Angie's List Worth it?

[travelover]

Another thread made reference to consulting Angie's list for a dental recommendation. I've been tempted to subscribe to this service for a while now and am wondering who has found it worthwhile, especially for medical professionals, whom are difficult to assess i.e. they may have all the credentials but have a terrible bedside manner or other issues.

 

[Rich_by_the_Bay]

I subscribed and ultimately quit pretty disappointed. While useful for some services, it was very subjective -- kind of like reading product reviews when you pick something out on Amazon -- a combination of useful and vindictive reviews.

Their system at that time required that when you posted a negative review the vendor got to know your name and was given a chance to answer the complaint. That seems fair enough, but in our case we had a terrible experience with a swimming pool company and wanted to publish it so others could see. Problem was, we needed to continue with that vendor for a 1 year warranty and other periodic services, adjustments, etc. If I published a negative review, it would alert them as to who I am, and you can only imagine how that would have affected the already-terrible service we were receiving. I'd have preferred that the complaint got passed along to the vendor anonymously.

Finally, it was common for them to only have 2 or 3 reviews even for businesses where there were dozens in the yellow pages. You wondered whether their sample was meaningful or just a few atypical experiences.

In the end, we went back to good old word of mouth + luck of the lot.

Also,

 

[Ed_The_Gypsy]

Two things I hate to do when I go to a new town: find a competent but honest mechanic and find a competent dentist.

I was advised once to ask an orthodontist for a few names of good dentists to choose from. Orthodontists see the work of many dentists. Ask for--say--three names.

 

[REWahoo]

I was advised once to ask an orthodontist for a few names of good dentists to choose from. Orthodontists see the work of many dentists. Ask for--say--three names.

How do you know the orthodontist you're asking is any good?

 

[Ed_The_Gypsy]

Beats me. I never used this advice.