Angie’s List was founded in 1995 by Angie Hicks and William Oesterle. Oesterle was Hick’s supervisor at a time when Hicks was having difficulty finding a reliable construction contractor. Hick’s moved to Columbus, Ohio, to join in a business venture with Oesterle. The original name of the company was Columbus Neighbors.
The company purchased Unified Neighbors in 1996 and moved their headquarters to Indianapolis, Indiana.
Angie’s List is an online, paid subscription referral service for a wide variety of consumer needs, such as contractors, roofers, auto repair shops, even doctors, and healthcare facilities. The company uses a rating scale similar to grade school report cards with ratings ranging from a perfect “A” to the failing “F”. 
In early 2014, the company paid $2.8 million to settle a lawsuit alleging that it automatically renewed members at a higher rate than they were led to believe.
Then in August of 2016, Angie’s List agreed to settle three lawsuits for a payment of $1.4 million. The class action lawsuits focused on the company’s acceptance of advertising payments from service providers, and whether those payments affect service providers’ letter-grade ratings and reviews. Angie’s List denies plaintiffs’ claims but disclosed that revenue from service providers can affect the order of search-result rankings of the service provider under certain settings.
Today, Angie’s List has more than 70,000 subscribers and more than 3.2 million paid members. On May 2, 2017, IAC (InteractiveCorp), owner of HomeAdvisor, announced that it had agreed to acquire Angie’s List for $8.50 per-share (valuing the company at over $500 million). IAC plans to merge Angie’s List and HomeAdvisor into a new publicly traded subsidiary known as ANGI Homeservices.
I have had 3 appointments. First one, “Pro” did not show up. I called supplied number and no answer. Contacted “Angies’ list also DBA Homeadvisor.com” and they said they would try. I received email from Laura, A representative for Angies and they rescheduled “Pro”. The next “Pro” showed up late and made mattress 100 times worse than it was. I emailed “Laura” and they automatically rescheduled another “Pro” and that “Pro” never showed up to clean the mess that last “pro” made. This was a new mattress only 60 days old. The original stains were very small. The “Pro” left his green cleaning solution all over mattress.
ANGI is scum. Crooks. Rip off hardworking contractors. I
I made the appointment with Angi’s List to have someone come in and clean my house in the Rochester NY area. I cleared my calendar, prepared for their arrival. I waited an hour. NO SHOW. When I called the 855-975-7133 number. It turns out the “contractor” wasn’t feeling good. But nobody bothered to notify anybody–including me. Not only was there no hint of gee, sorry for the inconvenience. there was a total lack of caring or concern. I wonder if the folks at Angi have any idea how this affects the lives of people. Deciding to open up your home to a total stranger, and have a total lack of regard for how disruptive your failure to show can be, may seem like a small thing. But it’s not. Angi sounds like such a friendly, trustworthy name and concept. But it is anything but…. Reading the comments below it is associated with misery and distrust, anger. There. I’ll let it go…
I hired Advanced Lawn & Landscape company in Palm Bay Florida from your list of recommended companies. They promised to come every Tuesday to mow. Didn’t happen. They then didn’t show up after 2 visits, but wanted to be paid for four visits! I have been unable to contact Angie’s list. All I get is a recording with no option to speak to anyone. There also is no simple e-mail contact. Why?
I need your assistance to deal with this company.
Please cancel my membership and refund my 9.99 to my credit card. Please send me a message that this was received and processed. If not I will call my cc company.
You charged my credit card with unauthorized amount. When I call, you say I did not pay for phone support. When I tried to email, I can’t unless i accept your terms of service. Refund my money, cancel my account. Contact me immediately to resolve this as you have prevented me from contacting you.
I have tried several times in the past week to reach Angie’s list by e-mail (receive no response) and by phone to renew my membership. No luck. The Chat assistants are always busy. I am told that I do not have the type of account that comes with phone service. Since when? No one informed me of this corporate “change.” I have a gold account. and should be able to reach someone by phone. Angie’s has at least three different 800 numbers, all leading to the same ultimate message: Sorry, can’t let you in to talk with anyone because you don’t have the right type of account. I will never purchase or renew anything online. Angie’s has thrown out the demographic that does not do business online. So be it. You will not do any more business with me, since my experience with Angie’s list has been one of complete shut-out. Too bad. I will use this example of bad customer service as a case study in one of the marketing classes I teach. Physician, heal thyself.
