Frequently Asked Questions

What is RESPOND?
How does RESPOND work?
Does it cost anything to use RESPOND?
What is the RESPOND Code of Conduct?
How can I report the service quality of a business?
How do I write a review?
Why is the RESPOND Code of Conduct so important?
When will I receive responses to my request?
Do I have any obligation to merchants that respond to my request?
Do you guarantee quality merchants in the RESPOND community?

What is RESPOND?
RESPOND is a community of buyers and sellers committed to providing quality service. Since 1999, over 2.5 million consumers have used RESPOND to find everything from catering to cosmetic surgery. Today, RESPOND covers more than 100 types of purchases, where consumers are matched to quality merchants who respond to their requests for information.

How does RESPOND work?
RESPOND helps you find top local businesses, that meet your requirements. RESPOND pre-screens your request and matches you to high quality businesses.

Does it cost anything to use RESPOND?
RESPOND is absolutely free for consumers. It’s supported by merchants who pay a nominal fee to participate. We only ask that you agree to our RESPOND Community Code of Conduct.

What is the RESPOND Code of Conduct?

  • Consumers - We commit to respecting each merchant’s time and expertise by being straightforward about our buying intentions and responding in a timely manner to legitimate communications from RESPOND merchants.
  • Merchants - We commit to providing a timely and professional response to member requests and providing outstanding service to RESPOND members.
  • RESPOND - To ensure that RESPOND remains a positive experience for all members, we commit to removing any merchant that repeatedly violates the merchant Code of Conduct.

Why is the RESPOND Code of Conduct so important?
The RESPOND Community works because our members agree to our Code of Conduct.  At its most basic level, the Code of Conduct requires all members to respect the time and expertise of others.  Merchants, consumers, even RESPOND have responsibilities that are clearly stated and understood.

How can I report the service quality of a business?
The Respond community thrives on consumer feedback. If you hired a business and would like to write a testimonial, please visit RespondReferrals. If you had a bad experience, we'd like to receive your feedback as well. Your information will help other consumers find local businesses offering quality service.

How do I write a review?
To write a review, please visit RespondReferrals. Honestly give your feelings and impressions of the service you received, using specifics and facts to illustrate your experience. Detail the company's ability to meet and/or exceed your expectations. Discuss the pros and cons of using this business. You must be a Respond member in order to submit your review (login or registration is required).

Do you guarantee quality merchants in the RESPOND community?
By agreeing to our Code of Conduct, merchants have agreed to provide timely and professional responses to member requests. They further agree to provide outstanding service to RESPOND members. While we cannot guarantee the quality of the products or services offered by our businesses, we continually work hard to recruit and retain top-quality businesses. Obviously, it’s part of our commitment to ensure that you have a great experience with our service.

When will I receive responses to my request?
Each merchant has agreed to respond to requests in a timely manner. Obviously this will vary across as some requests may involve more research and complexity in order to answer properly.

Do I have any obligation to merchants that respond to my request?
There is no obligation to purchase from any RESPOND merchant. All we ask is that you respect the merchant’s time and expertise as outlined in our Code of Conduct.