Angie's List response to my email in Part II:
"Hello Deborah,
Thank you for your email and I apologize for the delay in response. I'm sure you will be happy to hear that Angie's List is now reformatting our licensure procedures. We will allow companies on the List without a license, but we will have them flagged. If a company does have a license they will have to verify that it is current and valid for their line of work. These changes will be made in the next few months and should be seen on the List soon. If companies that say they have a valid license and do not their advertising and awards from Angie's List can be revoked. We are continuously trying to improve the List for our customers and service providers. We do realize that in the over 400 categories we offer, not all of these services have to be licensed so we cannot bar companies or service providers from being on the List for not having a license that is not required of them. We do appreciate your feedback on this concern and please feel free to contact us with any other questions or concerns you may have." Shortly after I received this email, Angie's List sent me a copy of their September issue of their magazine which is titled "Contractor Credentials What does it really mean to be licensed?"
Here is a link to the first page of the magazine: http://e-ditionsbyfry.com/Olive/AM3/ANG98/Default.htm?href=ANG98%2F2009%2F09%2F01&pageno=1&view=document
My purpose for blogging about this is to make people aware that it is important to use licensed businesses and contractors. Bottom line: the licensing protects you, the consumer.
It sounds as if Angie's List is stepping up to take a harder line with unlicensed "handyman" types and contractors. Only time will really tell if they are really committed to the cause. One thing in the email response above that I did not like was the statement: "We will allow companies on the List without a license, but we will have them flagged." Personally, I do not think any company or individual should be allowed to be on any List or be allowed to advertise without a valid license - PERIOD. Maybe then, they will get a license and be legit.
In the magazine article they give a lot of time (space) and a picture to a fella named Pat Stone, owner of Door Dr. in California. He is quoted as calling licensing a joke and he says that very few of his customers care that he is unlicensed. He is also quoted as saying that he works alone, so any injuries he suffers would be paid for by his own medical insurance. He adds that he is careful not to take jobs that are too dangerous and that he is very cautious.
THIS MAKES ME ANGRY!!! WHAT A LOAD OF BS!!!!
Anyone who hires him and his company is crazy!! He walks onto your property, you pay him to do anything and he becomes your employee. You, the homeowner, are liable for his work, his safety and for the safety of everyone else on the property. EXAMPLE: He thinks he is alone in the house and is routing out a door for hinges. He gets a telephone call and goes outside to talk. He has set the router down next to the door and your five year old daughter, who is having a play date with another little girl, walks into the room because they are curious about what's been happening in her room. She picks up the router to show her friend and...... For the sake of everyone's mind, I won't go any further. Will his own medical insurance pay for that? Will you, the homeowner, have any recourse? I think the first thing SWIFT should do is knock on Mr. Stones door.
Mr. Stone should have a C-6 license which is a Cabinet, Millwork and Finish Carpentry Contractor. All he needs to do is go take the C-6 test to prove that he is competent in his profession, get a bond and some insurance. It is not THAT difficult. He'll get a pretty little card he can carry around and show all his buddies! Look what I did for Mr. Stone - I just increased his job description - he can add cabinets and finish carpentry to his skill set and make more money!!! Hmmm, it seems that I have also given Mr. Stone WAY more space than he deserves.
Lastly, the real point to all of these blogs is: Angie's List and other advertisers are only part of the problem. It was really simple for me to set up my company and open a checking account for my business. Matter of fact, I did it before I had a my general contractors license. Construction companies, "handyman" businesses or any other business requiring a license by the State of California's Contractor's State License Board should not be able to open a business, get a bank account or even advertise unless they have a valid license. Make them get the licenses, bonds and insurances before they can do anything else and they will.
Problem solved.
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