Who gets your number after a contractor quote form, and how to stop the calls (2026)

Chapters

1. 0:00 What happens after you submit a quote form?
2. 1:52 Who gets your phone number?
3. 2:56 How many contractors will contact you?
4. 3:45 Can they robocall or text you?
5. 5:48 Doesn't the Do Not Call list protect you?
6. 7:39 Wasn't there a new rule stopping this?
7. 10:11 How do you make the calls stop?
8. 12:13 Do these sites sell your information?
9. 13:48 Can you get quotes without giving out your number?
10. 14:57 How do you get written quotes?
11. 16:28 What to ask before you hand over your number

Corrections and notes

• 22 October 2026, about the film at 0:15: The search phrases at the start and at 13:51 come from Google search suggestions, not company terms or a government source. Source: Google search suggestions, captured for the film, read 18 October 2026.
• 22 October 2026, about the film at 0:30: The film quotes the consent wording in three companies' terms (HomeAdvisor, Angi and Modernize).
• 24 October 2026, about the film at 9:48: The FTC words quoted at this point are from the FTC press release of July 18, 2023 that announced its telemarketing enforcement sweep. Source: FTC press release, July 2023 telemarketing sweep, read 18 October 2026.

Transcript

0:00 What happens after you submit a quote form?

You fill in one quote form for a home job, and then the phone starts. The searches people type next look like this: 'how to stop angie's list calls', 'does thumbtack share your phone number', 'modernize phone calls complaints'. This film takes those questions in order.

Almost every fact on screen comes from a company's own dated terms or a government source, with the date we read it. This is not legal advice. It is what the documents say. The quote forms we read carry a consent paragraph, close to the submit button.

HomeAdvisor's terms say: 'By providing this information to us, or by submitting a service request, you are requesting, and you expressly consent to being contacted by us and by our Service Professionals, including Home Depot and Empire Today, via phone, fax, email, mail, text (SMS) messaging, push notifications, or other reasonable means, at any of your contact numbers or addresses...'

Angi's project submission agreement uses almost the same sentence, with 'our Service Providers' in place of the named companies. Modernize's terms name QuinStreet: 'By completing a Service Request and agreeing to the consent provided, you agree that you are entering into a business relationship with QuinStreet and its third-party partners and service providers, and therefore agree to be contacted by QuinStreet, its advertising partners, and/or service providers.'

How fast does contact come? Modernize's FAQ says: 'Our contractors will call or text you as soon as they've reviewed your quote, which could be anywhere from two minutes to 24 hours.' So on these forms, submitting the request is also agreeing to be contacted.

Homeowners anywhere in the US can post a job; once you send it, InstaBids finds contractors to bid on it.

1:52 Who gets your phone number?

The same documents say who receives your details. HomeAdvisor: 'Some of this information will be sent to Service Professionals, including Home Depot and Empire Today, who will need this information to respond to your request.' Angi: 'Some of this information will be sent to Service Providers who will need this information to respond to your request.'

Yelp: 'At your request or direction, this information may also be shared with third parties as necessary to process your transaction (e.g., sharing your phone number or address with a business in connection with quote requests)...' Thumbtack: 'In some cases, we may provide project requests from Consumers to select Service Professionals to better enable those Consumers to find a Service Professional who can provide a service the Consumer has expressed interest in.'

In plain terms: the businesses that answer your request get what they need to reach you. Some platforms put a relay number in between; more on that in chapter nine.

2:56 How many contractors will contact you?

Some documents give a number. HomeAdvisor's terms authorize 'an automated prerecorded call confirming your service request, along with calls from up to four service professionals that can help you with your request to the land-line or mobile phone number you provided...'

Modernize's FAQ says: 'Once you submit your request, we will find up to 4 contractors that are best suited to your project.' On Thumbtack, you do more of the choosing. It tells pros: 'we limit the number of pros a customer can contact to five in the first four hours of their search. Customers usually reach out to fewer pros, but the limit is there for unusual circumstances.'

Note the words 'up to'. These are limits, not averages.

3:45 Can they robocall or text you?

The Federal Communications Commission's consumer guide says: 'FCC rules require a caller to obtain your prior written consent – on paper or through electronic means, including website forms or a telephone keypress – before they make a prerecorded telemarketing call to your home or wireless phone number.'

Note the words 'website forms'. And on texts: 'Commercial texts require written consent; for informational texts, your consent may be oral.' The rule's definition of prior express written consent requires the written agreement to include a clear and conspicuous disclosure informing the person signing that: 'The person is not required to sign the agreement (directly or indirectly), or agree to enter into such an agreement as a condition of purchasing any property, goods, or services.'

Forms often say things like this, from Angi: 'you understand that either Angi or the Service Providers may use automated phone technology (including autodialed and prerecorded messages) to call you and that your consent is not required to purchase products or services.'

Some calls may not be a person. Angi's privacy policy: 'We may use automated systems, including artificial intelligence ("AI") agents, to communicate with you by voice call or text message on behalf of service professionals who participate on the Services.'

