--- title: Bark.com Reviews meta_title: 'Bark.com Reviews 2026: Details, Pricing, & Features | G2' meta_description: Filter 332 reviews by the users' company size, role or industry to find out how Bark.com works for a business like yours. aggregate_rating: rating_value: 1.6 review_count: 332 scale: '5' date_modified: '2026-07-13' parent_category: name: HR url: https://www.g2.com/categories/hr --- # Bark.com Reviews **Vendor:** Bark.com **Category:** [Freelance Platforms](https://www.g2.com/categories/freelance-platforms) **Average Rating:** 1.6/5.0 **Total Reviews:** 332 ## About Bark.com Bark.com is in the top 10% of freelance platforms according to G2. We match customers with providers of professional services in over 800 services across the UK, US, Canada, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore and South Africa. Our aim is to be the Amazon of services and we're always looking for new professionals. Customers answer a set of tailored questions, go through our full screening process and enter their contact information. You can review the lead details free, and if you like it, pay a small fee to view the contact details. Anything after that is yours to keep. Why not get started now and create a free profile to see what leads we have in your area: https://www.bark.com/sellers/create ## Bark.com Pros & Cons **What users like:** - Users commend Bark.com for its **ease of use** , especially in setting up and accessing leads seamlessly. (15 reviews) - Users praise Bark.com for its **time efficiency** , allowing quick connections and smooth transitions in lead generation. (9 reviews) - Users value the **helpful staff** of Bark.com, praising their attentiveness and excellent customer service support. (4 reviews) - Users value the **easy client interaction** with Bark.com, facilitating seamless communication and accessible lead generation. (3 reviews) - Users value the **efficiency of lead generation** with Bark.com, enjoying clear contact details and consistent client sourcing. (3 reviews) - Users appreciate the **quick response** from Bark.com, highlighting their attentive and superb customer service. (3 reviews) - Users find **affordable pricing** for high-quality leads, especially benefiting from sales and attentive customer service. (2 reviews) - Effective Communication (2 reviews) - Users value the **quick process** of Bark.com, appreciating its seamless implementation and efficient CRM integration. (2 reviews) - Trusted Platform (2 reviews) **What users dislike:** - Users are disappointed with the **poor quality of leads** from Bark.com, finding them often fraudulent and unresponsive. (21 reviews) - Users find Bark.com **expensive** , especially for low-quality leads that waste credits and time. (8 reviews) - Users express frustration over the **inefficient vetting process** , leading to wasted time and money on low-quality leads. (6 reviews) - Users experience significant **refund issues** due to inconsistent processes and poor-quality leads, leading to frustration and wasted resources. (5 reviews) - Users warn about **scams and fake leads** on Bark.com, resulting in wasted time and money with no real engagement. (5 reviews) - Hidden Fees (4 reviews) - Users report **poor support** from Bark.com, citing unhelpful customer service and confusing systems that complicate their experience. (4 reviews) - Payment Issues (3 reviews) - Users report **poor communication** with Bark.com, noting fraudulent leads and unresponsive customer service that hampers effectiveness. (3 reviews) - Quality Issues (3 reviews) ## Bark.com Reviews ### 1. Avoid them like a plague **Rating:** 0.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Verified User in Consulting | Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** September 05, 2023 **What do you like best about Bark.com?** The concept in theory seemed like a great idea **What do you dislike about Bark.com?** This company conducts their business suspiciously. I tested them in 2022 August, and after 1 month decided to close the account and cancel the pro membership to which I got a confirmation This company has continued to debit my account , and because there are no invoices sent to the email, I was oblivious to it, 11 months later, because payments got delayed I got an unable to debit account email to go and check to see that they have been debiting the account still even though I canceled. There is no way to delete your account yourself from a dashboard, you have to email them to cancel the membership. This is very dubious behavior from a company with clearly no ethics And all this while I had been asking for them to remove me from their email list, as there is no unsubscribe button in the emails to remove yourself from their email listd which is in violation with all guidelines of email marketing, GDPR and all. **What problems is Bark.com solving and how is that benefiting you?** It was meant to provide with leads **Official Response from Bark Team:** > Hi there, Thank you for your review. We're very sorry to hear about your experience. If this is still an issue, please email team@bark.com with further details so that we can investigate this further and attempt a resolution for you. Kind regards, The Bark Team ### 2. Bark.com and expetional platform for coaches even in the begginong **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Washington A. | Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.) **Reviewed Date:** November 17, 2023 **What do you like best about Bark.com?** I like bark because its a one stop solutions to finding people who really wnat to change their lives. Its like blind dateing but effective and meaningful **What do you dislike about Bark.com?** I dislike how its almost like a raffle as sometimes peoples answer arnt always as honest as you would like **What problems is Bark.com solving and how is that benefiting you?** Bark is solving my problem of poor marketing and providing a space where once i connect with people they understand that im a great resource for them! **Official Response from Bark Team:** > Hi there, Thank you for sharing your thoughts! It's great to hear that you find it to be an exceptional platform, especially for coaches, even in the beginning stages of their journey. Your analogy of Bark.com being like "blind dating but effective and meaningful" is quite insightful. It highlights the platform's ability to connect coaches with individuals who genuinely want to make positive changes in their lives. This one-stop solution aspect seems to have resonated well with you. However, your feedback on the platform has been noted, it's valuable for us to consider how we address and improve this aspect of the user experience. It's promising to hear we've are helping you to overcome challenges related to marketing. Creating a space where you can connect with people who recognize your value as a great resource is a significant benefit. We appreciate you taking the time to share your feedback, and we hope Bark.com continues to contribute positively to your coaching journey. Thanks The Bark Team ### 3. Terrific Client Services Rep! **Rating:** 4.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Vito M. | Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** October 04, 2023 **What do you like best about Bark.com?** The Terrific Client Services Rep by the name of Prettie! She is a great listener and very pleasant person to speak with. I shared my concerns and told her I did not think that the particular issue was handled in a "client friendly" manner. She brought my comments to management and my issue was solved the next day! **What do you dislike about Bark.com?** The 10 or so leads have not be come my clients, but I continue to try to respond quickly and be hoprful! **What problems is Bark.com solving and how is that benefiting you?** No sales have resulted after 10 leads, but I continue to try! **Official Response from Bark Team:** > Hi Vito, Thank you for your review. It's great to hear that we have been able to assist you and help resolve your concern. Please email us at team@bark.com should you require any support with your account. Kind regards, The Bark Team ### 4. Garbage service despite all lead and cost **Rating:** 0.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Ali K. | Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** July 12, 2023 **What do you like best about Bark.com?** I just like the platform. I wouldnt find this platform helpful for anyone and would run away from them. It makes you miserable and desperate. **What do you dislike about Bark.com?** The fact that I never had a lead among more than 20 is concerning. Only one answered and their budget for a new website was $500. And we pay 5-10% of the budget for this customer? I also received messages like "stop" or "Im changing my number" while we had a few messages sent. I also received 2 leads that were total scam. This platform does not protect us. And in fact it feels like these are fake. **What problems is Bark.com solving and how is that benefiting you?** No problem was solved. And in fact my money and time was thrown away. I realized that their hire gaurantee is something we can not trust and depend. **Official Response from Bark Team:** > Hi Ali, We're very sorry to hear that you haven't had a positive experience using our platform. We can assure you that all leads are screened by an automated system, and we have a Credit Return Policy which covers any contact details which are not working. We feel this is the fairest system we can have as we are not a commission based system that guarantees work, and only provide contact details for enquiries placed with us. We do appreciate that it can be frustrating when customers don't respond. We usually find this is because they have hired, or are considering hiring, another professional. We generally find that responding to the customers as and when they place their requests gives you the best chance of speaking to them when they are available and before they have hired anyone. We would be happy to help you make the most of our platform and achieve conversion with us - please email us at team@bark.com. Kind regards, The Bark Team ### 5. Maybe for startups; Not for professionals. **Rating:** 1.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Verified User in Photography | Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** November 07, 2022 **What do you like best about Bark.com?** The idea is actually ok and the interface is easy to use. **What do you dislike about Bark.com?** I'm a professional photographer of over 10 years, specialising in fashion and corporate portraits. My own lead generation is pretty tight, but after many emails from bark prompting me, I thought I'd give it a shot. I completed my profile to 100%, purchased the Elite Pro package to "increase my chances of being hired by 70%" and I purchased a couple of credit packs. In total USD 722.10. I contacted 22 leads. I should add here that I'm big on workflows and so I added a really great initial contact email with introduction, images and details. I also made sure I was either the first or second to contact the leads, sometimes within a few minutes of receiving the notification. One more thing worth noting is that in the Elite Pro package you get to "Book a one-to-one call with one of our account optimisation specialists". I booked this call but at my confirmed, scheduled time no call came in. The verdict: Outside of Bark I tend to close about 75% of leads. Within Bark I closed 0. Nil. None. The leads cost about $25-$50 to purchase. At my professional rate, this would be well worth it. In reality, though, I think leads on bark are looking for cheap quotes as if it's fiverr or something. So if I was just starting out this might be an ok way to get some low-paying work, but as a professional this has been a complete waste of time and money. At this point, even if I closed a lead it would have cost me $722.10 and many hours, so it would have to be a big job to justify that. TL;DR: If you're willing to drop your pants on price and play a race-to-the-bottom game then you might find this a good way to get leads for low-paying clients. If you're already a pro charging industry standard rates, don't bother with Bark. **What problems is Bark.com solving and how is that benefiting you?** n/a **Official Response from Bark Team:** > Hi there, We're sorry to hear that you haven't had success with us as yet. All leads are screened by an automated system, and we have a credit return policy which covers any contact details which are not working. We usually find that customers don't respond when they have hired, or are considering hiring, another professional. As such, we find that responding to leads quickly gives professionals a higher conversion rate. We would be happy to help you make the most of our platform - please email us at team@bark.com. Kind regards, The Bark Team ### 6. Brilliant leads. **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** andy b. | Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** November 17, 2023 **What do you like best about Bark.com?** Great on helping supply and generating work. **What do you dislike about Bark.com?** Having got anything to dislike. Always been helpful **What problems is Bark.com solving and how is that benefiting you?** Ease of access to Jobs creating a bigger working platform **Official Response from Bark Team:** > Hi Andy, Thank you for your positive review! It's great to hear that Bark.com has been instrumental in supplying brilliant leads and generating work for you. We're thrilled to be a part of your success and look forward to continuing to support your professional endeavors. Thanks The Bark Team ### 7. Very good & easy navigation **Rating:** 3.5/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Steve L. | Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** November 17, 2023 **What do you like best about Bark.com?