Rip off
The cost of credits when it’s simply throwing your hat in the ring is ridiculously expensive
It’s a scam!!!
90% of the clients are fake and won’t respond. Waste of money. Better to invest that money into marketing
Good
Good service
Time wasters
To many fake jobs & time wasters
“Serious Concerns About the Authenticity of Bark Leads”
I created an account on Bark because I was interested in using the platform to find customers for my services. However, before purchasing any credits, I decided to carefully examine how the platform actually works.
After monitoring the platform for a while, I have reached the conclusion that I simply do not have enough confidence in what is being presented to me to spend any money on it.
The app consistently shows me around 178 “matching leads”, yet when I check the map and try to see the actual jobs available in my area, I can only see around 15. So my question is very simple: where are the rest of the 178 leads?
Furthermore, I have noticed that many of the same requests appear day after day. From the perspective of a business being asked to purchase credits simply to access contact details, this raises some serious questions.
Bark does not guarantee me a customer or even a job. Essentially, I am being asked to pay for access to someone’s contact details, after which I still have to contact that person and find out whether they still need the service, whether they have already found someone else, whether they are still interested, and whether they will even respond to me.
So what exactly am I paying for?
Based on what I have observed, I have even started to question whether all of these leads genuinely represent real people who have actually requested these services. I am not claiming that Bark creates fake leads, but what I am seeing on the platform gives me reason to have this concern, and I would like a clear explanation from you.
I would like to know how you verify that each lead comes from a real person, how you verify that the request is still active, and why the number of “matching leads” displayed is so different from what I can actually see on the map.
This is precisely why I have not purchased any credits, and I do not intend to purchase any until Bark can provide a transparent explanation and give me confidence that the leads you are charging businesses to access genuinely come from real people who are actively looking for those services.
After monitoring the platform for a while, I have reached the conclusion that I simply do not have enough confidence in what is being presented to me to spend any money on it.
The app consistently shows me around 178 “matching leads”, yet when I check the map and try to see the actual jobs available in my area, I can only see around 15. So my question is very simple: where are the rest of the 178 leads?
Furthermore, I have noticed that many of the same requests appear day after day. From the perspective of a business being asked to purchase credits simply to access contact details, this raises some serious questions.
Bark does not guarantee me a customer or even a job. Essentially, I am being asked to pay for access to someone’s contact details, after which I still have to contact that person and find out whether they still need the service, whether they have already found someone else, whether they are still interested, and whether they will even respond to me.
So what exactly am I paying for?
Based on what I have observed, I have even started to question whether all of these leads genuinely represent real people who have actually requested these services. I am not claiming that Bark creates fake leads, but what I am seeing on the platform gives me reason to have this concern, and I would like a clear explanation from you.
I would like to know how you verify that each lead comes from a real person, how you verify that the request is still active, and why the number of “matching leads” displayed is so different from what I can actually see on the map.
This is precisely why I have not purchased any credits, and I do not intend to purchase any until Bark can provide a transparent explanation and give me confidence that the leads you are charging businesses to access genuinely come from real people who are actively looking for those services.
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Scam not worth giving your details ad business and clients
They sell normal queries from normal people or made up as leads for expensive credits not sure how come no one reported them to ASIC - if someone from authority reading it could be worth investigating this business- thanks
Die App aktualisiert sich nicht richtig
Die App ist grundsätzlich gut. Leider werden gesendete E-Mails nicht mit Datum angezeigt und die App aktualisiert sich nicht immer. Dadurch ist unklar, ob eine E-Mail an einen Kunden gesendet wurde. Das muss auf jeden Fall verbessert werden.
Response from developer
Es tut uns sehr leid, von Ihren Erfahrungen zu hören. Bitte wenden Sie sich an unseren Kundenservice, damit wir der Sache nachgehen und Ihnen weiterhelfen können.
