So being a new business owner, I did advertise with angieslist and with homeadvisor. I was tired of paying for advertising on angieslist because it wasn’t bringing in customers for me so it was like flushing money down the toilet. I did get few reviews from customers I did work for (not even from angieslist), a few on this forum which I appreciate the reviews. I ended up canceling angieslist about a week ago. Homeadvisor who also owns angieslist, I was about to cancel their service as well but after complaining to their customer service for an hour, and finally they sent me to the cancellation department, I found out if I canceled my account, I would lose my reviews as well.
Knowing this now I looked at my homeadvisor page and found my reviews don’t show an actual star rating, its just what people wrote which luckily was all good stuff. I wasn’t told this when I signed up or when I canceled for angieslist, although I would still have canceled angieslist since that was like $250 a month, 3k for an entire year, and it didn’t work at all. When I canceled it, I was responsible for 30% of the remaining balance that was contracted, so just to cancel I spent like $400, but in the long run I saved money.
What a scam, I figured my page would still be there for people to see, but I wouldn’t show up in the top spots, since I wasn’t advertising. I feel like they didn’t tell me this when I signed up, I wish I knew about it then.
So I ended up not canceling the homeadvisor account because I do have 5 reviews and a 5 star rating. Luckily it doesn’t cost money right now, cause I can keep pausing it, but I feel so pissed about it. I feel like they got me by the balls.
So now I will just refer my customer to put google reviews. If someone has a small business they are thinking about advertising on homeadvisor or angieslist, I wouldn’t recommend it, as soon as you stop advertising all your reviews disappear…
Told ya before, yellow pages, Angie’s lists, etc. etc. are no replacement for word of mouth, or word of text things being as they are. Sit down and figure out who in the industry is in the best position to recommend you and work out an arrangement where both your reputations are strengthened.
I refuse to talk to either of those companies. In fact, I have never given my money to anyone who has called me up and offered me the world. The last time home advisor called and told me they had a customer they needed an inspector for I asked them how much they would pay me to help them out. It was a short conversation.
These companies are nothing more than data brokers and currently HA is under investigation for fraudulent business practices. I can help refer people your way. Always send your customers to Google, Yelp, Facebook for reviews. They seem to be the ones that have really furthered my business.
Thanks, I really appreciate it. Overall when I started my business I didn’t have a lot of people I knew or that I did work personally for that would spread word of mouth. So I figured I had to “pay to play”, and do good work for people and charge fair prices, and that would help speed up the word of mouth. It certainly did help me, but I suppose I didn’t think I had to advertise forever to keep my reviews for these companys. I mean I figured my page would be there, I wouldnt end up in the top searches, but I would exist with the rating I earned from taking care of customers in the best way possible. It almost feels like all the progress I made will be reversed now, although I know that it won’t be. But online reviews do make a huge difference, and its not easy to get people to leave reviews tp begin with.
Google for example, I did search engine optimization (adword), but probably not long enough or at the best time of the year. So I stopped advertising, but it doesnt disable my business profile, or delete my reviews. Same thing with facebook
So actually my angieslist profile is there but you have to be logged into an angieslist account to see the ratings. I guess all hope is not lost with my page. Previously if I searched my page it would show reviews without being logged into angieslist, but now I need to be.
I’m guessing the other big issue you have is WNY, like most small city/suburb areas, is pretty saturated with HVAC companies. That’s a tough market to break into for a newcomer because most people aren’t going to risk a major purchase that’s expected to last 20+ years on a single employee company that hasn’t been around long.
Are you advertising any tune up specials? Undercut the existing players on a simple service, even if you’re basically doing it at cost, gives you that chance to make a good impression with the homeowner and that will probably go a lot farther than Angieslist. Plus more importantly you get the opportunity to slap your magnet on the side of their furnace. You have company branded magnets right? When that homeowner’s furnace fails to fire or the hot water heater goes “pop” the first thing they’re going to do is go downstairs and look it over. There’s no better opportunity to get some business than a homeowner standing in a 50 degree house staring at the furnace with no clue how to fix it and your little magnet ad is slapping them right in the face. Assuming you made any kind of good impression when you were there last there’s a good chance you’re getting the service call.
What about Thumbtack or other smaller services? I found a decent appliance repair guy on Thumbtack. He was ripping on Homeadvisor HARD, basically saying what you said. At least with the smaller service he was able to contact customers directly (or something close to that) and now we each have each others number and can bypass the app.
I don’t understand how you are upset that they take down your page/reviews/etc when you stop paying them. Besides everything else you mentioned that part seems obviously not a scam.
I guess I wish I knew before I signed up that my page and reviews will be removed once I stop paying for advertising. I didn’t know I would have to advertise for the rest of my life to keep my reviews. Oh well, hopefully my google reviews will start adding up and I can just have that.