Update 10/23/23

After KFOR contacted the website ‘Angi’, they have agreed to reimburse Dianne Appel.

Original Story

NOBLE, Okla. (KFOR) – A Noble woman says she’s out more than $1,000 after two handymen didn’t finish the job she hired them for. 

“Dismay, disappointment and to be fair, a little bit of anger is what I felt,” said Dianne Appel. “It’s been a rough road and I’m just really hoping to bring awareness to this.” 

Appel told KFOR a storm over the summer left parts of her yard mangled. 

“In the high wind event, the flagpole blew down,” said Appel. “These eaves underneath the peak all kind of blew down and they were just kind of hanging.”

After looking through Angi, she hired two handymen who call themselves “The Guys” to make the repairs, as well as help her with a small project inside.

Angi is a website where property owners can find contractors for different projects.  

“I was quoted by a handyman company $3,900 to do everything,” said Appel. 

Per the agreement, Appel said she sent “The Guys” 40 percent of that for materials through the banking app Chime, which was about $1,500. 

They were supposed to start work the next morning. 

 “They finally did show up that afternoon and they did about an hour’s worth of work,” said Appel. “They said we’ll be back in the morning and continue to work. Next morning came and I got a text saying ‘oh, I stepped on a rusty nail. I need to go to the doctor.’” 

Appel told KFOR after that September day she stopped hearing from “The Guys” and hasn’t been able to get in contact with them. 

KFOR tried calling “The Guys” too, but like Appel, we didn’t have any luck getting a hold of them.

We also went to the street address an Angi’s Customer Solutions Team Member told Dianne could belong to “The Guys,” but no one answered the door. 

Appel said she’s since hired someone else to complete the repairs and so far, half of the work has been done. She hopes sharing her story will serve as a warning for others to be careful who they trust and give their money to. 

“Do your own work, figure out if they’re really reputable. So, I’m just really glad that you guys are here today to listen to my story,” said Appel.

An Angi spokesperson sent KFOR the following statement:

We are always disheartened to hear about any issues a homeowner has with a pro they found on Angi. This pro has been removed from the network and we are actively working with the homeowner to reach a resolution.

We recommend that homeowners prior to hiring any home service professional, read reviews, get multiple quotes, vet referrals and get a contract for the project which includes scope, pricing and other key details. We also recommend that homeowners check for insurance, any necessary licensure and business credentials. Lastly, we recommend that homeowners do not pay more than 20% of the total project value up front or as a deposit and keep receipts and documentation of any forms of payment.