Bark
reviews and complaints

I gotta say, I had a pretty terrible experience with Bark. I wouldn't recommend them to anyone. They straight up stole my money and didn't provide the services I paid for. It's been over a week and I still haven't received anything. I hired them to create some professional documents for me, but the drafts they provided were way below standard. They were full of spelling and grammatical errors, and they even copied and pasted stuff from other people's documents into mine. That's a total breach of GDPR and data protection laws. When I tried to give them feedback and get them to fix the errors, they just ignored me. And now they won't even respond to my calls or emails.

So I contacted Bark customer service to complain and ask for a refund, but they were no help at all. They just told me it was an "internal issue" and that they don't give refunds. I can't believe they're allowed to operate like this. It's a total scam. Don't waste your money on these bandits.

Bark has been a complete waste of my time, money, and effort! I invested R3000 in their "guaranteed hire promise" and thought that I would be able to recover my investment with just one hire. However, I never received even a single job from all the leads that I had bought with the credits they gave me.

I tried my best to close meetings with these leads, but every single one was a waste of time and money. They claim to offer quality leads, but I can tell you that 90% of their leads are trash. The leads they provide are not serious and are just looking, can't afford the services, are not ready, or never even requested any services.

I made sure to only buy leads that looked good and had the budget, but none of them closed or even got close to closing. I was very disappointed, but I carried on. When I finally accepted that it wasn't working, I asked for help. However, their staff was rude and told me that it was my fault and that they did everything right. This is simply not true.

I went through the 33 leads that I had bought, each costing between R150 to R300 per lead. Of the 33 leads, 7 had incorrect contact information, and my company was unable to contact them using multiple ways, including calls, emails, and WhatsApp. I contacted Bark and asked if they could credit my account for the 7 leads with incorrect contact details, but they denied my request.

Bark came up with multiple excuses and loopholes to not credit a single lead, even those with obviously fake email addresses. They are a scam and prey on small businesses, giving them false hopes of success.

When I used my first 250 credits, I got nothing and had to fight with them just to get the credits refunded to try again. That means of 500 credits, none turned into business. We run a business where we refund a client in cash if we don't reach the goals that we promised.

If you are a small business looking to get new business, stay away from Bark and go employ a marketing company to do lead generation for you. My requests to Bark were reasonable, and I tried to solve this professionally, but they have staff that are ready to give you excuse upon excuse once you need their help.

In conclusion, I highly recommend that you stay away from Bark. They are a complete waste of time and money, and their staff is rude and unhelpful.

This is my second email to Bark and I have to say, I am not happy with their services. It is clear that Bark is avoiding the topic of refunding my money. They claim that they will refund all the money if not one project was closed, but they are not living up to their promise. I find it funny how they get paid to scare Bark customers away to the point where they will never see a new dollar from me ever again. This is the reason why Thumbtack is better than Bark.

I will report Bark as fraudulent to any needed Government Source and Organization, not to mention Better Business Bureau, Google Reviews, Yelp Reviews, TV, Radio, Trust Pilot, and more. This will cost Bark more money and their position than the $277.20 they need to refund me.

When you search for Bark Reviews on Google, the first Google Page under Better Business Bureau says that Bark is a terrible company that overcharges and is openly dishonest about their ability to provide services. They have a huge problem with scam artists. This is making them lose a lot of money and leading them to close down Bark Business. They do not know how to run it and are illegally stealing money from other people.

It is funny how Antonino tries to burn time by trying to explain what he thinks Bark is and is not because I know what Bark is. They need to stop trying to avoid topics and issues that need to be resolved. They need to stop lying and being fake. My word of mouth will be nothing but the ugly truth about Bark, and word of mouth is the metal fist that knocks the most money out of their name.

I am glad I will post this email everywhere until Bark closes down for illegal online activity like Payless. They will hear from my lawyer for their 3 weeks of illegal activity and fraudulent marketing on their website. They said they would give all the money back if not 1 project out of 10 projects weekly did not close.

I do not want any credit refund to my Bark Account. What I want is my full money refunded right back to my account, and I want them to close my Bark Account. They will never see me put a foot again in Bark.

I have outstanding excellent Royal Level Construction Services, and I called all customers as soon as customer information was provided. Out of 7 leads, 6 leads did not ring, so there was no answer, no response to emails or texts.

In conclusion, I am not happy with their lies, their poor quality service, and their fake and nasty behavior. I want them to give me all my money back and close my account. Bark is an illegal fraud, and I will report it to the authorities so they can close down Bark for illegal activity.

Below are screenshot pictures of my internal Bark Account, and you can see how many times I called customers and emailed customers and left voice messages, and 0 replies from customers. Once you pay the lead to Bark, they do not give the customer's address.

Bark is an illegal company, and the global government needs to shut down Bark Illegal Company.

Bark is a platform that is heavily advertised for creative and other services. They are often the top sponsored result when searching for creative professionals. However, the platform is structured in a way that anyone who is curious about the costs for various jobs and services has to post a bid request and cannot just browse. This methodology makes Bark a lot of money, as on average, most jobs that might only pay $100 to $300 cost $20 or more per lead.

Bark claims that customers are vetted, but it's a basic and poorly structured automated series of questions. By default, customers basically have to "fake" a bid request just to get an idea of pricing and what's available. Customers are not explicitly told that their requests cost money to professionals to answer, so "vetting" of customers is basically a farce. Most don't understand the platform well and are first-time users who are merely curious. Bark is making up to 5 professionals pay for "leads" per bid that often isn't real or the customer just wanted to know pricing, etc.

