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ServiceMagic ServiceMagic scams and cheats contractors out of hard earned money. Internet, Colorado
As a contractor looking to expand my small company I turned to internet marketing. After a google search, a company called service magic kept popping up. I now know this isn't a result of good business as much as good marketing. An enthusiastic salesmen promised me the world over a phone call in order to get my credit card and sign me up. Some of the things he promised me was a definite return on my investment, and VERIFIED leads from consumers searching for services my company offered. Much to my disappointment, I didn't receive either. Now, I understand that I will not win every job that I bid. However, when I am paying over 50 dollars for a consumer lead, I would expect to at least have the opportunity to bid that job. 9 out of 10 leads from servicemagic are dead ends. Either curious people testing the system or disconnected phone lines. For every person who types their name into servicemagics system, there are 5 contractors being charged over 50 dollars. When you notify servicemagic about their dead end leads, expect something along these lines. This is a live conversation with a service magic agent.
Bill: Welcome to ServiceMagic's live chat, how may I assist you today?
Jason: Hi bill, i recently submitted a credit request for job number 4008xxxxxx
Jason: i'd like to re submit this request because both times if contacted this lead they've told me they only submitted their information to see how the system worked and had no project to pursue
Bill: I'm sorry to hear about that Jason.
Bill: Thank you for being a member of ServiceMagic Jason. Was this person also someone in the same field as you? (i.e. a competitor testing the system?)
Jason: If I were to guess I would say yes but I can't be sure. This isnt the first time I've gotten a lead of this nature and most of the time it's other contractors seeing how the system works
Bill: Oh, I'm seeing as I look through the account that a credit request has already been submitted and denied in regards to this lead.
Jason: Yes, thats the issue
Jason: it's been denied but that hardly seems fair to be charging me for people experimenting with your system
Jason: I'd like to pursue it further and reach a more acceptable solution
Bill: The reason it was denied is because this isn't the first request they've done in general. (The previous ones were in relation to their boiler heating system.) We also didn't find a matching company, even just checking things out, in our service professional databanks. Most times a professional testing the system by creating a lead also creates a professional account for themselves.
Jason: well, we dont perform any boiler work so it would seem to me they submitted the request under the wrong category because as i said before, when I called regarding the lead sent to me they assured me they had no intention of even considering a sunroom and that the request was submitted as a result of error
Bill: Did they state that they were trying to find professionals for a different type of work?
Jason: No they stated the request was submitted by mistake, if you'd like, i can call them back again and sort out the details but I was under the impression ServiceMagic was responsible for that kind of work
Bill: With most credit requests we make an attempt to contact the person in question, to verify things one way or another directly with them. We aren't always to establish live contact though.
Jason: and if you are not able to establish contact is a credit issued automatically
Jason: ?
Bill: Actually no. Typically if we don't make live contact we will tend to deny the request.
Jason: on what grounds?
Bill: We did not verify that the lead had a situation our credit is intended for.
Bill: Oops, typo.
Bill: We did not verify that the lead had a situation our credit *system* is intended for.
Jason: Well thank you Bill, you have single handedly convinced me that ServiceMagic is a dishonest company and that I should cancel my account.