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Follow on Google News | Angie's List SCAM: WARNING! Businesses get "Super Service Awards" then are forced to pay usage fees!Angie's List disguises themselves as a preferred home owner's referral group on one side of the fence, as they pressure businesses to pay for over-priced ads, and to mention the "awards" given to them on the other! Who's Angie really? Tony Sorprano?
By: Delayne Hiott- President/ Top Cat Appliance Repair First let me state that I'm definitely for consumer watchdog groups that will fight for the poor Grandma that was charged $2000.00 to replace her water heater. No one should be allowed to take advantage and prey on the customer that's in a pickle. There are several guys advertising on craigslist that will take a deposit for parts and never return, or even answer the customer's phone calls after the fact. Now, these guys are flat-out crooks that should be stopped! My company, Top Cat Appliance Repair ( http://TopCatAppliance.com ) operates out of Largo, Florida and goes to customer's homes behind these rip-off artists on a daily basis here in the Tampa Bay area. People don't bother to check with the local BBB and will pick the guy with the cheapest service call fee to save money...well, that's why they under charge for this service. You tried to save a buck and some jerk runs off with your hard earned cash! If you don't investigate a company at all before calling out "Bob's Discount Appliance Repair", that's on you! So you become a member of Angie's List for a little insight on what company to choose. Sounds great until you read what happened to me..... In 2001 Top Cat Appliance Repair received a letter from Angie's List stating that they had gotten several reviews from customers that were very happy with our services. They wanted to put us on Angie's List free of charge. What? FREE referrals? Great! Later that year I was mailed a "Super Service Award" so I figured that since they called monthly to push advertising in thier magazine, and I got calls from thier members weekly...why not? I placed a small ad in the monthly bulletin. The calls kept coming, so I kept paying for the ad. The sales office was in Clearwater, just up the road from my shop, so I would stop in and drop off a check on most months. I started to know the office staff by name. This is where I got a few insights on the way they worked. NOTE: This office was so crooked that they were later shut down! One day I got a bad review from a 80 something year old lady, and this is the low-down on what took place.... I was called to repair a washer and clothes dryer in Palm Harbor, Florida. The dryer did not heat. I diagnosed the burned out heating element and replaced it. No cold water was entering the washing machine because the valve was clogged with sediment from her water treatment system, so I replaced the water valve to prevent flooding and advised the customer to call the water treatment company to resolve thier problem before using the washer...she didn't, And I received a call from Angie's List stating that she wanted ALL of her money back for the washer repair. I told them of the problem and they said they would explain both sides in the monthly bulletin. I imagine the headline "Evil appliance man takes advantage of poor lil' ole granny" and reluctantly gave the lady the refund. I've worked too hard to get my good name trashed over night! The Clearwater office said "No problem!" and told me my other option was to buy an over-priced display ad through Angie's List and all would go away, with no mention in the magazine. Though I am an appliance technician, and we are sometimes grouped with the shady used car dealer types, I believe in being honest! I wanted no hard feeling with the customer or her family so I refunded her cash. It was the lesser of two evils and though she was admitted to an assisted living facility for Alzheimer's Disease a few months later, we retained customer loyalty from her daughter. She has used us and referred us many times over the years since the incident, and even returned the refund with a letter of apology! Karma was on my side on that one! I had another simular sitiation years later and traded the refund check, yet again, for not having to deal with all the hassle. We're now on thier "Naughty List" for not purchasing a new stove for a lady that was spraying a spray cleaner on the panel as my top technician went outside to look for a part! Any knucklehead should know that you can't spray ANY liquid around a curcuit board! C'mon now! This time I refused to pay the ransome! Truth be told, we all know atleast one or two whack jobs and scammers out there. In my opionoin this customer fits the bill on one or both of those titles. Everybody has appliances, even that guy at Wal-Mart that talks to himself is going to go home and grab a cold beverage from his refrigerator, just like you and I. After performing over 50,000 appliance repairs myself, I fully understand this and try to make everyone happy...if possible. We're rated A+ with the BBB in central Florida, so even though we have won several awards year after year from Angies List, that I'm not supposed to mention, and they rated Top Cat Appliance Repair in the top 3% of businesses in Pinellas County, Angie's List can take a hike! Beware of this wolf in sheep's clothing! Delayne Hiott / President -Top Cat Appliance Repair 727-544-3939 Pinellas/Pasco Counties 813-227-8877 Hillsborough County P.S. There are hundreds of stories such as mine on the web. Google Angie's List scam and enjoy! They are hurting good businessmen everywhere. Top Cat Appliance Repair performs services in these cities and more in the Tampa Bay Area.... Pinellas/Pinellas County/Anona/ /Lealman/Madeira Beach/NE St Petersburg/North Redington Beach/Oakcrest/ # # # Top Cat Appliance Repair, a BBB accredited, A+ rated servicer provides 2 HOUR Appliance Repair services in the Tampa Bay, Florida area on your Refrigerator, Freezer, Washing machine, Clothes Dryer, Dishwasher, Ice Maker, Cooktop, Disposal, Stove, Oven... End
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