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From the business
Bark is an online marketplace that connects customers with local and online professionals.
We take the hassle out of finding the right professional for any job. Whether you’re looking for a cleaner in Nottingham, a web design in Boston or a personal trainer in Auckland - with over 2000 professional services in 8 countries, you’re bound to find the perfect professional for your project on Bark. Simply tell us what you need and will send you a list of professionals - for free!
Need new customers? We’ve helped thousands of businesses of all sizes keep find new clients. We’re passionate about helping businesses of all sizes find customers for life.
Life’s better with Bark.
Bark Reviews Summary
Bark has a rating of 2.6 stars from 1,654 reviews, indicating that most customers are generally dissatisfied with their purchases. Reviewers dissatisfied with Bark most frequently mention customer service, phone number and potential clients. Bark ranks 1st among Service Marketplace sites.
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I will be contacting trading standards first thing tomorrow, Bark is and without doubt a con, i have attempted to contact a potential lead only to receive no communication whatsoever, I have just received a call from a person that I left a message with assuming it was a genuine bark contact and he as no knowledge of bark,, yet I received his number from them, I still have a number of credits with Bark I will request that Trading standards use them to endorse my aligations that Bark is a fake trading platform that needs to be closed down
The amount you spend on leads is high. Add that to the fact that 90% dont even reply to your initial emails or phone calls makes it questionable at best. Customer service is close to talking to a bot, canned responses and not relevant to the conversation.
Hi Robert,
We're sorry to hear that you have not found our platform useful.
We feel our prices are competitive as we offer professionals the opportunity to try and convert business and market themselves at the fraction of the cost it would normally be to get themselves to the top of Google. We also do not charge commission and so do not take any earnings from you, nor do we take any earnings from repeat business you may win.
We would love to help you achieve our average 1 in 5 conversion rate so please do email us at team@bark.com for any extra hints and tips.
Whilst our customer success team endeavour to give personalised help to each account, we often find a pattern as to why a professional may not being hired. We also have a credit return policy which the team are unable to change and must adhere to when returning credits for leads where there has been an issue.
If we can be of further help, please let us know.
Kind regards,
The Bark Team
Ive read a small handfull of other reviews and i can agree some numbers/requests seem fake, few are timewasters but some are 100% genuine!
Hi Paul,
Thank you for your review,
We do appreciate that our automated screening process is not exhaustive, and this is why we have our credit return policy. Please do report leads to us at team@bark.com where the details have been found to be incorrect and we will be happy to return the credits to you.
We're glad to hear that you have found business on our site, and if we can help any further, please do let us know.
Kind regards,
The Bark Team
It's an absolute con I'm going to report them to trade and standards tomorrow.
For instance they are advertising a garden wall in West Sussex and the telephone number is for new Zealand.
Hi there,
We're sorry to hear that you had an issue with a lead.
We are an open public platfrom that members of the public input their details into, so this sounds like a case of an incorrect number or someone mis-using the site. Please email us at team@bark.com and we can return credits for leads where the details have been found to be incorrect.
Kind regards,
The Bark Team
I wish I had looked for reviews before I did this. Poorly executed site. I have spent $950 for a $250/mo client. Certainly not a good return on investment. You don't even get a chance to pitch your service. You pay, then you immediately get a message that potential client is no longer excepting bids. Or you send your pitch and the clients don't respond. I'd be better off just throwing that money on the ground and setting fire to it. AWFUL!
Hi there,
We're sorry to hear that you have not had success using us.
In your particular case it sounds like you may have been responding to leads a bit late. It is always up to the customer to close a lead once they have found someone but despite our prompts they do not always remember - this is why we advise responding when leads have just gone live and are fresh.
We have some other hints and tips that can help too - please email us at team@bark.com and we will be happy to help where we can.
Kind regards,
The Bark Team
Only reason I purchased the minimum 100 credits was to answer just one lead. Turned out the lead was not even a lead, totally unqualified. After 5 months of being on their platform, I got just one unqualified lead. I wanted to get a refund, they said it's not in their policy, despite their guarantee of at least one job from the purchased credits. I got more leads from Google and Alignable.com which both are free services. Stay absolutely away from bark.com! You are better off spending your money elsewhere.
