By: Eric Goldman

Eric Goldman — Sat, 28 Sep 2024 17:03:00 +0000

In reply to Kevin Grierson. You're not missing anything, but a reminder that the plaintiff is the vendor whose license number was "stolen," rather than the consumers retaining the imposter vendor.

By: Kevin Grierson

Kevin Grierson — Sat, 28 Sep 2024 16:42:00 +0000

I think maybe I'm missing something here, as I don't see this as third party content rendering a site's marketing untrue, but rather the site making a representation about its own actions that proved to be untrue. Angi expressly asserts that it investigates and verifies each contractor. See https://angieslist.my.site.com/servicesdirect/s/article/Trust---Safety-General-Questions-and-Tech . Furthermore, this isn't just an eBay-like representation that the products it sells are "safe"--the whole purpose of the site, and the inducement for people to use the site, is that it provides the kind of verification that is otherwise very hard to find for local contractors. Is your argument that if they don't verify contractors at all, or if they do it in a negligent manner, then the fact that the third party contractor lied to the site excuses it from liability for its own representations? Don't they have a contractual obligation to their customers for actions they agree to take, but don't, or don't do properly? I do see a potential issue for the Everyspace, because I don't think it was the intended beneficiary of those representations.

Comments on: Angi Can’t Dismiss Lawsuit Over Failed Vendor Authentication–Everyspace v. Encor

By: Eric Goldman

By: Kevin Grierson