Matter for Mallory: Do home service apps use licensed professionals?

Matter for Mallory: Do home service apps use licensed professionals?

Home service apps make it easy to cross off your home to-do list, but depending on the chore, you may need someone with certain experience and a license.

FOR MALLORY.WHO COULDN'T USE AN EXTRA HANDAROUND THE HOUSE?

BUTDEPENDING ON THE CHORE..

YOUMAY NEED SOMEONE WITH CERTAINEXPERIENCE..

AND A LICENSE.CUSTOMER'S ARE EXPECTED TOKNOW THIS INFORMATION..

ASWELL AS PROVIDERS..

WHO COULDFACE CHARGES IF SOMETHING GOESWRONG.

THE COMMERCIALS SPEAKTO MANY OF US TAKL COMMERCIAL:33 too much to do and no timeto do it?

Get the app and Taklit:05 JOHN WOODS SIGNED UP.AND HIRED SOMEONE TO TACKLEHANGING HIS TV.

HE CHOSE APROVIDER BASED ON REVIEWS ANDRATINGS AND PAID 16━BUCKSJOHN WOODS, TAKL CUSTOMER:27:47 Nice guy, awesome, greatservice, did a good job.

Hewas by himself so I evenhelped him lift the TV on themount and it seemed secure.

HEHUNG IT BACK IN DECEMBER..THEN LAST WEEK... JW: 28:06 Myhusband came down in themorning and I got woken up to'you need to get down thestairs,' so I came down andsaw the TV lying on top ofwhere the dogs sleep on theirbed.

And luckily they wereupstairs at the time with usbecause it fell directly ontotheir bed AND IT DIDN'TCUSHION THE BLOW.

THE TVSMASHED... JW: 41:37 so thatspot right there AND TOOK WITHIT SOME WEDDING KEEPSAKES JW:28:34 another picture framegot broken, a small thing, anembosser for your addressWOODS TRIED CONTACTING TAKL..AND WAS INITIALLY TOLD THEIRGUARANTEE ONLY COVERS 2━48HOURS AFTER THE CHORE ISCOMPLETE.

HE CONTINUED TOPUSH..

ASKING TO SPEAK WITHSOMEONE OVER THE PHONE JW:29:38 I had four differentcustomer service reps jump inthe app.

From there it wasescalated from email, I can'tcall a number, there's no oneI can get to.

They have tocall you.

When you call backthe number, it says we don'tsupport customer service callsat this time.

THE COMPANYAGREED TO REFUND THE CHORE..AND EVEN OFFERED A SMALLSETTLEMENT TO TAKE CARE OF THEDAMAGED WALL AND TV..

BUTWOODS IS UNHAPPY WITH HOW THEYHANDLED THE COMPLAINT AND WASALSO SURPRISED TO LEARN ABOUTTHE LACK OF PROTECTIONS HETHOUGHT HE WAS GETTING BYUSING THE APP.

WE DID MOREDIGGING INTO HOW TAKL VETSPROVIDERS.

THEY'RE REQUIRED TOPASS A BACKGROUND CHECK..

BUTTHE APP DOESN'T CHECK FORLICENSES.

WHILE MOUNTING A TVDOESN'T REQUIRE A MARYLANDHOME IMPROVENT COMMISSIONLICENSE..

SOME OF THE SMALLERTASKS DO..

INCLUDING PAINTING,PLASTERING, CAULKING, DRYWALL,EVEN WALL PAPERING.

WE REACHEDOUT THE MARYLAND HOMEIMPROVEMENT COMMISSION WHOSAID THEY'D USUALLY ISSUE AWARNING LETTER ALONG WITHINSTRUCTIONS ON HOW TO BECOMEA MHIC LICENSED CONTRACTOR FORA FIRST VIOLATION..

BUT IF THECONTRACTOR HAS A COMPLAINTHISTORY OR THE HOMEOWNER'SBEEN VICTIMIZED..

THEUNLICENSED CONTRACTOR MAYRECEIVE A CIVIL PENALTY ORCRIMINAL CHARGE.

JW: 31:88They're not protecting theiremployees, they're notprotecting consumers, it'sjust a way for Takl to makemoney and we're all at risk━people that use them andpeople that work for them SOMESERVICES ARE BETTER AT MAKINGTHIS CLEAR THAN OTHERS.ANGIE'S LIST PROVIDES ALICENSE CHECK BASED ON THEPROJECT..

AND HOME ADVISORSCREENS FOR STAT━LEVELLICENSES..

HOWEVER..

APPS LIKETASK RABBIT, THUMBTACK, ANDHANDY SAY THEY*CONNECTCUSTOMERS AND PROVIDERS..

IT'SUP TO THEM TO KNOW THE LAW.THE MHIC ALSO SAID THEY'REAWARE OF TAKL BUT HAVEN'TRECEIVED ANY COMPLAINTS.

ASPOKESPERSON FOR THE COMPANYSAID THAY MAKE EVERY EFFORT TOEXCLUDE SERVICES FROM THEPLATFORM IN JURISDICTIONSWHERE A LICENSE IS REQUIRED..BUT AS OF LAST CHECK..

YOU CANSTILL REQUEST PROVIDERS FORTASKS REQUIRING A LICENSE INMARYLAND.IF YOU WANT TO SEE A FULL LISOF PROJECTS THAT REQUIRELICENSED CONTRACTOR..

VISITOUR WEBSITE WMAR 2 NEWS DOTCOM SLASH MATTER FOR MALLORY.WE'LL ALSO HAVE A LINK WHEREYOU CAN SEARCH FOR LICENSEDPROVIDERS BY NAME.

AND IF YOUHAVE A MATTER FOR MALLORY..SHE WANTS TO HEAR FROM YOU.EMAIL HER AT MALLORY AT WMARDOT COM.

OR FIND HER ON