Often enough, other professionals will post requests as well, either by accident or to benchmark their local competition. Bark says they will refund credits for bad leads where the customer made an error, etc., but only if they can phone them up and confirm, etc. They are generally nice enough to credit back when the customer doesn't respond, but lately, reps have stated they won't credit back if a poor lead doesn't respond to their attempts to verify a mistake happened (or they suggest you email and get them to admit a mistake in writing).

Which is the critical issue. Customers that were never serious or changed their mind have no interest in responding to some annoying rep calling to ask them what happened. Let alone when the wrong phone number is posted, etc. This kind of thing is extremely common, and when paying $20 or more for a lead, it becomes such a rat race to call up and ask nicely for your money back on multiple leads you've been careful to ensure you are the first responder (often minutes after the job is requested).

That's not vetting, and this company makes a lot of money for basically just empty advertising. They don't really vet providers or customers; they just have a heavy SEO campaign. Lead services are all sometimes frustrating, but Bark's pricing is outrageous, and even when courteous enough to refund bad leads, there's a limit, and it's also a lot of time wasted. They want to sell "packages" of credits for hundreds of dollars and structure everything so that there is a high volume of low-quality leads. Then they try to upsell on premium services like "Bark Elite," where they provide features other platforms have by default (such as the customer seeing your profile first). Thumbtack and others let customers look at profiles without creating a bid as well and get an idea of average pricing.

All of this to say the time investment and return rate is so poor with Bark that you often barely make more than you're spending on leads, even when extremely careful to pick leads that appear serious and are written clearly. Bark often responds to these complaints with "success tips" that sidestep the very intentional flaws in their methodology.

This is a service that might be useful if you have a lot of excess capital to spend on a few diamond in the rough leads, but it is not appropriate for most small-time businesses that can't afford the time or money to get roughly 10% acceptance rate on "pre-vetted" leads. Credit packs start at $100, and it's enough to bid on 5 to 7 jobs. You might get one job that pays $100 or $200 out of that at most. Bark made $50 to $125 on that lead from up to 5 pros buying the same lead and tons of money on the 5 or 6 other leads where multiple pros responded, often none getting a response.

All that pays for a strong advertising campaign and a high margin for Bark...you get the idea. If you have a strong portfolio already, it's much more efficient to do your own search engine optimization and spend maybe 30% of even the low end of a month on Bark. You'll get more calls and people legitimately interested with the same amount of "vetting" this service provides.

I started with Bark because it appeared like it had more work on a daily basis, but it's mostly window shopping or outright fake requests. I would suggest doing your marketing and casual use of other platforms than Bark, even if they appear to have less traffic because often they have a bit more qualifiers for the customer or don't encourage the same kind of low-quality high-volume leads.

As a professional working in the security industry, I want to share my experience with Bark (bark.com) and caution others in my field against using this platform. I have found that the leads I have received from Bark have been disappointing, with 80% of them being people looking for a job rather than potential clients seeking security services. Additionally, 20% of the leads did not respond to any attempts to initiate contact. When I brought this issue to Bark's attention, they did offer to refund my credits for leads that were confirmed to be job seekers, but I lost the credits for the unresponsive leads. Despite being on the platform for several months, I have yet to receive any viable leads.

Bark advertises a guarantee that users will be able to secure at least one client through their service, but this has not been my experience. It is worth noting that the guarantee only applies to the first purchase of credits, and any subsequent credits purchased do not come with the same protection. I advise against purchasing additional credits on this platform, as I have found the leads to be of poor quality and unsatisfactory.

Moreover, Bark's lead vetting process seems inadequate; they consider a mobile number and email address as sufficient evidence of a viable lead, which has not proven to be accurate in my experience. I have encountered several false leads from individuals who had no real need for security services. If Bark were to properly vet their leads, it would significantly reduce the number of fake leads.

In summary, while Bark may be satisfactory for other industries, it has not been effective for the security industry. I do not recommend wasting resources on this platform and instead suggest investing time and money into self-advertisement.

If you're considering using Bark (bark.com) to advertise your business or to hire a professional, I highly recommend doing your own research and reading all the complaints before you invest your time or money. As someone who has used the site to advertise two businesses, I have had some serious concerns and frustrations with the platform.

Firstly, it's important to note that Bark is a UK based company that claims to be "ex GST." However, as an overseas company, it may be illegal for them to charge GST to New Zealand clients. Additionally, their currency charging can be misleading, as they may not disclose what currency they are charging and why.

Another issue I have encountered is the lack of transparency around pricing. The site displays a New Zealand flag icon, but may only show pricing in USD, which can be confusing for New Zealand consumers. Furthermore, I have found their fees to be excessive, with charges of up to $65 for a lead, which can be obtained through other platforms for far less.

What is most concerning, however, is the lack of consumer protection for users of Bark. As a business owner or professional listed on the site, there is little vetting or verification of qualifications, leading to potentially dodgy or fraudulent individuals using the platform to scam unsuspecting clients. Additionally, the site does not offer any options to cancel services or to manually control top-ups, leaving users feeling out of control.

Finally, there have been instances of misleading or false advertising on the site, with claims of false reviews or elite status for professionals who have not earned it. If you choose to use Bark, I strongly advise contacting relevant governing bodies for consumer and commerce law, online consumer protection, credit card transactions, and more to ensure that your rights and interests are protected.

Bark.com is an online platform that allows businesses to connect with potential customers. It is a user-friendly website, making it easy for sellers to find leads. However, the quality of leads on Bark.com is very low. For the amount of credits sellers must buy, at the equivalent of ?1.20 per credit, and the fee per lead, ranging from 8 to 20 credits, sellers run through credits rapidly due to the poor quality of leads.

