Any Angie's list member here? Comments?
val189
Thanks.
phil scott
I am a contractor and looked at the site.. contractors can't
'join'... a home owner though can become a member, and search the
list for highly rated contractors.... I suppose there is a fee..didnt
check. That would have to beat hell out of a crap shoot like the
yellow pages.
then you can search out contractors in your area that others have
rated for quality and price etc... and supply a rating yourself.
My alternative view is that the best conn man may win... I see that a
lot. Very unscrupulous contractors, but with very good promo. One
In LA, well thought of for decades, billboards all over... charges
$4,500 for a new water heater.
Its a 400 to 500 dollar job max. They get 10x that by giving it a
lifetime warrantly.. most last 20 years regardless, so the home is
generally sold or the buyer dead or gone when it fails ...but the
dupes love em... these guys would get AA rated for sure, since the
buyer no doubt bought and understood the terms before hand etc.
I think the angies list approach is light years better though than
some services where contractors pay to join .....or are rated on
artificial criteria, such as a handyman licensed and bonded or not
(that can double his costs and rates) some one man shops wont
qualify... you miss out on a winner that way.
Phil scott
Al Bundy
The average life of a water heater is 13 years. This is a well
researched number. Very few last 20 years. None last forever. In my
view, anybody that signs a contract for 10X the going rate is bound to
be fleeced. Word of mouth from previous customers is the best way of
rating work. If a contractor can't provide references, that's a bad
sign too. A little searching and calling will quickly provide a
general value for work.
I have no experience with Angie's List. A GIS shows fees from nothing
to $600. If it were nothing, I'd check it for openers. It looks very
much like the lists of lawyers, real estate people, and dentists that
are available and supposedly checked out as good referrals. I know
from experience that the best people are not paying to join those
groups.
Dennis
<ph...@philscott.net> wrote:
>I think the angies list approach is light years better though than
>some services where contractors pay to join .....or are rated on
>artificial criteria, such as a handyman licensed and bonded or not
>(that can double his costs and rates) some one man shops wont
>qualify... you miss out on a winner that way.
When I need a new water heater, I'll have the same guy who installed
the original one in my house do the job (me). Does pretty good work,
does whatever I need and usually gives me a good deal. ;-)
Dennis (evil)
--
I'm behind the eight ball, ahead of the curve, riding the wave,
dodging the bullet and pushing the envelope. -George Carlin
h
"Dennis" <dg...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
> When I need a new water heater, I'll have the same guy who installed
> the original one in my house do the job (me). Does pretty good work,
> does whatever I need and usually gives me a good deal. ;-)
>
Ditto. The last time I needed a new one I bought it, carted it home, dragged
it down to the basement, swapped it out for the old one, and called my
regular plumber to come and sweat the joints (or whatever) and install a
shorter elbow to finish the installation. It was $75 for 15 minutes work
plus his short (he lives less than 1/2 mile up the same road) commute. We
were both happy.
Rod Speed
I didnt need to pay anyone to do anything, just used a couple of those
flexible armoured pipes that make connecting it very easy indeed.