On Sun, 09 Dec 2012 15:48:20 GMT, Doug White
wrote:



It's one of the things you pay for. I've seen free review services go
down the tubes like that because there's no way to monitor them, or
provide a way to fight a bad review.


I've used Service Magic a few times. It's free for the consumer, but
the contractor pays for the referral, even if doesn't get to bid the
job. Does the contractor pay Angie too?
Reviews are fine if there are enough of them, but the last few jobs
I've had done I didn't even look at them for some reason. Not real
expensive jobs, and I've had good luck with contractors.
A couple were referred by family, and the others were the first ones
who showed up, even when I had subsequent cheaper bids.
I have a theory that the first one to show has hustle and good
business sense. That theory wasn't "pre-existing" but has come about
from the results. Not sure it's true, but seems to be.