice on a plumbing contractor from some hysterical housewife who doesn't understand the first thing about plumbing, other than her basement is wet.
Most consumers have unrealistic expectations from contractors - they want it done for free, done perfectly, and done yesterday. When their world-view collides with reality, they freak out, mostly because they feel powerless in the transaction.
There are "bad" contractors out there, but it is not hard to figure them out pretty quickly. Ask someone you know and trust in the field - chances are the data you get is 1000 times better than any list or complaint site.
Pingback
[...] one-on-one. Just ask any contractor who has been screwed to the wall by a disgruntled client on AngiesList . And while no social media experiment is going to be flawless, there are some guidelines to follow [...]
Pingback
[...] one-on-one. Just ask any contractor who has been screwed to the wall by a disgruntled client on AngiesList . And while no social media experiment is going to be flawless, there are some guidelines to follow [...]
Straight A's But Don't Like Them
My company has straight A's on Angie's List and nominations for their Pages of Happiness. But I still don't like them. I can't get them to stop calling and pushing me to buy advertising, pushing me to pay to get my name in the top yellow section, pushing me to give them my client names so they can obtain more reports (and then push my clients to buy memberships, no doubt). I've asked and I've written maybe half a dozen times. They're unstoppable. Have you ever read the founder's title? Founder and Chief MARKETING Officer. Of course.
And one of these days I'll get a rotten report from someone, or someone will post that I never returned their call, even though I sometimes listen to calls have a dozen times trying to make out someone's phone number. (When someone leaves me a voice message the call i.d. goes away and it just says "voice mail.")
I've had great simply terrific clients who found me on Angie's List and for that I'm really grateful. But they are by no means infallible in terms of their reports, their policies - and their pushing... and pushing... They're more about $$ than consumer advocacy.
By the way, the worst contractor we ever had - who did a lot of damage to our home - was from Angie's List. He got too popular, starting picking up anyone to help him, and the rest, as they say, was history. He admitted to me that he was avoiding calls because everyone was mad at him. Now I take reports with a grain - no, a block - of salt. A client of mine had a terrible experience with someone as well.
Better Then Angieslist And BBB
Here Is A New Site We Are Woorking On Tell Me What You Guys Think Of The Rules Please Add Some Ore Take Some Away Comments Are Greaty appreciated We Are A Real chamber Of Commerce Located In South Florida
http://Chamberapproved.com Please Check It Out it is free
1.Members Must Pass All 10 Chamber Approved Requirements
2.More Then 1 Valid Complaint In 1 Year Will Result In Immediate Temporary Suspension Of Your Business From Our Data Base Pending Further Review
3.All Members Must Pay A Yearly $99 Business Evaluation Fee To Be Listed On ChamberApproved.com
4.Members May Place Our Logo Only On The Website/Letterhead Of The Business Listed With Our Orginization
5.You May Not Use Our Logo For Any Purpose Other Then Described Above
6.You Must Present Us With 2 Business Related References
7.Respond Accurately And Promptly To All Consumer Complaints
8.Members Must Agree To Mediation And Dispute Resolution
9.Truthfull And Accurate Presentations When Ever And Where Ever Our Logo is Displayed
10.Any Member Using Our Logo Should Use Appropriate Levels Of Security For The Type Of Information Collected On There Site
Membership Requirements
Business Requirements
1.Must Pay $99 Business Evaluation Fee
2.Must Have 2 Business References
3.Proven Track Record In Your Industry
4.Must Have A State Or Local Business Licence, Bank Account and EIN Number
5.Must Have An On-line Presence/website
6.All members must Maintain the highest level of customer service standards
7.No oustanding Jugements Against Your Business
8.Must Have A Phone Number/ Contact Form On Your Website
9.Must Be Licenced And Insured If Required By Local State Or Federal Law
10.Pass a criminal background check.
