Angie's List, have you used it or even know what it is? (Dallas: for sale, new house)

[Korel]

I was just wondering how many consumers would pay to look up professional and service businesses. They claim 20,000 users.

"I just listed our company on Angie's List." I said that to my business partner and Son and he asked, "What's that?" And he's more Internet savvey than I am. It cost nothing for a business to list themselves but it costs the user/consumer to register to use it. It was something like a $15.00 up front and about $6.00 a month or you pay something like $60.00 per year. What do you know about Angie's List?

[SouthernBelleInUtah]

I wanted to use it once in another state but balked at paying for it.

[jeffari-al-texani]

Originally Posted by SouthernBelleInUtah

I wanted to use it once in another state but balked at paying for it.

Same thing with me...well...not in another state...but there was no way in Hades that I was paying for other folks opinions...I'm cheap...

[WillysB]

Thanks for the link to Angie's List, I'll be sure to look you up.

[jimithing78]

Originally Posted by SouthernBelleInUtah

I wanted to use it once in another state but balked at paying for it.

Yup, same thing here. I don't see a point in having the consumer pay for it when there are so many other sites where you can get the information for free.

[DaveG99]

never heard of it. How unoriginal of them to use that name.

[GuestDallas]

Here's my experience.....

We bought a house a couple of months ago, and needed to do some renovations. Being new to the city, we had no good contacts for the following: Contractors, Flooring, Plumbing, Electricians, Painters, Landscape, Etc...

We bid every project out to three companies, using a mix of internet research, referrals, and Angie's List. Every single company we ended up using was excellent (and came from Angie's list) ! We relied on Angie's list heavily, and focused on those companies that had high ratings, great feedback, and multiple reviews. The $30 sign up fee, and $7/month has more than paid for itself. I also like the fact that I have some way of keeping the people I hire honest, and can express any dissatisfaction (or satisfaction) in a constructive way (ie reviews). I let them know up front that I found them through Angie's list, and since they all care about their reputation (what business owner wouldn't), I found them to be very professional.

We had planned on canceling after signing up for a month, but decided to pay the small monthly fee since we're always going to need some kind of professional help during a given year.

[compSciGuy]

I signed up a couple of years back in Oklahoma City. It was free to sign up. However, I guess OKC isn't too tech savvy, so there was an obvious lack of reviews, feedback, etc. I'm guessing it might be more useful for DFW, but haven't had the inclination to sign up (and pay) to check.

[escanlan]

Originally Posted by Korel

I was just wondering how many consumers would pay to look up professional and service businesses. They claim 20,000 users.

"I just listed our company on Angie's List." I said that to my business partner and Son and he asked, "What's that?" And he's more Internet savvey than I am. It cost nothing for a business to list themselves but it costs the user/consumer to register to use it. It was something like a $15.00 up front and about $6.00 a month or you pay something like $60.00 per year. What do you know about Angie's List?

Korel,

That is very interesting that you listed your company. How did you do that? I read the Angie's list site and a company can not list themselves, they have to be reviewed by Angie's lists members. Once they are reviewed by Angie's List members and placed on the site they can upgrade their listing for a fee.

Angie's List has been a topic of discussion in various service associations. The basic premise that only users can "nominate" businesses by rating them is a good thing, to a degree. However the general consensus is that when Angie's List offers the business bigger, flashier, more prominent, etc., ads for an additional fee that is not a benefit to consumers. To keep the system honest business' should not have a "Pay To Play" option. What is placed there should be strictly up to the consumers. In that way it really is a consumer oriented review site.

[loves2read]

I have used Angie's List for over almost three years--started when people I knew could not give me good recommendations for plumbers or electricians

we have found very good plumber and electrician who were on Angie's List--both local and in business for years
we used one someone last year when we moved into new home to paint the total interior of the house and did some other work for us
he is also the one we will probably use to do the work to get our old house ready for sale--although we are getting a couple of other bids

there is lot of conjecture about how companies get on there--and while I think originally the company took a fee to LIST companies I think it has grown large enough that the paying members are sufficient now--
Angie's List has a tie-in to BBB to review ratings for companies to compare which I find is useful
sometimes because the Angies List here covers Dallas and FTW the company you might want to use does not work in your area...

you can ask whomever you choose for other referrals in addition to the anonymous ones on Angie's List

I usually check for the companies by the number of reports--which cancels out any promo spots--and work my way through many listings--but that is not to say that the company you choose will always do a better job than another--

I used Angie's List recently for help with a security gate with a blown panel and a garage door that would not work--two different locations-- old/new house...
the security gate guys were great even though we had to wait over the weekend to get a service call...the garage door guy was expensive for a service call--which I did not really know because I did not think to ask--and I think he kind of gave me a story about how difficult it was to make the needed repair--so I would not use that company again--but I don't know that I was any worse off than if I had just used the phone book to pick someone...

I have also tried to use this forum to get input about contractors but that is really hit or miss as well but I really wish that when someone listed on Angie's List gets several negative reports and makes no effort to satisfy the complaints that that company would be knocked off--
the rating system is not arranged as well as it could be and there is no way to get in touch with report writers if you want clarification or an update on how well the work held up--that would be very useful info--aloong with more photos--but that is up to the report writer--