Angie's List Never paid off.

Tried it out for a year, followed all the steps and begging for reviews, set up the online store, offered the stupid discount. Nothing. I know it works for some people. Not for me.

It was a dead end over here as well. Some markets it kills and some it dies. I guess we are in the areas where it isn't well supported.

The good news is that nobody else is gaining much either in our areas. We only have a couple of people with lots of activity on there and they are the large franchise companies that advertise heavily everywhere.

I was so glad I didn't sign with them last year, was very close to sign but backed out due to lack of reviews on there and long contract ( 1 year ), they called many times after I backed out and begged me to sign which is a bad sign, sure enough I was right, I believe Davey is also not doing good advertising through AL.
There is a company in LA that has hundreds of 5 stars reviews in AL and they have terrible reviews on Yelp, they advertised heavily in AL super low prices, that's part of my cancellation decision, I only have less than 10 reviews there, how can I compete with that kind of company when their advertised prices are less than half of mine, screw that.

Same thing happened to me here with Yelp.

They have been calling me also glad to hear all this i was thinking of trying them out but i have not heard from many tooting their horn.

Toot Toot!

Angies List has become pay to play. It used to just recommend qualified service providers. Now they recommend who pays them more.

Just like the BBB and just about every other organization out there these days.

Money corrupts....always will.

I don't take Angies calls

milspec6 wrote:Just like the BBB and just about every other organization out there these days.

Money corrupts....always will.

You said it!

The BBB is just a big money extortion scam,........pay them and u get A rating, don't pay they fail you.......has nothing to do with anything other than money, from you pocket to their account.

I haven't had much luck with AL lately either, even thought I've been paying $400 a month for advo. Got some nice big job the first couple months, but 0 in the last 2-3 months.
The quality of customer that comes from AL is great, but I just haven't gotten enough of them.

You just need to pay them more Davey

At least the Mafia was easy to identify back in the day....you just didn't do business with guys named after mechanic's tools.

Now, it is far more difficult.

Davey Cracker wrote:The BBB is just a big money extortion scam,........pay them and u get A rating, don't pay they fail you.......has nothing to do with anything other than money, from you pocket to their account.

I haven't had much luck with AL lately either, even thought I've been paying $400 a month for advo.  Got some nice big job the first couple months, but 0 in the last 2-3 months.
The quality of customer that comes from AL is great, but I just haven't gotten enough of them.

If I were you, I'd stop paying them, based on false advertisements, they promised you customers based on paying advertisements through them and they failed to deliver, tell them to take you to court if you have to, they know they're not going to do that, it costs them more to take you to court. They might put bounty on your head

still killing it on AL....    big tickets and huge work flow year round.

Ive found almost none of that type of advertising works really unless you spend around 1000/month at least

I tried yelp for 400/month and it was worthless, were hitting it again this year now that we have more reviews and were going to do 900/month

also I will mention that jan-feb are the slowest AL months,   so its no surprise this thread was made in Feb

march - dec we are well over 1 job per day just from AL alone

also I have almost never asked a customer for a review, they go out of their way to leave one because most have never experienced good carpet cleaning

I'm busier than I want to be, I don't pay to play. I'm saving a killing on advertising. My model is set different than some of you others. I love my margins and I'm truly blessed. Seems like the less I try the more I get.

dp1 wrote:

Davey Cracker wrote:The BBB is just a big money extortion scam,........pay them and u get A rating, don't pay they fail you.......has nothing to do with anything other than money, from you pocket to their account.

I haven't had much luck with AL lately either, even thought I've been paying $400 a month for advo.  Got some nice big job the first couple months, but 0 in the last 2-3 months.
The quality of customer that comes from AL is great, but I just haven't gotten enough of them.

If I were you, I'd stop paying them, based on false advertisements, they promised you customers based on paying advertisements through them and they failed to deliver, tell them to take you to court if you have to, they know they're not going to do that, it costs them more to take you to court. They might put bounty on your head

Something I've actually been thinking about, but the problems is, they will send it to collections for non payment and I'll be the one that ends up with a charge off? on my credit.