I believe the tactics they
I believe the tactics they use is to write their own glowing reviews on a contractor, then let it sink for a few days. They will make their call to contractors and tell you someone has put one or two reviews for you, now it is your time to pay $x000 for advertisement.
anyone think that their first one or two reviews are from actual customer?
why would I pay $100 to write a review for a contractor I like? I'd rather give him/her my number for reference or tip them $100 more. At least you know the $ are put in the right hands.
Is very hard to do
Is very hard to do contracting.
the best way to go is by going to the state and make a complaint.
they will help you.
Don't hire a big company too many aprentices.
Don't be cheap we are not in china nice things have a price.
talk to friends or relatives to see who they used before.
make progress payments
due date in proposal make money after due date.
right to fire in proposal.
when hiring contractors, don't tried to put your price.
call 3 or more contractor and see who offer you the best deal
ask for insurance.
insurance will pay for some or most of the contracting problems
if you go cheap, chances are no license no insurance.
in California CSLB.ca.gov contractor estate license board.
Angie's List a joke
Greggles is absolutely right! Anyone can see the flaws in this idiotic "non-biased service". Even their commercials beg for head scratching; Some plumber hangs around to walk a lady's dog and gets a 5 star rating??? I hope that wasn't the plumber I had been waiting on for hours...'Oh hello Mr. Smith, sorry I stood you up but the lady I am currently working for is a BABE so I am winning her over by walking around with her dog instead of showing up for your appointment...
Love these companies who have nothing to offer so the position themselves to be some kind of half-assed "authority" on other peoples businesses. Wish there was a website to slander...oops, I mean critique Angie.
You Cannot Remove Your Company From Angie's List
I have always been a "word of mouth" business but thought I would look into listing my company on Angie's List. I built a profile then decided a couple days later that I wanted to remain as I was. It has worked well over the years and I have steady customers. When I went on the site I found there was no way to delist yourself or delete the profile. When I contacted the website they sent me a response saying they never take a company off the list. The only way they would deactivate me would be to list me as "Out of Business" or as "Unwilling to Participate". Neither of these options would leave a positive impression on people visting the site. Also, if someone comments on your company it is automatically reactivated. Other than Facebook, I have never seen a less ethical approach.
Angie's list is certainly far from Angelic
So far I pity and sympathize with people who have believe (and continue to do so) and trust Angie's list.
My own experience has been far from positive.
I don't say this lightly as I too trusted the service and walked away empty handed and a little lighter in the pocket also.
Here are my view on this "acclaimed" service:
1) By allowing companies (especially contractors) to advertise that they are on Angie's List it immediately makes them feel as though they can charge more, and can do shoddier work, because they're already "proven".
2) Feedback services at Angie's List are a joke. Before I even have a chance to review a quote and hire a contractor Angie's List staff already wants me to rate the company. On what? Their website quality?
3) Again on feedback. The questions are really lame. They provide no forum for the consumer to express themselves.
4) Every contractor (with one solitary exception - and that's because he's new) that I have obtained through Angie's list has proved to be higher priced than others in the area. Most by a lot. The higher the rating, the higher the price; work-wise and offer-wise they all appear to offer the same services, but when it comes to price you can tell right away which ones have a high rating on Angie's List.
True - I have not made scientific, analytical, or extensive comparisons of the companies or their services, but I did choose a relatively simple and straightforward job and requested a relatively large number of quotes. I then compared all offers based on quality of primer and paint; type of preparatory work; clean up procedures; over-painting protection; time required for work; warranties and guarantees; scheduling; written offer and what they really say; availability of recommendations; price. Then based on my own painting experience and also having had knowledge of what the US government looks for in painting contractors around the world (don't laugh, this is an area where they actually exceed in as compared to the private sector - minus color selection), I came up with a basis for my own analysis.
Unfortunately, after you get through all the gobbledy-gook spouted by the more talkative contractors, you find that most of them are quire even in the services offered. (This is after you eliminate the part-timers and desperate housewives who need drinking money so they offer to paint your living room). And you wind up with a relatively decent list on which appear a lot of Angie's List contractors. Then you compare the prices and they range from "super-high" to "extremely high". Then you look at the rest, and you get the other contractors who are really looking for work. Their prices are 1/2 to 3/4 less than those that have the "Angie's List" endorsement.