** The concept Speed of generation of leads **What do you dislike about Bark.com?** Lots of leads without verified phone numbers who do not reply **What problems is Bark.com solving and how is that benefiting you?** Helps with generating new work **Official Response from Bark Team:** > Hi Steve, Thank you for your feedback! We're glad to hear that you find Bark.com very good with easy navigation, and you appreciate the concept and speed of lead generation. We hear your concern about leads without verified phone numbers into consideration. Feedback like this is crucial for us to enhance the user experience and improve the quality of leads. It's great to know that Bark.com is helping you with generating new work. We're committed to addressing any issues to make your experience even more effective. Thank you for choosing Bark.com, and we look forward to continually supporting your work generation needs! The Bark Team ### 8. Exceptional Service **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Verified User in Outsourcing/Offshoring | Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** March 04, 2024 **What do you like best about Bark.com?** The team at Bark were super helpfull, making the experience easy and myself very comfortable. I would highly recommend Bark.com. **What do you dislike about Bark.com?** Absolutely nothing to complain about with Bark.com **What problems is Bark.com solving and how is that benefiting you?** Solving problems and providing supportive and positive solutions is what Bark does for your business. **Official Response from Bark Team:** > Hi there, Thank you for your review. It's great to hear that you have found our platform useful for your business. Please email us at team@bark.com should you require any support with your account. Kind regards, The Bark Team ### 9. A complete fraud **Rating:** 0.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Verified User in Marketing and Advertising | Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** July 09, 2023 **What do you like best about Bark.com?** There is nothing I like about this company. **What do you dislike about Bark.com?** This company is a complete fraud and full of lies and deceit. They will lie to you and tell you that each lead only gets sold to 5 companies, but IF you actually get ahold of a lead, you'll quickly find out that they are exhausted from getting floods of calls from other companies. This happened on many occasions with leads where the online system said we were the first company to purchase the lead. I remember once speaking to a lead 5 minutes after it came through, where the Bark.com system said I was the first one to purchase the lead, but the actual person I contacted said the moment they submitted their info, their phone had been blowing up constantly and did to that they were no longer interested in speaking to anyone referred by Bark.com. Anytime I mentioned it to Bark.com, they claimed the lead was mistaken and must have submitted their info to other sites. **What problems is Bark.com solving and how is that benefiting you?** Imagine spending nearly $800 to buy leads and only getting in touch with 3 leads, and the others you have no confirmation whether they are even real people. Bark.com is solving no problems for us, just creating them. **Official Response from Bark Team:** > Hi there, We're sorry to hear you have not had a positive experience using Bark.com. We only allow up to 5 professionals to respond to each request placed with us so that customers are not overwhelmed with replies, and also so that professionals are not overwhelmed with competition. However, in some instances one professional may choose to contact the customer multiple times, if they are unable to reach the customer on their initial call. We would be happy to help you make the most of our platform and achieve conversion with us - please email us at team@bark.com. Kind regards, The Bark Team ### 10. Waste of time and money **Rating:** 0.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Verified User in Security and Investigations | Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** February 15, 2024 **What do you like best about Bark.com?** I can't think of a single positive thing to say. **What do you dislike about Bark.com?** Not at all sure any of the leads were genuine, having had no response to 20 of them, I sent messages to a few and got responses to say they had enquired months ago. **What problems is Bark.com solving and how is that benefiting you?** None **Official Response from Bark Team:** > Hi there, We're very sorry to hear that you haven't had a positive experience using our platform. We can assure you that all leads are screened by an automated system, and we have a Credit Return Policy which covers any contact details which are not working. We do appreciate that it can be frustrating when customers don't respond. We usually find this is because they have hired, or are considering hiring, another professional. We generally find that responding to the customers as and when they place their requests gives you the best chance of speaking to them when they are available and before they have hired anyone. We would be happy to help you make the most of our platform and achieve conversion with us - please email us at team@bark.com. Kind regards, The Bark Team ### 11. Fraudulent and Predatory **Rating:** 0.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Verified User in Internet | Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** July 14, 2023 **What do you like best about Bark.com?** I liked the idea of it. It could have been a valuable service. **What do you dislike about Bark.com?** Bark.com is a predatory and fraudulent service. They take your money in advance to purchase credits, on the promise that their leads are well vetted and are quality. However, their leads have been demonstrably proven to not just be extremely low quality - but FAKE. **LEADS DO NOT EVER RESPOND / NO PROOF ARE REAL** In all of our responses to leads, we received exactly ZERO sign of life. Our steps for outreach for each lead were very rigorous: - we were within the first 2 responses to the lead - we reached out within 20 minutes of the lead being created - we attempted every single available channel to reach each lead (SMS, WhatsApp, Email, Phone... everything) - we repeated multiple times In no situation did we ever have any indication that there was anybody on the other end - including any evidence that an email was ever even opened. **OBVIOUSLY FAKE POSTS** Upon looking closer, we began to notice patterns in the leads we found on the site. For example, we found multiple leads under the name "William" posted around the country with the following traits: - Same name: William - Different job requirements - Similar email addresses: each time it would be a simple word and then end in the same 3 digits ... like: "xxxxxx349@gmail.com" and "yyyyyy349@gmail.com" - The phone number was THE SAME in all cases - Totally different regions When I spoke to support they acknowledged the posts I found were not real, however, I continue to see these posts. **PHISHING ATTEMPTS** Bark appears to have become a hotbed for agencies or other entities to reach out to businesses to lure them into situations where information is given that otherwise would not be given out. In our attempt, we were reached out to by someone (again "William") for an estimate on a site that makes absolutely no sense, and they refused to speak over phone or video because of "health concerns". This is a common trait of phishing attempts, and I am half tempted to lead them on to prove it. **NEGLIGENT SUPPORT** The site claims 24/7 support, but emails come back sporadically (if at all). If customer support doesn't like your question, they simply stop responding. Moreoever, their only response is "use Bark more". Responses are passive aggressive if they come back at all. It is not acceptable to ask me to solve the problem by spending MORE credits, which I am being told I will not be refunded for if something goes wrong. READ ALL THE OTHER CUSTOMER REVIEWS HERE AND LISTEN TO THEM. THIS PLATFORM IS A DIRECT RISK TO YOUR BUSINESS AND MONEY. **What problems is Bark.com solving and how is that benefiting you?** Bark *should* solve the problem of finding qualified leads. However, it is actually only taking our money by tricking us. **Official Response from Bark Team:** > Hi there, We're sorry to hear you have had a negative experience using Bark.com. We heavily invest in our Google AdWords on a monthly basis, as well as other sites, to bring legitimate customers to our website.  We also have a 24/7 Customer Success Team based in London and a dedicated Marketing and Development Team to ensure we are providing quality lead generation for our professionals. We can assure you that all leads are screened by an automated system, and we have a credit return policy which covers any contact details which are not working. We feel this is the fairest system we can have as we are not a commission based system that guarantees work, and only provide contact details for enquiries placed with us. We have already escalated your queries regarding customers who are placing multiple requests, and potentially mis-using the platform. We understand how frustrating it is when you receive spam enquiries like this, and we are working closely with our marketing and technical team to stop these from coming through. We would be happy to help you make the most of our platform and achieve conversion with us - please email us at team@bark.com. Kind regards, The Bark Team ### 12. Scam Artists Extraordinaire **Rating:** 0.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Dawn B. | Photographer, Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** December 28, 2022 **What do you like best about Bark.com?** Absolutely nothing. There is nothing that this appalling shower of excrement can do well, other than rob people blind - appalling company. **What do you dislike about Bark.com?** I used Bark some years ago, but was recently enticed back by their invitation to join Elite Pro - same scam, but with a higher price tag - you basically hand money over for absolutely nothing - I cancelled the same day I took out a month's free membership of their so-called Elite service, but when I realised that leads still had to be paid for, I cancelled with immediate effect by e-mail. Imagine my surprise today then, when one month later, their first month's subscription was fraudulently removed from my account, resulting in the inconvenience of having to spend about an hour and a half on the phone to my bank, interest charges as it pushed me over my limit and the further inconvenience of having to cancel my debit card to avoid them fraudulently taking any further cash. AVOID AT ALL COSTS! **What problems is Bark.com solving and how is that benefiting you?** Absolutely none whatsoever! **Official Response from Bark Team:** > Hi there, We're very sorry to hear that you haven't had a positive experience using our platform. Please email team@bark.com directly, so we can look into your payment queries regarding your Elite Pro subscription. Kind regards, The Bark Team ### 13. Never use this site. It isn't worth spending ANY money. **Rating:** 0.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Emad M. | Subcontract Program Manager, Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** November 03, 2023 **What do you like best about Bark.com?** Looks good from outsidet, but when you get into it... absoulutrly NO... **What do you dislike about Bark.com?** The verification process is no way near accptable. cost alos is too high just to get someone name and phone number who is looking for your service... **What problems is Bark.com solving and how is that benefiting you?** the only time where bark.com helped was to issue one time credit back for no hire... **Official Response from Bark Team:** > Hi Emad, We're sorry to hear about your challenges with Bark.com. Your feedback is crucial, and we're committed to enhancing our services. If you have specific details to share, please reach out to our support team. We appreciate your input and would still love to help you achieve ROI like many other professionals! Best regards, The Bark Team ### 14. A rip off **Rating:** 0.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Kimberly F. | Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** July 22, 2023 **What do you like best about Bark.com?** Nothing. They sells bunch of lies and then take your money and do it follow through **What do you dislike about Bark.com?** They grantee you to get clients for a fee and if you don't they will assist you in getting clients and it's all lies. They take your money give you leads you never hear from when you reach out to then and when your leads are all gone they don't assist in doing anything. If you call they can't answer your questions and if you end up they send you some automated message. **What problems is Bark.com solving and how is that benefiting you?** They didn't help me solve anything but instead waisted money I could've spent some other place, **Official Response from Bark Team:** > Hi Kimberly, We're sorry to hear you have had a negative experience using Bark.com. We offer the Starter Pack of credits to new professionals on the platform, and this credit pack is covered by The Get Hired Guarantee. This is a feature that acts as a safety net for new professionals on Bark, and is designed to minimise the risk associated with their first credit pack. In the event that a professional does not secure any customers using the credits in a credit pack covered by the Get Hired Guarantee, we’ll return all the credits to the professional's account and give them a second 'attempt' with the credits they've purchased. Professionals just need to ensure that they've used all the credits in the pack, and it's been 3 days since they purchased their last lead. We can assure you that all leads are screened by an automated system, and we have a credit return policy which covers any contact details which are not working. We feel this is the fairest system we can have as we are not a commission based system that guarantees work, and only provide contact details for enquiries placed with us. We would be happy to help you make the most of our platform and achieve conversion with us - please email us at team@bark.com. Kind regards, The Bark Team ### 15. SCAM!!!!!! **Rating:** 0.