Hi James,
We're sorry to hear that you ddid not have success using our site.
We are an open public platform, and so if an issue is found after it has been through our automated system and reported within 2 weeks we can investigate it. We return credits where any details have found to be incorrect, however we cannot return credits where the contact details are working but they have not responded to you or if they have hired another professional.
We can only provide monetary refunds for unused packs of credits as we cannot take back the contact information which has already been purchased, back. We will be happy to offer you some tips for making the most of the platform with your remaining credits, and your starter pack came with a Credit Back Guarantee so that if you are not hired using the whole pack, we can return those credits back to you one more time for free.
If we can help any further, please email us at team@bark.com.
Kind regards,
The Bark Team
BARK is a lead generation service with little to no vetting process. Aside from a few qualification questions that don't fundamentally help the service provider to land the lead.
Service providers are totally in the dark as to what to expect, and much of the time, the lead is falsely representing their interest in support. At times it's even been a competitor looking to see what the competition is doing.
Most leads are also poor, and simply "browsing", so much of the information they are providing isn't even in alignment with their true intentions on the site.
In addition, leads don't receive your notifications, or find no value in the platform, and close their request within hours or days of opening it, without ever replying to you. I know, as I've been tracking this systemic issue. I send a message, I call and text a few days later, I followed yup with email - the lead ghosts off the platform, or says they'd already found someone outside of Bark. It's insanity.
I could say more, its been a horrible experience, and honestly don't bother dealing with their team! They basically just cut and paste the same policy response!
Hi Jessica,
We're very sorry to hear that you have not had success using our site.
We do have an automated screening process as well as a credit return policy for any issues found after this process. If we are made aware of a professional placing a test request we will always shut down the account and return the credits so long as we are made aware - you can contact us at team@bark.com or call us on 0203 697 0237.
We have a number of questions that the customer must answer in order to place a request, however we give professionals the opportunity to filter out any vague answers, or answers where they are not suitable for their business. It is found in the Settings, My services and Filter Questions section of your account.
We appreciate that is frustrating when customers don't reply, and whilst we do our best to prompt customers about responses from professionals, there is only so much was can do as a pay as you go introduction service. We did launch a Customer App a few months ago to help make the connectivity between Customers and Professionals better. We also make it clear to customers that professionals pay to use our service.
We have some great tips for making the most of our service, so do make contact should you like our help.
Kind regards,
The Bark Team
Well upon setting up my Bark account for catering and cooking class parties I started getting leads... out of 15 leads 10 did not fit my criteria and had false info within them and the other 5 were odd situations such as strange noises coming from phone and when a person answered one of them you could tell he had no idea what to tell me and I knew his answers were scripted... seemed as though the calls are set up and really no business to be generated here folks... save your money and time... SCAM 100%
Hi Garrin,
We're sorry to hear that you haven't found our platfrom useful.
Due to us being an open public platform there is a certain amount of personal filtering that can help with these leads. By going to Settings, My Services and Filter Questions you can remove leads that include "other" and "I don't know" - essentially anything that makes the lead more vague or not customised for you. This should then mean you receive leads where the buyer has been specific about their needs which suggests they are fully aware of the service they desire. We always advise our professionals not to respond to vague requests, as this then prompts us to get in touch and prompt them to add more details.
This should make a difference to your only going for the right leads for you, and will help you go for the ones you want quickly.
We do also have a credit return policy for issues with leads, so please do report leads where you believe there is a problem and explain the issue you have had.
If we can help any further, please email us at team@bark.com.
Kind regards,
The Bark Team
I write as a business owner offering professional services.
The Bark qualification of opportunity is appalling, doesn't ask the most fundamental questions, yet allowing prospective customers completely ridiculous expectations of cost.
Their "professional" option fails to put your business in the list shown to enquirers of a service.