Finally, you hire a contractor recommended by a client who is a "union painter" and out of work but needs to feed his family, and he does the job in half the time and half the price of the LOWEST of all the contractors you solicited.
And quite honestly, the job is great (not perfect but really, really great), and you saved a ton of money. To give you an idea in dollars and cents, compare $4,000.00 to $800.00 plus a couple of razor blades to touch up the "over-painted" spots that your picky wife finds.
5) Now we come to the really interesting part of Angie's List. Their "specials" or "really, fantastic, fantabulous, extraordinary, unbelievable, unheard of deals". Maybe the reason they are unheard of is that they don't exist. It's a scam. I want for one, and boy am I ever sorry.
In my "find a great deal" ebullience, I went for that deal. $120 worth of "custom framing" for $40. How can you beat that? And from Angie's List too.
The problem. however, became apparent, when you go on the provider's website and there are no prices. So what are you comparing?
Framing (like decorating) is one of the easiest businesses in which to make money if you can “dazzle” your clients. All you need to do is compare what "this looks like" to what "that looks like" in a illusionary scenario made up of millions of combinations and throw in a lot of fancy words and artsy phrases. This is why major framing shops can give you 50% -75% discount coupons in every weekly papers.
Anyway, get this, after all was said and done, custom framing really consisted of me selecting all the parts on line and doing the work myself. For the 4 pieces of painted wood (on sale at clearance - get them out of the warehouse - prices), plus one mat (uncut), the seller wanted $280.00. Thus with the huge discount from Angie's List I could get the same material I can find at Marshall's for $40.00 for the SPECIAL-Angie's List price of $200.00. What a bargain! Oh and I forgot to mention, they said nothing about shipping. Duh - a mat 36X84 plus 4 pieces of frame, I can just imagine what the shipping cost will be?
6) Lastly, I found the responsiveness of the Angie’s List staff to be lacking. The only time you get a quick response is when you are looking for contractors or prices. I guess all their staff and efforts are geared toward making dollars not providing the services which originally led to their fame.
Pity!
It “was” a great concept and a much needed service.
angieslist.com
Angieslist will make bank off you 4 joining,, and they make it hard to quit.. (it's real difficult to make a cancel button on a website thats making money/hahaha ) ive seen many of these web / credit card sites that do this.... thats how they REALLY make money… really…. BUT if you use a credit card, then you can call your cc company – dispute it.. and then its no problem….NO BIG DEAL! Your credit card company is on YOUR SIDE! Really….
Huh? I wonder what Angieslist's rating is on her own site?
If angies list makes a ton of cash from ads. then why do they want you to give a creditcard number? i mean really? the website makes a ton of cash via ad’s. and yet they want money from you as a consumer,, and they also solicit contractors as well.. I work for a plumbing contractor and we get solicitations from angieslist for some unknown reason (figure it out your self) (angie will prob post a reply to this post -!)
angieslist is a money making machine – using a nice cute name,, but they are in it to make money. remember that! you can get the same info via BBB and using your brain (and google) and maybe ask someone you know to ask others they know about a contractor or job you need done. REALLY!
i bet the owner of angieslist owns a multi million dollar house – with house keepers, and a few nice very nice cars, and takes very nice vacations- very sweet ones, all because of our credit card payments….
a nice biz plan for her….dont ya think.. huh
Angie's List - yet nother rip-off website that isn't honest...
Angie's List - yet nother rip-off website that isn't honest... gathers personal information to sell, THEN discloses it is a fee for service website. Absurd.
The idea that a customer can
The idea that a customer can put you on the list but its impossible for a contractor to do so is obviously not true.
Anyone can claim to be a customer. Anyone can pay to get on to their website.
But I did attempt to sign up and had nothing but problems doing so. I suspect the quality of listings has some correspondence to the technical quality of their website. What a confusing, broken experience it was. But what do I know? I'm only a web developer.