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** crystal v. | Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** August 22, 2023 **What do you like best about Bark.com?** Nothing, they provided me with false nformation. when i called them out on it they would not answer back. and telling me they commission based so getting a refund was not likely **What do you dislike about Bark.com?** Their leads were all false when i called their leads the people on the line were not who Bark stated they were, not looking ofr any buisness, and or had no clue what or ehy we were calling them and never heard of bark **What problems is Bark.com solving and how is that benefiting you?** They dont want to solve any of the problems **Official Response from Bark Team:** > Hi Crystal, We're very sorry to hear that you haven't had a positive experience using our platform. We can assure you that all leads are screened by an automated system, and we have a Credit Return Policy which covers any contact details which are not working. We feel this is the fairest system we can have as we are not a commission based system that guarantees work, and only provide contact details for enquiries placed with us. We usually find that customers don't respond when they have hired, or are considering hiring, another professional. As such, we find that responding to leads quickly gives professionals a higher conversion rate. We would be happy to help you make the most of our platform and achieve conversion with us - please email us at team@bark.com. Kind regards, The Bark Team ### 16. Proceed with caution **Rating:** 1.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Verified User in Marketing and Advertising | Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** November 08, 2023 **What do you like best about Bark.com?** Easier to respond to leads. Customer support responds, but ultimately not very helpful **What do you dislike about Bark.com?** Leads hardly do not come through and if they do the excpected rates are pathetic. Sumitted leads for years, hardly made any money back, so a very poor investment after spending hundreds of dollars on leads for me personally. Asked support for some compensation and to close my account. They honored the latter, of course. **What problems is Bark.com solving and how is that benefiting you?** It is supposed to solve the problem of finding freelancers work but that benefit me **Official Response from Bark Team:** > Hi there, Thank you for sharing your feedback. We understand that the return on investment for the leads you've received has been disappointing, and we sincerely apologize for any frustration this may have caused. We want to assure you that we take your concerns seriously. We're sorry that your overall experience did not reflect the level of service we aim to provide. Our team is actively reviewing our lead generation processes to enhance the quality of leads and ensure a more positive outcome for our users. We would like the opportunity for you to reach out so we can help guide you to achieve ROI like many of our other professionals on the platform. Also and opportunity if you have any additional details or suggestions you'd like to share, please feel free to reach out to our customer support team. We are committed to learning from your experience and making necessary adjustments to improve our platform. Thank you for bringing these issues to our attention, and we hope to have the opportunity to regain your trust in the future. The Bark Team ### 17. Waste of money with unqualified leads **Rating:** 0.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Jeffery S. | Entertainer, Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** November 17, 2022 **What do you like best about Bark.com?** I know when and where the gig is. Other than that, nothing. **What do you dislike about Bark.com?** The phone numbers may be "verified" by the "automated system," but that doesn't mean squat. These phone numbers are often to mailboxes that haven't been set up yet to receive messages, or are full. There's no way to tell if a client has accepted another vendor's offer before you pay for the privilege of bidding on a job. So you don't know if you are pissing in the wind. What I dislike the most is that they don't require the client to state their budget on their profile; so you don't know what price range is likely to be accepted. They should make the clients pay to list, not vice versa, to weed the serious ones from the "looky-loos." Their pricing system is incomprehensible. It should not cost $100 to contact ten listings of this quality in the vain hope one is still available, in the right budget range, and actually responds...but it often does. If they made the client pay to list instead of making us pay to bid, we'd have a lot more serious leads. I have so far spent roughly $250 for about 25 leads, out of which I've had one response, and one booking. So I have about broken even. That's just not good enough to continue. **What problems is Bark.com solving and how is that benefiting you?** They do help me keep a finger on who is looking for entertainment in the community. **Official Response from Bark Team:** > Hi there, We're sorry to hear that you haven't had a positive experience using Bark.com. All leads are screened by an automated system, and we have a credit return policy which covers any contact details which are not working. We usually find that customers don't respond when they have hired, or are considering hiring, another professional. As such, we find that responding to leads quickly gives professionals a higher conversion rate. We would be happy to explain our pricing and help you make the most of our platform - please email us at team@bark.com. Kind regards, The Bark Team ### 18. Very good company to have business with **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Verified User in Construction | Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** November 18, 2023 **What do you like best about Bark.com?** I found bark easy to deal with and easy to contact them with any problems. **What do you dislike about Bark.com?** Sometimes the customer leads aren't that good. **What problems is Bark.com solving and how is that benefiting you?** Just by getting more business **Official Response from Bark Team:** > Hi there, Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts about Bark.com. We're thrilled to hear that you have had a positive experience with our company and find us easy to deal with. Providing excellent customer service is one of our top priorities, and we're glad to know that you can easily reach out to us with any concerns. We also appreciate your honest feedback about the customer leads. We understand the importance of high-quality leads, and we continuously strive to improve our services. Your input is invaluable in helping us enhance the overall experience for our users. It's fantastic to hear that Bark.com has contributed to your business growth by connecting you with more opportunities. We are committed to supporting businesses like yours and will continue to work on refining our services to better meet your needs. If you ever have additional feedback or suggestions, please don't hesitate to reach out. We value your partnership and look forward to continuing to help you succeed in your business. Thanks, The Bark team ### 19. Bark made a business profile for our Interior Design business without our knowledge. **Rating:** 0.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Verified User in Construction | Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** May 17, 2023 **What do you like best about Bark.com?** Nothing. Spams us with emails, and we never even created an account or heard of the site before. Super sketchy, do not recommend.Use Houzz or HomeStars instead, businesses have to pay to have a profile on those sites, meaning they will actually follow up on leads! **What do you dislike about Bark.com?** Bark created a business account for our interior design business without our consent. They just grabbed our information from our website and created an inaccurate profile for us without our knowledge. Perhaps this is why customers have a hard time contacting service businesses, because they did not create the profile or want to be offered on this site! These sketchy business practices should make everyone wary of using this website. **What problems is Bark.com solving and how is that benefiting you?** None. There are much better websites that offer these services, like Houzz, HomeStars, Havan, and more. Even instagram would be a better way to contact businesses. **Official Response from Bark Team:** > Hi there, We're sorry to hear you have had a negative experience using Bark.com. 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. If the business does choose to respond to the customer, they can create an account, and this will also allow them to buy credits if they wish to follow up with subsequent requests. If the professional chooses not to use Bark.com, the can close their account at any time. Please email team@bark.com directly if you require any further assistance and we'd be happy to help. Kind regards, The Bark Team ### 20. Save Your Time and Money: Avoid Bark Cleaning Service Leads **Rating:** 0.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Claudia R. | Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.) **Reviewed Date:** February 08, 2023 **What do you like best about Bark.com?** Nothing, the whole process is a battle. We spent Thousands with not one Contract. And they know since they are willing to refund all the leads back to you. **What do you dislike about Bark.com?** I would not recommend Bark to anyone looking for leads in the Cleaning Service industry. The leads were not worth the money I spent, and I could have found better options if I had known beforehand. **What problems is Bark.com solving and how is that benefiting you?** This made the entire process of reaching out to these leads a waste of my time and resources. Not only was the information irrelevant, but it also did not match my business needs. I was looking for leads that were interested in my services, but instead, I received leads that were not even interested in my services. **Official Response from Bark Team:** > Hi Claudia, We're very sorry to hear that you haven't had a positive experience using our platform. To clarify, we have huge success with leads in the cleaning sector, helping business, gain contracts, achieving ROI and growing their business. We heavily invest in our Google AdWords on a monthly basis, as well as other sites, to bring legitimate customers to our website.  We also have a 24/7 Customer Success Team based in London and a dedicated Marketing and Development Team to ensure we are providing quality lead generation for our professionals. We can assure you that all leads are screened by an automated system, and we have a credit return policy which covers any contact details which are not working. We feel this is the fairest system we can have as we are not a commission based system that guarantees work, and only provide contact details for enquiries placed with us. We would be happy to help you make the most of our platform and achieve conversion with us - please email us at team@bark.com. The Bark Team. ### 21. Bark is an absolute garbage website that's bordering on a total scam **Rating:** 0.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Nicholas B. | Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** February 05, 2023 **What do you like best about Bark.com?** Nothing. It's been a complete and utter waste of time and money. I couldn't be more disappointed in their service. **What do you dislike about Bark.com?** Cheap clients with $50 jobs who have no interest in actually hiring professionals. When there's an actual job you might be interested in, it will cost you 20+ credits to respond, which is almost $50. Avoid this place at all costs. It's the absolute worst lead generation service I've ever used. You'd be much better of on site like UpWork, who at least only charges you once you've been approved/hired for the job. I went through nearly 600 credits and didn't receive A SINGLE JOB. It's nothing more than a scam. **What problems is Bark.com solving and how is that benefiting you?** None. It's great at taking your money and providing nothing in return. Most of the jobs lead nowhere, and you'll be lucky to get any response from potential clients. The whole service is rigged in favor of Bark and against the professionals trying to find work. ### 22. Do Not Use Bark Services! **Rating:** 1.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Blair H. | Personal Trainer, Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** January 19, 2023 **What do you like best about Bark.com?** The idea and goal of the website and app is golden. It's just terribly executed. **What do you dislike about Bark.com?