I-Team's Call 4 Action Gets Long-Awaited Angie's List Refund

NORTH ATTLEBORO (CBS) - "There is supposed to be a light right here," Rob Fagnant said while pointing to an empty nail above his back door.

Fagnant was looking to install lighting for his backyard pool. It seemed like a simple job that called for a professional and he wanted to find a reliable electrician.

"When I went on Angie's List one of the things I wanted to do was to find a local electrician that was well-vetted with Angie's List that had gotten really good reviews," he told WBZ-TV.

As luck would have it, the same day he logged onto Angie's List the site was offering a special deal for an electrician in his town of North Attleboro. "If you paid $599 you would get an electrician for 8 hours."

Fagnant paid for that deal in October.

Rain, cold, and illness kept putting the appointment on hold. That's when he and the electrician decided it was best to part ways. But getting a refund turned out to be even harder than getting a new light.

First, Angie's List rejected Fagnant's request for a refund because more than 30 days had passed since the deal had been purchased. Then he says Angie's List told him the electrician already had the money. But the electrician told Fagnant that Angie's List still had the cash.

"So, you're stuck in this endless loop. It's really disingenuous of Angie's List to offer deals from contractors, that they have supposedly vetted, only to not stand by that deal after the money has been paid," Fagnant said.

The truth is Angie's List doesn't rate the companies on their site.

The ratings are based on customer reviews. Also, if you read the fine print in the terms of use in their Business Center the company states "Angie's List simply acts as a passive conduit and an interactive computer provider."

After weeks of getting nowhere Fagnant called the I-Team's Call 4 Action, and the matter was finally resolved.

"I was so excited when I got the refund. I just couldn't believe how fast WBZ was able to get them to refund my money," he said.

Angie's List told WBZ professionals on their site are also required to pass an annual criminal background check and that they must be properly licensed.

If you're hitting a wall dealing with a consumer complaint call the ITeam's Call 4 Action team at 617-787-7070 or email WBZCallforaction@cbs.com