Reputation flags: 23 vendors with documented problems

Yelp Ads flag re-verified 2026-09-30

Yelp paid $15 million to settle a California class action over recording its own sales representatives' side of sales calls without notice to the people called. The case (Gruber v. Yelp, San Francisco Superior Court, No. CGC-16-554784) was filed in October 2016 under the California Invasion of Privacy Act; the court granted final approval on April 10, 2024, and Yelp's annual report says the settlement involved no admission of liability or wrongdoing. Yelp's ads page says there are no term contracts with self-serve advertisers and you are free to cancel at any time; if a sales representative pitches a term commitment, get the length and cancellation terms in writing first. The long-running claim that Yelp hides non-advertisers' good reviews has not been established in court: in Levitt v. Yelp (2014) the Ninth Circuit dismissed extortion claims, holding that review manipulation, assuming it occurred, was not extortion, without finding that it did occur.

HomeAdvisor flag re-verified 2026-09-30

The FTC charged HomeAdvisor in March 2022 with deceptive marketing of the leads it sells to home service pros, and a consent order finalized in April 2023 bars those claims. The FTC alleged that since at least mid-2014 HomeAdvisor made false, misleading or unsubstantiated claims about the quality and source of its leads and how often they turn into jobs, and that sales agents misrepresented an optional one-month mHelpDesk subscription ($59.99) as free. The order, announced in January 2023, requires HomeAdvisor to pay up to $7.2 million, and in November 2023 the FTC said it had returned more than $3 million to businesses that paid for HomeAdvisor memberships. Service professionals also brought a class action in federal court in Colorado in 2016 (In re HomeAdvisor, Inc. Litigation); in January 2024 the court refused to certify its deceptive-practices classes, and in September 2024 it granted HomeAdvisor summary judgment on eight counts.

Angi (formerly Angie's List) flag re-verified 2026-09-30

Angi settled with the Vermont Attorney General in October 2025 over its use of the term "Angi Certified Pro" and agreed to pay the state $100,000. Under the settlement Angi must stop using that term or any term implying a government credential and must direct users to state resources to verify Vermont contractor credentials. The FTC action in its corporate family targeted its affiliate HomeAdvisor, Inc., also a subsidiary of Angi Inc.: the FTC's consent order (announced January 2023, finalized April 2023, up to $7.2 million) over deceptive lead marketing names HomeAdvisor, not Angi. Angi's BBB profile lists 1,793 complaints closed in the last three years (checked 30 September 2026).

Bark flag re-verified 2026-09-30

Bark's BBB profile, listed under an Austin, Texas address, shows no BBB accreditation. It listed 85 complaints closed in the last three years when checked on 30 September 2026. Under Bark's own terms you spend credits to respond before you can reach the customer, up to five pros can contact the same customer, and credits are refunded only if you report within 7 days that the phone number is invalid or the email bounces. If you test it, cap your spend and report invalid contact details promptly.

Networx flag re-verified 2026-09-30

Networx is BBB accredited, and its BBB profile lists 100 complaints closed in the last three years (checked 30 September 2026). Shared leads go to up to four contractors, and Networx's credit policy excludes homeowners who already hired someone, price shoppers and lost bids, with a 14-day window to request credit. Start with a small budget and track cost per booked job.

BuildZoom flag re-verified 2026-09-30

BuildZoom's BBB profile shows no BBB accreditation. It listed 102 complaints closed in the last three years when checked on 30 September 2026. BuildZoom sets contractor fees in its own terms, and they can depend on the project, so confirm in writing which fee applies before you engage, and check whether BuildZoom already lists a profile for your business.

LawnStarter flag re-verified 2026-09-30

Provider-side caution: LawnStarter sets each job's price, retains ownership of the customers under its provider agreement, and bars providers from soliciting or accepting business from those customers during the agreement and for one year after it ends, with a $5,000 penalty per violation. The clause excludes customers a provider served before or acquired independently. Once a provider accepts an order, the fee cannot change without LawnStarter's written agreement, and LawnStarter may charge administrative or service fees, such as payment processor fees, or withhold them from provider pay. On the consumer side, LawnStarter's BBB profile lists it as not accredited and shows 329 complaints closed in the last three years (checked 30 September 2026). Best used to fill capacity, not as the foundation of a lawn-care business.