** This is a money-grab app. You'll spend countless dollars on poor-quality leads with no hope of a return on your investment. Most don't respond and those that do typically don't see your profile that you pay to "boost" The company has something called elite pro, which is a scam in itself. It supposedly makes your profile "stand out," but they charge you $30/month, and the results are slim to none. Customer service is just a hotline; they can do little to nothing for you besides explaining your account. Just save your time and go to Thumbtack. Much more quality leads. They refund you on leads that don't respond and you don't have to prepay for credits only to be wasted or pay to have your profile "boosted" its based on reviews. **What problems is Bark.com solving and how is that benefiting you?** Im not sure they are solving any of the issues I've had. I called, and they told me I subscribed to elite pro in Aug 2022; then when I looked at my invoice and billing statement, it had been charging me since 2020. They said I had a free trial that went into payments ### 23. Not worth your time or money as a sole proprietor / service provider **Rating:** 0.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Dave C. | Certified Integral Coach, Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** August 25, 2022 **What do you like best about Bark.com?** UPDATE: My credit card company reversed the charge, so there is hope for anyone who similarly feels scammed out of the money they paid to Bark. Contest the charge with your credit card company. Use the overwhelmingly negative reviews on this site to support your claim. A short domain name? TBH there's not much to like about a company that doesn't deliver on its promise and also tries to gaslight you into thinking it's your fault. **What do you dislike about Bark.com?** I’m a professional coach. I bought leads for two dozen clients looking for coaches. I even made sure to be the first, second or in a few rare cases the third person to reach out to them. I have impeccable credentials (a Master's degree from Stanford), a certification from a well-respected coaching school (New Ventures West), and positive reviews from previous clients. I only heard back from 3 of the contacts I made (13% response rate), and NONE of them ended up signing as a client. Spend your time and money elsewhere if you’re looking for client leads. I strongly recommend you do NOT use Bark as a coach. Bark is going to reply here and say “I’m sorry you feel that way…” and with boilerplate "tips" implying that if only I did the right things, I would sign clients. No, they are NOT sorry at all and the fault is not with me. If they were sorry, they would revamp their business model to ensure that service providers sign actual paying clients through the leads, or offer at least a partial refund. As it is now, at least 80% of purchased client leads (likely even more than that) are going straight into the pockets of Bark employees with absolutely no positive return on investment for the service provider. I challenge Bark to publish its own internal conversion rates for purchased leads publicly. Prove me wrong. **What problems is Bark.com solving and how is that benefiting you?** Extracting money from unsuspecting small business owners looking for leads and providing little to no value in return. **Official Response from Bark Team:** > Hi there, We're sorry to hear that you haven't had success with us as yet. All leads are screened by an automated system, and we have a credit return policy which covers any contact details which are not working. We usually find that customers don't respond when they have hired, or are considering hiring, another professional. As such, we find that responding to leads quickly gives professionals a higher conversion rate. We would be happy to help you make the most of our platform - please email us at team@bark.com. Kind regards, The Bark Team ### 24. Shocked at the lack of response **Rating:** 0.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Verified User in Health, Wellness and Fitness | Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** December 27, 2022 **What do you like best about Bark.com?** I liked the idea of purchasing leads tailored to my business. **What do you dislike about Bark.com?** I had a concern about many of the leads having wrong information or just not responding in general. I have spent thousands of dollars and had emailed the team@bark.com 6 times with 0 responses. When I called someone from the company I was told I needed to title the email "FAO Management." After doing this an additional 3 times with no response, I did a quick search of the company reviews. Wow, I wish I would have read these reviews prior to signing up with this company. I gave 9 opportunities to respond and simply address a concern before I took to writing a review. This has been the worst customer service I have ever experienced. **What problems is Bark.com solving and how is that benefiting you?** They are not solving any problems. No one responds no matter how many emails are sent. **Official Response from Bark Team:** > Hi there, We're very sorry to hear that you haven't had a positive experience using our platform and have received no response via email. This is very unusual. If you are able to contact Bark.com directly via our telephone number (this can be found on our website), we can confirm the dates these emails were received/responded to. We can assure you that all leads are screened by an automated system, and we have a Credit Return Policy which covers any contact details which are not working. We feel this is the fairest system we can have as we are not a commission based system that guarantees work, and only provide contact details for enquiries placed with us. We do appreciate that it can be frustrating when customers don't respond. We usually find this is because they have hired, or are considering hiring, another professional. We generally find that responding to the customers as and when they place their requests gives you the best chance of speaking to them when they are available and before they have hired anyone. We would be happy to help you make the most of our platform and achieve conversion with us - please email us at team@bark.com. Kind regards, The Bark Team ### 25. Not What it Seems! **Rating:** 0.5/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Verified User in Photography | Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** December 31, 2022 **What do you like best about Bark.com?** It looks nice and easy to contact clients who appear ready and willing to give you money for your services. It's pretty user-friendly. The number of leads given to you daily is quite high and if you book even 5% of them, you'll have more business than you can handle. **What do you dislike about Bark.com?** It's extremely expensive to contact a potential client (around $20 - $30 per contact) and after 10 contacts, I received no responses and no business. It's like clients don't even actually exist. Actually, to be fair, I did receive 2 responses via email that seemed legit, but I'm not sure. There was no contact from them after an initial contact we had, and of course, I did not book anyone. Bark.com says they offer a booking guarantee where they will give you another set of "points" (you need 8 - 15 points to contact 1 potential customer or lead) to try again if you have not received a booking with the first set of points you purchased. I contacted them to ask for the guarantee and did not even hear back from Bark. That is at best unprofessional and at worst, an illegal scam. **What problems is Bark.com solving and how is that benefiting you?** Unfortunately, Bark.com is doing quite the opposite of solving any problems. Bark.com is actually creating problems by taking my money ($200 per about 10 potential leads) and then making me use my time in crafting customized emails to reach out to potential clients, while in the end, all of that time, effort and money is wasted. **Official Response from Bark Team:** > Hi there, We're very sorry to hear that you haven't had a positive experience using our platform. All of our pricing is set based on the monetary value of the job as well as the heat of the lead. We are not a commission based system and therefore do not take a cut of any money you earn or repeat business you win. Our role is to provide professionals with the opportunity to convert more business. We are a cheaper alternative for smaller businesses than using PPC, Google AdWords and other forms of online marketing. As such our prices are carefully configured to take all these factors into account. All leads are screened by an automated system, and we have a credit return policy which covers any contact details which are not working. We usually find that customers don't respond when they have hired, or are considering hiring, another professional. As such, we find that responding to leads quickly gives professionals a higher conversion rate. We would be happy to help you make the most of our platform - please email us at team@bark.com. Kind regards, The Bark Team ### 26. Bark must be a scam - certainly not well run **Rating:** 0.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Todd F. | Owner, Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** September 29, 2022 **What do you like best about Bark.com?** I had hoped for this Bark site, but now having done it two times both have proven to me this is just a scam. They should really be investigated and shut down. I bought leads and follow up on them. I only did "I definitely will hire someone" leads and one guy got back to me telling me he was a full-time student and too busy to get back to me. The others just don't reply to you. I think it's an inside job with people probably sitting somewhere in Jamaica racking in the money and answering fake ads. If Bark were serious they would only charge for those whose leads were accepted. Most of the time they don't even reply to you and when they do they don't follow up and aren't serious. If these are real ads then Bark attracts some poor quality of people to their site to post ads. **What do you dislike about Bark.com?** The service, the price, the lack of people answering you and Bark doesn't really seem to care. They just want your money. They need to figure out a new model. The leads seem to be flakey, unresponsive, non-communicative and unwilling to engage/commit. Bark needs to know this is a poor reflection on them and their service and tweak their model. They have no guarantee on anything and just complain when someone complains about them and don't seem to address the concerns of those who are paying their salaries. **What problems is Bark.com solving and how is that benefiting you?** I'm getting no benefit from it so far. Just wasting my time and money. The leads are non-communicative, unwilling to reply and seem fake. There should be something in it for the leads - they should pay a little to ensure they are legit. There is nothing to keep corruption out of the business model. **Official Response from Bark Team:** > Hi Todd, We're sorry to hear that you haven't had success with us as yet, however we refute the claims you have made against our business. All leads are screened by an automated system, and we have a credit return policy which covers any contact details which are not working. We usually find that customers don't respond when they have hired, or are considering hiring, another professional. As such, we find that responding to leads quickly gives professionals a higher conversion rate. We would be happy to help you make the most of our platform - please email us at team@bark.com. Kind regards, The Bark Team ### 27. Leads appear to be a scam **Rating:** 0.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Raama D. | Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** March 17, 2023 **What do you like best about Bark.com?** As a idea to connect people it is a good intention **What do you dislike about Bark.com?** The platform doesn't work for services beyond cleaning. Life Coaching leads are all FAKE. ZERO response rate from 26 purchased leads. What's more, their lead bot generates 5x-7x times more leads for you when you run out of credits to buy them to incentivize you to spend more money in hope to convert those new leads. **What problems is Bark.com solving and how is that benefiting you?** Connect consumers with providers. This problem is not solved outside of the cleaning space. **Official Response from Bark Team:** > Hi Raama, We’re sorry to hear that you feel this way, however we can assure you that your presumptions are false as we’re passionate about providing businesses like yours with high quality leads from customers who are seeking your services. We heavily invest in our Google AdWords on a monthly basis, as well as other sites, to bring legitimate customers to our website.  We can assure you that all leads are screened by an automated system, and we have a credit return policy which covers any contact details which are not working. We feel this is the fairest system we can have as we are not a commission based system that guarantees work, and only provide contact details for enquiries placed with us. For this reason, we conduct a number of rigorous checks on every single request that’s placed on our site before we send it out to you: 1. We make sure the customer is serious about hiring someone. This means checking that the customer has filled in all of our questions properly. We then see if they found us through one of our Google or Bing adverts, newsletter emails or affiliate partners. Enquiries that fail these tests are marked for manual review by our team. 2. We check the customer’s contact details are genuine. We have partnered with a top phone number verification company to ensure all our enquiries contain valid phone numbers. Customer mobile and landline numbers must be current and connected to a network. Suspicious phone numbers and email addresses (e.g. 07777123456 or aaaaaa@gmail.com) are marked for manual review. 