Service magic has crossed the line this time. - Page 6 - Contractor Talk - Professional Construction and Remodeling Forum

mshmoon · 12-10-2008, 03:58 PM

I have almost same experience as yours with Service Magic. I really want to do some kind of lawsuit but I don't speak english well.
I found a website about 'class action' anyone can start

I am trying to put link here but seems not allowed to me let skip to type 3 w and h t t p

topclassactions com

mshmoon · 12-10-2008, 03:59 PM

go to
topclassaction com.

golester · 12-11-2008, 04:28 PM

Here is the phone number for that attorney in San Diego 619 232 0331, Speak to Eric

Quote:

Originally Posted by Floordude

Threaten a class action law suit!! You are definitely not alone. There are 10's of thousands, just as mad as you and have been scammed.

Green_Handyman · 12-23-2008, 08:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kingfisher

Tried them for about 2 months, Aug and Sept. Very small work area and only large additions and remodels is what I wanted, I got junk. Of the 5 leads only placed 1 bid and that was too small, the rest were not even real jobs just handman fix-its. Could not even get my leads turned off only down to $100 so I quit. Just waste of time and only the cheap work. May work for service guys like plumber, electricain, and handymen but not real contractors who what to pull pirmits and do larger jobs.

WTF??! real contractors? so your saying that because i am a Handyman who is licensed, bonded, and insured that i am not a "real contractor"?

THEHANDYMAN · 02-08-2009, 09:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RidgeWalker

Wow alot of negative feed back about Service Magic. I must say that I have been a member for over two years.

I clearly understood that all i was getting were leads, not jobs.
I clearly understood that I the leads were not exclusive to me.
I clearly understood that it was up to me to make the sale.
I clearly understood that I had to respond to the lead immediatly to better my chances of making an appointment.

I have received a credit for EVERY lead I have asked for.
I have received good leads and bad leads.
I have never to my knowlage competed against more then 3 other contractors, and I can guarantee that most of them never bothered to call anyways.

I beleive that alot of folks that have had negative experiance with Service Magic leads fail to understand the internet phycology of instant gratification. These leads are ready to hear from some one NOW, not next week. On the other hand I also believe that Service Magic doesn't work as well for some construction trades versus others.

I continue to use Service Magic and I take the good with the bad. Nothing ever changes in that regard to marketing. There is NO perfect solution in marketing to ensure all your leads are gold.

For those of you who contend that SM is charging your credit cards without authorization, why don't you just call them and have your account deleted immediatly? Then if any charges appear sue them.

We must be the exceptions to the rule But I agree a 100% with what you say here. My experience with them has been about the same. I had to fight hard for a couple of refunds but won in the end. I never take the idiot on the pone that knows more about my business than me, word for any thing in way of a refusal, I ask for supervisor and usually get satisfactory responce.
Especially after paying a personal visit to their offices and seeing some of the retards that are answering the phones. That one guy was pushing scales at 400# and his belly was almost dragging the floor. Heard him talking to fellow worker about having his stomach stabled. They must have stapled it to his knees! Every time I get a female I vision her as that sweet blonde that I seen strut by.

Tellurideroof · 08-12-2009, 03:19 PM

Ok, I have used service magic in the past for my property maintenance company outside of toledo, oh. We used the service for 3yrs starting 2003-6. Every lead I recieved I would try and be the first to contact the potential customer. Many of whom would say wow that was a fast response. I did recieve a few bogus leads, but was reimbursed. I also recieved some fantastic leads, including a government contract that still till this day makes the company (sold it but keeping it in the family) $3-5000/ week. I am now out on the western slope of the rookies where towns and cities is few and far between. There are no other contractors in the area that are with SM. We have 2 locations Telluride and Crested Butte I am almost half tempted to try it out for a month or so and see what kind of jobs (real jobs not bogus) are available. So i guess my question to all of you is; are most of your companies located in major cities with a huge competition to fight with or are you guys in the rural areas running into the same junk leads?

Service magic response to these forums:

My basic response is this - when you have 60k contractors in the network
- if 1% of them were happy and on one website complaining it would turn
anyone off to our service if that is what you were looking for.... a way
to talk your self out of advertising, marketing and direct contact with
customers.

Second, most of those individual tell a lot about them selves by there
user name and spelling qualities - and that may be offensive so I
apologize in advance. If your expectations with any advertising is
guaranteed jobs or no cost - not going to happen - or wait 3 days and
the customer doesn't call you back because they don't want to tell you
they already hired someone because your just contacting them - that is
the business not ServiceMagic.

I could go off for days on these things because they irritate me
personally. But I will go off on a total tangent. Basically there are
complaint websites for about every business there is and it is what it
is. We have been in business for over 10 years - we continue to grow -
not from "ripping people off" but from helping consumers and
contractors.

MyLar1040 · 08-12-2009, 04:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tellurideroof

Service magic response to these forums:

My basic response is this - when you have 60k contractors in the network
- if 1% of them were happy and on one website complaining it would turn
anyone off to our service if that is what you were looking for.... a way
to talk your self out of advertising, marketing and direct contact with
customers.