GreenSky flag re-verified 2026-09-30

GreenSky has faced federal and state action over loans taken out in consumers' names without their authorization. On July 12, 2021 the CFPB issued a consent order finding GreenSky engaged in origination activity on thousands of loans consumers did not request or authorize; GreenSky paid a $2.5 million civil penalty and was ordered to provide up to $9 million in refunds or loan cancellations. In May 2026 GreenSky settled an investigation by Texas, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Alaska and the District of Columbia into complaints that businesses offering its loans took them out in consumers' names without consent and into GreenSky's oversight of those businesses; Alaska's attorney general says the settlement sets up restitution of up to $6 million in cash or credit to consumers. In Belyea v. GreenSky (N.D. Cal.), a federal judge on January 2, 2025 certified a class of California borrowers on claims over GreenSky's transaction fees under state credit-services and financing laws; the case was still active in September 2026. Make sure every customer personally authorizes their loan and understands any deferred-interest terms.

Hearth flag re-verified 2026-09-30

Hearth's BBB profile lists 97 complaints closed in the last three years (checked 30 September 2026). Hearth has been BBB-accredited since October 2017. Its terms of use say payment and refund terms are governed by a separate Hearth Contractor Agreement, and contractors may be eligible for a 60-day money-back guarantee; read the agreement's renewal and cancellation terms before you sign.

Pie Insurance flag re-verified 2026-10-10

Pie Insurance Services' BBB profile (Washington, DC) showed no accreditation and 15 complaints closed in the last three years when checked on September 30, 2026; the page as read did not show the complaint details, so read them on the BBB website before you buy. These are customer complaints, not regulatory findings. Separately, in May 2024 Florida's Office of Insurance Regulation fined Pie Insurance Company and Pie Casualty Insurance Company a combined $21,750 for filing required data late. Before you buy, ask how Pie's year-end premium audit works and how to dispute an audit result.

Farmers Insurance flag re-verified 2026-09-30

Farmers agreed to settle a Missouri class action over telemarketing calls and texts that one of its agents sent to numbers on the National Do-Not-Call Registry. In Starling v. Farmers Insurance Exchange (Circuit Court of St. Louis County, case 26SL-CC00138), Farmers Insurance Exchange, Farmers Insurance Company, Inc. and Fire Insurance Exchange agreed to make up to $2,875,000 available to about 8,039 people who received calls or texts from Todd Henderson Insurance Agency, Inc. and/or R. Todd Henderson between October 8, 2020 and March 13, 2026. The final approval hearing was set for July 31, 2026. Farmers denies the claims, and the case concerns an agent's marketing calls rather than claims handling.

State Farm flag re-verified 2026-09-30

Los Angeles County sued State Farm in Los Angeles Superior Court on August 31, 2026 over its handling of claims from the January 2025 Eaton and Palisades wildfires. The county's lawsuit, brought under California's Unfair Competition Law and False Advertising Law, alleges delays, underpayments and denials, frequent reassignment of claim adjusters, refusal to pay additional living expenses, misrepresentations and suppression of smoke damage claims, and seeks restitution, injunctive relief and civil penalties of up to $2,500 per violation. According to the county, the California Department of Insurance announced on May 4, 2026 that its market conduct examination of 220 randomly selected claims found 398 violations of the Unfair Insurance Practices Act and related regulations. These matters concern claims from the 2025 Los Angeles wildfires rather than contractor policies, and the lawsuit has not been decided.

PayPal Point of Sale (formerly Zettle) flag re-verified 2026-09-30

PayPal's own help pages say it may hold incoming payments, usually for up to 21 days, when a seller is new or its selling pattern changes, such as an unexpected surge in sales. PayPal can also place reserves on an account. Move money to a separate business bank account regularly and keep a backup way to take payments.

