Angi Inc.: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 15:10, 31 January 2007

Revision as of 15:44, 31 January 2007

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| owner =

| homepage = http://www.angieslist.com/

| footnotes = <ref name=ISOS>{{cite web
|title=accessIndiana
|publisher=Indiana Secretary of State
|url=https://secure.in.gov/sos/bus_service/online_corps/view_details.aspx?guid=9ACA7426-2CD0-4F80-88FB-8CD2E27CA838
|accessdate=November 7, 2006-11-07}}</ref><ref name=Hoovers/>}}

[[Image:Angie's List Logo.jpg|thumb|right|Angie's List old logo, no longer used.]]

'''Angie's List''' is a company which provides [[ratings]] of local [[service companies]] in 250 different categories.<ref name=5Things>{{cite news

'''Angie’s List''' is a company which provides [[ratings]] of local [[service companies]] in 250 different categories.<ref name=5Things>{{cite news | last =Daniels | first = Mary | title = 5 Things to Know...about home warranties. | work =Chicago Tribune | pages = | language =English | publisher = | date =January 14, 2007 | url =http://www.chicagotribune.com/features/home/chi-0701140315jan14,1,839137.story?ctrack=1&cset=true | accessdate =January 29, 2007 }}</ref> It has been described by the New York Times as a "glorifed [[Yellow Pages]]".<ref name=Toilet>{{cite news | last =Darlin | first =Damon | title =Let’s Say Your Toilet Backs Up. How Do You Find a Good Plumber? | work =New York Times | pages = | language =English | publisher = | date =August 5, 2006 | url =http://www.nytimes.com/2006/08/05/business/yourmoney/05money.html?ex=1312430400&en=aa426b7632c915ae&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss | accessdate = January 10, 2007 }} </ref> The company operates in more than 30 cities. Companies are [[grade]]d on an A-F scale.<ref name=Hoovers>{{cite web | last =Schein| first =Amy | title =Brownstone Publishing, LLC | work =Hoovers.com | publisher =[[Hoovers]]

|last=Daniels

| date = | url =http://premium.hoovers.com/subscribe/co/factsheet.xhtml?ID=rfkffhsjrfchyhx | format = | accessdate = January 30, 2007 }}</ref> The A - F ratings come from members who submit reviews on companies they have used. [[Revenue]] for Angie's List comes from [[fee]]s paid by its members and from [[advertising]]. It claims to only accept advertising from companies that have a "B" rating or higher.<ref name=Angie'sA>{{cite news | last =Tribble | first =Sarah Jane | title =Angie's List earns an "A" for filling consumer niche | work =Seattle Times | pages = | language =English | publisher = | date =August 28, 2006 | url =http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2003230767_btangielist28.html | accessdate =January 10, 2007}}</ref> Members can submit information about service providers and receive the magazine. Members have unlimited access to the list via Internet or phone; receive the Angie’s List magazine, which includes articles on [[home improvement]] and maintenance, consumer trends and [[Confidence trick|scam]] alerts; and they can utilize the Angie’s List complaint resolution service. Contractors cannot pay to be on the list, add their own names or report on their own companies,<ref name=KVBC>{{cite news | last = | first = | title =Angie's List helps you choose a contractor | work =KVBC | pages = | language =English | publisher = | date =July 10, 2006 | url =http://www.kvbc.com/Global/story.asp?S=5132384&nav=menu107_2_3 | accessdate =January 29, 2007}}</ref> but many people believe that little prevents them from using surrogates to buy memberships and submit positive reviews about themselves and negative reviews about their competitors.{{cn}}

|first=Mary

Approximately 15,000 reports are submitted every month, but it is unknown how many of these Angie's List chooses to use in grading contractors. Assuming it uses them all, it would take over 77 years for Angie's List to get, on average, a ''single'' review on each of the 14 million businesses in the United States.<ref name=Toilet/> Angie's List claims that an employee reads every report as they come in to check for abuse and inaccuracies,<ref name=Mininggold/> but fails to articulate how they "check for abuse" on 15,000 reports monthly with only 65 employees.

|title=5 Things to Know...about home warranties.

|work=Chicago Tribune

|date=2007-01-14

|url=http://www.chicagotribune.com/features/home/chi-0701140315jan14,1,839137.story?ctrack=1&cset=true |accessdate=2007-01-29 }}</ref> It has been described by the New York Times as a "glorifed [[Yellow Pages]]".<ref name=Toilet>{{cite news

|last=Darlin

|first=Damon

|title=Let's Say Your Toilet Backs Up. How Do You Find a Good Plumber?