3.We eliminate users who abuse our system. Any enquiry that contains swearing, sexual content or profanity is rejected automatically. So are duplicate enquiries from the same customer placed right after each other. If a customer has previously had any of their Barks rejected, our team will review their enquiry manually. The same is true if their IP address is based outside the UK, or if we think they might be a pro testing the system. This rigorous screening process eliminates the overwhelming majority of bad enquiries placed on our site – so you can be confident we’ll only alert you to customers who are genuinely seeking your services. If you ever have any doubt about the legitimacy of an enquiry we’ve sent you, we’ll happily check it for you so we can continue to improve our service. In the rare event that a request is released and then subsequently identified as not genuine for any reason, we’ll immediately close it to ensure no one is charged for responding to it. If you require assistance and help to achieve conversion, please contact us directly to team@bark.com as we are happy to help! The Bark Team. ### 28. Complete waste of time and money (over 6 months, I spent over $2000 and purchased over 200 leads) **Rating:** 0.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Coach J. | Head Coach, Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** January 13, 2022 **What do you like best about Bark.com?** I wish Bark worked. In theory, it's a good time-saving idea. Find leads who are already looking for the service you provide. Too bad the reality is a far cry from what is promised. About the only benefit I will get from the money I dumped down the drain with Bark is that I can write off the expense as a loss and reduce my taxable income. **What do you dislike about Bark.com?** I have given Bark a very genuine effort. In the beginning, I had zero success. Zero hires, from my first block of credits. Which, Bark did refund, as per their agreement. I then spoke to a Bark representative, and we discussed how to refine my leads, as well as my process for booking calls. So, then, with my next block of credits, I actually had some success. I landed 3 clients, from about 20 leads, which, compared to Facebook ads, is actually pretty good. I thought I had the process down, and I had figured out a way to make the process efficient enough that I'd make my money back and even be profitable versus Facebook Ad spend. So, that was good enough that I agreed to buying a block of credits at a discounted rate 3 months in a row ($500 each). Every cent of that $1500 was wasted, along with the 5 months I was an "Elite Pro" ($35 x 5 = $175) In over 220 leads, those first 3 paying clients, were the only clients that I would ever land with Bark. Every single lead since then has either ghosted me (in messenger) or of the 14 calls I actually managed to book, I have been no-showed or cancelled EVERY. SINGLE. TIME. A far cry from their 1-in-5 guarantee. The 3 clients I have landed have almost covered the cost I spent on Bark leads ... if I'm lucky, I will break even (minus the wasted time). But, this isn't intended to be a sob story, I'm not looking for sympathy. I have a successful business, and I can take the hit. But, if you are any kind of coach or service provider, be prepared for any booked calls to be no-showed and cancelled ... repeatedly. Expect to be ghosted in your messages. You will only ever encounter tire kickers looking for the lowest possible price. The quality of leads is basement bottom. Horrible. I can already predict the canned reply that Bark will give. The truth is, and they're not prepared to acknowledge this, their leads are SH!T. QUALITY. PERIOD. **What problems is Bark.com solving and how is that benefiting you?** Solving? Hah. More like creating. I'm wasting my time and money. I was supposed to be saving time and money by acquiring leads who were actively seeking for help. Turns out their leads are the bottom of the barrel ... absolute sh!t quality, and a total waste of time and money. **Official Response from Bark Team:** > Hi Jonathan, We're very sorry to hear that you feel this way, and we're sorry that you have not had more success on the platform. We appreciate your feedback, but disagree with your summary of our lead quality. We spend over a million pounds a month on Google Ad Words as well as other sites to bring legitimate customers to our website. We also have a 24/7 Customer Success Team based in Paddington, London and a dedicated Marketing and Development Team to ensure we are providing quality lead generation for our professionals. We can assure you that all leads are screened by an automated system, and we have a credit return policy which covers any contact details which are not working. We feel this is the fairest system we can have as we are not a commission based system that guarantees work, and only provide contact details for enquiries placed with us. We do appreciate that it can be frustrating when customers don't respond. We usually find this is because they have hired, or are considering hiring, another professional. We generally find that responding to the customers as and when they place their requests gives you the best chance of speaking to them when they are available and before they have hired anyone. Ensuring that you only respond to detailed leads can also help with regards receiving responses from more interested parties. We would be happy to help you make the most of our platform - please email us at team@bark.com. Kind regards, The Bark Team ### 29. Unqualified leads, system does not work. **Rating:** 0.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Verified User in Architecture & Planning | Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** December 19, 2022 **What do you like best about Bark.com?** In theory it's a great idea, a client posts a job and the creative gets work. **What do you dislike about Bark.com?** In practice 99.9% of posted jobs are either not legit or the poster has no clue what they're doing, or both. Beware the 'auto top off' for your credits, which are not returnable, or at least we accrued nearly $1k worth of credits much to our surprise and were declined a refund. I forgot about our previous experience, which resulted in one modest job out of probably $2k worth of credits. Thought we would try the service out again and got the same result. Many, many 'buy the lead' responses and virtually no replies from the poster (often the email or phone numbers are bogus). When there is a reply, the job is from a poster who has no clue what they need or what services cost. Bark's 'automated system' does nothing really to vet the authenticity of job requests. We found it was because an Aunt Sally wants to open a cookie shop, thinks she can do it with streamers and paper plates and for $5. Responding quickly as a provider does nothing if the lead is hollow. So- buyer beware Bark is a flawed system and the only people making money on the 'leads' are their bots or the owners of Bark. Strongly discourage anyone using this service. Also, note the automated responses from the platform to reviews on this site. It's all suspicious. **What problems is Bark.com solving and how is that benefiting you?** Acquiring clients with specific needs, visability. It's a craigslist for creatives. Except it does not work. **Official Response from Bark Team:** > Hi there, We're very sorry to hear that you haven't had a positive experience using our platform, and that you feel as strongly as you do about our leads. However, we strongly refute the claims that you have made against us. We heavily invest in our Google AdWords on a monthly basis, as well as other sites, to bring legitimate customers to our website. We also have a 24/7 Customer Success Team based in London and a dedicated Marketing and Development Team to ensure we are providing quality lead generation for our professionals. We can assure you that all leads are screened by an automated system, and we have a credit return policy which covers any contact details which are not working. We feel this is the fairest system we can have as we are not a commission based system that guarantees work, and only provide contact details for enquiries placed with us. We do appreciate that it can be frustrating when customers don't respond. We usually find this is because they have hired, or are considering hiring, another professional. We generally find that responding to the customers as and when they place their requests gives you the best chance of speaking to them when they are available and before they have hired anyone. We would be happy to help you make the most of our platform and achieve conversion with us - please email us at team@bark.com. Kind regards, The Bark Team ### 30. Disappointed 😔 **Rating:** 1.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Christopher W. | Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** June 10, 2023 **What do you like best about Bark.com?** Platform experience is decent and easy to use. Quasi-CRM capability it just okay. Functional but not great. **What do you dislike about Bark.com?** I've been on Bark for about 1 year. My close ratio started out strong but has diminished with time. I get the feeling the leads are old and may not even be active. **What problems is Bark.com solving and how is that benefiting you?** Brings me semi-qualified leads for incremental side- hustle business. ### 31. Scam artists **Rating:** 0.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Verified User in Marketing and Advertising | Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** May 05, 2023 **What do you like best about Bark.com?** Bark could be a good business but run terribly by fraudsters. **What do you dislike about Bark.com?** Bark leads are sold to over a dozen service providers at one time. Lots of leads are bogus. If the lead is legitimate they get inundated by responses. The biggest issue as other have noted is batik will not let you cancel and continues to charge my card without my permission and without a contract. That is theft. Stay clear. **What problems is Bark.com solving and how is that benefiting you?** The idea is it bark would help generate business. They didn't. **Official Response from Bark Team:** > Hi there, We're sorry to hear you have had a poor experience using Bark.com. We can assure you that all leads are screened by an automated system, and we have a Credit Return Policy which covers any contact details which are not working. We feel this is the fairest system we can have as we are not a commission based system that guarantees work, and only provide contact details for enquiries placed with us. We only allow up to 5 professionals to respond to each request placed with us so that customers are not overwhelmed with replies, and also so that professionals are not overwhelmed with competition. If you have a Bark Verified subscription or an Elite Pro subscription, these can be cancelled anytime, you can either call us directly or email team@bark.com to request cancellation. Kind regards, The Bark Team ### 32. Expensive **Rating:** 3.5/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Sammi D. | Crisis Counselor, Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** March 12, 2023 **What do you like best about Bark.com?** I like that the leads are generally genuine clients and there are many many leads a day. I also like that it stops people from responding after 5 to prevent undercutting **What do you dislike about Bark.com?** The packages are so expensive! There is no garuntee that someone will hire when you pay for a lead. It's $75 Canadian for 5 leads!! And that's only an estimate. Some leads are 3 credits and some have been as much as 12! (12 is rare average is 7-10) **What problems is Bark.com solving and how is that benefiting you?** Lead generation for potential clients. It's very hard to find potential clients on places like redit, insta or your personal website when you are a new business **Official Response from Bark Team:** > Hi there, Thanks for your review, We're glad to hear that you have found our platform useful for your business. Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback with us. We always consider the thoughts of our users, and will pass this along to the relevant department to review. All pricing is set based on the monetary value of the job, heat of competition on the lead and our 1 in 5 conversion rate. We feel this makes for the fairest system of pricing as we do not earn commission and all monies earned on that lead - as well as any other work it may result in - are kept solely by the professional. That said, we do have other options for purchasing credits that will suite your spend each week! Please get in contact at team@bark.com should you require any more information or help making the most of the platform. Kind regards, The Bark Team ### 33. Very bad. Money grabber app **Rating:** 0.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** laurent elie b. | Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** February 03, 2023 **What do you like best about Bark.com?** I absolutely hate this service. It's very expensive to buy leads and the job offers not even worth making the lead purchase. **What do you dislike about Bark.com?** Absolutely everything. Way too expensive. Too many leads that cost too much to buy. People posting job ads want basically to pay close to nothing. I spent so much money on this and in 4 months never got 1 single job. **What problems is Bark.com solving and how is that benefiting you?