Angi (Angie’s List) Review – Scam or Legit? Exposed!

Are you looking for an Angi review? But you may wonder if it is a scam.

The success of any small business, from general contractors to specialty stores, depends on its ability to generate new customer leads. 

You may have asked yourself, “Is Angie’s List for real?” or “Is Angi really helpful?” There’s no clear yes or no, but there’s a clear trend. 

We’ll look at some warning signs and contractor reviews on Angie’s List to help you decide if Angi is worth it for your business.

​​As a disclaimer, I’m not affiliated with Angi. It means I’m not paid to write this review. So you can rest assured that you will get an honest and unbiased review from me.

At the end of this review, I’ll also tell you the best alternative to Angi that has enabled me to make a full-time passive income online.

What Is Angi?

Angi, formerly known as Angie’s List, is now a website and app (iOS and Android) powered by Angi Homeservices that makes it easy for its members to find, select and rate local service providers. Businesses and experts in hundreds of fields, including interior and exterior repair, landscaping and more, can be found here.

Angi isn’t only a place where you can find professionals, but also a place where you can get free advice from real experts by visiting the Solutions Center. DIY and renovation videos are also available for you to watch. Both the website and mobile app have a handy price guide. This can be used to get an idea of how much money different projects typically cost.

Creating an account on Angi is free and gives you access to most of the site’s features, like reading reviews and getting quotes.

Recommendation: Here’s The Best Alternative

How Does Angi Work?

Angi is effective because it facilitates communication between its users and local businesses while giving users access to trusted ratings and reviews. 

You can use the service to get information about businesses in your area, including prices, special offers, customer reviews, estimates and more.

When searching for local contractors, freelancers, or companies to hire for a home improvement project or service, Angi can be a helpful tool.

Getting Started

Visit Angi Homeservices online or get the app for iOS or Android to get started. Creating an account is optional, but I recommend doing so as soon as you visit the website or install the app. 

You’ll need to sign up for an account, which takes less than a minute and costs nothing if you want access to details about local businesses.

Select “Sign up” to start the registration process.

Finding a Professional and Requesting Quotes

On Angi, you can search for a professional in two primary ways.

1. Search by category or project. You can narrow your search by location as well as by the service you are looking for to find recommended companies in your area or to get price quotes. You can search by keyword or browse the most popular categories. Select a subcategory and then fill out the form with project details. A directory of local companies recommended to you will then appear.
2. Browse for deals in your area. Another use of Angi is to search for local discounts and coupons. You can browse the highlighted deals or refine your search by the most popular categories and project types. Note that Angi draws financial benefits from business-sponsored marketing such as discounts, coupons, and other sales incentives. However, to advertise, companies must maintain a positive reputation for the service.

During my visit, I used Angi’s handy search function for categories and projects. After entering the service I needed, “painting – interior design” appeared as the best option. 

Then I was asked a few things, including where exactly this project would take place. Next, I learned that I could accept a guaranteed compensation commitment.

The estimated cost was displayed, and I was able to review the scope of work and schedule an appointment with a qualified professional. 

The “Negotiate Price Yourself ” option provides you with a directory of service providers from whom you can obtain estimates.

You must sign up for a free account and log in before you can read reviews or get quotes.

When you come across a company you want to learn more about, you can simply click on the company’s name to be taken to a page with some of the best reviews.

In the past, customers have been able to rate a company on a scale of A to F. The ratings include. Price, quality, responsiveness, timeliness and professionalism are the deciding factors for service providers.

For some businesses, the Angi certification logo is displayed. These businesses will appear higher in search results because they pay to offer their services and discounts to members. 

They have also met all of the following requirements:

• Maintaining an average rating of three or more stars
• Maintaining solid business relationships with Angi
• Pass a criminal background check every two years (owner or responsible manager)
• Certifying that they have the necessary authorization to perform the specified work
• Updating a company-approved profile page

Angi is confident that they provide reliable reviews because of their loyal customer base. The company claims to have taken steps, such as eliminating the ability to post anonymous comments and reviewing customer feedback, to ensure the reliability of the reviews they post.

Begin soliciting bids once you have selected a handful of companies that have received positive reviews and a minimum rating of three stars. Start the process by clicking the “Request a Quote” button on the company’s profile page.

To get a feel for how the Angi quote service works, I decided to use it to get some quotes. I had to check a box agreeing to let Angi, its affiliates and their networks of service professionals call me and solicit quotes for home improvement projects and other services via text message.

Once I received the first price, I was given the option of obtaining quotes from other companies that were suggested to me. At this point, Angi was used to forward my information to all parties involved.

What’s Next?

It should not take more than a day to receive responses from service providers after you request quotes through Angi. Service providers can contact you in a number of ways.

The company can contact you by phone, through Angi, or through an online invitation if they are interested in providing you with a quote for your project. 

You can choose to be notified by text message, email, or other means when someone tries to contact you through Angi, depending on your account settings and preferences.

Most of the companies I asked for an estimate to paint my kitchen insisted on sending someone on-site to do an evaluation. If this is not the case, you can get a more accurate estimate by providing as much information as possible about your project.

Recommendation: Here’s The Best Alternative

How Much Does Angi Cost?

When you sign up for an account, you are automatically enrolled in the free Basic plan. As a member, you’ll get access to reviews and ratings from around the country, as well as recommendations from service experts and a digital magazine.

Angi Key, the premium membership, costs $29.99 per year. You can save 20% on over 150 fixed-price DIY projects. In addition, there are other benefits.

However, you only need a free account to access customer ratings, reviews, and company data. In most cases, that’s all you need to make a wise hiring choice.

