Angie's List went the whole nine... ten yards!

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Angie's List?

Angie's List is where you'll find thousands of unbiased reports and reviews about service companies in your area. Our members share their experiences with each other so that you can choose the service company that's right for your job the first time around.

Go to How it Works

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How long has Angie's List been in business?
We started in Columbus, Ohio, in 1995, and are now across the nation.
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Is there an Angie?
Angie Hicks Yes. Angie Hicks founded the List in 1995 with 1,000 members in Columbus, Ohio. As Chief Marketing Officer, Angie now focuses on promoting the company, opening new markets and assuring that all the reports are up-to-date and helpful. Read Angie's blog .
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How do I use Angie's List?
It's easy! Whenever you need a plumber, roofer, dentist, electrician, auto mechanic, physician, dermatologist, landscaper (or anyone from our 500+ categories), search Angie's List online, by phone or via fax.

You'll receive ratings and reviews of local professionals who've done work for other members in your area, plus important details about the type of work they've done, prices, professionalism and timeliness.

Once your choice is made, circle back with Angie's List to share your feedback. Your input on any service or health provider will become part of their rating on Angie's List.
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Is there a membership fee?
Yes, consumers pay a membership fee to join Angie's List. Membership fees help ensure reliable data, provide actual staff support and enable publication of our award-winning monthly magazine, among other things. In some cities, where we're still building the List, consumers can join for free; these are our “Grass Roots” markets. Once the List has adequately grown and a membership fee has been determined, members have the option – not obligation – to renew at the regular membership price.

Monthly Payment Plan: Become a member for the lowest upfront cost, and even lower monthly payments thereafter! All monthly memberships come with the convenience of automatic renewal, and can be cancelled at any time, Sorry, no refunds. Monthly memberships require a one-time Account Activation Fee when joining. Members are not charged this fee again unless their subscription lapses for over 30 days.

Annual Payment Plans: Join at the lowest overall cost – our most popular option! Members who choose an annual payment plan receive a significant discount on their subscription. Annual memberships require a one-time Account Activation Fee when joining. Members are not charged this fee again unless their subscription lapses for over 180 days. All annual memberships come with the convenience of automatic renewal, unless otherwise requested. Cancel any time. Best of all, annual memberships are backed by our 110% money-back guarantee, so they're a risk-free way to join!

View membership fees here.

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Does Angie's List offer a trial membership?
When Angie's List is new to a city we offer a free membership for the first few months we're in the area—these are our Grass Roots memberships. Members who sign up during this time period help us build the List. After the List has grown, Grass Roots members have the option—not obligation—to renew their membership at the regular monthly or annual price.
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What's included in an Angie's List membership?
  • Access to the List any time by signing in at angieslist.com. Neighborhood Specialists are available via phone six days a week to answer questions and help search the List.
  • The Angie's List Magazine, which contains articles, interviews, advice and discounts from top-rated local companies.
  • Exclusive Angie's List member discounts from service and health professionals, as well as top online retailers.
  • Access to our Complaint Resolution Team, if you ever run into problems with a service company.
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How do service companies and health professionals receive grades on the List?
A service or health professional is graded on the List only after a member submits a report and grades about their experience. Companies and health professionals can not pay to be put on the List, nor are they allowed to submit grades on themselves.
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What services are rated on Angie's List?
We have a complete list of services found here.
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Can I search for "green" companies on Angie's List?
Yes! On the search results page, members can sort by the "eco-friendly" column heading so those companies that have registered their green certifications with us appear first. There are currently seven designations and a separate icon for each. These certifications are self-reported by each company.
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Why would I use Angie's List when I can just ask my neighbors for recommendations?
Naturally, you probably will ask your neighbors for their opinions. Angie's List can give you unbiased experience with hundreds of companies—something your neighbors can't.
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What if I sign up and don't like it?
No problem! Memberships may be cancelled in one of the following ways:

Online: Via the Contact Us page
Phone: (866) 623-6088
Mail: Attn: Member Services, 1030 E Washington St, Indianapolis, IN 46202
Fax: (866) 670-5478

Please include your name, address and phone number in any written cancellation requests so that we can identify your account.

Your cancellation request must be received no later than 5 pm on the day prior to any scheduled renewal payment date, which can be found on the My Account page. Annual memberships are backed by our 110% satisfaction guarantee. Sorry, no refunds for monthly memberships.

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Does Angie's List allow service companies and health professionals to advertise?
Angie's List does allow companies and professionals that average an A or B rating to advertise in the form of a discount to members. Only companies that maintain an A or B rating are offered this privilege, and any time their rating falls below a B, the offer is revoked. Service companies and health professionals are not obligated to advertise, nor does their decision to advertise affect their Angie's List rating. If you have any questions about our advertising policies, give us a call at 1-888-888-LIST (5478).
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Can a service company or health professional pay to change their rank on Angie's List?
Angie's List has several search settings. There is a search setting that will return profiles that have coupons/discounts first, but members can choose not to display these results.