** Solving no problem. Waisting my time and money to make BARK rich and profitable!! **Official Response from Bark Team:** > Hi Laurent, Thanks for taking the time to share your feedback. We're very sorry to hear that you haven't had a positive experience using our platform. Our prices are set using a combination of competition in the industry, the cost to us of sourcing the leads ourselves, the estimated size of the work the professional will receive and the popularity of the category. Currently the average request receives around two responses and our internal target is for the average Bark to receive between 2-5 responses. This is because: Fewer than two responses means limited choice for the buyer More than five responses could be overwhelming for the buyer, and means a low chance of success for individual pros Our pricing is reviewed regularly to balance the number and quality of responses sent to our customers, manage the cost to professionals (like you) and ensure it’s economical for us. We would still love to help you make the most the platform and achieve conversion. Please contact us via our 24/7 customer service line or email us directly at team@bark.com to speak with one of our experienced members for assistance! The Bark Team ### 34. Scammy site, Bad quality leads and lousy customer service **Rating:** 0.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Verified User in Marketing and Advertising | Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** May 25, 2023 **What do you like best about Bark.com?** Nothing. The idea is right, but I think they don't have enough real leads, they just make them up. Even seen leads with bark com email address **What do you dislike about Bark.com?** Leads are bad quality. Either no answer at all, don't know who is bark, or have "already hired" despite placing the ad just minutes ago. **What problems is Bark.com solving and how is that benefiting you?** It's not solving problems, it's creating problems. **Official Response from Bark Team:** > Hi there, We're very sorry to hear that you haven't had a positive experience using our platform. We heavily invest in our Google AdWords on a monthly basis, as well as other sites, to bring legitimate customers to our website. We also have a 24/7 Customer Success Team based in London and a dedicated Marketing and Development Team to ensure we are providing quality lead generation for our professionals. We can assure you that all leads are screened by an automated system, and we have a Credit Return Policy which covers any contact details which are not working. We would be happy to investigate any leads for you, which fall under our Credit Return Policy. Please email team@bark.com directly for further assistance. Kind Regards, The Bark Team ### 35. Disappointing **Rating:** 0.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Zak G. | Photographer, Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** November 24, 2022 **What do you like best about Bark.com?** The concept they had to allow clients to find independent photographers and videographers would have been a good idea but the way they executed it is terrible for photographers and video grapher. **What do you dislike about Bark.com?** Their lead system is extremely poor and a lot of time you might buy leads that are already found someone but the lead is still active and you waste your credit by applying for it and the company does not take any responsibility for that. **What problems is Bark.com solving and how is that benefiting you?** Again they are trying to have a data pool of professionals to connect them with people who are in the search of certain expertise, but their business model makes it very hard to make that idea actually work. **Official Response from Bark Team:** > Hi there, We're sorry to hear that you haven't had success with us as yet. All leads are screened by an automated system, and we have a credit return policy which covers any contact details which are not working. We usually find that customers don't respond when they have hired, or are considering hiring, another professional. As such, we find that responding to leads quickly gives professionals a higher conversion rate. We would be happy to help you make the most of our platform - please email us at team@bark.com. Kind regards, The Bark Team ### 36. Many bad leads, they don't even check them, many people submit fake leads **Rating:** 1.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Martin Z. | Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** July 08, 2023 **What do you like best about Bark.com?** Some leads are ok and actually genuine leads. **What do you dislike about Bark.com?** Many leads are bad, they are fake leads, or people looking for jobs. **What problems is Bark.com solving and how is that benefiting you?** none really. it is a very weak to mid way to generating leads for business. **Official Response from Bark Team:** > Hi Martin, We're very sorry to hear that you haven't had a positive experience using our platform. We heavily invest in our Google AdWords on a monthly basis, as well as other sites, to bring legitimate customers to our website. We also have a 24/7 Customer Success Team based in London and a dedicated Marketing and Development Team to ensure we are providing quality lead generation for our professionals. We can assure you that all leads are screened by an automated system, and we have a credit return policy which covers any contact details which are not working. We feel this is the fairest system we can have as we are not a commission based system that guarantees work, and only provide contact details for enquiries placed with us. We would be happy to help you make the most of our platform and achieve conversion with us - please email us at team@bark.com. Kind regards, The Bark Team ### 37. Unfair inside policies to charging your card for services you don't want and you are not aware of. **Rating:** 0.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Verified User in Health, Wellness and Fitness | Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** August 04, 2021 **What do you like best about Bark.com?** They answer their customer service phone quite fast...but the support they provided was so bad that it's hard to say something good about them. **What do you dislike about Bark.com?** I stopped using bark for about 2 years. Recently I opened my account and it was saying delinquent. I gave them a call to ask why and here is the answer. 2 years ago I was enrolled in an elite pro free subscription for a month which turns into an autopay subscription after that. Then 2 months later I realized that I am paying them for something and gave them a call to ask why. I told them that I didn't know that I am enrolled in autopay and I wish to cancel and get a refund. They canceled it but refused to give me a refund because according to them I knew I am enrolled but wanted to get my money back. How did they know that I was aware of the charges...it's hard to say...I guess they read people's minds. After I called my bank and disputed the charges. They lost the dispute and had to refund the money plus additional charges and that is why they locked my account. Then if I wish to restart it again I should pay them for the 2 monthly subscriptions and the additional charges from 2 years ago. I have never had an experience like that with any other company in my life. Anyway...I offered to pay them half of what they asked and they did not agree. So clearly the only thing they care about is money money money. **What problems is Bark.com solving and how is that benefiting you?** They have policies of giving you free trials and not letting you know when they expire. After they just continue to charge you without telling you and refuse to refund you for that. **Official Response from Bark Team:** > Hi there, We're sorry to hear of these payment issues. Please note that the account holder sets up all payments and no payments are taken without account holder consent. Please email us directly at team@bark.com to discuss your invoices. Kind regards, The Bark Team ### 38. Complete waste of money and gauging price system...just the worst!!!! **Rating:** 0.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Janice T. | CEO, Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** October 19, 2022 **What do you like best about Bark.com?** Was so excited at first. Easy layout. Easy to get started. UI/UX was easy to use. **What do you dislike about Bark.com?** EVERYTHING! I have been in the tech industry for 13 years as a founder. This predatory pricing model once I saw it in action was a total cash grab. Bark had charged me $600 in 1 week without even knowing it, with zero customers and few interactions. Was so disappointed by their entire model and structure. Just nickel and diming people coaches who are starting out and blocking real care for those who need it. Just a complete mess of a pricing system. Even the WORST tech companies who gouge clients and mow data are more thoughtful. I will tell ANYONE who will listen to me to stay away from this company. Just such a shame what you are doing to coaches and people in need (if you even have real clients to offer). I will be letting everyone I know to stay away. There are about 50 other business models you could adopt to benefit so many more people. You lost a customer for life and we will be using Bark as an example for all startup founders I work with on what not to do. Just terrible predatory practices in a mental health care space. Just shameful. **What problems is Bark.com solving and how is that benefiting you?** It doesn't solve the problem. It is lying through it's teeth. It is using vulnerable people who require care access to those who can deliver solutions and making coaches pay thousands to never get a real customer. Just the worst company. Where are your values? **Official Response from Bark Team:** > Hi there, We're sorry to hear that you haven't had success with us as yet, however we refute the claims you have made against our business. All leads are screened by an automated system, and we have a credit return policy which covers any contact details which are not working. We usually find that customers don't respond when they have hired, or are considering hiring, another professional. As such, we find that responding to leads quickly gives professionals a higher conversion rate. We would be happy to help you make the most of our platform - please email us at team@bark.com. Kind regards, The Bark Team ### 39. Huge Rip - had me feeling Awesome, then....so depressed when I lost all my money **Rating:** 0.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Evan P. | Multimedia AV Technician, Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** March 06, 2023 **What do you like best about Bark.com?** Nothing, credits cost WAYYY too much, it's robbery. Clients are NOT serious at all, and should have clients pay to view DJs. **What do you dislike about Bark.com?** Can't believe they have the audacity to reply to these reviews with "we're so sorry, our policies always lead to successful... STFU, give me my money back **What problems is Bark.com solving and how is that benefiting you?** It's not **Official Response from Bark Team:** > Hi Evan, Sorry to hear about the experience you have had. We would love to help you achieve conversion with us! Just to clarify our prices are set using a combination of competition in the industry, the cost to us of sourcing the leads ourselves, the estimated size of the work the professional will receive and the popularity of the category. This is reviewed regularly to balance the number and quality of responses sent to our customers, manage the cost to professionals (like you) and ensure it’s economical for us. If you would like further assistance, we operate a 24/7 customer service line and dedicated email - team@bark in which we can help provide solutions. You can also speak with an expert at anytime to assist with tips and conversion tactics. We are happy to help! The Bark team ### 40. THE WORST **Rating:** 0.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Brittany B. | Owner, Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** October 10, 2022 **What do you like best about Bark.com?** The most recent customer service guy was nice. That's about it. **What do you dislike about Bark.com?** I really wish I found these reviews sooner and RAN THE OTHER WAY. This felt like a scam. NONE of the leads that were provided were legitimate people looking for help, and the "HIRE HIRED GUARANTEE" is not a guarantee at all... you're only able to receive ONE round of crappy leads. I really wish I could be positive but as a small business owner, I am extremely disappointed and feel totally Jaded. Would not recommend this company to anyone. **What problems is Bark.com solving and how is that benefiting you?** Sadly, none. The idea is great, but HORRIBLE service and delivery. **Official Response from Bark Team:** > Hi Brittany, We're sorry to hear that you haven't had success with us as yet, however we refute the claims you have made against our business. All leads are screened by an automated system, and we have a credit return policy which covers any contact details which are not working. We usually find that customers don't respond when they have hired, or are considering hiring, another professional. As such, we find that responding to leads quickly gives professionals a higher conversion rate. We would be happy to help you make the most of our platform - please email us at team@bark.com. Kind regards, The Bark Team ### 41. Not really a get hired guarantee **Rating:** 0.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** K. Hiro F. | Owner, Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** September 15, 2022 **What do you like best about Bark.com?** The user interface is okay. The app is really pretty. The support team is very responsive. **What do you dislike about Bark.com?