Complain about a product or service

ServiceMagic

Danny of Saint Louis, MO December 31, 2009

I cannot understand all these complaints. I have been with SM for over 3 years and they are fantastic. I dont win every job, but at least it is a qualified lead. At the comparative cost of mediums like Yellow Pages, the paltry fees are a drop in the bucket. It sounds like many of the complainers just dont know how to run a business or give customer service. At least with SM the leads are qualified. If you dont call them back quickly enough, it is your problem. Stop complaining and start working. If you want, go ahead and pay dead money with Yellow Pages or Google Adwords, that charge you whether or not you get a lead or not. At least with Service Magic, you are in the hunt.

douglastomblin of painesville, OH December 16, 2009

i,m a tree trimmer i gave them prices.itold servicemagic about what happen,but they servicemagic toke the money from my account.idid,nt get the job.

C of Lakewood, CO December 15, 2009

Got referrals from Servicemagic for large drywall project. My big mistake was not looking further into contractor expertise - he had over a dozen listed ranging from landscape to maid service to drywall. I doubt he is highly skilled at ANY of them. Did horrendous job on drywall, 2 weeks later every seam is starting to crack. Dog door was left open on interior wall side showing wall studs. When I asked him if it looked right to him and if his wife would want to see interior wall studs in her dining room he replied 'I don't have a dog.' Not the least bit professional either.

John of St Louis, MO December 5, 2009

Advertising is Advertising, BUT: I am a carpet cleaner who has used Service Magic from the get go. I understand that nothing is garanteed and this is what I expected. However, the underlying deception that most contractors did not bother to mention is Service Magic's lack of flexibility when it comes to getting credit for leads that are charged to their account, but don't pan out. For instance, I had a lead from a lady who went to Service Magic, filled out the forms, and was referred to me. Okay, I called her and she later told me that she spoke to the landlord and decided to have him hire another contractor to clean the apartment for her.

Okay, fair enough, but I am still out 12 for this? The lady had already made up her mind to have someone else do the work before I called her. Is this a fair lead? Ok, I applied for a credit, but was denied, stating that she had the authority to have the work done, but was entitled to change her mind. Now Service Magic did not just make 12 off of me, but many other contractors as well in my assigned areas. They could have made well over 100 for this bogus lead. Is this fair to contractors? No, but the only one who ever seems to profit from everyone's loss is Service Magic. My only beef with Service Magic is that they should be more flexible with giving credits back to the contractors if they ever intend on staying in business. After getting many leads like this and no credit in return, I put the business on indefinate hold after having to pay a whopping 100 + in bogus lead money. Otherwise, they were threatening to take me to small claims court over it. For those of you working at Service Magic, who are vigilantly defending this service, I suggest you start looking for employment elsewhere because the mounting public dissatifaction with this service is only growing each year and will either end in lack of business from being reg flagged or bankruptcy from class action lawsuits. I understand that Service Magic has to make a lot of money in order to stay in business, but if they worked with Contractors in being more flexible with credits, then they would gain much more business and good credit in return. Being a hard assed big steam roller is what they are good at though and it is the natural progression of business economy for services like this to be eventually replaced by better and more satisfactory services that suit more consumers and contractors. They treat contractors more like they are ignorant employees that don't have any other choices to make because Service Magic is a BIG Advertiser on the Web. I am here to tell Service Magic that we are small business owners that have other choices and can easily cancel your HIRED service that WE PAY YOU to PERFORM for us. If you don't believe this, look at AT&T and IBM back in the 80s and you will see that their monopolized empires eventually fell apart and were replaced by more efficient and satisfactory competition.

Don of Matthews, NC November 23, 2009

I own a painting company and joined Service Magic for the purpose of getting more leads. At the time I joined I did not have liability insurance since I was new to the industry and didn't know I needed it. They immediately sent me leads. Nearly every lead I got went to voicemail boxes that had no message. I rarely was able to reach any clients.

One time when I reached the client for an exterior painting job they were hostile with me. They said they were getting tons of calls. Since I had their address and wanted to find out what was going on, I went to their house. I told them I wasn't concerned with getting the job but wanted to know what their experience was with Service Magic. The woman said they had 14 different companies call immediately after posting on SM. Of the companies, I was bidding against a landscaper, handyman, roofer as well as other painting companies. My quote for the job was 2300 (400 of it was materials). They accepted the landscapers quote for 500, materials included.

The other clients I was able to reach were merely price shopping. When I complained to Service Magic, my Rep read a script saying the lead may have gone out to more people given a computer error. They did not give me credit for the lead. These guys are crooks and do NO screening. I went live the same day.

Reid of Durham, NC November 12, 2009

I called 1-866-621-9450 (Service Magic) which was the phone number for Progressive Plumbing. I was informed that Service Magic handled Proggressive Plumbings calls. I was told they could not get to me today and was given an alternative number for Pooles plumbing who I made an appointment with. Shortley after a plumber called and asked what my problem was. I asked if he were from the company I had spoke with since he was not familiar with my problem. He was evasive so I called poole Plumbing and found out he was not from their company. I called Service Magic back and them was told they normally call serval pllumbers. I feel as if I was placed in a position that if I had let the second plumber come and Poole showed up I could have been billed by them for an appointment I had made. I should have been informed 2 additional plumbmers would call me so I could have told them no.

Shirley of Union City, CA November 3, 2009

Service Magic DOES NOT BOTHER SCREENING BEFORE SENDING REFERRALS. Send referrals for services NOT PROVIDED BY YOUR SCOPE OF WORK. DO NOT CREDIT FOR UNAPPLICABLE WORK. THE "right" hand dosen't know what the "left is doing. Leads are BOGUS!

They need to be SHUT DOWN! Leave messages, NO CALL BACK. Sent check for what I felt was reasonable & proper. Check was returned indicating I owed an additional 8.00. E-mail sent this a.m. indicates suite. Go figure!

Pearl of Tampa, FL October 21, 2009

I have'nt been called by a lawn keeper. I was notified a few days ago that you had someone who said he would do it for 45.00.I have'nt heard from him. I think my problem is that I don't know the procedure that is expected . I tried finding his name again on your e-mail,but another name was on it today.I'll try again.No one ever came out to look at the yard .Tell me how this works,thank you

Pamela of Oak Park, MI October 19, 2009

I am a carpenter/contractor and have paid money to ServiceMagic for leads that are bogus. They used my credit card without authorization. The credit card co. was no help. I was supposed to get a credit for a bad lead from Service Magic. They call it "in-house" credit and they will keep it for themselves instead of paying it back to me. This company needs to be closed down and sued for every penny they took from innocent people. They cheat not only the contractors but also the clients. They charged me for a plumber's lead, knowing I am a licensed carpenter, but they won't return the money for this bogus lead. They are a fraud and I wish some good lawyer would take them on and have them return all the monies they stole.

Martin of Miami, FL October 16, 2009

Saw TV commercial about Service Magic and lead services for contractors. I paid 450 for supposedly "600" worth of leads. What I got was DEAD END LEADS! People that do not own the homes, price shoppers, people that are impossible to speak or meet with, you call and leave messages they never return an e-mail nor a phone call. And to add injury to insult, when you try to get credit for the leads they deny you, at 36 per lead, I DO NOT RECOMMED SERVICE MAGIC!!

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