Then their special offers are marketed with false advertising in respect of discounts.
Hi there,
We're sorry to hear that you have not had success with us.
All of our leads go through a computerised screening system before we send them out to professionals. If an issue is found after this, let us know and we can return the credits for you where the issue can be verified.
We no longer show our budget estimator to customers, and is now only shown to professionals so that they can get an idea of the competition on the platform.
We do not have any false advertising about our deals - all emails state clearly what our offer is and has a hyperlink that can input the offer automatically for you. Our customer success team is also on hand should you have any questions.
If you would like some more hints and tips for making the most of the platform, please email us at team@bark.com.
Kind regards,
The Bark Team
A scam. Be very careful when you buy credits for the first time. Your card is going to be kept on record and there is no way to remove it. Also, the auto top-up will automatically activate to squeeze more money out of you without your consent.
As for the site, I joined three days ago, I spent 50 pounds, spent hours replying to potential customers requesting a quote, I had the site stealing another 57 pounds and I've got nothing and as for their claimed of hired guaranteed or your money back. That's nonsense. They automatically take money from you therefore you end up paying even if you don't want to. By the time you realise that the auto top-up activated when you bought your first packet of credits is too late. Even if they refund the first purchase for lack of customers they still pocket the 57 pounds they take from you the second time round.
To date, I can safely rate this site as a SCAM. Don't fall for it. Steer clear.
Hu Lae,
We're sorry to hear that you have had some issues using our site.
When purchasing packs of credits, the card is stored for quick future purchases but you can always ask us to delete these details for you.
We're sorry to hear that you have had issues using our Auto Top Up function. When purchasing packs of credits there is a tick box visible under Buy Now that allows you to turn off our Auto Top Up function on purchase. You can also turn this off/on in the Credit section of the account any time. We created this function so that our professionals never miss a lead they are interested in. If the credits are unused we will be able to refund the pack - just email us at team@bark.com.
Our starter packs come with Credit Back Guarantees rather than a monetary refund. This is stipulated on the pack at purchase. If you email us at team@bark.com we can see if you are eligible for this offer.
Making direct contact with us over any payment issues is best for a speedy resolution.
If we can help any further, let us know.
Kind regards,
The Bark Team
Promised refunds on all jobs I did not get. Then they refused!
Some leads are fake and made up by bark to get sales!
Hi Tim,
We are sorry to hear that you have not had success on our platform.
Firstly, we do not promise refunds on all jobs. We are a competitive marketing platform and would not make any money as a business if only those that won the work paid for the lead. Our starter packs come with Credit Back Guarantees rather than a monetary refund. This is stipulated on the pack at purchase. If you email us at team@bark.com we can see if you are eligible for this offer.
We are an open public platform that receives leads from the public. We categorically do not fabricate any leads. If any details are found to be incorrect after they have been inputted and gone through our computerised screening system, we can return the credits for that lead.
If we can help any further, let us know.
Kind regards,
The Bark Team
Poor leads! Was told if I didn't book I'd get a refund. Called a representative to let them know if like my money back bc I didn't book anything. They told me I would get nothing back. They get your money promising good leads and job bookings but literally deliver ZERO! Don't waste your money. Better off spending it on advertising on social media platforms like Facebook.
Hi Katie,
We are sorry that you have not had success on our platform.
Our starter packs come with Credit Back Guarantees rather than a monetary refund. This is stipulated on the pack at purchase. If you email us at team@bark.com we can see if you are eligible for this offer.
We offer professionals the opportunity to try and convert business and market themselves at the fraction of the cost it would normally be to get themselves to the top of Google (which is what we do).
We do not guarantee work, but provide a platform that should garner professionals a 1 in 5 conversion rate - essentially we want to get you a return on investment.
We do not charge commission and so do not take any earnings from you, nor do we take any earnings from repeat business you may win.
We hope that all makes sense, but do let me know if you have any further questions at all.
Kind regards,
The Bark Team
This site spammed my company information and placed on their web site with no authorization from me, the owner. Do not use this site the information is obtained from false means.