** The leads are a joke. You pay in credits, which are roughly $2 a credit. But I bought enough credits for about 15-16 leads, and only 2 actually even viewed my profile. I wasn't hired, which is okay, but the people don't even view a profile. I bought into the "Get Hired Guarantee" - but it's not really a guarantee. In fact, in one of my support messages they explicitly told me they don't guarantee you'll get hired. So, in my mind, the get hired guarantee is a "maybe you'll get hired, pay us $100 and find out!" In other words - the guarantee is an outright lie. Another complaint is how the credits work. If you don't have enough credits, you can't just buy a few, but rather have to spend another $100 to buy a pack. All in all it feels like a dishonest money grab. I intend to file a complaint with our local consumer protection bureau. This type of organization shouldn't be allowed to do business. This website probably does have a good lead or two - but honestly, the "Get Hired Guarantee" is fraudulent. They may even have a few happy customers...but so do pyramid and Ponzi schemes. If you are looking for leads, go to Thumbtack. You only pay if they pick you, or if they respond. **What problems is Bark.com solving and how is that benefiting you?** It was supposed to be about getting leads. All I did was spend money. **Official Response from Bark Team:** > Hi there, We're sorry to hear that you haven't had success with us as yet, however we refute the claims you have made against our business. All leads are screened by an automated system, and we have a credit return policy which covers any contact details which are not working. We usually find that customers don't respond when they have hired, or are considering hiring, another professional. As such, we find that responding to leads quickly gives professionals a higher conversion rate. The Get Hired Guarantee is a feature that acts as a safety net for new professionals on Bark, and is designed to minimise the risk associated with your first credit pack. In the event that you do not secure any customers using the credits in a credit pack covered by the Get Hired Guarantee, we’ll return all the credits to your account and give you a second 'attempt' with the credits you've purchased. We would be happy to help you make the most of our platform - please email us at team@bark.com. Kind regards, The Bark Team ### 42. Useless, and probably fake leads **Rating:** 0.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Verified User in Marketing and Advertising | Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** May 10, 2023 **What do you like best about Bark.com?** Nothing. It has leads added regularly but they seem fake **What do you dislike about Bark.com?** Most of the leads have already found a vendor. Some cannot be contacted, some don't even reply. Some don't even know what is bark. Customer service is useless and only sends cut and paste template answers that have nothing to do with your question **What problems is Bark.com solving and how is that benefiting you?** It's supposed to help companies get leads, but it's not very good at it **Official Response from Bark Team:** > Hi there, We're very sorry to hear that you haven't had a positive experience using our platform. We heavily invest in our Google AdWords on a monthly basis, as well as other sites, to bring legitimate customers to our website. We also have a 24/7 Customer Success Team based in London and a dedicated Marketing and Development Team to ensure we are providing quality lead generation for our professionals. We can assure you that all leads are screened by an automated system, and we have a credit return policy which covers any contact details which are not working. We feel this is the fairest system we can have as we are not a commission based system that guarantees work, and only provide contact details for enquiries placed with us. We do appreciate that it can be frustrating when customers don't respond. We usually find this is because they have hired, or are considering hiring, another professional. We generally find that responding to the customers as and when they place their requests gives you the best chance of speaking to them when they are available and before they have hired anyone. We would be happy to help you make the most of our platform and achieve conversion with us - please email us at team@bark.com. Kind regards, The Bark Team ### 43. Just don't **Rating:** 0.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Elizabeth H. | Brand consultant, Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** August 12, 2022 **What do you like best about Bark.com?** Absolutely none. This was a bad decision their marketing was so effective I didn't check reviews and I'M A MARKETER **What do you dislike about Bark.com?** This business is very scammy. In fact, they closed and reformed with a new URL because of reviews like you're seeing here. The only positive reviews on other review sites are from the supposed "users" who found suppliers by posting RFPs to Bark, but they don't have photos, aren't verified, and often have only ever written 1 review. So...fake reviews. Their guarantee isn't a money-back guarantee. If you spend all your credits responding to RFPs and don't get any action, they give you those credits back so you can keep trying. And then they email you condescending advice on how to win work through their process. They're trying to be Upwork, but for consumers. I get it. It just doesn't work and they are WAY overpriced. Refused to refund me. Have disputed with Visa so they can take care of it I'll bet there are a LOT of those and hopefully, Visa will see that and do something. Oh AND I got a ton of fraudsters emailing me with the card payment scams that photographers often deal with. But a huge influx the day I registered for Bark. **What problems is Bark.com solving and how is that benefiting you?** NA **Official Response from Bark Team:** > Hi Elizabeth, We're very sorry to hear that you haven't had a positive experience using our platform, and that you feel as strongly as you do about our leads. However, we strongly refute the claims that you have made against us. We heavily invest in our Google AdWords on a monthly basis, as well as other sites, to bring legitimate customers to our website. We also have a 24/7 Customer Success Team based in London and a dedicated Marketing and Development Team to ensure we are providing quality lead generation for our professionals. We can assure you that all leads are screened by an automated system, and we have a credit return policy which covers any contact details which are not working. We feel this is the fairest system we can have as we are not a commission based system that guarantees work, and only provide contact details for enquiries placed with us. We’re sorry to hear that you feel this way about reviews about Bark.com, however we can assure you that your presumptions are false. We receive reviews from organic sources on a daily basis across numerous review sites and numerous countries. The majority are positive, coming from customers whom we have helped find professionals, as well as professionals whom we have helped connect with new clients. However, like any business, we also receive negative reviews from time to time. We take all negative reviews seriously and do our best to help where we can, however we find that the majority of them are either for professionals who have carried out unsatisfactory work - i.e for a service we are not affiliated with or did not provide - or from professionals who were not fully aware of how our platform worked before signing up. All of our pricing is set based on the monetary value of the job as well as the heat of the lead. We are not a commission based system and therefore do not take a cut of any money you earn or repeat business you win. Our role is to provide professionals with the opportunity to convert more business. We are a cheaper alternative for smaller businesses than using PPC, Google AdWords and other forms of online marketing. As such our prices are carefully configured to take all these factors into account. Please get in contact at team@bark.com should you require any more information or help making the most of the platform. Kind regards, The Bark Team ### 44. I wish I could be positive…..I really do. **Rating:** 0.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Richard W. | Photographer **Reviewed Date:** August 03, 2022 **What do you like best about Bark.com?** It's a lead generation site which enables you to reach out to clients who may not have the facility to directly approach them yourself. **What do you dislike about Bark.com?** The problem with Bark is that a majority of the clients are not vetted I know this as I had a friend who set himself up as a random individual and all they needed was a email verification and some random questions which doesn't give you any security check or if you even have a desire to look for what you actually need. I've spent in access of around £400-500 and earned probably £180. The clients mostly just don't respond and if you've spent 16 credits on a potential client with no response then that's about £20 wasted so you times that by 5 then you've done your basic credits. There's nothing in place for the the individuals who buy credits. I have to constantly email them for my credits back. Either the lead has already been booked without taking the lead down. Someone posting a lead on behalf of someone else, which shouldn't be allowed as you can't negotiate with someone who has no idea of what's required, or they just don't answer or respond to requests. I would propose that if a lead doesn't respond within 48hrs then we should automatically get our credits back. I have had some success so it's not all bad but for the money you spend it's not a viable business option as your not generating the revenue to make an impact. I'll hold out until the end of this year I think, and if it doesn't improve then I'll just close my account. I can't possibly refer a friend as I couldn't do it to a friend. I do like the model but the execution isn't in favour of the people who are spending the money. If people were serious about looking for a professional then there should be a fee to use the service, as when it's free people don't care and they're not told that every individual who responds it's costs them money. I wish I could be more positive but running a business at a loss when there's so many things killing us isnt a very positive outcome **What problems is Bark.com solving and how is that benefiting you?** Bark takes the out the numerous phone calls that I have to make by having all my potential clients in one place, however the execution needs work. **Official Response from Bark Team:** > Hi Richard, We're very sorry to hear that you haven't had a positive experience using our platform. We can assure you that all leads are screened by an automated system, and we have a Credit Return Policy which covers any contact details which are not working. We feel this is the fairest system we can have as we are not a commission based system that guarantees work, and only provide contact details for enquiries placed with us. We do appreciate that it can be frustrating when customers don't respond. We usually find this is because they have hired, or are considering hiring, another professional. We generally find that responding to the customers as and when they place their requests gives you the best chance of speaking to them when they are available and before they have hired anyone. We would be happy to help you make the most of our platform and achieve conversion with us - please email us at team@bark.com. Kind regards, The Bark Team ### 45. I tried it and then deleted the app. **Rating:** 0.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Todd S. | Hypnotherapist, Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** December 02, 2022 **What do you like best about Bark.com?** I can't think of anything I liked about it. **What do you dislike about Bark.com?** They charge an arm and a leg... literally were charging over 30% of what I charge clients. That doesn't even make sense!!! I would have happily paid 3-5% of what I made from their contact but not over 30%. They might as well be in the extortion business. I deleted the app and blocked all their emails. **What problems is Bark.com solving and how is that benefiting you?** They have many clients possibly looking for my services only they are charging me almost all of my blood and tears to connect with their clients. It's just NOT worth it. **Official Response from Bark Team:** > Hi there, Sorry to hear this, all of our pricing is set based on the monetary value of the job as well as the heat of the lead. We are not a commission based system and therefore do not take a cut of any money you earn or repeat business you win. Our role is to provide professionals with the opportunity to convert more business. We are a cheaper alternative for smaller businesses than using PPC, Google AdWords and other forms of online marketing. As such our prices are carefully configured to take all these factors into account. Please get in contact at team@bark.com should you require any more information or help making the most of the platform. Kind regards, The Bark Team ### 46. Only for companies that can afford to spend $$$ up front for leads. **Rating:** 0.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Xenia B. | designer **Reviewed Date:** January 25, 2023 **What do you like best about Bark.com?** I like the fast lead generation, but this is only for people that ALREADY have money to spend on buying leads. **What do you dislike about Bark.com?** They want you to spend almost $500 just to get 10 leads? I'm a small business just starting out, I simply dont have that in my budget right now. Why not just do a pay per lead instead?? **What problems is Bark.com solving and how is that benefiting you?** I was looking for leads but cant afford their service. ### 47. Scam-Like Marketing Tactics and Refused to Remove My Credit Card from Their Platform **Rating:** 0.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Nicole B. | PR & Marketing Consultant, Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** March 21, 2022 **What do you like best about Bark.com?