Cameron, your experience is testimony that there are inspectors out there that would stoop so low as to write up negative/false reviews about other inspectors. I can’t image what kind of creeps act like that. This is supposed to be an honorable profession. I’d like to go a couple of 2 minute rounds with those type people.
Yah, you get exposure but the quality is questionable. Did any of the calls convert into inspections?
I got the sharp stick in the eye.
My experience with AL:
I was placed on AL in 2005 and through 2009 I had about 10 A+ reviews. I received about 1 maybe 2 jobs a year through them.
About once every 3 months for about 2 years I was getting emails from them suggesting I move to the top of the HI category with an enhanced listing. After seeing them run ads on TV & realizing they were becoming more popular I thought I’d give them a call to look into it.
In 2009 I paid $2,400.00 for an enhanced listing for the Cincinnati & Dayton metro areas plus the other 6 counties in my service area. After 3 months I was receiving about 3 to 5 calls a month from that listing which I considered hardly worth the money & a lesson learned.
Sometime during the 4th month of my enhanced listing I received a call from my AL rep stating that someone had posted a review with straight Fs, which dropped my rating to a B+, which made me ineligible for an enhance listing & that I may want to check it out.
With him on the phone I went to my AL listing & was totally shocked at what I read. I then checked my data base for the client & sure enough I had performed an inspection for him 4 years earlier.
I looked up the report and here are some of the things he wrote & what I had in the report.
Client stated I didn’t go on the roof.
Report stated the roof was covered with snow & that ice damming was viewed - Call Qualified Roofing Contractor. Pictures of these conditions were in the report.
Client stated that I didn’t inspect the furnace & it cost him 5 thousand dollars to replace after he moved in.
Report stated the furnace had excessive corrosion in the burn chamber indicating a damaged HE, an irregular flame pattern & a that the system was at or near the end of it’s useful life expectancy. Vent pipe was corroded with holes & improper materials used for the fuel lines. Pictures included.
Client stated I didn’t test the AC.
Report stated it was below 65F and that the system was not tested. - it was around 10 or 15F
Client stated that he had thousands of dollars of moisture damage due to a leaking roof.
Report stated walls & ceiling had sustained moisture damage & had tested high moisture readings with a moisture meter indicating current leakage. Pictures of the moisture damage & the moisture meter being pegged while being placed against the damage were included.
Client stated the plumbing leaks that I missed cost him thousands to replace.
Report stated galvanized plumbing was in place for the supply side with numerous areas of heavy corrosion & leaks & the system was in need of replacement. The drain & waste piping was cast & galvanized with the same issues. Pictures were included.
Client stated I didn’t inspect the electrical system & it cost him thousands to update.
Report stated that a the 100 amp service wire was deteriorated, the fuse box that was in place was outdated & had numerous wiring issues, that K&T wiring was in place & that the system had been altered & was a potential fire hazard. Pictures included.
I could go on but you get the idea.
With my rep, still on the phone, was informed that this inspection was performed 4 years ago, that everything stated in the review was a lie & that I could prove it. I sent him the report then & there and was told it would be reviewed & he would get back to me.
2 day’s later he calls me & informs me the review will stand. I was shocked to say the least. Did they even look at the report?
At that point I told him to remove me from AL & that I will not do business with companies that state falsehoods/lies on their website, even after being proven to be lies.
I told my rep that I had paid for a year in advance for an enhanced listing & I wanted a refund, he told me to give him a data base of my past clients to see if we could raise my rating back up to an A. I told him politely to kiss my backside, that I won’t do business with companies that knowingly post lies on their website.
About 6 months later & after numerous calls from them asking me to stay, I received a refund for just over $600.00 from them. But I have & will continue to cost them through every client I do business with.
I would like nothing more than to see AL crash & burn. 
As for the client, I figure either he had something against tall people, I’m 6’4" and he was about 4’10", or maybe he was planning on getting into the business & wanted to discredit others anyway he could. Personally, I don’t care because IMO AL is a scam.
Didn’t know you were into “Chipmunk”! :shock:
The sad part about this Kevin is that you bent over backwards for this Jerk and provided him with the best custody of care possible with your inspection and report. The lesson here for all of us is that it doesn’t matter how good you are. In this business, sooner or later, you will run into the wrong a sshole!
Agreed.
I know you may have had an issue with the BBB but from my experience at least they listen to both sides & make a fair decision. I had an arbitration case with them a few years back & I will say they are fair & at least attempt to reveal the truth.
AL could care less about the truth concerning you, me or their paying members.
Concerning the 5 Pillars To Angie’s List Demise, I’m working hard all the time by giving people the truth to make it the 6 pillars that crashed AL.
My Angie’s renewal is coming next month. They can go pound salt. After reading your stories they will never get my business again.
This is messed up. Apparently a business cannot delete/remove their account at their own free will.
Does Angie’s List delete companies from the List?
Companies may want to be removed from the List for a number of reasons: they have closed, are no longer accepting new customers, or have received negative feedback.
However, Angie’s List will not delete companies from the List. We encourage members to submit reviews on all of their service experiences, and a company that was taken down could later be re-added with a new review.
Instead, we can remove a company from category and keyword searches so they are unavailable even if they receive another review. Our members will only be able to view the company’s information if they search specifically by name or phone number. Also, we want to provide our members with as much information as possible on local businesses.
By deleting listings at the company’s request, Angie’s List would lose credibility and become a less useful tool for our members.
If you would like your business excluded from members’ search results, please (http://support.business.angieslist.com/app/ask/session/L2F2LzEvdGltZS8xMzY1Mjk5NDYxL3NpZC9oN24yaTRubA%3D%3D) our Business Center with the reason why, and we will update your listing. If you later wish to have this exclusion removed, we can do this as well. Just let us know.
Chris, that is messed up. If a person does a Google search for Angie’s List scam or fraud or whatever, it’s surprising the stories found about the alleged fraud perpetrated by this company and it’s “members”. I know it surprised me. It’s amazing that there is an entire industry of fake review writers out there. The tag line “Reviews You Can Trust” is complete and utter bullsh!t.
There used to be a member here with the username “Angie’s List”. I wonder if they’ll come to this thread to post. 
That is interesting Kevin.
Maybe the IRS should look into the companies financial records.
Angie’s List has not posted a profit since founded in 1995 and last year lost $49 million.
I don’t know about your market but AL has literally flooded my market with TV commercials. You’d think she was running for office.
I wonder what their advertising budget is seeing that they’ve never made a profit.
It seems they are blowing through investor money from their recent IPO.