There were NO mechanics in my area
I joined Angies list to find an honest mechanic - the only ones listed were on the other side of town and were not willing to drop me off at work - oh, I see, they are 'still' building their database in my area - now they want ME to contribute information for FREE so they can build their database - after I PAID to use their service - not sure how I benefit from this . . .
Do I Ever Feel Stupid
In January 2010 our small business signed a contract with Angie's List for 12 months (8 months were to be in 2010 and then 4 months - Feb - May in 2011). In January 2011 we called our sales rep to talk about the possibility of cancelling since we had only gotten 2 inquiries for the $140/month we were paying to advertise. We were told our original sales rep was no longer employed there and that they could cancel our account but that we would still have to continue the monthly payment to honor our contract. I told them that since we had to pay the money anyway we would just ride out the contract. In May we received a bill for $98.70...a cancellation fee. My husband called them and "raised holy hell" (according to their documentation) and told them to cancel our account (according to their documentation). When I contacted the billing department to ask them why I was being charged a cancellation fee she began yelling at me that my husband had raised holy hell and demanded our account be cancelled and so they did what we asked and now we had to pay the cancellation fee. I told her that we had received the bill for the cancellation fee before my husband allegedly raised holy hell and cancelled our account so that was a huge discrenpancy. She then began yelling at me that she could go back and pull all the recorded calls (was not informed that calls were being recorded...a violation of my rights) and that my options were to either be reinstated for the $141/month or pay the cancellation fee.
Long story short, I am appalled by the customer service (or should I say severe lack of) from a company who pretty much sells "positive customer experiences". I can honestly say that I have never been treated so horribly by a company and only wish I would have taken the time to do more research and found this page before we signed the dotted line!
Angies list markets to
Angies list markets to businesses to advertise and allow them to pop up first on their website, regardless of reviews etc. I paid Angies list $60 dollars a month for them to do this for me. I know it doesn't sound ethical but it was sold to me as a great way for people on Angies list to see you before other businesses. If you don't pay you could be lost under the stack that did pay. They also give you a large stack of marketing tools to solicit reviews from clients. I'm cancelling my Angie's list. People around my area have caught on to the scam.
Sincerely,
small businessman
Angies list don't get scammed use common sense!!!
Lets be honest anyone with a grain of intelligence that needs a contractor should just ask a friend, CoWorker or Neighbour just like one would do in the old days. I found my Mechanic, A/c tech and Master Electrician through word of mouth, "communication isn't rocket science".
At the very least just Google the service you want for the Town you live in and see what comes up, call the company and just ask them for referrals, Yahoo local even has ratings and of course there's still the good old Yellow Pages or Craigslist.
Funnily enough most Contractors I have spoken to about Angies list all say the same thing, that Angies list customers are all picky and anal retentive, worst customers they have ever had.
As a Contractor Myself some 20 odd years I would be dubious working for someone that has had to join some online club to find a repairman, obviously they lack the ability to communicate verbally or use common sense like so many in this IT generation.
Angie's List is in business to sell advertising
In 2011 I wanted to added a follow-up to my negative review regarding a generator service company in 2010. The only reviews I found were all graded A for the company, which obviously did not include my review. Subsequently, I contacted Angie’s List to ask why my review had been removed. The representative informed me that I had never posted the review as they didn’t have any mention in their database. I then checked other reviews that I had previously submitted (7 highly positives and 2 negatives) and discovered that both negatives had been removed. As someone mentioned in another review, this company is not Consumer Reports and is simply in business to sell advertising. In my opinion, the company is a scam to influence consumers into thinking they are providing an “objective appraisal” service.
Angies List Complaint - Yet Another Bit of Feedback
This is a very relevant article for anyone interested in measuring satisfaction survey and customer complaints. Especially the automation part I find quite interesting and relevant.
Thanks for sharing knowledge..
Customer Complaints
P.T. Barnum was right
As he said, there's a sucker born every minute. I'm afraid I'm on P.T. Barnum's list, but at least no longer on Angie's List. Hasta la vista, baby.
Post new comment