Hi Teresa,
We are sorry to see that the leads we have sent you weren't of interest. If you let us know the email address they are coming to at team@bark.com we can ensure you do not receive any more.
We reach out to new businesses when we receive requests for certain sectors or in certain locations that we may not have many professionals to currently fulfil. We offer a first lead for free for our service, however if the business is not interested, they can always click the unsubscribe button at any time to stop emails being received. Once an account has been created, we can delete the account if notified.
Our marketing team finds email addresses for businesses from their websites, and this is information that is in the public domain.
Kind regards,
The Bark Team
The worse, its a fake overseas site who robs people telling them they have clients. As soon as you hit one of their clients they all of a sudden retract their request its a scam.
Hi James,
We're sorry to hear that you have had issues with some leads and thank you for sharing your feedback.
We are an open public platform, and whilst we do have a screening process it is mainly automated, and so we rely on our professionals to inform us of any issues in order for us to try to rectify them.
Please email us at team@bark.com with any leads with incorrect details form the last 2 weeks, or any leads where you think the behaviour of the buyer is suspicious. We can then investigate and return credits where we are able.
Kind regards,
The Bark Team
Bark leads are very expensive when compared to other sources but they included a lot of info so we bought a few. Bark would send a lead at £40 on Monday and send it again on Tuesday saying the person was still waiting to hear from me but was now available at £30. I later discovered that Bark had already sold the lead to 3 other providers at the higher price before offering it to me a little bit cheaper. This is outrageous. Also it turns out that they are buying the leads from other lead sellers and then selling them to multiple providers. Not sure how this sits with GDPR? They are offering the leads to so many providers that the clients are sick of being contacted.
Hi Mark,
We'r sorry to hear that you have had issues on our site.
We email you about the leads the minute they are placed. Usually customers can only see profiles once a lead has been purchased by the professional, however we also have a feature called Bark Match where we market profiles in advance.
We sometimes place our professionals as "Suggested Sellers". The customer will be able to see 5 relevant profiles when they place their request, and if they then click a button requesting a quote/contact this will generate a specific lead to that professional. We find these are usually the strongest leads as that customer has shown direct interest in the professional, and that is why the credit amount is higher for those leads. Responding to these leads quickly however is key, as they may have clicked this button with other professionals too. Please be aware that it is always up to the customer to close their request once they have found a professional. They do not always do this however (despite our prompts) so we always advise professionals not to respond to old leads, and generally advise responding within the first hour of a request being placed.
It is possible that a lead was sent to you after they had requested direct contact, but it is difficult to see what has happened from the details given. If you email us the emails you received and gave us the information on the lead we can investigate and see what may have occurred.
We always aim to get each request 2 - 5 responses so we always advise professionals to respond quickly to any leads they are interested in.
Our prices are set based on the monetary value of the lead as well as the heat of the lead and it's chance of conversion. We do not charge commission or a monthly fee to use us and so we feel our prices are fair for this system.
We appreciate your feedback and it will be passed on to the marketing team for review.
Kind regards,
The Bark Team
Awful patronising customer services. All leads I bought are fake. They offer a get hired guarantee but never give you your money back. The get hired guarantee only lasts once and if none of their leads answer the call that's it you are stuffed. Lost loads of money. They even admit that their leads are old/bogus but that doesn't seem to bother them. Please please please don't use this service.
The only response I got was that "we have been around for 6 years so it can't be that bad" - Lots of scam artist have a long career. This is one of the best scams I've seen in a long while. I'm sure they will still be scamming 6 years from now.
Hi William,
We are sorry that you were not aware how our starter pack worked and have not had a positive experience of our site.
Our starter packs come with Get Hired Guarantees which means we can give the entire starter pack of credits back one more time for free rather than a monetary refund. This is stipulated on the pack at purchase. We do this to try and ensure that our professionals have the best chance of getting a return on investment.
We do not have fake leads and all leads are processed through a screening process. If any issues are found with the contact details after this point that can be verified, we will always return the credits for those leads.
