Contract Red Flags to Catch Before You Sign

Red Flag: An Annual Membership Fee Stacked on Top of Per-Lead Pricing

Angi charges an annual membership fee of roughly $300 to $400 on top of per-lead pricing that already runs $15 to $85 or more on the low end and $40 to $120 for higher-value jobs. That membership fee rarely shows up in the headline pricing conversation, it lives in the account setup paperwork, so ask directly whether a membership, platform, or access fee exists on top of the per-unit price before you calculate your real monthly cost.

Red Flag: Early-Termination Fees That Exceed the Value of a Job

HomeAdvisor's early-termination fees can run up to 30% of the remaining contract value, and contractor complaints tracked by the BBB and a documented lawsuit writeup describe cancellation fees exceeding $1,500 in some cases. A fee that size changes the real cost of "trying a vendor for a month," because leaving a bad relationship can cost more than the leads or appointments you actually used. Ask for the exact early-termination number in writing, not a general "standard terms apply."

Red Flag: Credit Only, No Cash Refunds

This is a documented pattern at HomeAdvisor: disputed leads convert to account credit, not money back. A credit only has value if you keep buying from that vendor, which is exactly the leverage it hands them in a dispute. Our replacement and credit policies guide breaks down the full range of policies you will run into and what each one actually guarantees.

Red Flag: Minimum Order Requirements That Force Volume You Do Not Need

A minimum monthly order commits you to a volume of leads or appointments before you know your own conversion rate on that vendor, which is exactly backwards. Some vendors, like Minyona, publish no monthly retainer at all alongside their per-unit pricing, a structure worth comparing against any vendor asking for a volume commitment up front. If a minimum is non-negotiable, at least get the number small enough that a bad first month does not lock you into a bad quarter.

Red Flag: No Public Complaint Record to Check

CraftJack's independent footprint has thinned considerably since it was largely absorbed into the Angi ecosystem, and its BBB complaint file is a matter of public record. Before you sign with any vendor, check the BBB, search the company name alongside "complaint" or "lawsuit," and look for a documented pattern rather than a single angry review. This is a five-minute check that is far cheaper than a bad first month.

A single one-star review from an anonymous account is not a red flag on its own, salespeople argue with unhappy customers in every industry. A pattern of the same complaint (undisclosed fees, refused refunds, aggressive renewal terms) repeated across a dozen unrelated reviewers over a year or more is a different signal entirely, and it is worth five minutes before you sign a contract you will be stuck in for months.

A Five-Minute Contract Read Before You Sign Anything

1. Is there a membership, platform, or access fee on top of the per-unit price?
2. What is the exact early-termination fee, in dollars or as a percentage of the remaining contract?
3. Is a disputed lead or appointment refunded in cash, or only credited toward future purchases?
4. Is there a minimum monthly order, and what happens if you do not hit it?
5. Does this vendor have a documented complaint history at the BBB or elsewhere?

Sources

The external data in this guide draws on the sources below. Figures described in the text as estimates or industry triangulations are directional and are not attributed to a single dataset.

• LeadTruffle, Angi leads cost and pricing for contractors 2026
• Hook Agency, HomeAdvisor reviews
• BBB, HomeAdvisor complaint profile
• RoofCalc.org, HomeAdvisor contractors want their money back
• BBB, CraftJack Inc. complaint profile

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