Firm must stop ads that tout background checks
A San Francisco judge ordered HomeAdvisor to halt its TV and radio ads in California until the Golden-based home-services company stops saying that it performs background checks on all workers who visit a customer’s home.
The preliminary injunction, which went into effect Monday, comes about two months after the San Francisco district attorney sued HomeAdvisor. The DA’s office called HomeAdvisor’s ads “false and misleading” because the only people given background checks are those who own the businesses that dispatch employees.
Ads that don’t imply that all employees underwent background checks are allowed as long as there is a disclaimer that says “HomeAdvisor Background Checks Business Owners But Not Employees,” according to the order signed by the San Francisco Superior Court Judge Harold Kahn.
In a statement, HomeAdvisor said it disagreed with the claims in the case and is appealing.
“We are committed to ensuring HomeAdvisor customers receive a best-in-class experience from our network of skilled service professionals. This legal matter is solely about how our background-check program is described in our advertising, not the merits of our rigorous background-check process, which leverages leading thirdparty services in combination with our own proprietary technologies. We disagree with the claims made in this case and have appealed the order. We continue to ensure that our advertising remains fair and accurate. We encourage all of our customers to learn more about HomeAdvisor’s backgroundcheck process by visiting: homeadvisor.com/screening,” the company said.
“This preliminary injunction protects California consumers from misleading advertising,” District Attorney George Gascón said in a statement. “HomeAdvisor needs to be honest about who they background-check so that consumers are well-informed when deciding whether to allow strangers into their homes.”
The company, which recently merged with Angie’s List to become ANGI Homeservices, has grown since changing its name in 2012 from Ser-