Scam
The policy states that if you don’t get hired when you buy the starter pack there’s a money back guarantee however customer service denied that claim even after I sent in proof that 1 used all my credits to get 14 leads which are all still pending to this very day with zero response and their customer service is basically giving me tips on how to use my now non existent credits I can’t believe I fell for this scam and now it’s obvious all the leads on this platform are fake and I ignored all the red flags in hopes it’ll work out but it didn’t, thumbtack pro is way better option atleast they charge you only when the client replies. I would not recommend Bark at all I highly suggest anyone looking for real leads find a different alternative and do not make the mistake I made
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It’s a Scam and it’s Fake
This app is a completely Scam, in my experience 90% jobs are fake, no one answer the phone or texts or emails and the Bark team not refund your money at all. NOT RECOMMENDED FOR BUILDERS
Waste of money
I purchased 16 construction job leads through this app, but only 2 customers responded. Most of the phone numbers went unanswered, several were incorrect, and some didn’t even connect. I contacted customer support, but they refused to offer any solution or refund. Based on my experience, the leads were poor quality, and I feel I wasted my money. I would not recommend this service. Don’t be misled by the advertising—think carefully before spending your money here.
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Scam app
Bark is 100% scam. They make you spent a lot of money on leads just to sent fake possible clients. 3 different customers requested a quote saying that they have a big project with 14 properties to clean but before you can get the done you need to make a deposit to get access to their security lockbox (doesn’t this sounds stupid) Don’t waste your money and time with this scammers
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Not enough vetting for potential leads
The design of this platform creates far too many false leads. I might get to quote 1 out of 5 leads that I bark at making each quote 100-200NZD. A simple way to solve this issue would be to add an extra step where leads must accept your bark before taking your credits so you can at least be sure they are serious about wanting a quote. I would have liked to leave this feedback with bark however their feedback form does not let you type anything in to it. A bit frustrating when they email you asking for feedback regularly (about once a week). They do have a credit return policy however if you don’t have any evidence of unresponsive leads etc, they will not refund you. Use with caution.
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Scam
If you are reading this and thinking to buy credits. Please stay away from this. They create fake ads and send them. Genuine ones are given to new members to lure them into buying more credits. If you see a bark post and you open it to find no longer available, then it is a genuine post but they dont show it to you as they are saving that one for a new bark trader to make them buy credits. STAY AWAY FROM THESE FRAUDSTERS
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Pathetic
Never got any leads or responses
Looks fake
Sometimes leads information not correct
They just take your money and you don’t get anything
It’s a scam
Don’t waste your money on it.
Looks fake
Sometimes leads information not correct
They just take your money and you don’t get anything
It’s a scam
Don’t waste your money on it.
ONE STAR - after several years of business and 5* reviews on platform
⭐ One star — expensive leads, poor support and account restricted without proper evidence
I had used Bark for several years through one business account. I later changed the email address on that same account to reflect a change in my business branding.
Bark suddenly restricted my account, claiming that I had multiple accounts. I explained clearly that I had only one account and asked them to identify the alleged duplicate. They provided no account details or evidence. Instead, I received a generic message saying the matter had been escalated to another team.
Th happened at a critical time and cost me an important business opportunity. A platform selling business leads should investigate properly before removing a professional’s access.
I have also found Bark leads expensive for the value received. Professionals pay upfront simply to access contact information, but Bark’s own policy says credits are normally not returned when the customer does not respond or hires someone else. Even when a return is approved, the customer receives platform credits rather than their money back. This puts most of the financial risk on the small business purchasing the lead.
Their published information also appears inconsistent. The Help Centre currently says credit-return requests can be made within 14 days, while the formal terms state seven days. Credits can expire, and Bark’s terms allow credit prices to be changed at its discretion.
After years as a customer, I expected a proper explanation, evidence and a prompt resolution—not an unsupported allegation followed by a generic response.
Based on the high cost of leads, limited financial protection and the way my account was handled, I cannot recommend Bark to other small businesses.
I had used Bark for several years through one business account. I later changed the email address on that same account to reflect a change in my business branding.
Bark suddenly restricted my account, claiming that I had multiple accounts. I explained clearly that I had only one account and asked them to identify the alleged duplicate. They provided no account details or evidence. Instead, I received a generic message saying the matter had been escalated to another team.
Th happened at a critical time and cost me an important business opportunity. A platform selling business leads should investigate properly before removing a professional’s access.
