Angie’s List Review

Looking for a gift for the DIY er who may need a little professional help? Or assistance in choosing a contractor? Or the person who has everything but still needs to hire a contractor? Then a subscription to Angie’s List may be the gift you love to receive but might not buy for yourself!

I’m a proponent of personal recommendations to hire contractors yet have found it is sometimes apples to oranges as everyone has their own subjective criteria of what is a reasonable price for the quality of work received. When we found ourselves in need of work on our roof and asked our neighbors and friends – everyone had used a different roof contractor. And their collective satisfaction with the roof contractors varied widely.

I had heard about Angie’s List for years and decided to finally try the service and see if what was promised was indeed delivered.

Accuracy Of Reviews

I believe reviews rule when purchasing a product or service. Reviews by the actual users of the product or service. I read each and every review when considering a company to hire. I’d encourage that one reads all the reviews, take out the best and worst reviews and the remainder will tell the story.

I have found that the reviews and accompanying grades of contractors on Angie’s List have been spot on. The majority of contractors hired I chose with an A rating and received I thought A service. One of the benefits of the reviews is the accompanying cost of the job and the detail of the reviews.

The one time I chose a contractor (due to a time crunch) with a B rating was indeed what I considered B work for a slightly reduced price in comparison to its’ competitors. However, the detailed reviews had prepared me for what to expect and I was satisfied with the cost in relation to the service received.

Cost Of Angie’s List

Definitely check the internet coupon sites for a coupon which will significantly reduce the cost of an initial membership.

Thanks to a web coupon our membership was $19.00 for the first year. Renewal prices vary and are dependent on the package.

Thus far we have been quite pleased. The roofer we hired exceeded our expectations and held true to the reviews. Same for general home repair and medical recommendations.

 Pros Of Angie’s List

• The grades of contractors we have used were accurately reflected in the reviews.
• Members provide detailed reviews and grade the contractor and/or service.
• Many contractors provide a coupon for a discount on services for Angie’s List members.
• Contractors and companies do not pay to be listed on Angie’s List.

 Cons of Angie’s List

•  Not unusual with web services, but must opt out of emails. Lots of emails if you do not opt out.
• Must opt out of annual auto renew (a pet peeve of mine when signing up for internet services)
• Some review review categories are sparse. The more common home repairs such as roofing, plumbing, heating, electrical have a wide selection of reviews and contractors.

Neutral

• While companies do not pay to be listed on Angie’s List, many of the same companies listed heavily advertise on the List. However, if I received many good reviews as a business owner, is it a good promotional strategy to then advertise on the List? You be the judge.

 Deal Of The Day

Similar to other daily deal companies, a Deal of The Day is offered via email. The big difference is the deals don’t expire in X hours and usually last for at least a few days. If you opt in you will receive a daily email advertising the deal of the day.

We have accessed a few deals of the day and were pleased with the contractors. However one word of caution is that most of the contractors are small and local and can be slightly overwhelmed with a popular deal of the day; expect a wait to schedule the service.

Recommendation Of Angie’s List

Our $19.00 membership fee was well spent and we have renewed the membership annually. For our metro urban area, I recommend Angie’s List and encourage shopping around the web for a coupon to try out the service for a year.