There are a few scenarios that often occur after a seller has paid for a lead through Bark.com. For one, sellers attempt to engage with the customer but they go silent. Alternatively, the customer may not respond altogether or the lead may randomly close not long after opening. Additionally, customers often look for low price services or are unable to afford the work but request to enter a joint venture with the seller. Some even require free consultation. The job offered may also be worth very little, or customers may show initial excitement only to lose interest quickly. Unfortunately, these experiences can discourage even the most seasoned freelancers and the platform doesn't seem to make its money back on the lead spend.

At the time of writing this review in May 2020, the platform doesn't compensate for the seller's cost and effort to pursue the leads. In one example, a seller spent over ?460.80 (including VAT) and only received ?260 worth of business. One lead was even a freeloader who only sought free work done. In conclusion, the conversion rate for business is low and the quality of leads is poor.

However, Bark.com does have a few things going for it. The interface is user-friendly and functions as a CRM. It also allows the seller to keep track of customer interactions on the platform. Despite these positive features, sellers are advised to approach this platform with caution. Bark.com can easily waste a seller's time and money if they aren't careful with filtering its poor quality leads.

As someone who is constantly on the lookout for new leads, I was intrigued by the concept of Bark. However, my experience with the platform was disappointing to say the least. The credit system is confusing and seems to be based on random values, which makes it difficult for businesses to budget effectively. Moreover, the platform's Elite Pro subscription offers little value, as it simply puts your profile and contact details in front of leads who are then directed to use Bark's internal messaging system instead. This makes it harder for businesses to make direct contact with leads, which only adds to the frustration.

To make matters worse, my experience with Bark's customer service team left a lot to be desired. When I tried to offer feedback about the platform's shortcomings, I was quickly shut down and told that Bark deals with over 2000 industries, implying that my feedback wasn't important. Ultimately, I was left feeling like just another customer to Bark, despite paying for their Elite Pro service.

In conclusion, while I was initially impressed by Bark's concept, I ultimately found the platform to be poorly executed and overpriced. The confusing credit system, lackluster Elite Pro subscription, and unhelpful customer service team left a lot to be desired. While I hope that Bark will make improvements in the future, I would caution other businesses to approach the platform with caution.

As a service provider who has been using Bark, I have to say that their platform has some major issues that need to be addressed. While we have managed to secure a couple of jobs through them, the overall experience has not been great. One of the main concerns we have is the lack of qualification of job posters. We end up spending a lot of money on credits, only to find that many of the job posters are not genuinely looking for services or ready to make a purchase.

Another issue we have come across is that the job posters are often not aware that their listing is being sent out to national providers, when in fact they are only looking for local providers. This can be frustrating for all concerned and wastes a lot of time and effort. The credits used in this instance are also not refunded.

While Bark claims that they qualify everyone, this is far from the truth. The questions asked in the submission form are vague at best, and there's no effort made to validate or qualify the lead after the form has been filled out. The emails and phone numbers provided are often non-working, making it difficult to contact the job poster. This is especially disappointing given the high cost of credits.

Bark's customer service is also another area that needs improvement. They can be rude and unhelpful when faced with issues with their platform. As service providers who are essentially paying their bills, it's unfair to be treated in such a dismissive manner.

To improve their platform, Bark needs to listen to the feedback and concerns of the service providers who use their platform. They should consider having job posters submit their budgets when posting a job, as this allows providers to make better-informed decisions about who to submit to. Additionally, job posters should be required to confirm their posting by email or automated call before it's sent out to providers.

Overall, Bark needs to do a better job of qualifying leads and ensuring that their platform is working for the providers who use it. Without the support of service providers, Bark's business model will ultimately be unsustainable.

Bark is a company that claims to provide quality services, however, my personal experience with the company was not pleasant. I had paid over $200 to receive leads for my business, but after being denied a refund and receiving leads that turned out to be mostly fake, my trust in their product was shattered.

As a licensed professional, I conducted my own investigation and found that only one out of fifteen leads I received actually belonged to a real person. The rest were disconnected phone numbers or leads that mysteriously shut down their phone lines after submitting a request for a quote. Some even hung up the phone without saying anything, leaving me to hear chatter in the background, as if I had reached a call center.

Upon further investigation, I discovered that this company may be using Bots to manage their so-called customer profiles. This is very concerning because Bots can perpetrate personas of real people, which means the leads given to vendors may be fake. It also means that the emails and messages sent to me may have been generated by Bots as well.

To add insult to injury, when I requested a refund, I was denied and instead given credits to try again. This shows that the company has no problem recycling old leads, which may explain why so many of the leads I received were fake.

I believe that vendors who purchase customer leads from a company should be assured that the leads are fresh and from real people, in real time. This was not the case with Bark, and I suspect that their methods of getting leads are unethical and unreliable.

In conclusion, my experience with Bark was extremely disappointing and I would caution anyone considering using their services.

Bark.com is an online platform that connects service providers with potential clients, and while it may sound like a convenient way to find work, there are some serious issues with the platform that need to be addressed. One of the biggest problems is the lack of transparency when it comes to billing, with many users reporting unexpected charges, auto-renewals, and difficulty obtaining refunds for credits. Even worse, there are allegations that Bark.com is engaging in a scam where they continue to charge providers for leads that have already been filled, leading to wasted time and money on the part of the service provider.

In addition to these issues, many users have also reported a lack of success in actually finding work through the platform. Despite paying for leads, they rarely hear back from clients and are left with wasted time and money. This could be due, in part, to the fact that many clients are simply shopping around for quotes and are not actually serious about hiring anyone for the job. Meanwhile, Bark.com continues to make money by charging providers for these dead leads, further adding to the frustration.

