<== Store of the Day for 2009-04-01 ==>

Angie's List

Angie's List is a subscription service for researching and rating contractors. The site lists contractors by location and services offered. The site includes user written reports about the quality of service rendered by the contractor.

Angie's list is a subscription based service. Users of the site pay a subscription fee to access the reviews. The reviews are provided by end users, but are verified and edited for accuracy by the Angie's list site.

Editing is important. Programs that allow anyone to drop a review will quickly be filled with misleading reviews. In many cases, a business owner will write reviews praising their service and panning the competition. The process also allows for a certain amount of dispute resolution, as contractors do not want a negative review in Angie's list.

The subscription stands in contrast to the advertisement based model. In an advertisement model, advertisers fund the site and use their economic clout to pressure the review site into removing bad reviews.

Since businesses pass their advertising costs back to consumers, the subscription model does not cost consumers any more than the advertiser model. By paying for quality reviews upfront, the consumer gets better information than they would with the advertiser model.

The program offers a one day trial period. The subscription fee for the site seems to vary by zip code.