Finding a reliable service provider can be a test of patience for some consumers, despite sites like Angie’s List and Yelp that aim to connect customers with local professionals focused on repairs, installations, or other jobs around the house. Facebook thinks it has what it takes to make the quest for a dependable handyman, lawn care service, plumber, and other local businesses with its new “Professional Services” feature. [More]
plumbers
Facebook Taking On Yelp, Angie’s List To Provide Users With Highly-Rated Professional Services
By 12.15.15
Google Adds Paid Home Service Provider Suggestions To Search Results For “Clogged Toilet,” “Plumber”
By 8.31.15
Less than a year after Amazon took on the likes of Angie’s List, Yelp and other companies that can connect consumers to professional service providers like plumbers, locksmiths, electricians and others, Google announced it would join the fray by adding prescreened service providers to its sponsored search results. [More]
Lawsuit Claims Amazon Local Stole Provider Lists, Other Info From Rival Angie’s List
By 6.24.15
Though some might say that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, achieving that verisimilitude by stealing information from a competitor is not going to go over well. That’s what Angie’s List is alleging in a new lawsuit against upstart Amazon Local, a subsidiary of the ecommerce giant, claiming that the new rival on the scene boosted provider lists and other proprietary information from Angie’s website. [More]
Plumber Pulls $10K Wedding Ring From Bathroom Pipes
By 2.21.11
Every time a certain Pennsylvania woman gazes at her $10,000 wedding ring, she’ll think of her plumber, who managed to scavenge it out of oblivion after she accidentally flushed down the toilet. [More]
Mr. Rooter Plumbing Job Quoted At $300 But Ends Up Costing $25,000
By 8.9.10
Dave and his wife came into some money and decided it was time to get a professional out to solve their slow draining toilet problems once and for all. Mr. Rooter showed up, and in less than a week the company managed to also solve Dave’s “I just came into some money” problem, by taking all of it. The problem is, Dave isn’t sure that any of the expensive extra work was necessary now that he can see the pipes. [More]
Track Down A Water Leak In Your Home
By 5.27.10
A water leak on your line can run up your utility bills, plus it wastes water. But before you spend money on a plumber, there’s a few things you can do yourself to try to locate and stop the leak. Wikihow has a good DIY guide, from listening to toilets to checking hose bibs. Even if all you can do is find the leak, you can save money if you’re able to tell the plumber where it is and he doesn’t have to go looking for it.
How to Find a Water Leak in Your House [WikiHow]