This search option doesn't change the grades the company or professional has earned, and they cannot pay to show up at the top of the List for every search under any setting.
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Will Angie's List edit the reports I post?
Angie's List does not edit reports posted by our members.
We use proprietary technology and human review to make sure that all reports meet our guidelines before they're posted. If they don't, we'll go back to the member with questions and clarification before posting. Check out our terms and conditions for more.

By checking reports before they're visible to other members, we're able to screen out service companies and health professionals who are self-reporting, or people who are trying to report repeatedly on the same company.
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Does Angie's List remove negative reports?
No!
There are only three reasons we would ever take down any report:
  1. We find out the report was fraudulently posted
  2. The member who posted the report chooses to remove it.
  3. The report was a successful part of our Complaint Resolution.

When a report that has been part of the Complaint Resolution process is successfully resolved, we think it's only fair that the amended reports carry a grade of at least B—it's our way of giving the service company or health professional a little extra incentive to finish or fix the issue. If this occurs, the member is always able to repost the entire report with both the problem described and the update. If the problem isn't resolved, the original report remains untouched.

We never, ever, ever remove a negative report for any other reason. Angie's List retains a respected auditing firm, BPA Worldwide, to check our practices every year to ensure that no preferential treatment is given to anyone—including advertisers.
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How do I get in touch with someone at Angie's List?
We can be contacted by e-mail, phone or mail. See our contact information here.
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What is the Privacy Policy?
At Angie's List, we respect your privacy and take the responsibility of protecting the personal and business information that you share with us very seriously. View our complete Privacy Policy for more information.
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What is the Angie's List online content comment policy?
  1. Angie's List appreciates comments. The comments we receive on our blogs, tips or magazine articles are just as important as the content we publish, and provide everyone with the opportunity to add their voice to the conversation at hand.
  2. Angie's List does not appreciate anonymous comments. Our content is written to provide value to the Angie's List community and consumers in general. We don't allow anonymous reports on Angie's List, so we don't allow them on our blogs, podcast or magazine sites either. Comments should include a name and e-mail address. E-mail addresses are not published.
  3. Spam, sales pitches and irrelevant comments will be deleted. We want lively discussions about consumer issues. You don't have to be eloquent or even a good speller – just interested in the discussion and willing to share.
  4. Angie's List reserves the right to respectfully disagree. Views expressed in the "Comments" sections are not necessarily the views of the original author or the views of Angie's List.
  5. Feel free to ask questions. If there's something in a post you'd like more information on, or an elaboration, just ask. The Angie's List Staff will reply to questions and comments as quickly as possible.
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Why is Angie's List accepting ratings for health care providers?
People come to Angie's List seeking perspective on all kinds of projects. Our members have been telling us for years they'd like to give, and to get, this same kind of perspective when it comes to health care. We believe that members and health care providers can benefit from sharing this feedback.
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What is the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), and how does it affect members who give reports?
HIPAA was enacted in 1996 to ensure standardization and protection of patient data. Click here for more information. Any member who submits a report related to their health care issues is free to do so; his/her identity is available only to Angie's List and the provider being reported on.
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Can health providers respond to member reports?
We encourage all providers to review and respond to their reports. However, health care providers operate under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), which is intended to protect patient privacy. As a result, any responses they submit will not be detailed, and members should bear this in mind when reviewing their ratings.
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Should I rely on Angie's List ratings as my only resource of health care information?
Absolutely not. The perspectives of our members, while valuable, are no substitute for the advice of a qualified professional. We also provide a list of resources to help members research issues and become better-informed.
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Is the Angie's List website secure?
Angie's List uses 128 bit encryption from Thawte, a Verisign Company, for all online credit card transactions. You can see it is secure by looking for the lock or by following the directions below.
If using Explorer:
  • Right click on the page
  • Select "properties"
  • Select "certificates"

If using Firefox:
  • Right click on the page
  • Select "view page info"
  • Select "security"
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Do you have to be a member to submit reports on Angie's List?
No. Anyone can report on the service companies and doctors they've interacted with. There is a difference in the way non-member reports are displayed, however. Non-member reports do not display grades, nor do they impact the current or overall grades of the company or doctor. Only the comments and description of work fields will be visible. Non-member reports will always appear after member reports and will be denoted with a special icon so you know upfront whose perspective you're getting.
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What is a Credit Card Validation Code?
A credit card validation code is a 3 or 4 digit number printed on your credit card. This number is used as an anti-fraud security feature to help verify that you are in possession of your credit card. For Visa, Discover and MasterCard, the three-digit Credit Card Validation number is printed on the signature panel on the back of the card immediately after the account number. For American Express, the four-digit Credit Card Validation number is printed on the front of the card above the card account number. Angie's List (or anyone, for that matter) is not allowed to store this information.
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