Mercury flag re-verified 2026-09-30

Mercury's BBB profile lists 151 complaints closed in the last three years, and Mercury is not BBB accredited. Its partner bank's deposit agreement allows freezes and holds during investigations and account closure at any time, so keep a backup account.

Lili flag re-verified 2026-09-30

Lili's BBB profile lists 150 complaints closed in the last three years. Its account agreement says Lili may close an account for any reason, with or without notice, so keep a backup account.

Townsquare Interactive flag re-verified 2026-09-30

Townsquare Interactive's Terms of Service do not let a client terminate during the commitment period set in its order, and make the fees for the rest of that period immediately due if the agreement ends early. The terms (last updated March 20, 2026) also state that all fees are non-refundable and require cancellation by phone to its support desk between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. Eastern, Monday to Friday, by the day before the next billing date. Its BBB profile lists 40 complaints in the last three years and shows it is not BBB-accredited (checked October 10, 2026).

Marketing 360 flag re-verified 2026-09-30

Marketing 360's Terms of Service say websites built on its Websites 360 platform must be hosted by Marketing 360 and may not be migrated to another hosting platform under any circumstance. The terms (last updated July 30, 2026) also renew the agreement automatically, require at least 30 days' written notice to cancel, let a client leave during the initial term only by repaying any waived onboarding package ($2,350 unless the service agreement sets another amount), and give no refunds of amounts already paid. Its BBB profile lists 33 complaints closed in the last three years (checked September 30, 2026).

Surefire Local flag re-verified 2026-09-30

Recent customer reviews describe billing and cancellation problems with Surefire Local. Several Trustpilot reviews posted between March and September 2026 say charges continued after the customer cancelled, the cancellation process was hard, or a website or campaign was delivered late or not at all. Its BBB profile lists 39 complaints closed in the last three years. Get the term, renewal and cancellation steps in writing, cancel in writing, and check your card statements afterward.

Wave Payroll flag re-verified 2026-09-30

Wave Financial's BBB profile listed 235 complaints closed in the last three years when checked on 30 September 2026. It has been BBB-accredited since 2013. The complaint text could not be read for this review, so read the complaints on BBB yourself before relying on Wave for payroll or for customer payments.

Paycom flag re-verified 2026-09-30

In 2021 the SEC found that Paycom had billed some clients for services they were already paying for, and Paycom settled without admitting or denying the findings. The SEC's July 30, 2021 order (Release 34-92527) cited books-and-records and internal-accounting-controls violations tied to about 269 instances of this 'reselling' across about 245 client codes from about 2011 to 2018. Paycom returned about $2.8 million to affected clients, including interest, and paid a $250,000 civil penalty. Check your invoice against the services you actually use.

Wave flag re-verified 2026-09-30

Wave Financial's BBB profile lists 235 complaints closed in the last three years as of 30 September 2026. Wave has been BBB-accredited since 2013. Wave's own payments page says it runs periodic credit risk assessments and may hold funds and request more information, so confirm payout and hold terms before relying on Wave Payments for cash flow.

Melio flag re-verified 2026-09-30

Melio Payments' BBB profile lists 102 complaints closed in the last three years, as of September 2026. It is not BBB accredited; read the BBB profile for details and keep a backup way to pay any bill that can't be late.

NiceJob flag re-verified 2026-09-30

NiceJob's owner since 2021, Paystone, entered court-supervised creditor protection in Canada in June 2026. On August 27, 2026 the Ontario Superior Court of Justice approved a sale of the business and assets of Paystone and related companies to 1001632600 Ontario Inc., a company controlled by Paystone's principals, and the court-appointed monitor reported on September 15, 2026 that closing was still pending, with the outside date moved to October 16, 2026. The monitor's reports describe a reputation-marketing software business line but do not name NiceJob, and Paystone told BetaKit it remained fully operational during the proceedings.