I have also found Bark leads expensive for the value received. Professionals pay upfront simply to access contact information, but Bark’s own policy says credits are normally not returned when the customer does not respond or hires someone else. Even when a return is approved, the customer receives platform credits rather than their money back. This puts most of the financial risk on the small business purchasing the lead.
Their published information also appears inconsistent. The Help Centre currently says credit-return requests can be made within 14 days, while the formal terms state seven days. Credits can expire, and Bark’s terms allow credit prices to be changed at its discretion.
After years as a customer, I expected a proper explanation, evidence and a prompt resolution—not an unsupported allegation followed by a generic response.
Based on the high cost of leads, limited financial protection and the way my account was handled, I cannot recommend Bark to other small businesses.
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Nearly Phished, Denied a Refund, Locked Out of My Account
Update (July 2026): After Bark publicly responded to this review asking me to contact support, I reached out again in good faith, believing my case would receive a fresh review. My initial response was AI-generated and requested information from a case that had already been reviewed. After providing the requested details, Bark reaffirmed it’s original decision: no refund, and my account would remain permanently locked because I disputed the charges through my credit card company. This experience left me with the impression that the public response was intended to acknowledge my review rather than reopen my case for meaningful consideration.
I used Bark to generate leads for my coaching business and deeply regret spending money on the platform.
To be fair, when I reported certain problematic leads, Bark did return credits according to its stated policy. However, that did not solve the underlying problem: many of the leads I paid for were low quality, unresponsive, or appeared to have little genuine interest in hiring a professional.
Most concerning was that I was nearly phished by someone who contacted me through the platform. The experience raised serious questions about Bark’s lead verification process. In my experience, a “verified” lead is not necessarily a legitimate lead, nor does it provide meaningful protection against bad actors.
After spending approximately $294 on credits, I concluded that the service did not provide the value that was advertised. I requested a refund and was denied. I then disputed the charges through my credit card company. After doing so, Bark permanently locked my account.
What frustrated me most was that the financial risk seemed to fall entirely on the customer. If a lead is unresponsive, low quality, or even fraudulent, the customer is still out the money while Bark has already been paid.
Based on my experience, I cannot recommend Bark. Between the low-quality leads, nearly being phished by someone who contacted me through the platform, being denied a refund, and ultimately being permanently locked out of my account, I would strongly encourage anyone considering Bark to steer clear and invest their marketing budget elsewhere.
I used Bark to generate leads for my coaching business and deeply regret spending money on the platform.
To be fair, when I reported certain problematic leads, Bark did return credits according to its stated policy. However, that did not solve the underlying problem: many of the leads I paid for were low quality, unresponsive, or appeared to have little genuine interest in hiring a professional.
Most concerning was that I was nearly phished by someone who contacted me through the platform. The experience raised serious questions about Bark’s lead verification process. In my experience, a “verified” lead is not necessarily a legitimate lead, nor does it provide meaningful protection against bad actors.
After spending approximately $294 on credits, I concluded that the service did not provide the value that was advertised. I requested a refund and was denied. I then disputed the charges through my credit card company. After doing so, Bark permanently locked my account.
What frustrated me most was that the financial risk seemed to fall entirely on the customer. If a lead is unresponsive, low quality, or even fraudulent, the customer is still out the money while Bark has already been paid.
Based on my experience, I cannot recommend Bark. Between the low-quality leads, nearly being phished by someone who contacted me through the platform, being denied a refund, and ultimately being permanently locked out of my account, I would strongly encourage anyone considering Bark to steer clear and invest their marketing budget elsewhere.
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Fake Leeds
Fake Leeds
No transparency
90% of leads contacted had no clue they signed up for a contractor to contact them. A lot were not serious about getting work done. Then the others do give a single reply.
Professional User
Literally no support other than generic patronising/not my problem responses and too many dead leads which leads many of us to believe that a percentage of the leads posted are fake, i don't use Bark much for this reason and the genuine leads are over priced too for the current climate
Pricing is too expensive for the ROI
I use Bark for my catering lead. While I do get responses from clients that book, those are two few and far between. For every 10 clients, POSSIBLY one of them will respond to you. And then when you have a valid reason for looking for a refund, like a phone number being disconnected, getting a ongoing busy signal, etc., There’s no recompense so money is lost on that as well.
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