Perhaps the most concerning aspect of Bark.com's practices is the difficulty in obtaining refunds, with many users reporting that they were unable to receive a refund even after cancelling their credit card. It's clear that Bark.com needs to do more to address these issues and provide greater transparency and accountability to their users. Until these changes are made, it's recommended that service providers exercise caution when using Bark.com, and look to other platforms or local advertising options to find work. If you do have a bad experience with Bark.com, be sure to report it to the Better Business Bureau or other consumer protection agencies.

Dear Kai Feller and Bark Customer Services,

As a Lettings and Property management company based in London E15, we have been utilizing Bark for a year now as loyal customers paying for a monthly premium service of ?23+pcm in addition to purchasing credits for leads. Bark is supposed to provide authentic leads to our company, which can be a challenge at times as they are not always in our preferred areas. Nevertheless, we keep an eye on our account in the hope that we may find/attract a landlord in our preferred vicinity.

The process of purchasing leads via credits may seem simple, however, the reliability and quality are often questionable, as we have come across some bogus landlords. Recently, we received a lead/message that suggested a landlord was looking for property management services and finally in an area that we would love to respond to. We promptly took action and contacted the landlord, being the first letting agent to do so before others tried their luck.

To our dismay, after purchasing the lead for 8 credits and obtaining the landlord's contact information, we discovered that they were just a tenant looking to move into a 3 bedroom property. We immediately contacted Bark customer service and explained the situation, but instead of understanding the predicament, we received a rather unsympathetic response from Megan, essentially blaming us for not properly deciphering the landlord's message.

This experience has left us feeling disappointed and discouraged, especially given the current climate of companies collapsing and the Black Lives Matter movement. We would like to see companies take a more holistic approach when it comes to their customers and the public's needs. We understand that mistakes can happen, but it's how they are handled that sets a company apart.

We had hoped for a simple fix from Bark, but out of principle, we have decided to stop working with them immediately. We would advise other Letting and Property management companies to stay away from Bark, as it encourages the spread of an undesirable mindset. As customers, we expect to receive what we deserve from a company that sells us the dream of helping our business grow. Unfortunately, our experience with Bark did not meet our expectations, and instead, we felt like we were just another victim of a "company takes your money for years and soon as you complain there is no love" situation.

We request that Bark/Algorithm refrain from making apologies or resolving the issue through a call. We have made our decision and do not wish to discuss the matter further.

Sincerely,

Harvey

As someone who had received emails from Bark.com for a couple of years, I finally decided to give the website a try for my company. I was excited to see that they offered options for structural engineer and surveyor services, which I needed for my work. After filling out some details about my company and providing a description, I purchased some leads through the site.

However, I quickly discovered some issues with the quality of services offered and the lack of verification of professionals on Bark. While the site listed the services of qualified and certified structural engineers and building surveyors, there was no quality check or professional qualification search on the part of Bark. This means that anyone can claim to be a structural engineer or building surveyor on the site, even if they aren't qualified or have the necessary PI and PL insurances.

As a result, non-qualified persons are able to pretend to be professionals and offer services through Bark with no way for clients to verify their competence and qualifications. This has led to the underpricing of professional services and inferior quality work that can have detrimental consequences for clients, especially when it comes to the health and safety of construction sites. Even for domestic projects, the HSE under CDM 2015 requires a certain level of rigor and expertise that inexperienced individuals may not possess.

Furthermore, Bark encourages clients to ask for quotes online rather than investigating a property and any potential hazards, which goes against HSE guidelines. This can result in professionals not collecting necessary preconstruction information or underestimating risks from hazards like asbestos or hidden critical elements.

Despite my concerns, Bark ignored my email and has yet to address these issues. I believe that Bark could easily resolve this by filtering only companies and individuals that meet the minimum requirements for qualifications and industry standards. These include professionals with degrees, charted engineers and surveyors, UKAS certified integrated management systems, proven competence in HSE and CDM 2015 through SSIP or other accepted certification bodies, and a minimum of 2 million PI and 5 million public liability insurance.

Overall, the internet search for professionals in the construction and design industries needs to be regulated to prevent potential failings and structural collapses. My experience with Bark has shown that more needs to be done to ensure that clients are receiving services from competent and qualified professionals.

Bark.com is a lead-based service that connects consumers with various service professionals. At first glance, it seems like a great platform, but the more you use it, the more cracks begin to show. Some leads can potentially be fake and unresponsive, leaving customers feeling disconnected and frustrated. On top of that, the site is constantly glitching and can be challenging to navigate, which is incredibly frustrating for those investing time and money into the platform. Customer service is lacking, with too many apologies and excuses and little to no corrective action taken to resolve issues.

One of the most significant issues with Bark.com is the lack of transparency around its credit system. Many users report being charged for credits they didn't authorize, and the process for requesting refunds or credits is complicated and frustrating. The site promises guaranteed clients that will generate greater profits than the cost of leads, but it's not always clear what the budget range is for potential leads, leaving service providers at a disadvantage. The credit experience has been compared to a communist credit banking system, with users feeling manipulated and conditioned to behave in certain ways in exchange for rewards.

Many users have reported feeling like lab rats, chasing after leads and rewards that never seem to materialize. The name "Bark" itself is Pavlovian and reinforces the idea that users should be constantly chasing after rewards, even when those rewards are meager or nonexistent. There is a pervasive sense that the platform is manipulating users for its own gain, and many feel like their time and energy have been wasted.

This lack of authenticity is a significant concern for many users, who feel like the platform is more concerned with data mining than with helping users connect with real clients. The credit system feels like a black box, and there are concerns about where user data is going. The company is registered in Delaware, a state known for its corporate tax benefits, which raises further suspicions about the company's motivations.