Some of the company’s services are free for you, but of course not the expert you want to hire. 

The cost of general contracting and other services can vary significantly depending on the location, scope and complexity of the task. 

The pricing guide can give you an approximate figure, but the safest way to get accurate costs is to get estimates from local companies.

How To Cancel Angi?

To cancel your free Angi account, you do not need to contact Angi directly. Angi Key membership can be cancelled at any time through the website or by phone.

If you no longer wish to maintain your Angi membership, simply log in, go to the “Manage My Account” section and select the “Cancel Automatic Renewal” button. Angi’s number is (888) 811-2644 if you prefer to call.

Please note that your cancellation request must be received by 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on the business day prior to your renewal date to avoid being charged for the following period. 

You must contact the company or contractor you contracted with directly if you wish to cancel a project after booking a professional. 

If you are a paying member of Angie’s List and have taken the following steps, your dispute will be handled directly by Angie’s List:

• You’ve submitted a report with a grade of C or worse for home, health or auto services provided in the last 12 months
• You’ve already tried unsuccessfully to handle the problem yourself.

Recommendation: Here’s The Best Alternative

Red Flags of Angi (Angie’s List)

1. Angi has a limited number of members

Angie’s List has a small user base because it is a paid subscription service for homeowners and professionals. 

Users who come across your business through Google and then click on your Angi listing can only access your listing or ads if they pay for a membership. They can not reach you until they pay for an Angi membership.

2. Angie’s List has self-serving interests

Angi provides a widget that can be inserted into your website if you have a business listed there. It encourages people to check your Angie’s List reviews, which can lead to more work for you. 

The link directs users to a page where they can purchase a membership to Angie’s List instead of seeing your reviews. Your reviews will be hidden from non-members. 

And that’s not all, because a list of your competitors is also displayed, which may scare away a buyer.

3. Negative reviews are out of your control

If you get a negative review on Angi, especially if you have less than five reviews, it will be very hard to recover from. 

If you have even one negative review, it will stand out and scare off potential customers, making it harder to get enough positive reviews to drown out the bad one.

4. Only Angie’s List members can affect your review grade

Any customer can leave a review on Angie’s List, but only reviews from paying members are included in your overall rating. 

Therefore, reviews on Angie’s List are meaningless unless the vast majority of your orders come from this site. 

A single negative review from a paying customer can significantly lower your score and ultimately cost you business, even if your business has received numerous positive reviews from unpaid customers.

5. You have to offer a steep discount or coupon to Angi members

Now that you have paid for the listing and membership, it is up to you to acquire business. Angie’s List does this primarily through substantial member discounts. 

This is because Angie’s List’s standard technique of ranking search results favors businesses that offer coupons. Also, only 14 businesses in a given group may offer discounts.

When you pay to improve your position in search results, you are effectively paying twice: once for visibility and a second time to keep your special Angi discount. The term “rip-off” comes to mind.

6. Lawsuits galore

Over the years, several class action lawsuits have been filed against HomeAdvisor and its sister company, Angi. 

The lawsuits allege that the companies engaged in deceptive and/or fraudulent business practises such as selling fake leads, altering reviews, and making false claims in advertising. 

They should have expected this kind of reaction, so it seems reasonable that they changed their name.

Here is a look back at the history of Angie’s List and how it has changed:

• 1995: Angie’s List was founded by Angie Hicks and William Oesterle.
• 2017: HomeAdvisor and Angie’s List merged to form Angi Homeservices Inc.
• 2021: HomeAdvisor Pro rebranded to Angi Leads.
• 2021: Angie’s List rebranded to Angi.

Angi Review: Final Verdict

Is it worth it for companies to invest in Angi? The short answer is no.

While it’s true that joining Angie’s List may not be the best move for your business, the good news is that you can produce your own exclusive leads without Angie’s List or competitors like Angi. 

To learn how to generate leads by yourself, read on.

Recommendation: Here’s The Best Alternative

Best Alternative of Angi to Make Money

If you want to make a stable and secure stream of passive income, I would suggest you start an affiliate marketing business online.

Affiliate Marketing is perfect for anyone who is new to online business. 

In fact, of all the online business models I’ve tried, affiliate marketing is the easiest and most rewarding so far.  

In affiliate marketing, you can actually run your business almost with zero cost and achieve a steady and sustainable passive income to pay for your bills. You don’t need any initial capital and can even do it as a side hustle.

And if you really want to learn affiliate marketing and build a business from scratch, I’d recommend you to get started with the most reputable platform for affiliate marketing: Wealthy Affiliate.

Wealthy Affiliate is an all-in-one platform for building your affiliate marketing business from scratch. It offers you a free account (including a free website) with comprehensive training on SEO (free traffic methods), which enables you to get started with affiliate marketing right away without paying a penny.

But How Much Can You Earn with Wealthy Affiliate?

A 21-year old student from Wealthy Affiliate was able to earn $7,395 in just 1 week, which means he made more than $1k a day…all while using free traffic methods.

Wealthy Affiliate has existed for 15 years and there are many success stories in the past decade.

To give you more examples, here are some of the other inspiring success stories of Wealthy Affiliate members.

Where to Join Wealthy Affiliate?

Wealthy Affiliate has a very simple pricing scheme. It has free and premium membership.

If you want to feel about Wealthy Affiliate, you can sign up for the free starter membership here (no credit card required). You can select to be a free member with no time limit.

And as a starter member, you can get instant access to the community, live chat, over 500 training modules, 2 classrooms, networking, commenting, 1 free website, access to the keyword tool.

You can enjoy all these values without paying a penny. 

So I strongly recommend you to register a free account and see it yourself.

Recommendation: Here’s The Best Alternative