And: 'If you prefer to speak with a human representative, you may request to be transferred at any time during the interaction.' The FCC guide: 'AI-generated voice calls are illegal unless the consumer has agreed to receive them or the caller is exempt.'

The FCC's rule covers 'an artificial or prerecorded voice', and its guide says the written consent it requires can be given 'through electronic means, including website forms'.

5:48 Doesn't the Do Not Call list protect you?

The consent paragraphs answer this one directly. Angi's and HomeAdvisor's both say you consent 'even if you are listed on any federal, state, provincial or other applicable "Do Not Call" list.' The Federal Trade Commission explains: 'Companies can call you if you've recently done business with them, or if you've given them written permission to call. But if you ask them not to call you, they have to stop. Be sure to write down the date you asked them to stop.'

The FCC's rule defines an "established business relationship". One part covers a relationship formed 'on the basis of the subscriber's inquiry or application regarding products or services offered by the entity within the three months immediately preceding the date of the call, which relationship has not been previously terminated by either party.'

The rule also says how that relationship ends: 'The subscriber's seller-specific do-not-call request, as set forth in paragraph (d)(3) of this section, terminates an established business relationship for purposes of telemarketing and telephone solicitation even if the subscriber continues to do business with the seller.'

The registry still matters. The FTC says 'it can take up to 31 days for sales calls to stop', and 'No, your registration will never expire.' And the FCC adds: 'Many states now have statewide do-not-call lists for residents.' Homeowners anywhere in the US can post a job; once you send it, InstaBids finds contractors to bid on it.

7:39 Wasn't there a new rule stopping this?

There was one. The FCC later wrote that "the revised rule has not gone into effect." In December 2023, the FCC announced new rules that, in its words, 'make it unequivocally clear that comparison shopping websites and lead generators must obtain consumer consent to receive robocalls and robotexts one seller at a time – rather than have a single consent apply to multiple telemarketers at once.'

In January 2025, a federal appeals court ruled on a challenge to that rule. The court wrote that 'the FCC exceeded its statutory authority under the TCPA because the 2023 Order's new consent restrictions impermissibly conflict with the ordinary statutory meaning of "prior express consent."'

And: 'we grant IMC's petition for review, vacate Part III.D of the 2023 Order, and remand for further proceedings.' In July 2025, an FCC order said it 'repeals the revised version of section 64.1200(f)(9)' and 'reinstates in our codified rules the version of section 64.1200(f)(9) as it existed prior to' that 2023 order.

The one-seller-at-a-time text is not in the codified rule today, and the forms quoted in chapter one still allow more than one business to contact you. Regulators have also gone after how consent is collected. In July 2023, the FTC announced a sweep that included, in its words, 'lead generators who deceptively collect and provide consumers' telephone numbers to robocallers and others, falsely representing that these consumers have consented to receive calls.'

One case: 'The FTC says New York City-based Fluent has operated as a consent farm lead generator.' And: 'Fluent obtained and sold more than 620 million telemarketing leads, the FTC says.' Those are the FTC's allegations, settled by order. According to the FTC, Fluent and its affiliates used 'deceptive ads that falsely promise employment opportunities or free valuable items'.

We show it only to explain the term 'consent farm'. Homeowners anywhere in the US can post a job; once you send it, InstaBids finds contractors to bid on it.

10:11 How do you make the calls stop?

Start with the call itself. The FTC says: 'If you get an illegal robocall, hang up and don't call back.' And: 'Don't press a number, which could lead to more robocalls.' For a company you did contact, recall the FTC line from chapter five: ask them to stop, and write down the date.

The FCC's consumer guide says 'telemarketers must comply immediately with any do-not-call request you make during a call.' The rule text we read on October 18, 2026 sets its own limits. It says: 'All requests to revoke prior express consent or prior express written consent made in any reasonable manner must be honored within a reasonable time not to exceed ten business days from receipt of such request.'

And: 'A do-not-call request must be honored for 5 years from the time the request is made.' For texts, that same rule text lists the words: '"stop," "quit," "end," "revoke," "opt out," "cancel," or "unsubscribe" sent in reply to an incoming text message' are 'a reasonable means per se to revoke consent.'

This part of the rule is changing. In its order FCC 26-67, adopted September 30, 2026, the FCC said it will 'allow callers to designate an exclusive means to revoke consent.' The same order says 'text senders still must honor revocation requests made using any of the standardized words.'

And: 'The revised rule amendments contained herein become effective 30 days after Federal Register publication.' So under the rule text we read and under the new order, replying STOP to a text is a recognised way to opt out. Some companies say so in their own terms.

Modernize: 'You can cancel at any time by replying "STOP" to any message.'

12:13 Do these sites sell your information?

The answer depends on what 'sell' means, and the privacy policies say so themselves. Angi: 'Although we do not sell personal information in exchange for money, some of the ways in which we share personal information for targeted advertising may be considered "sales" or "sharing" under U.S. state privacy laws.'

