Public trust, perhaps? 
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The hope of course is that the data can somehow be converted into cash, I’m sure an entity like Angie’s List would be willing to pay dearly for the full details of repairs required at a specific location. Home inspectors and their ethics is the only thing standing between homebuyers and the horde of vendors with things to sell.
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As a Home Gauge user who owns the software outright and does not use their “CLOUD” services trust is a major concern. The reason I do not use these services is simply because there is no guarantee that the information that accompanies uploaded reports and emails to access it are not used for third party marketing. This new twist on the software will not benefit me or my customers in any way. Nor will I allow their privacy to be compromised.
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What’s worse?
The supplier of a product or service presenting a money-saving offer to a consumer, with the consumer’s permission?
– or –
A home inspector preventing their consumer from hearing about the offer, without the consumer’s permission?
Awfully pompous of you to assume that you know what is best for another grown adult… no?
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The real issue I believe inspectors are most concerned with does American Family use Home Inspection reports as a basis before quoting an insurance policy, or denying claims?
Also are they reading through all of the Home Inspection reports that pass through HomeGauge without the home inspectors knowledge?
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Nothing pompous about it. My clients hire me to provide a specific contractual service, not to plaster their private information all over the internet. I find it incredibly laughable that you would accuse someone of being pompous. Rather like the pot calling the kettle black.
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What’s worse?
The French have a word for it… resentimente
It happens when the ‘inspector’ feels that they are not receiving any residual value when their client’s information is re-valued in the market post inspection, but may actually be at risk.
While nothing really good happens for the inspector through this transaction he is at the mercy of 3rd party actors whose future performance could impinge on the inspector’s local reputation in the community should the vendor disappoint the buyer. No wonder so many inspectors have chosen to actively protect the privacy of their clients.
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I for one don’t want to jump to conclusions about what the free software offer entails. I am not married to my software and would consider switching if the free software meets my expectations. If it does meet my expectations, and in order to obtain the price of free I would have to act as a salesman for the mother corporation, than I would have to vet their offering to my clients to determine if it is in their and my best interest. Therefore, I am anxiously awaiting the big announcement so we can see the details. I can say this, the software itself better be pretty damn good in order to get me to switch.
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My clients hire me to provide a specific contractual service, not to plaster their private information all over the internet.
Of course. I don’t know of any inspector who is “plastering their client’s private information all over the internet.”
Is the inspector’s local reputation in the community harmed should a client find out from a neighbor that the neighbor’s inspector alerted them to something that saved them hundreds of dollars?
No, they just supply it to a third party who does it for them.
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And even if that 3rd party had agreed to not share the information, once it is out anything can happen. Without reasonable compensation why would anyone expose their client list, what other businesses can be named where the client list is sold or bartered? 
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AmFam has owned HomeGauge for years. Do you hear of reports of inspectors’ clients being harassed with phone calls? Have you seen AmFam being charged by the government for disregarding the Do Not Call Registry? Have they, and I quote, “plastered consumers’ private information all over the internet?”
We couldn’t be happier with the integrity (demonstrated over many years) of AmFam. They are arguably one of the most honorable corporations in the world. I’d go as far as saying that they are the InterNACHI of insurance.
Anyway,
- I just saved InterNACHI members $1K each;
- likely took the first steps to offering something good for clients of InterNACHI members:
- procured agreements to make sure InterNACHI’s members’ clients are treated properly;
- acquired leverage in case any InterNACHI members have any problems; and
- reinforced to the other software companies that when I explained there would be grave consequences if I catch them selling their products to non-members for the same price as members… that I meant it.
I’d say it was a good day at the office.
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I was wondering where are all these accusations of HG selling clients information. No good deed goes unpunished.
Before your time grasshopper there were vendors… 
You’re right, Joe. While HomeGuage/American Family Insurance Company has flat out said this to the inspector, and has even told the inspector that American Family Insurance will use these reports to enforce their insurance policy exclusions and to investigate fraud against the homebuyer … the question is whether or not the inspector is disclosing this to the victim of his “free” software.
