We’re happy to see the Federal Trade Commission’s move to bring more accountability to online consumer reviews. The FTC Endorsement Guides will bring some accountability to bloggers and anonymous reviews that run the gamut from angry and perhaps unfair rants, to undisclosed paid placements for or against certain establishments or products.

WNWY in New York talked about fake online ratings and reviews last night on the evening news, and the FTC regulations were discussed recently in a New York Times article as well.

Angie’s List is interested in this issue because there’s nothing more important to us than providing consumers with reliable information about the services they need. Since we started 14 years ago, we’ve worked hard to provide fair consumer reviews and we’ve invested a lot in people and technology to help us with this. We don’t allow anonymous reviews, and we don’t think anyone should rely on them. People who criticize or praise performance of any service professional or product should be willing to stand behind their words.


 

 

I’m really excited to announce our newest venture at Angie’s List: We’re now accepting reports on custom and classic car restoration specialists!

This is an area I’m really happy to be in. People who restore these beautiful cars really have a passion for it, and I think they deserve to have a little help in finding restoration specialists who they can rely on.

Stay tuned: I’m seriously considering finding an old convertible to restore myself. You can bet I’ll be checking Angie’s List when I need help!

 

It’s been quite a week. First, I went back to my alma mater, DePauw University, and was so humbled to receive the McDermond Medal for Excellence in Entrepreneurship, and then we were thrilled to be named among the world’s most valuable start-ups yesterday by the Silicon Alley Insider.

I don’t even need to steal the candy from my kids’ Halloween baskets this weekend. I’ve had enough treats already!

Hope you have a safe, fun and full-of-treats Halloween, too.  Did you know some costumes contain lead?  Check out our Halloween tips to make sure you and your kids are safe….

I got an interesting email this weekend from a Chicago green home expert who thought we missed the boat on energy efficiency with my post on residential window tinting. While I think it was fine to identify a trend, maybe she’s not the only one interested in ways to make your whole home more energy efficient.

While there’s some disturbing news out today about the Energy Star program, don’t give up on the program just yet – and be aware of government programs designed to help with homeowners efforts to become more efficient energy users, including tax breaks.

Energy audits are a great idea, and some utility companies will offer them for free. There are independent professionals out there, too, who can take a holistic approach to your entire structure and help you make it as energy efficient as possible.

A seasonal check up of your heating and ventilation system is always a good idea.  You can save money by detecting a pending problem that left unchecked could cost you big with an emergency furnace repair call.

If you’re not prepared to invest a lot right now, check out our no- or low-cost ways to save on your winter heating bills .

We read reports on Angie’s List every day looking for trends and red flags and just to keep up on what’s happening in the world. Every once in a while we come across a few that make us smile.

This one, for instance, comes from a member who used a Chicago plumber for an emergency repair. The member tried to repair a kitchen drain on his own when he poked a hole in a pipe. In his words, he “surrendered and called the pros.”

At 6 p.m.
On Saturday.
On a three-day weekend.

He not only got great service, it came fast and on budget. But there’s more:  “He saved my weekend and probably my marriage! “

We love it when things work out…Here’s hoping you have similar luck. P.S. “Hedge your bets like he did, by using a company that’s highly rated on Angie’s List…”