Overall, many users recommend staying away from Bark.com and urge others to investigate the company further. There are too many concerns about the platform's transparency and authenticity, and many users feel like they've been taken advantage of. While there may be some genuine leads to be found on the platform, the risk of wasting time and money on fake or unresponsive leads seems too high.

We have been trying to get bark Home functioning since July. iOS compatibility is one issue. The other is the bark home device will not work and has not since July. Bark is unable to support their product unfortunately, it might be a router compatibility issue, but no one answered my question about it when I asked. What might take 10 minutes to resolve with a call or live chat often takes weeks and is never resolved by way of email. 24 to 48 hour response times is not ok.

Conceptually bark is great, but bark is cutting corners and is unable to support their product. They might need to consider getting rid of their AI front end and hire tier two support techs.

If your child has an iOS device stay away from bark. It will be easier and less time consuming to just manually monitor everything.

As a professional working in the security industry, I want to share my experience with Bark (bark.com) and caution others in my field against using this platform. I have found that the leads I have received from Bark have been disappointing, with 80% of them being people looking for a job rather than potential clients seeking security services. Additionally, 20% of the leads did not respond to any attempts to initiate contact. When I brought this issue to Bark's attention, they did offer to refund my credits for leads that were confirmed to be job seekers, but I lost the credits for the unresponsive leads. Despite being on the platform for several months, I have yet to receive any viable leads.

Bark advertises a guarantee that users will be able to secure at least one client through their service, but this has not been my experience. It is worth noting that the guarantee only applies to the first purchase of credits, and any subsequent credits purchased do not come with the same protection. I advise against purchasing additional credits on this platform, as I have found the leads to be of poor quality and unsatisfactory.

Moreover, Bark's lead vetting process seems inadequate; they consider a mobile number and email address as sufficient evidence of a viable lead, which has not proven to be accurate in my experience. I have encountered several false leads from individuals who had no real need for security services. If Bark were to properly vet their leads, it would significantly reduce the number of fake leads.

In summary, while Bark may be satisfactory for other industries, it has not been effective for the security industry. I do not recommend wasting resources on this platform and instead suggest investing time and money into self-advertisement.

If you're considering using Bark (bark.com) to advertise your business or to hire a professional, I highly recommend doing your own research and reading all the complaints before you invest your time or money. As someone who has used the site to advertise two businesses, I have had some serious concerns and frustrations with the platform.

Firstly, it's important to note that Bark is a UK based company that claims to be "ex GST." However, as an overseas company, it may be illegal for them to charge GST to New Zealand clients. Additionally, their currency charging can be misleading, as they may not disclose what currency they are charging and why.

Another issue I have encountered is the lack of transparency around pricing. The site displays a New Zealand flag icon, but may only show pricing in USD, which can be confusing for New Zealand consumers. Furthermore, I have found their fees to be excessive, with charges of up to $65 for a lead, which can be obtained through other platforms for far less.

What is most concerning, however, is the lack of consumer protection for users of Bark. As a business owner or professional listed on the site, there is little vetting or verification of qualifications, leading to potentially dodgy or fraudulent individuals using the platform to scam unsuspecting clients. Additionally, the site does not offer any options to cancel services or to manually control top-ups, leaving users feeling out of control.

Finally, there have been instances of misleading or false advertising on the site, with claims of false reviews or elite status for professionals who have not earned it. If you choose to use Bark, I strongly advise contacting relevant governing bodies for consumer and commerce law, online consumer protection, credit card transactions, and more to ensure that your rights and interests are protected.

Bark.com is an online platform that allows businesses to connect with potential customers. It is a user-friendly website, making it easy for sellers to find leads. However, the quality of leads on Bark.com is very low. For the amount of credits sellers must buy, at the equivalent of ?1.20 per credit, and the fee per lead, ranging from 8 to 20 credits, sellers run through credits rapidly due to the poor quality of leads.

There are a few scenarios that often occur after a seller has paid for a lead through Bark.com. For one, sellers attempt to engage with the customer but they go silent. Alternatively, the customer may not respond altogether or the lead may randomly close not long after opening. Additionally, customers often look for low price services or are unable to afford the work but request to enter a joint venture with the seller. Some even require free consultation. The job offered may also be worth very little, or customers may show initial excitement only to lose interest quickly. Unfortunately, these experiences can discourage even the most seasoned freelancers and the platform doesn't seem to make its money back on the lead spend.

At the time of writing this review in May 2020, the platform doesn't compensate for the seller's cost and effort to pursue the leads. In one example, a seller spent over ?460.80 (including VAT) and only received ?260 worth of business. One lead was even a freeloader who only sought free work done. In conclusion, the conversion rate for business is low and the quality of leads is poor.

However, Bark.com does have a few things going for it. The interface is user-friendly and functions as a CRM. It also allows the seller to keep track of customer interactions on the platform. Despite these positive features, sellers are advised to approach this platform with caution. Bark.com can easily waste a seller's time and money if they aren't careful with filtering its poor quality leads.

As someone who is constantly on the lookout for new leads, I was intrigued by the concept of Bark. However, my experience with the platform was disappointing to say the least. The credit system is confusing and seems to be based on random values, which makes it difficult for businesses to budget effectively. Moreover, the platform's Elite Pro subscription offers little value, as it simply puts your profile and contact details in front of leads who are then directed to use Bark's internal messaging system instead. This makes it harder for businesses to make direct contact with leads, which only adds to the frustration.

To make matters worse, my experience with Bark's customer service team left a lot to be desired. When I tried to offer feedback about the platform's shortcomings, I was quickly shut down and told that Bark deals with over 2000 industries, implying that my feedback wasn't important. Ultimately, I was left feeling like just another customer to Bark, despite paying for their Elite Pro service.