Second, most of those individual tell a lot about them selves by there
user name and spelling qualities - and that may be offensive so I
apologize in advance. If your expectations with any advertising is
guaranteed jobs or no cost - not going to happen - or wait 3 days and
the customer doesn't call you back because they don't want to tell you
they already hired someone because your just contacting them - that is
the business not ServiceMagic.

I could go off for days on these things because they irritate me
personally. But I will go off on a total tangent. Basically there are
complaint websites for about every business there is and it is what it
is. We have been in business for over 10 years - we continue to grow -
not from "ripping people off" but from helping consumers and
contractors.

Well said, it's in all of us to make contacts a success.
I spend many days a week talking myself off the porch and
into the house to get a pitch in.

BillD · 08-12-2009, 04:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tellurideroof

Ok, I have used service magic in the past for my property maintenance company outside of toledo, oh. We used the service for 3yrs starting 2003-6. Every lead I recieved I would try and be the first to contact the potential customer. Many of whom would say wow that was a fast response. I did recieve a few bogus leads, but was reimbursed. I also recieved some fantastic leads, including a government contract that still till this day makes the company (sold it but keeping it in the family) $3-5000/ week. I am now out on the western slope of the rookies where towns and cities is few and far between. There are no other contractors in the area that are with SM. We have 2 locations Telluride and Crested Butte I am almost half tempted to try it out for a month or so and see what kind of jobs (real jobs not bogus) are available. So i guess my question to all of you is; are most of your companies located in major cities with a huge competition to fight with or are you guys in the rural areas running into the same junk leads?

Service magic response to these forums:

My basic response is this - when you have 60k contractors in the network
- if 1% of them were happy and on one website complaining it would turn
anyone off to our service if that is what you were looking for.... a way
to talk your self out of advertising, marketing and direct contact with
customers.

Second, most of those individual tell a lot about them selves by there
user name and spelling qualities - and that may be offensive so I
apologize in advance. If your expectations with any advertising is
guaranteed jobs or no cost - not going to happen - or wait 3 days and
the customer doesn't call you back because they don't want to tell you
they already hired someone because your just contacting them - that is
the business not ServiceMagic.

I could go off for days on these things because they irritate me
personally. But I will go off on a total tangent. Basically there are
complaint websites for about every business there is and it is what it
is. We have been in business for over 10 years - we continue to grow -
not from "ripping people off" but from helping consumers and
contractors.

Now that is too funny

Vinny · 08-12-2009, 06:17 PM

I,ve been at home sick with some sort of virus for a few days and of course, with little to do, I've been watching a butt load of TV.

I'd say Service Magic is on a marketing /advertzing spending spree. I must see thier add 20 times per day.

I was actualy thinking of giving it a shot until I saw this massive thread

Again, thanks to CT forum for saving me aggrevation and money. And thanks to evryone that posted the bad news before I tossed my money in the garbage.

ElkRemodeling · 10-28-2009, 12:20 PM

Yesterday I responded to a thread about service magic on the NARI forum. I was trying to save other contractors from what I consider an unfair business practice. We have used Service Magic in the past and did not find their leads to be satisfactory for our desired results. Therefore, many months ago, we canceled the service.

The google searches pulled this morning show, after numerous contacts with Service Magic and an email yesterday to Mr. David Merrick (dmerrick@mdbi.us), nothing has been done to resolve this issue of Service Magic using my company's name to drive business to other competitors when I no longer want their service. I am posting this in an effort to inform other contractors that if they have used service magic, their hard-earned marketing dollars to drive people to their specifically named company is costing them thousands of dollars of business. I would like companies that are currently using or have discontinued using service magic to search their company's name in google and look for your company name in the paid advertisements. Click on the link and see if it takes you to Service Magic, or to your specific company. If it takes you to Service Magic, you're in competition with yourself! Not only that, Service Magic is taking your hard-earned name recognition and selling it to other contractors. If you did not know your name was being used in such a manner, please email TimS@elkremodeling.com and share what you find and we will take further action as a whole.

If somebody is searching for your company, why let Service Magic take that lead and share it with your competitors?

JumboJack · 10-31-2009, 03:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by A-1 Remodeling

they got some nerve!!

Mylocalcontract · 10-31-2009, 04:15 PM

SM is the 800 pound gorilla. I heard sales were approaching $300 Million a year. But the pay per lead model can be inefficient. Think about it...with multiple contractors paying for the same lead, somebody is a guaranteed loser with SM.

CookeCarpentry · 10-31-2009, 04:17 PM

Someone should start a referral business geared towards contractors....like SM but different....anyone have any ideas?

SelfContract · 10-31-2009, 04:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mylocalcontract

SM is the 800 pound gorilla. I heard sales were approaching $300 Million a year. But the pay per lead model can be inefficient. Think about it...with multiple contractors paying for the same lead, somebody is a guaranteed loser with SM.

Ever go to Vegas Casino.. One lucky person won 1 million dollar Jack Pot, while 1 million of others slowly...LOST!!!.. Same business concept... ->> the Fastest, the Cheapest, The Meaniest, The Lucky....Ugliest Won!.. j/k