Independent Audit Certifies Angie's List Consumer Review Handling Process as Fair and Impartial

INDIANAPOLIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Angie's List ANGI consumer reviews on local service companies and professions have been certified again as a trustworthy resource.

BPA Worldwide, an international auditing firm, examined the information Angie's List members submitted in 2015 about service they received from local service professionals.

In its opinion letter, BPA said it had examined all the company's processes necessary to render an opinion, including membership registration, content delivery, verification, complaint resolution, data protection and privacy, documentation standards, disclosures and definitions. The review included an assessment of the controls in place to protect "against the risk of influence by employees with an interest in advertiser performance."

"Review accuracy and consistency are controlled throughout all stages of the handling process," the certification report said. "All reviews are analyzed before display in the system and are confirmed against a series of Angie's List outsort rules… The edit and approval processes are performed consistently and without regard for whether the service provider advertises with Angie's List or not."

Angie's List, which has more than 10 million verified consumer reviews available for its members to use in making hiring decisions, seeks an annual, independent audit as a check on its internal accountability procedures. Those procedures include:

• Prohibiting anonymous reporting;
• Requiring affirmation that consumers are reporting honestly on their own experiences;
• Prohibiting companies from grading themselves or their competitors;
• Alerting companies (free of charge) to reports, so they are aware of what's being said;
• Encouraging companies to respond (free of charge) to give their side of the story;
• Using proprietary technology and human review to screen red flags or allegations of trying to manipulate the system;
• Offering the Angie's List Complaint Resolution Service to qualified members to settle differences; and
• Backing up all ecommerce purchases to qualified members through the Angie's List platform with Angie's Service Quality Guarantee and Angie's Fair Price Guarantee.

Companies that earn and can maintain high grades from members are eligible to advertise their services, but must offer discounts to Angie's List members. Internal teams monitor companies' grades and performance to ensure they meet eligibility requirements.

"Our accountability processes are second-to-none in the online review space because our members rely on us to give them reliable, authentic information," said Angie's List founder and chief marketing officer Angie Hicks. "We go the extra mile to ensure we're doing that."

BPA has conducted audits on the company's data since 2007.

Angie's List helps facilitate happy transactions between more than three million consumers nationwide and its collection of highly rated service providers in more than 720 categories of service, ranging from home improvement to health care. Built on a foundation of more than 10 million verified reviews of local service, Angie's List connects consumers directly to its online marketplace of services from member-reviewed providers, and offers unique tools and support designed to improve the local service experience for both consumers and service professionals.

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