In conclusion, while I was initially impressed by Bark's concept, I ultimately found the platform to be poorly executed and overpriced. The confusing credit system, lackluster Elite Pro subscription, and unhelpful customer service team left a lot to be desired. While I hope that Bark will make improvements in the future, I would caution other businesses to approach the platform with caution.

I been with Bark.com for 7 months now, and I gotta say, it's been a real rollercoaster ride. I bought over 300 leads, but only 8 of them were actually legit. And let me tell you, most of the leads don't even bother to reply back, they just ghost you. It's like they don't care about the service they're requesting. They change their minds, or give the job to their family and friends. And if that happens, Bark won't even return the credits you used to purchase that lead. That's just not fair, man.

The thing is, Bark makes all its money from people like me, who are trying to sell their services. And their support team is just plain rude, especially over the phone. It's like they don't care about us at all. So, I stopped paying them 3 months ago, and I still had 400 credits left on my account. But now, I only have 160 left, and I haven't hired anyone yet. It's frustrating, you know? I send follow-up messages every day, but most of them just ghost me. And even if they change their minds, Bark won't give me my credits back. That's just messed up.

I have dozens of 5-star reviews on my Bark profile, so it's not like I'm bad at what I do. But something's not adding up here. Bark only gives you credits back if the number of the person posting is not valid or not in service. And another thing, companies are farming out services from Canada to India, and they're charging way less than what we charge. It's just not worth it, man.

I'm not giving Bark any more of my money. They don't reward their sellers like me, and that's just not right. I don't mind losing a lead to someone else on Bark, but losing a lead in the way I mentioned above is just not cool. It's a waste of time and money, and Bark gets to profit from it. That's just not fair.

I can't prove it yet, but I think Bark might be hiring people to post fake requests for services, just to get us sellers to bid on them. It's like they're trying to keep their profits soaring. And every time I talk to their support team, it's like talking to an ex who cheated on you. It's just not a good vibe, man.

So, my advice is to stay away from Bark. Find another method. I hope I can get my money's worth and ROI on my investment.

I am writing to bring to attention a recent incident that has caused significant disruption to my business operations on your platform.

On 6 Jun 2023, 23:36 BST, my account, contact (at) coldblud.com, had been unexpectedly deleted by employee Martin without any prior notice or apparent reason. This deletion resulted in the loss of all the money I had invested and the leads I had purchased through your platform. I was taken aback by this action, as it severely impacted my ability to conduct business effectively.

In an attempt to seek support and clarification, I promptly contacted your customer service department (call log 6 Jun 2023, 23:57 BST). Regrettably, my experience was far from satisfactory. I was met with rudeness from a male employee, who abruptly hung up on me without providing me with an opportunity to explain the issue I was facing. Such treatment left me frustrated and disappointed, as I expected better from a company like Bark.com.

Considering the gravity of this situation, I am concerned whether such actions are a normal practice within your company. The sudden deletion of my account, coupled with the unprofessional behavior of your customer service representative, has raised doubts in my mind about the reliability and professionalism of Bark.com's services.

So, I signed up for bark.us to keep my kids safe online. They charged me $99, but I can't even use it. I've been emailing them back and forth, but they ain't helping me out. This company is a total sham and everyone needs to know about it. Any help would be appreciated.

Bark is a real pain in the neck. We've wasted so much time trying to get it to work right. You can't just call them up when you need help - you have to schedule a call in advance. And when we tried to do that, they were booked up for 11 whole days! What kind of business is that? We've spent hours on the phone with Bark and Apple, trying to get our kids' devices to sync up with Bark. But it seems like every time we get it working, it breaks again a few weeks later. It's been a total waste of time. We asked for our money back when it auto-renewed in July, but Bark talked us into trying to fix the problems instead. And when it broke again, they refused to give us our money back. We've emailed them a bunch of times, but they won't call us back or give us a refund. It's really frustrating.

As a small business owner, I was excited to try out Bark (bark.com) as a way to connect with potential clients. However, my experience with the platform left much to be desired. My first issue arose when I used my one free lead and contacted a supposed client who turned out not to be interested in my services at all. I was embarrassed for disturbing this individual, and I immediately contacted Bark to try to get credit for the lead that was essentially wasted.

Unfortunately, contacting Bark's support team proved to be a challenge in and of itself. The provided email link did not work and required me to copy and paste the URL into my browser. Finally, I did receive a response back from Liam, who assured me that another free response had been provided as a replacement for the wasted lead. However, when I logged into my profile, I discovered that I had not actually been credited for the lost lead.

My frustration continued when I decided to purchase a starter package using Bark's 20% off promotion. Despite being quoted one price over the phone, I was charged significantly more when I went to complete the purchase. Further, when I attempted to use my payment cards, I received errors from Bark's system indicating that my bank was denying payment. However, upon contacting my bank, I discovered that no attempts to process the payments had been made on behalf of Bark. Even after attempting to contact Bark's phone number, I was unable to receive any assistance with this issue.

While I had high hopes for Bark as a potential lead generation tool, these issues have left me feeling disillusioned and frustrated. As a result, I have decided to seek out other options for my business needs. I believe that Bark has potential to be an effective platform with better customer service and more reliable leads, but until improvements are made, it cannot be recommended as a trusted business tool.

When I heard about Bark.com's "money back" policy for its leads service, I thought it sounded like a great way to do business. With so many online services out there taking advantage of small businesses, I was pleased to hear that Bark offered a fair shake. The customer service representative I spoke with had an English accent and explained that if I didn't get a job within 10 days, they would credit me the money I had paid. Feeling reassured, I signed up for $132 plus an ISA fee of $3.96, for a total charge of $135.96.

