More than a year ago, I had signed up with Angie’s List for an account because my wife and I were about to move to a new apartment. We had a few referrals on contractors from friends, but having spoken to Angie’s List in a previous company I had worked for, I decided to sign up. While we did not go with any leads from Angie’s List, I saw the value in what they provided at the time.
The thing is, there are a lot of questions about need. People who live in the city generally move once a year (the need for this service is almost always tied to that).
Just this morning, I looked at my Paypal account and noticed that I had received a charge from Angie’s List amounting to $29. When I logged in to see what it was for, I found out that if I had not notified them about my desire to cancel the membership by October 29, that they would charge me automatically. While this is a normal business practice among online subscription sites, I see one big flaw here.
Where is the reminder?
I receive emails from Angie’s list everyday, and not once did I receive an email from them reminding me of the automatic renewal. Yes, the renewal conditions are in black and white, but how many people will remember that they signed up for an online subscription that they last used more than a year ago?
Adding triggered automatic renewal notifications seems to me like a feature that was purposely left out so people can get charged like I did. It is partly my fault, yes, but even magazine companies send out countless reminders for subscription renewals every year. For an online company such as Angie’s List with more robust capabilities to send out communications, I find this business practice very questionable.
Has anyone else experienced the same?
I do not have any confidence in their operation. I was coonsidering subscribing until I went to their website and discovered it is impossible to learn the cost to subscribe until you provide a lot of personal information including youe email address. So, if you decide that their subscription is more than you want to pay they have your email which they can then provide to contractors to fill your mailbox. If they were an ethical business they would be would be upfront about their own charges. Moreover, it appears Angie’s List receives payment from the contractors they recommend in the form of paid advertising. Gosh, that sounds pretty unethical to me.