HomeGauge Updated Terms of Use and Privacy Policy
"Please modify your customer agreement by January 31, 2018 to include the following:
In providing the property inspection and inspection report, information about the client, inspector, real estate professional, and property will be collected and input into HomeGauge inspection software and services, which inspector uses to produce the inspection report. This information may include personally-identifiable information about the client, inspector and real estate professional. This information may subsequently be used by the provider of HomeGauge, as set out in the HomeGauge Privacy Policy found at HomeGauge Privacy Policy. Inspectors may choose to use this information to market new or related products and services to clients."
"We may disclose your information that you provide or a third party that has been authorized to establish or access your HomeGauge account (such as an Inspector, HomeBuyer or Realtor/Agent with whom you are working) as described in this Privacy Policy or otherwise with your consent (such as pursuant to a contract or an opt-in from you):
- To our affiliated companies within the American Family Enterprise to improve their products and services and to contact you regarding their services, provided that they will use your information pursuant to this Privacy Policy;
- To contractors, service providers, and other third parties we use to support our business, such as those performing an analysis of usage data in order for us to improve our products and services. However, such parties are only authorized by us to use the information for the benefit of us;
- To a buyer or other successor in the event of a merger, divestiture, restructuring, reorganization, dissolution, or other sale or transfer of some or all of HomeGauge’s assets, whether as a going concern or as part of bankruptcy, liquidation, or similar proceeding, in which information held by HomeGauge about our Website users is among the assets transferred;
- To comply with any court order, law, or legal process, including to respond to any lawful government or regulatory request;
- To enforce or apply our policies or investigate fraud; and
- If we believe disclosure is necessary or appropriate to protect the rights, property, or safety of HomeGauge, our users, clients or others."
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Terms are there for various reasons.
Anyway, AmFam has owned HG for many years. Can you post any consumer complaints about them misusing data from HG? I’ve searched and searched and haven’t found any.
Let’s address your worst fear: Someone has an inspection done and AmFam calls the consumer while they are watching their favorite soap opera. Do you think AmFam does this to waste their own time and money and ruin the soap operas for everyone? Of course not. A lot of consumers will answer the phone and say “Yes, I am buying a new home soon, I need homeowners insurance, and I’d love to hear about what AmFam can offer.”
Is this the big fear you have? That someone might actually want what some company suspects they might want and correctly figures out when they might want it?
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I fear nothing from insurance companies. As a licensed public adjuster, their acts of bad faith toward their policyholders have allowed me to make a lot of money assisting policyholders with their improperly denied and underpaid insurance claims. American Family Insurance Company and I have met inside and outside of the courtroom many times and I have won exponentially more than I have lost. I don’t fear them at all.
Nor do I fear the exploitation of homebuyers by the vendors that you promote to your members. It’s what you do, Nick. You call them “benefits” and you’ve built a home inspector association around them.
What I simpIy pointed out, and what appears to either frighten or offend YOU, is that the potential victim of your “benefit” (specifically, the homebuyer) should know that the opinions recorded on this software by his home inspector regarding the condition of the home and its systems on the date of the inspection - whether they are complete and correct or incomplete and incorrect - have become the permanent property of a home insurance provider to use and to sell for profit. Sometimes, profit to an insurance company includes collecting premiums and denying claims.
Being mindful of the fact that not every inspected home is actually purchased by the client who hires the inspector, an unsuspecting buyer two or more contracts down the line could be buying a house that a HomeGuage user loaded into the American Family Insurance Company database without being informed or knowing of the opinions from previous inspections in that database that could affect their future insurance claims.
HomeGuage and American Family Insurance Company have disclosed this to the home inspector. Will the home inspector disclose this to his client?
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Thank you for disclosing that you are a public adjuster who fights insurance companies for a living.
Anyway, since that information might be used to increase the clarity about the risk of insuring homes and thus cause the premiums to be raised or lowered accordingly, it seems you are simply opposed to accuracy. You would prefer that all insurance companies charge all consumers the same premium for every home. We’d all pay higher premiums so that the guy with no firewall between his garage and 15,000 square-foot home can pay less.