But things didn't go as smoothly as I had hoped. While I was funneled lots of leads, responding to them all quickly ate through my $132 budget. I was surprised when I received a charge for another $132, as I had thought my initial purchase covered everything. When I called to inquire about the charge, the second customer service representative I spoke with assured me that if none of the leads panned out, I could call back and they would credit me.

Ten days came and went, and I still hadn't landed a job through Bark's service. I called back as promised, but when they told me my credit would be in the form of $165.00 of Bark.com 'bid monies', I was completely taken aback. That was not what I had been told by the sales representatives, and it felt like a scam. I waited several days for the credit to appear in my bank account, but it never did.

In the end, I am left feeling disappointed and frustrated by Bark.com. Though I had high hopes for their service, I feel that they have not been transparent or honest with me. If you are a small business looking to use their leads service, I would urge you to proceed with caution and keep in mind that their money back policy may not be as straightforward as it seems.

I recently joined Bark, a website that connects pet owners with various services, as a grief counsellor for pet owners. Since my business was new, I decided to pay for leads so that I could receive clients who needed counselling. However, my experience with Bark left me suspicious about their practices.

After contacting several leads without receiving any response, I decided to sign up as a potential pet owner in search of counselling services. To my surprise, Bark only recommended businesses that had been on their platform for a long time and had already worked with many clients. I was shocked to realize that my new business did not even come up in the search results despite providing my exact criteria and location.

When I reached out to Bark for a refund, I was told that I couldn't have one. Instead, they sent me a link that offered tips on how to attract clients. This left me feeling disappointed and resentful towards their dishonesty. To add insult to injury, I also learned that they had charged me for an Elite Pro membership without my permission. Upon discovering this, I requested a refund, which took several emails to achieve.

Eventually, I decided to cancel my credit card to ensure that Bark could no longer charge me for their fraudulent practices. I also contacted them repeatedly to remove my business from their site, which was a long and arduous process.

In my opinion, Bark is nothing more than a scam that preys on new businesses looking to grow. While they may claim to have benevolent intentions, they are only interested in siphoning funds from their customers. They even go so far as to stalk message boards to respond to negative reviews, claiming to "reach out" to their customers, but this couldn't be further from the truth. I would strongly advise anyone to steer clear of this website to avoid falling victim to their deceitful practices.

I would not recommend working with Daniel of Morden Grass. Unfortunately, we had a terrible experience with him. We had advanced him R5500 out of the R8000 agreed upon for the job - and he promptly absconded with the materials that we had bought with our hard-earned money. His outrageous demand upon returning was that we pay him the remaining R2500 before he even laid the grass down. Clearly, his business ethics and integrity are non-existent.

From the outset, he was difficult to work with, he talks too much and seemed to not value our opinion as the customer. He first pretended to have forgotten that his job summary included the buying of cobbles - which he brought back in the wrong color (probably the cheapest one on the market). When we highlighted the mistake to him, he promised to rectify the error.

As we were picking up our daughter from a play date, we were surprised to find out that Daniel had disappeared with all the materials including the grass. This was after having been advanced R5500. He left us with no choice other than to lay a charge of theft with the Diep River Police Station. When he was later phoned by a sergeant, he had no option but to admit that he was paid for the materials. Even so, his response was to demand that we pay him the remaining R2500 before he would finish the job. This was not the arrangement we had agreed upon. On completion of the job, we would pay him the outstanding balance - this is normal practice in any trade.

To cut it short, we have advised him numerous times that we will pay him once the job is completed since it was stated on the job invoice. This is how any other vendor would expect to conduct their business. However, Daniel's response shows that he is clearly a law into himself. Due to his behavior, we cannot recommend doing business with him. We hope that this review helps others make informed decisions regarding who to work with to avoid unpleasant and costly surprises.

As someone who recently subscribed to Bark's services in Australia, I wanted to share my experience with others who may be considering signing up. To be honest, I am extremely disappointed and frustrated with this service. While their customer care team is responsive and helpful, the leads they provide are either fake or completely useless.

As a service provider, I understand how tough times are right now, which is why I was willing to invest in a lead generation platform that could help me grow my business. Unfortunately, Bark turned out to be a complete waste of my time and money. Not only did I end up calling innocent people who had no idea why I was contacting them, but I also feel that this experience has tarnished my brand.

Although Bark claims to have many satisfied customers, I have my doubts about the authenticity of these reviews. It's possible that they are using these reviews to trick unsuspecting service providers into signing up for their services.

When I tried to look for reviews online, I found that they had switched off the Facebook reviews, which is a big red flag. I also found that the 12 "leads" I received were all completely useless, despite having spent $520 on this service.

At the end of the day, I think that service providers should tread with caution before investing in Bark's services. While there is always a chance that you may be successful, the risk of wasting your hard-earned money and damaging your brand is just not worth it.

I truly hope that Bark can improve their services and provide real value to their customers in the future. Until then, I cannot recommend their services to anyone.

As a person who has had experience using online lead generation sites and apps, I have to say that I had high hopes for Bark.com. At first glance, the site seemed great, offering a lot of details about potential clients looking for services like mine - personal fitness training. However, my experience with the site turned out to be quite underwhelming, and costly at that!

I have spent hundreds of dollars on Bark.com to reach out to customers with barely any return on investment. While I have had a fair number of replies, I have only received one paying client from Bark.com. To put it mildly, that's not a great outcome.

The other people who did respond to my inquiries did not end up choosing me as their trainer, despite my pricing being among the lower end of the budget range they had submitted. It seemed quite fishy to me, as some people did not even respond at all, even after multiple attempts to reach out. This is not an isolated experience - this seems to be a recurring issue for many others who have used Bark.com, as evidenced by its poor reviews.

