Angie's List: 40% off plus 20% more off if use Paypal

Why the red?

Cheaper (as in FREE) and better to look at the local paper or Craigslist. Why buy a cow when you can get the milk for free? Besides, how often am I going to look for a contractor?

Sometimes you can find things on Yelp for free, but I think Angie's is good for contractors. I've found several people on Angie's List that I would have never found otherwise. Some are expensive and some are cheap... it's up to you to just shop around & compare just like anything else. Nothing is more frustrating than having some handyman come out that doesn't do it right the first time.... I have not had that problem with people I've found at Angie's List.

qube said:   Angie's List and Direct Buy have the same crappy business model. Stay away.

How is the business model the same? Direct Buy has you pay thousands of dollars for a membership and uses high pressure sales techniques. You supposedly get to buy mdse cheaply with them, which doesn't always work out. With Angie's List, you pay a membership fee less than $50 (with coupons) and you have access to an incredible amount of reviews. Angie's business model is to have the paying members write the content (and I wish they would give discount credits to people who write content). I fail to see how these two companies are alike.

I've had bad experiences with finding reputable companies on Angie's List.

In all but one case, I found A-rated companies with multiple reviews from recent customers, and the companies did not live up to the reviews posted by other users--I might as well use the reviews provided by Google or Yelp at this point.

Also, once you sign up for an annual membership, you have to "email" their customer service to cancel the auotmatic renewal of your membership (you cannot do this through your account settings page). Even if your credit card is cancelled, they will send a bill to you for the annual membership renewal, and they will hold you to the terms and conditions which you agreed upon at signu-p.

Frankly, Angie's List for $12 is a good deal. Just make sure you still do you due dilligence before selecting a contractor. I join Angie's List before I had my gutters and furnace replaced this year and it goes a long way to helping you narrow down the list from random contractors to best-of-the-best. I literally saved thousands of dollars on quality work versus some random dude on craigslist.

And I agree with what others have said about it should be free, and there are other data sources (Yelp, Kudzu, etc). But Angie's List has a ton more reviews in my area, a lot more detail, and the reviews "feel" more authentic.

$3.60 for a month was great. Then they wanted to ding me for a $10 "activation fee". Adios.

9000 said:   I signed up for a year. The total cost was $8.16. It was $12 per year, plus $5 fee to start the account, then the 40% discount made it $10.20, then the 20% Paypal discount made it $8.16.

They automatically renew you unless you cancel. But it looks worth it.

You can immediately email them as soon as you sign up to cancel auto-renewal.

Bagofchips said:   Honestly, I think if you find insight on even one service bid via Angie's List the amount spent that I described above is worth it.

Angie's List is not the same as trying to identify and vet service providers via Craigslist (there are lot of lousy providers and a lot of good ones too). Both are valid approaches. It's not either/or.

craigslist identifys and vets cotnractors?!!?

*confused*

<--- in need of someone to rebuild my rotting front porch from the ground up

yurgreat said:   marayatano said:   Cheaper (as in FREE) and better to look at the local paper or Craigslist. Why buy a cow when you can get the milk for free? Besides, how often am I going to look for a contractor?

local paper/craigslist for reviews on contractors?

No, look in the local paper/Craigslist for contractors or whatever. If you want reviews, look at Yelp, etc. Ask the contractor for references. Make sure the contractor is licensed. <---------- important, because, if they do a shotty job and they do not have a license, they you don't have to pay. If they do a shotty job and have a license, then you can go after their bond, but check you local jurisdiction.

Try checking your areas BBB. They have ratings and if there have been complaints/resolutions.