topic Re: Has anyone used Homeadvisor? What was your experience? in Community Chat

Has anyone used Homeadvisor? What was your experience?

Mindy D — Tue, 01 Jun 2021 19:46:35 GMT

Has anyone used Homeadvisor? What was your experience? I had contacted them in past years but never ended up using them. Their website has changed and I booked a prepaid handyman for a three hour little job, but I'm starting to have reservations. There are many complaints about them but they are coming from the contractors and they say that they are overcharged for bad leads. This doesn't apply to me.

Re: Has anyone used Homeadvisor? What was your experience?

fthunt — Tue, 01 Jun 2021 19:53:35 GMT

Angie's List ad Home are strange outfits in my opinion. Tried each once.....filled out their application form (work to be done - address - etc.) and never received any thing back except..........(the funny part).....e-mails for weeks asking how my porch job turned out, was I satisfied, rate the worker.

WHAT?

Re: Has anyone used Homeadvisor? What was your experience?

lovesallanimals — Tue, 01 Jun 2021 19:53:53 GMT

I had a terrible experience with them this past winter. I had called to have someone shovel out the snow after we had a big snow storm. The were supposed to come in the morning so I waited and then called the contact they gave me. I said where are you guys I have been waiting for over an hour to shovel out my driveway and walkway (I needed to get my car out as we had a Dr. appointment the next morning). He was real quiet and then said, you have snow?? I said yes, we just had a huge storm where the heck are you? He said I am in Texas. Texas! I am on the East Coast and Home advisor gave my name out to some guy in Texas. We had a good laugh over this and could not believe what they did. He said it is 80 degrees over here and we never have snow in this part. To make a long story short, I was lucky to get a local guy who also does landscaping and he came to my rescue. When I called Home Advisor to tell them what happened, they were so blase about, hardly any apology. Never again.

Re: Has anyone used Homeadvisor? What was your experience?

IamMrsG — Tue, 01 Jun 2021 20:01:45 GMT

@Mindy D I have used the site to search for contractors--did not get satisfactory results, but they're good for loading your InBox afterwards.

Angie'sList, aka Angi, also has a reputation for overcharging contractors for references. More than one has told me they're charged $35 for every reference, regardless whether it results in being hired. And, again, more junk Email after using.

At this point, I check NextDoor<dot>com for references. Even that, though, is a gamble for reliability.

Re: Has anyone used Homeadvisor? What was your experience?

K9buddy — Tue, 01 Jun 2021 20:05:44 GMT

I've used Thumbtack and Task Rabbit with good results.

Re: Has anyone used Homeadvisor? What was your experience?

decaf — Tue, 01 Jun 2021 20:09:14 GMT

Bad, none of the contractors are vetted, the worst of the worst are listed there.

Re: Has anyone used Homeadvisor? What was your experience?

Kachina624 — Tue, 01 Jun 2021 20:09:36 GMT

@Mindy D Seems like I've suggested this before but have you joined the NextDoor app for your neighborhood? That's where most people in my area get their help for home repair projects, yard work, house cleaning etc. Even auto repair. People even chime in to give opinions of the quality of a person's work. I've used it several times.

Re: Has anyone used Homeadvisor? What was your experience?

ValuSkr — Tue, 01 Jun 2021 20:21:00 GMT

Angie's List used to be good; it listed service providers and ratings but you contacted providers yourself. But it's latest incarnation - called Angi following its combination with Home Advisor - sounds like a scam factory. Many years ago, I looked to HomeAdvisor for contractor referrals. That was the last time. One contractor begged me to hire him, crying that he'd already paid so much $$$ to HomeAdvisor. It was sad.

Re: Has anyone used Homeadvisor? What was your experience?

Mindy D — Tue, 01 Jun 2021 20:24:33 GMT

@K9buddy wrote:
I've used Thumbtack and Task Rabbit with good results.

@K9buddy I'm looking on Thumbtack right now.

Re: Has anyone used Homeadvisor? What was your experience?

catter70 — Tue, 01 Jun 2021 20:24:45 GMT

I've asked at my local family owned hardware/lumber yard. That's where I found a very reasonable, reliable plumber.