|work=New York Times

|date=2006-08-05

|url=http://www.nytimes.com/2006/08/05/business/yourmoney/05money.html?ex=1312430400&en=aa426b7632c915ae&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss |accessdate=2007-01-10}}</ref> The company operates in more than 30 cities. Companies are [[grade]]d on an A-F scale.<ref name=Hoovers>{{cite web

|last=Schein

|first=Amy

|title=Brownstone Publishing, LLC

|work=Hoovers.com

|publisher=[[Hoovers]]

|url=http://premium.hoovers.com/subscribe/co/factsheet.xhtml?ID=rfkffhsjrfchyhx

|accessdate=2007-01-30}}</ref> The A - F ratings come from members who submit reviews on companies they have used. [[Revenue]] for Angie's List comes from [[fee]]s paid by its members and from [[advertising]]. It claims to only accept advertising from companies that have a "B" rating or higher.<ref name=Angie'sA>{{cite news

|last=Tribble

|first=Sarah Jane

|title=Angie's List earns an "A" for filling consumer niche

|work=Seattle Times

|date=2006-08-28

|url=http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2003230767_btangielist28.html |accessdate=2007-01-10}}</ref> Members can submit information about service providers and receive the magazine. Members have unlimited access to the list via Internet or phone; receive the Angie's List magazine, which includes articles on [[home improvement]] and maintenance, consumer trends and [[Confidence trick|scam]] alerts; and they can utilize the Angie’s List complaint resolution service. Contractors cannot pay to be on the list, add their own names or report on their own companies,<ref name=KVBC>{{cite news

|title=Angie's List helps you choose a contractor

|work=KVBC

|date=2006-07-10

|url=http://www.kvbc.com/Global/story.asp?S=5132384&nav=menu107_2_3

|accessdate=2007-01-29}}</ref>.

Approximately 15,000 reports are submitted every month, but it is unknown how many of these Angie's List chooses to use in grading contractors. Assuming it uses them all, it would take over 77 years for Angie's List to get, on average, a ''single'' review on each of the 14 million businesses in the United States.<ref name=Toilet/> Angie's List claims that an employee reads every report as they come in to check for abuse and inaccuracies,<ref name=Mininggold/> but fails to articulate how they "check for abuse" on 15,000 reports monthly with only 65 employees.

Based in [[Indianapolis, Indiana]], the company was founded by [[Angie Hicks]] in [[1995]]. Angie modeled the list after Indianapolis's Unified Neighbors, which was founded in [[1974]]. Initially off-line, Angie Hicks, a recent MBA graduate, claims to have gone door-to-door in [[Columbus, Ohio]] signing up members and collecting ratings on local contractors.<ref name=Mininggold>{{cite news | last =Duros | first =Sally | title =Mining gold from Chicagoans' word of mouth | work =Chicago Sun Times | pages = | language =English | publisher = | date =January 5, 2007 | url =http://www.suntimes.com/business/duros/197949,HOF-News-right05.article | accessdate =January 29, 2007}}</ref> In [[1996]], Angie's List purchased Unified Neighbors and relocated the company from Columbus to Indianapolis.

Based in [[Indianapolis, Indiana]], the company was founded by [[Angie Hicks]] in [[1995]]. Angie modeled the list after Indianapolis's Unified Neighbors, which was founded in [[1974]]. Initially off-line, Angie Hicks, a recent MBA graduate, claims to have gone door-to-door in [[Columbus, Ohio]] signing up members and collecting ratings on local contractors.<ref name=Mininggold>{{cite news | last =Duros | first =Sally | title =Mining gold from Chicagoans' word of mouth | work =Chicago Sun Times | pages = | language =English | publisher = | date =January 5, 2007 | url =http://www.suntimes.com/business/duros/197949,HOF-News-right05.article | accessdate =January 29, 2007}}</ref> In [[1996]], Angie's List purchased Unified Neighbors and relocated the company from Columbus to Indianapolis.

=== Competitors ===

|last=Duros

Angie's List faces competition from online companies that aggregate reviews on local merchants, including, [[Yelp]], [[Insider Pages]] (which has over 600,000 reviews of local businesses) and [[Judy's Book]].

|first=Sally

|title=Mining gold from Chicagoans' word of mouth

|work=Chicago Sun Times

|date=2007-01-05

|url=http://www.suntimes.com/business/duros/197949,HOF-News-right05.article

|accessdate=2007-01-29}}</ref> In [[1996]], Angie's List purchased Unified Neighbors and relocated the company from Columbus to Indianapolis.

==References==