HomeAdvisor

Homeowners Beware: Real-Life Examples of Online HomeAdvisor Scams

Sacrificing safety for the sake of conveniences poses risks. As shoppers choose online over brick-and-mortar stores, they’re also choosing to find contractors online instead of the traditional means of referrals or an established in-town business.

When looking to hire a contractor, consumers can now easily turn to online platforms such as HomeAdvisor.com.

I recently conducted an internet search for a company to haul away materials in my back yard. I found a local company with good reviews, but when I called the "company" number, I got a HomeAdvisor representative who stated that the company pays them to forward leads–all well and good. During the course of our phone call, I inquired whether they represented other contractors for a specific project I needed done. When she said yes, she stated she would forward a list of local contractors to me, from whom I could choose. She took my e-mail address, but I never received any list. What I did receive over the next few days were phone calls to my personal cell phone from contractors saying that I had inquired about a project. Problem is, I never gave HomeAdvisor permission to give out my phone number to ANYONE except the one contractor I originally thought I was calling. Not only that, one of the contractors informed me that HomeAdvisor had charged him $40 for my phone number! Poor guy had to pay for their fraud. I would advise contractors NOT to use this company. You are clearly being ripped off, by a company who appears to use fraudulent business practices. I sent an e-mail to them, but have not heard back.

FTC Order Requires HomeAdvisor to Pay Up To $7.2 Million and Stop Deceptively Marketing its Leads for Home Improvement Projects. Read more here

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