Re: Has anyone used Homeadvisor? What was your experience?

chessylady — Tue, 01 Jun 2021 20:31:32 GMT

I am satisfied with a sprinkler job I had done through them. I couldn't get any leads but a local repairman called me the same night I contacted Homeadvisor. He even came back to fix a minor glitch with the system. I would use him again.

Re: Has anyone used Homeadvisor? What was your experience?

VaBelle35 — Tue, 01 Jun 2021 20:33:00 GMT

I just read reviews on Home Advisor and Angie's List as well as Yelp and Google to narrow down my contractor choices and then I contacted them directly to schedule the work. I didn't go through the websites to schedule.

This was in 2019.

Re: Has anyone used Homeadvisor? What was your experience?

fthunt — Tue, 01 Jun 2021 20:36:20 GMT

You all offer info on others - Rabbit - Next Door - but many of these are NOT available in all areas.

We have only what we have. Obviously TX didn't even know what a shovel was.

Re: Has anyone used Homeadvisor? What was your experience?

Love my grandkids — Tue, 01 Jun 2021 20:42:30 GMT

I'm another fan of nextdoor.com. Lots of great local references for all kinds of jobs/work/activities, you name it.

People also post bad experiences and who to avoid.

Check it out.

Re: Has anyone used Homeadvisor? What was your experience?

gizmogal — Tue, 01 Jun 2021 20:44:43 GMT

I've used Home Advisors twice and very successfully. My electric garage door opener started acting up and I found an excellent garage door specuialist. His estimate for the service call was what I had in mind and he came the next day as promised. He fixed the device and got it working, also lubricated and serviced the rails, rollers and springs for the door to make it better forthe aging electric opener. A few weeks later the garge door opener started acting up again so I ahd the guy return for a look. I decided to replace it with his recommendation. He installed a new one and programmed it exactly as I wanted. He is a gem.

I had a huge gas grill delivered in a box. It did not come assembled. I found a guy on Home Advisors who was willing to assemble it for a price I agreed to. He came on time, brought tools, studied up on a YouTube video for the how-to for the model grill I had purchased, and did a perfect job. It poured the day he came and he was willing to work in the garage to do the assembly for me. I had him over the next day in good weather, he connected it to the gas supply and I paid him and cooked up a burger for him, too. Another good worker.

All Home Advisors workers are vetted in advance to prove they are licensed if that's the kind of work they do. They are screened for clean criminal records and to make sure there are no civil complaints against themn as happens with some crummy contractors. They pay to be listed and they compete to get a job you enter to have done. They all can provide references, too.

I feel very confident using Home Advisers here in NYC. I can't vouch for every location they work from, of course. I have used other simiar services (but not Angies) with satisfaction for handyman work, but only Home Advisors for work I considered more skilled.

Hope I've helped with your decision making.

Re: Has anyone used Homeadvisor? What was your experience?

suzyQ3 — Tue, 01 Jun 2021 20:58:24 GMT

My first stop is always Yelp. Next Door is a good option as well.

Re: Has anyone used Homeadvisor? What was your experience?

SilleeMee — Tue, 01 Jun 2021 21:00:05 GMT

I used HA to find a deck builder, a painter and a HVAC specialist. All were found and I was happy with the jobs they did.

Re: Has anyone used Homeadvisor? What was your experience?

colliemom4 — Tue, 01 Jun 2021 21:03:11 GMT

HomeAdvisor used to be good but when I got on the site recently and gave my information no one ever contacted me.

Re: Has anyone used Homeadvisor? What was your experience?

LizzieInSRQ — Tue, 01 Jun 2021 22:02:58 GMT

I used HomeAdvisor to find the landscape company I use. The landscape company called me within about 15 seconds of me inquiring. I've been using the company now for three years I think.

Re: Has anyone used Homeadvisor? What was your experience?

tobes — Wed, 02 Jun 2021 00:24:01 GMT

@Mindy D Bad experience...I do not believe Home Advisor interviews anyone they sponsor....i think anyone can call and get thier business approved by Home Advisor. After a horrible job they did on removing leaves from my yard in the Fall, they too called me back to determine a time for hext fall to get the job done. I explained to them that I neve would deal with them again and not to call me. Instead of paying attention to the job they did on my lawn the head worker went from house to house on my street offering leaf removal.