** Considering that there are limited lead services for the marketing industry, I was excited to find this service. **What do you dislike about Bark.com?** This is a very unprofessional and misleading service. Their email marketing tactics are very similar to phishing scams and once you create a profile, there is no option to delete your account or remove your bank card from their platform. Unfortunately, I found out the hard way. I received an email about a possible lead, clicked through the email, which took me to my account dashboard, which seems to have me permanently logged in even though I didn't select that option. I clicked on the information provided and immediately received an email confirming that I just purchased credits! This was shocking because I was never taken to a payment confirmation or checkout page. I also had no idea that my card information was permanently stored on their website. Why would a legitimate business trick people into making a purchase? I immediately contacted customer service to request a refund and remove my card. They refused to refund the money or remove my card. These are fraudulent and dishonest business practices. From what I've researched, Bark.com does not seem to be compliant with The Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard. As a business owner. it's very disappointing to see another business operate with such lack of transparency and poor customer service. **What problems is Bark.com solving and how is that benefiting you?** None. Initially, the website was difficult to navigate and seemed more like a platform that was in the Beta phase and they got too lazy or ran out of funds to complete it. The lack of transparency and misleading emails were instant red flags. **Official Response from Bark Team:** > Hi there, Sorry to hear you have had issues using Bark.com and have felt misled. You would have only had to enter your card details if you wanted to purchase a credit pack, in order to start contacting customers directly. You can also contact our Customer Success team 24/7 - if you wanted us to close your account, or remove your card from your account. Unfortunately we cannot provide monetary refunds for "used" marketing as it were, or leads we cannot retrieve from you. For example, if you placed an advert in a newspaper and did not convert any work, you would not be eligible for a refund for the advert as the newspaper will have marketed you as promised. The same is true for online marketing. However, we provide so much more - we invest a vast monthly sum into our Google Ad Words alongside other sites such as Facebook to provide our professionals with the highest level of leads we can. We also provide an account that you as the professional has complete control over, and we provide features that allow you to filter your leads so that you only get the best ones to choose from. It sounds as if our team has already handled this issue but if you have any further questions, or would like to discuss your experience further, you can email us at team@bark.com. Kind regards, The Bark Team ### 48. This company is a fraud and scammer, avoid at all costs! **Rating:** 0.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Verified User in Accounting | Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** October 10, 2022 **What do you like best about Bark.com?** NOTHING! From the troublesome interface to lack of positive customer service, there is nothing they provide that can be considered "best." Possibly their false marketing if you get sucked into it. **What do you dislike about Bark.com?** Where to begin -- this company found a way to charge me even when I did not complete a payment method. So I decided to try it anyway, only to discover that they're probably using bots somehow. When a notification pops up, either on your browser, app, or email, and you click on it IMMEDIATELY, you will find that multiple responses have already been given to that possible lead. This is awful business, especially since the best practice is to be the first or second to respond to that potential lead. In my profession, most people are pretty busy to be vigilant on notifications and responding to anything that quickly. So there's no way I believe that other people in my profession are responding that quickly. In addition, if you manage to reach out to any lead, you'll find that the quality of their leads is very poor. It must not be very clear for customers what they're searching for, but I've either received no response at all or people questioning why I'm reaching out after purchasing the leads. Bark also has a "Get Hired Guarantee" that is entirely false. There is no such thing, and I wonder if I missed some fine print somewhere, but that's how they get people. When calling Bark about it, you can only get the credits back, not your money back. Another false advertisement. What they also fail to tell you is that you need to contact them no more than 3 days after your last contact if you want those credits back. If they grant you those credits back (which is up to their discretion, so not really guaranteed for that either), you only have that last opportunity to possibly secure work. But after going one round and finding that you cannot get any work from them, you will go through the same hell once again and cannot get any more credits from them. So consider this company like going to the casino or playing the lottery -- you know that most likely you will not win; you're just spending money to receive nothing back. This is like gambling behavior. Spend your money preferably marketing your business more and attract more and better clients for yourself; it'll pay off more than giving your money to this crappy company. **What problems is Bark.com solving and how is that benefiting you?** Unfortunately, nothing. After spending so much time building my profile and attempting to respond to leads immediately, I received nothing in return. Contacting their support team was useless as every claim you may have is considered false on their end. **Official Response from Bark Team:** > Hi there, We're very sorry to hear that you haven't had a positive experience using our platform. We can assure you that all leads are screened by an automated system, and we have a Credit Return Policy which covers any contact details which are not working. We do appreciate that it can be frustrating when customers don't respond. We usually find this is because they have hired, or are considering hiring, another professional. We generally find that responding to the customers as and when they place their requests gives you the best chance of speaking to them when they are available and before they have hired anyone. The Get Hired Guarantee is a feature that acts as a safety net for new professionals on Bark, and is designed to minimise the risk associated with the first credit pack. In the event that a professional does not secure any customers using the credits in a credit pack covered by the Get Hired Guarantee, we’ll return all the credits to their account and give them a second 'attempt' with the credits they've purchased. They just need to ensure that they've used all the credits in the pack, and it's been 3 days since the professional purchased their last lead. We would be happy to help you make the most of our platform and achieve conversion with us - please email us at team@bark.com. Kind regards, The Bark Team ### 49. took $ w/out permissin, refunded some, kept the rest & cutoff all credits, yelled and hung up on me. **Rating:** 0.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Frank D. | Business Owner, Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** July 05, 2022 **What do you like best about Bark.com?** Leads work, (I'm a musician) they are real **What do you dislike about Bark.com?** I was unknowingly forced onto monthly autopay. Once I discovered the charges, I requested they refund it all. Also, I was unable to use the service for personal reasons (so why would I agree to auto monthly charges?). Bark refunded one of several months paid ??? After that, I was interested in checking my balance. Even though Bark took several months from me (at $29.95 USD/Mo) they erased all PAID credits (thieves). So I called to clear things up. The rep was mumbling so bad and so fast, I had to ask him to repeat himself because I couldn't make out what he was saying. He began yelling, just as fast. I interrupted him saying, "I had no problem with your volume, it was clarity I requested. . . . . . CLICK! Sucker hung right up on me. **Recommendations to others considering Bark.com:** Buyer Beware ( try GIG SALAD) **What problems is Bark.com solving and how is that benefiting you?** None. BARK is not trustworthy. **Official Response from Bark Team:** > Hi Frank, We're sorry to hear you've had a poor experience using Bark.com When you make your first purchase it is stated that Auto top-up will be turned on, if you would not like this feature to remain on it is easy to turn it off. This feature is really helpful for users looking to respond to leads very efficiently. Professionals can choose which pack they wish to be topped up when they run out of credits and save themselves the hassle of doing it manually. This can be controlled this by logging into your account and going to the 'My credits' page. We don't unfortunately refund used credit packs back to an account. We offer all our professionals the ability to purchase credit packs as needed, to provide total flexibility and credits never expire. We would be happy to help you make the most of our platform and achieve conversion with us - please email us at team@bark.com. Kind regards, The Bark Team ### 50. scam style marketing and fraudulent guarrantee. **Rating:** 0.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Jonathan w. | Photographer, Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** July 04, 2022 **What do you like best about Bark.com?** We could not find any good attributes in dealing with Bark.com. From beginning to end was a disappointment. **What do you dislike about Bark.com?** Their lead-in to get you in a guarantee. We would not have tried them if not for that. So we did try them, and customers would reply to us with "stop" like we were cold calling them. After 10 attempts, we did not get 1 customer interested in speaking with us about a job. We tried to take advantage of their guarantee, only to find that it is NOT a money-back guarantee. Only a credit to try them for longer. No amount of discussion would move them to hold true to it. They will tell you that it is written down on another page and that it is only a credit guarantee. Very deceptive, misleading and downright criminal. We are in fact looking into civil action for all the hundreds of others that have been deceived by Bark.com. DO NOT USE BARK.COM. In fact, stay as far away from them as you can. I am still disinfecting from my interactions with them. My partners will be leaving their own versions of reviews for them. But I am sure it will be close to the same. **What problems is Bark.com solving and how is that benefiting you?** Getting jobs from a freelance board. **Official Response from Bark Team:** > Hi Jonathan, We're sorry to hear that you haven't had success with us as yet, however we refute the claims you have made against our business. All leads are screened by an automated system, and we have a credit return policy which covers any contact details which are not working. We usually find that customers don't respond when they have hired, or are considering hiring, another professional. As such, we find that responding to leads quickly gives professionals a higher conversion rate. The Get Hired Guarantee is a feature where in the unlikely event a professional does not secure at least one job using all the credits in a Get Hired Guaranteed credit pack, we’ll return all the credits to the professional to allow them to try Bark.com for a second time - for free. We would be happy to help you make the most of our platform - please email us at team@bark.com. Kind regards, The Bark Team ## Bark.com Discussions - [THE BIGGEST SCAM LEAD COMPANY ON THE FACE OF THIS EARTH](https://www.g2.com/discussions/the-biggest-scam-lead-company-on-the-face-of-this-earth) - 3 comments, 2 upvotes - [How would you suggest I go about obtaining a refund?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/how-would-you-suggest-i-go-about-obtaining-a-refund) - 4 comments, 1 upvote - [Fraudulent credit card charges](https://www.g2.com/discussions/fraudulent-credit-card-charges) - 2 comments, 1 upvote - [Why do you provide bogus leads](https://www.g2.com/discussions/why-do-you-provide-bogus-leads) - 3 comments, 1 upvote - [HOW TO PREVENT THIS KIND OF ONLINE FRAUD ???](https://www.g2.com/discussions/how-to-prevent-this-kind-of-online-fraud) - 3 comments, 1 upvote - [View Bark.com pricing details and edition comparison](https://www.g2.com/products/bark-com/reviews?page=3&qs=pros-and-cons§ion=pricing&secure%5Bexpires_at%5D=2026-07-16+02%3A44%3A23+-0500&secure%5Bsession_id%5D=531961ba-9ca2-4718-a33f-8e0afacf31ce&secure%5Btoken%5D=823fb497ac2c40180923ce24e803f5dde8336629222afcabc5313fa8c74b3894&format=llm_user) ## Bark.com Integrations - [Agentforce Sales (formerly Salesforce Sales Cloud)](https://www.g2.com/products/agentforce-sales-formerly-salesforce-sales-cloud/reviews) - [Zapier](https://www.g2.com/products/zapier/reviews) ## Bark.com Features **Hiring** - RFP Creator - Messaging - Freelance Profiles **Project Management** - Guidelines and Policies - Workflow Builder - Digital Asset Management **Payment** - Secure Payments - Multi-Currency Payments ## Top Bark.com Alternatives - [Upwork](https://www.g2.com/products/upwork/reviews) - 4.5/5.0 (3,099 reviews) - [Fiverr](https://www.g2.com/products/fiverr/reviews) - 4.3/5.0 (456 reviews) - [Skyword360](https://www.g2.com/products/skyword360/reviews) - 4.3/5.0 (196 reviews)