We would be happy to offer any further help, should you wish to contact us at team@bark.com.
Kind regards,
The Bark Team
The leads are such poor quality. Of course, I don't expect the majority of leads to roll straight into wins, that would be too good to be true. But with 99.9% of them being fake or bogus then you will never see a ROI. The only answer they will give is well we will return your points, which just results in even more crap being sent your way, it is a vicious circle.
Hi Rebecca,
We are sorry to hear that you did not have a positive experience using our service.
We screen every single lead using our automated system and have a credit return policy which allows us to return credits for any leads which are found to have incorrect details. Please email us at team@bark.com if you would like a copy of this and if you would like to report any leads.
We are an open public platform and allow customers to place as much information as they wish to in the Additional Details section. We always advise our professionals not to respond to vague leads, as this then prompts us to get in touch and prompt them to add more details. You can utilise the Filter Questions section of your account in order to remove any vague answers from your leads and customise them fully. Do get in touch if you need any help with this.
If you would like us to send any extra hints and tips for making the most of the platform, please email us at team@bark.com and we'll be happy to help.
We have plans to introduce more filtering and screening in the New Year that will help improve the quality of our leads even further.
Kind regards,
The Bark Team.
I've just read several reviews calling Bark a scam. It isn't. The leads I have followed up have been genuine, although many were from time wasters. I use other agencies and this isn't unusual. There are time wasters everywhere. You can't blame Bark for that. Their screening process won't pick that up. I have communicated with leads, even met some of them, so I know they are genuine, just selfish. I have been hired by a few, but some have foundered and are on hold. I've probably broken even so far in terms of my spending and earning but I m not quite ready to buy more credits. I also did have some credits refunded when an address given with a lead was incorrect. A member of Bark staff did this without question. So I probably will persevere with Bark, but with caution.
Hi there Marion,
Thank you so much for your review,
We are very glad to hear that you are getting a return on investment. We would of course like to help you make a profit, so please do contact us at team@bark.com for our best hints and tips for making the most of our platform.
We do the best amount of screening we can considering the size of our online company and hope to continue to improve on this as we grow. As you say, we will always return credits for leads where there has been an issue.
If we can help any further, please let us know.
Kind regards,
The BarKk Team
I tried this garbage. Someone proceeded to book me but as I moved forward they disappeared.
I started to suspect fraud so I called up one of the venues of where a gig was being held. They never heard of the event.
I called back another number and coincidentally, they were just running out.
I think this site is fake and collects money from people looking for work. DO NOT BOTHER. If I had more time, I'd report them and file a case with all my evidence that these guys are BOGUS.
Hi Margot,
We can assure you that we do not take part in any fake lead processes. We are an open online public platform where customers place requests for services they require. Our automated system will look fro incorrect numbers and email addresses, however if any leads get reported to us that have been released with incorrect information, or indeed in this case where someone may be testing the system, we will investigate the lead, and shut it down and return credits where the issue has been verified.
If you have any to report, please email us at team@bark.com.
Kind regards,
The Bark Team
What a massive waste of money - The leads are garbage and they cost the earth to get! I can't see how you get anyone being a supplier on that platform.
Hi Matthew,
We are sorry to hear that you did not have a positive experience using our service.
We screen every single lead using our automated system and have a credit return policy which allows us to return credits for any leads which are found to have incorrect details. Please email us at team@bark.com if you would like a copy of this and if you would like to report any leads.
Our average conversion rate is 1 in 5 with many managing a 1 in 3 so we can certainly offer you some tips for making the most of the service - please get in contact and we will be happy to help.
Kind regards,
The Bark Team
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- Suspicious reviews are flagged by our algorithms, moderators, and community members
Hi Christopher,
We're sorry to hear that you had an issue with a lead.
We are an open public platfrom that members of the public input their details into, so this sounds like a case of a mis-typed number. Please email us at team@bark.com and we can return credits for leads where the details have been found to be incorrect.
Kind regards,
The Bark Team