I have tried and tried to reset my password to get into my account but the reset email never gets to me – I’m afraid someone has changed my email address or something – I am being charged for an account I can’t access
Please reapond
You charged my credit card with unauthorized amount. When I call, you say I did not pay for phone support. When I tried to email, I can’t unless i accept your terms of service. Refund my money, cancel my account. Contact me immediately to resolve this as you have prevented me from contacting you. I will take further measures to prevent this theft.
Hi Ed,
Please email me directly with your contact information and concerns. I am happy to assist you further.
Thanks, -Jesse M.
Hi
I hope to get a response as I am going to take this further. You have been taking 12.99 i just noticed out of my bank account for two years I signed up for free and noticed unless I accept the T&C’s you kick me out of the account and so I am assuming thats how you think you got my permission to pay for this service. I am looking for $310 to go back into my account I am contacting the attorney general as this is fraud and i cannot get support unless I accept the terms and conditions and i will not as that is accepting the payments. I saw this come out of my account and went back to see how many times once per month not authorized.
contact me
Hi Lori,
Thank you for reaching out with your concerns! Please respond to me directly with your email address associated with your membership. I am happy to assist!
Thanks, – Jesse M.
I’ve recently received a charge from Angie’s list for I don’t know what! I used your service once over 3 years ago and haven’t since. I don’t what to be a member. I don’t want to be charged anything from you without my say so! I’ve tried to contact you by phone and your web site and I’m not allowed to talk to someone or let into your costumer service section so there is noway to try to resolve this!
Hi Mark,
Thank you for reaching out. As requested, I have cancelled and refunded your membership. We are sorry to see you go as a member!
Thanks, -Jesse M.
I did not want to pay for your service you with Drew my $14-my checking account with out without my permission ..I wand the refund ..sue ghannam
Hi Sue,
We would like to thank you for reaching out! Please email me directly with your contact information associated with your membership. I am happy to assist!
Thanks, -Jesse M.
After receiving a quote a few months ago and not moving forward with your company I was called again to sign up this month of Oct. I again asked for a quote to consider the cost again for my business and then compare it against other companies, I was told that I have only 72 hours to decide and was questioned why I talked to them several times the first time and did not move forward with them. First of all it is my decision and not yours. It is my company and I do not have to give a reason as to why I did not move forward the first time. You should be happy that I am open to joining. Then with an attitude I am told that you will not give me a quote as I would waste your time if I do not move forward right away on the phone with them.
High pressure companies do not last and judging from the comments I have read I am not the only one. Unbelievable.
What happened to your customer service?
Are you not interested in getting more gold members?
It is astonishing that I, as a free member with years’ history as a paid member, cannot reach anyone–not even at the corporate level–and am greeted with a robotic message that my plan does not include phone service. Is this the way to attract customers who want to upgrade their memberships?
News flash for you–not everyone in the world wants to use only email. You apparently are willing to exclude those people from your potential customer base. My rating for your service: 0.
Unless I receive some indication that Angie’s List even has a customer service, I will spread the word about that non-existent department!
To Whom It May Concern,
The quality of your service has dramatically decreased in helping me, as a paying member.
1) Upon your company’s recommendation, and our hiring a Landscaping Co. listed on Angie’s List, we experienced Consumer Fraud to the tune of $2600.00 We reported it to you and we have filed our case in Small Claims Court.
2) It is my understanding that all of your employees are hired from another country. I wouldn’t have a problem with it, if they understood how to service your members. Clearly, the person helping me today did not understand my request. I will no longer recommend your services to anyone, and I will not renew my membership.
Your TALL guy commercial.
So fat or short or ugly people cannot be used due to PC reasons I guess.
When did it become ok to pick on tall people living in a world too small? Because we’re tall like most want to be but you exploit tall issues.
Real funny.
Angie
I can’t believe Angie’s customer service. Whenever you can’t even call the corporate office without a charge is an indication that that business lacks professionalism and is attempting to hustle customers out of money. I have been a member for awhile have bought friends memberships and I can’t even get an honest answer regarding a deal. I have sent at least 3 emails. I have yet to receive an answer. This makes me think that Angie is not dealing with her customers in a honest manner. You don’t have to respond to anymore of my emails and I do plan to rate you.