Another issue is that the frequency of leads on Bark.com is completely random - it is impossible to predict when you might receive a lead. You could get five leads in one week and then none for a month. This becomes especially frustrating when you're paying out for credits and not seeing any returns.

All in all, while the concept of Bark.com is good in theory, they seem to be falling short on delivering actual results for their paying customers. I would highly recommend seeking alternative ways to promote your services, rather than wasting money and time on Bark.com.

My experience with Bark started with an enticing email offering a free trial, which I accepted. However, to my surprise, my credit card details were already stored from a previous transaction, and I was unwittingly signed up for an ongoing service. I found this unethical and manipulative, especially as they did not inform me about it. It was only by chance that I discovered the charges on my credit card statement.

Moreover, Bark did not provide any invoices or receipts, and I had to search the portal for any indication of subscriptions, which was not clearly labeled. When I tried to contact their staff to resolve the issue, I was met with resistance, and there was no clear escalation procedure. To make matters worse, their legal team was only reachable through snail mail.

I voiced my complaints, urging them to escalate the matter to a manager, or I would leave negative reviews about their service, which seemed like clickbait. Only then did I receive an email from a director, terminating my account due to my multiple complaints against them. I was deeply disappointed by this experience and cannot recommend Bark to anyone.

When I initially heard about Bark (bark.com), I was excited to try it out, but unfortunately, my experience has not been great. Despite reading negative reviews, I decided to give it a go and spent a hefty amount of £1596.63 on leads over the last two months. In return, I only received £1950 worth of paid work, which didn't leave me with much profit.

One of the major issues I faced with Bark is the behavior of some people. They would reach out to my profile for a quote, but then fail to respond or answer phone calls, even after I spent £28 on an aerial photography lead. It can be soul-destroying, especially when you put in so much time and effort, and then get nothing in return. I also encountered instances where I called the person ten minutes after the Bark went live, only to be told that someone else has already taken the job. This misleads prospective customers, and it leaves suppliers like us feeling frustrated.

Another point of contention is the credit system. You need to buy credits using hard cash and then use those credits to bid for jobs. Each credit costs £1.20, which means that if you win a job, you may have to spend £33.60, even if the project pays no more than £250. It's a confusing and frustrating system, and it ultimately leaves you with costs that are much higher than you thought.

Bark also suggests a price range for jobs, which can devalue the work suppliers put into it. It creates a downward spiral where potential customers think that this amount is sufficient, but it's not enough to compensate for the time and experience a supplier brings to the table.

Overall, my experience with Bark was fairly balanced. While I knew I would break even, I had hoped to make a profit, but it wasn't to be. If you're great at selling your services over the phone, you may have a better experience than I did. However, the cost of time, petrol, and other expenses didn't make it worthwhile. I wish Bark would consider better options, such as only making suppliers pay for jobs they win. This model would benefit everyone involved, and I would be more likely to return to the platform.

I joined Bark.com a few months ago as a business looking for clients. Admittedly, I was excited about the prospect of receiving inquiries from potential clients who had specifically requested my services. And initially, it seemed to be working out great. I received a few inquiries that said they asked for me and my business personally! However, things started to take a turn for the worse after that.

Despite spending hundreds of dollars and answering many potential client requests, I never heard back from any of them. Even the ones that requested me personally didn't bother to respond to my emails, phone calls, and follow-ups. I felt like I was wasting my time and money. Upon contacting some of them, they immediately closed their request.

After months of buying credits and reaching out to these supposed "hot leads", I was beyond frustrated. I started to wonder if Bark was a scam and if these leads were garbage. When I asked Bark, they insisted that they weren't. However, the experiences of other frustrated customers led me to believe otherwise.

To make matters worse, Bark shamefully baited and switched me. As I was buying a package of credits, I saw a pop-up offering 10% off. I wear glasses and didn't see the fine print that said I would be charged extra. Instead of paying $50 for credits, I ended up buying $95. When I tried to get a refund, Bark refused, seemingly because I had already used some of the credits.

Through my research, I found out that countless others had similar experiences with Bark. Many people regarded it as a scam, and I now agree. It's a great business model for customers looking for a deal, but for businesses seeking clients, it's an awful investment. You'll only get time-wasters, unmotivated buyers, and people who don't even want to receive your emails.

In conclusion, Bark seems to be a fraudulent business that doesn't honor its promises. I would not recommend it to any business looking to gain real clients.

My experience with Bark (bark.com) was extremely frustrating and disappointing. Initially, I was lured in by a glowing review that it turns out was written by the company itself. After providing my email address and details about the type of work I was seeking, I began receiving emails right away. But to my dismay, the opportunities they were sending me were completely irrelevant to what I had specified.

I reached out to Bark to express my frustration, but it was clear that they weren't interested in listening. Instead, they charged me a fee of ?288 without even notifying me beforehand. I was shocked to find this charge on my bank statement and quickly contacted my bank to dispute it.

The response I received from Bark was incredibly disappointing. Despite my protests, they insisted that I had used their service and therefore, the fee was valid. They showed no concern for the fact that I had never actually agreed to use their service in the first place.

To make matters worse, I discovered that Bark may have gained access to my card details through their reseller network, which is incredibly concerning. The fact that they are affiliated with companies that may be engaging in sketchy tactics is enough to make me want to stay far away from Bark and their affiliates in the future.

Overall, my experience with Bark has been disappointing, to say the least. I strongly advise anyone reading this to avoid Bark at all costs. They are not a trustworthy company and have shown themselves to be dishonest and lacking in integrity.