I doubt they promise customers....anyone selling advertising will usually refrain from saying that.....especially in writing. I told AL once......after them telling me it was a no brainer and I was in a great position to capitalize on .....I said if that's true put it in writing or Ill pay based on performance....lol we didn't do a deal. Glad I didn't and I'm busy enough....they don't believe me when I tell them that.

Devon07 wrote:I doubt they promise customers....anyone selling advertising will usually refrain from saying that.....especially in writing. I told AL once......after them telling me it was a no brainer and I was in a great position to capitalize on .....I said if that's true put it in writing or Ill pay based on performance....lol we didn't do a deal. Glad I didn't and I'm busy enough....they don't believe me when I tell them that.

I know for a fact they didn't have that in the ad agreement, but I can almost bet you money that they promised you customers verbally, you can't prove it of course, I talked to Yelp many years ago when I only had very few reviews there and signed an advertisements agreement, when it didn't work at all, I complained and they took me off the contract, yes pretty amazing, but that was then, they were still smallish company, I'm sure if that happens now, I would have to stop payments and play nasty with them to get them off my back.

Oh Dave, if they send it to collection, you can always deny the debt and the record will have to be deleted, it will costs them too much to follow up on a couple of thousand dollars debt. They get more tax break on bad debt than making your life a nightmare over small amounts. And no I never do that, I always pay what I agreed on but I know a few people that do just that when the other party didn't deliver.

yelp promises the same,     verbally.      They talked me into an Ad campaign a few years ago and it was a joke.       Got 1 job in 5 months and it was an apartment move out cleaning.  

The new yelp program looks much better.      


I didnt word my last post correctly,    were at minimum 1 job per day/  truck.    So 2 per day,   and in the busier months there is over 4 per day.      

1K/month is nothing to pay for that much work flow and so many new customers

HCP database keeps on growing with customers that are being taken off the market. I have a larger company here running $89/ 3 rooms, they are a construction company but have a carpet cleaning branch. I think its funny how they are building up a business of low paying customers, they would kill for our database

I have paid for too long with out any calls, They will not get 1 more red dime from me. I do not care what they threaten, how they try and collect. Done. Should have spent the money on house call pro, would have produced more.

ya house call is probably the best bang for the buck Ive found in a while.    $60 is like change in the ash tray compared to what you get out of it...     especially once youve had it for a few years and your database is built up strong with good custys, I cant wait.    Then you just sit back and let the emails/cards do the marketing for you.


different areas have different people who find their service pros in different ways,    AL happens to be popular here but Ive heard in other parts of US its terrible.  

most all advertising works here because we are having I think either the biggest or 2nd biggest housing boom in seattle area out of the whole country.    

Buying a home here is very difficult right now,    inventory is extremely low and every property turns into a bidding war.  

If you would be looking in the 400k range,    you need to look at the mid to low 300s because youll end up about 60k easily over original asking price lots of homes are getting 100k over asking.  


you wouldnt believe the crap houses people are buying that have lots of money.    No parking,   no garage,   1100sq ft,   no view,   no yard,    old house that needs some work 650k.

my friend is trying to find an apartment to rent, 1800$ for 1 bedrooms

ACpower1 wrote: 


you wouldnt believe the crap houses people are buying that have lots of money.    No parking,   no garage,   1100sq ft,   no view,   no yard,    old house that needs some work 650k.

my friend is trying to find an apartment to rent,    1800$ for 1 bedrooms

Sounds like the same thing that's been going on here........but without all the rain.

eldiabloz wrote:I have paid for too long with out any calls, They will not get 1 more red dime from me. I do not care what they threaten, how they try and collect. Done. Should have spent the money on house call pro, would have produced more.

That sucks!!..........but I'm starting to feel the same way now, with about 5 months to go on contract.
I think I'll be out very soon too.

Davey Cracker wrote:

eldiabloz wrote:I have paid for too long with out any calls, They will not get 1 more red dime from me. I do not care what they threaten, how they try and collect. Done. Should have spent the money on house call pro, would have produced more.

That sucks!!..........but I'm starting to feel the same way now, with about 5 months to go on contract.
I think I'll be out very soon too.

They cancelled the contract, but expect me to pay 35% of the amount left on the contract- $300+. Not going to happen, on principal alone.