Thumbtack: 'Some of the activities described in this section may constitute "targeted advertising," "sharing," or "selling" under certain state privacy laws.' The FTC has alleged that a request itself can be the product, too. In a 2022 complaint, the FTC alleged that 'HomeAdvisor collects information about potential customers for home services like kitchen remodels or lawn care, and sells that information to service providers in its network, such as general contractors and gardeners, as leads.'

That is the FTC's allegation. The matter was settled by order, and the FTC approved the final order on April 21, 2023. If you live in California, the state Attorney General lists your rights: 'Right to opt-out of sale or sharing: You may request that businesses stop selling or sharing your personal information ("opt-out"), including via a user-enabled global privacy control.'

And: 'Right to delete: You can request that businesses delete personal information they collected from you and tell their service providers to do the same, subject to certain exceptions (such as if the business is legally required to keep the information).'

13:48 Can you get quotes without giving out your number?

People type questions like 'getting multiple quotes from contractors'. Some platforms describe a relay number. Angi: 'If you call or text (SMS) message a service professional or service requester using the telephone number provided by Angi, we use our service provider, Twilio, to mask your telephone number.'

Thumbtack's policy mentions 'our Thumbtack numbers feature that allows Consumers and Service Professionals to call and text one another.' Yelp keeps the conversation in an inbox: 'Once you have sent a message to a business or a request for a quote, that message will be visible in your Inbox.'

And: 'After requesting a quote, users may opt in or out of text notifications.' Notice what those sentences say and don't say. A masked number hides your digits on calls and texts made through it. None of the terms quoted in this film says the phone number is optional on the form, so we won't claim that it is.

14:57 How do you get written quotes?

Regulators keep giving the same advice. The New York Attorney General: 'Contact at least three contractors and get written estimates for your project.' And: 'Remember, any verbal changes to the project must be added to the written contract.' The FTC: 'Get multiple estimates. A written estimate should include a description of the work to be done, materials, completion date, and the price.'

California's Contractors State License Board: 'Get at least three written bids on your project, and make sure you're comparing bids based on identical plans, specifications, and scope of work. Do not automatically accept the lowest bid.' Some states put it in law.

Pennsylvania's Attorney General says: 'The law requires written contracts between contractors and homeowners when the price of the work exceeds $500.' And: 'You have the right to rescind your home improvement contract without penalty within three business days of the signing date, except as provided under law for emergency situations.'

The common thread: the same written scope for everyone, so the quotes can be compared. On InstaBids, you describe the job once, and it becomes one written scope. Contractors bid in writing on that same scope.

16:28 What to ask before you hand over your number

Here are seven questions, each built from a document in this film. One: how many companies get my request? Look for 'up to' and a number. Two: will they call, text, or use autodialed, prerecorded or AI calls? Three: does the consent cover me even if I'm on the Do Not Call list?

Four: is my number masked, and on which calls? Five: how do I opt out, and does replying STOP work? Six: can I get the quote in writing, for the same scope as everyone else? Seven, in California: where is the link to opt out of sale or sharing?

Read the paragraph next to the button before you press it. On InstaBids, you describe the job once, and it becomes one written scope. Contractors bid in writing on that same scope. Contact details stay hidden until the homeowner picks a contractor and they confirm the connection.

The contact-detail filter can miss disguised contact details. Homeowners anywhere in the US can post a job; once you send it, InstaBids finds contractors to bid on it.

Sources quoted in the video

• Source: HomeAdvisor Terms and Conditions, read 18 October 2026.
• Source: Angi Project Submission Customer Agreement and Angi Privacy Policy, read 18 October 2026.
• Source: Modernize Terms, read 18 October 2026.
• Source: Modernize FAQ, read 14 October 2026.
• Source: Yelp Privacy Policy, read 18 October 2026.
• Source: Thumbtack Privacy Policy, read 18 October 2026.
• Source: Thumbtack help, Quality commitment, read 15 October 2026.
• Source: FCC consumer guide, Stop Unwanted Robocalls and Texts, read 18 October 2026.
• Source: 47 CFR 64.1200 (eCFR), read 21 October 2026.
• Source: FTC, National Do Not Call Registry FAQs, read 14 October 2026.
• Source: FCC news release, 13 Dec 2023, read 14 October 2026.
• Source: Insurance Marketing Coalition v. FCC, No. 24-10277 (11th Cir. 2025), read 14 October 2026.
• Source: FCC Order DA 25-621, read 18 October 2026.
• Source: FTC press release, July 2023 telemarketing sweep, read 18 October 2026.
• Source: FTC case page, U.S. v. Fluent, LLC, read 18 October 2026.
• Source: FTC complaint, U.S. v. Fluent, LLC (S.D. Fla.), read 18 October 2026.
• Source: FTC, How To Block Unwanted Calls, read 18 October 2026.
• Source: FCC Report and Order FCC 26-67, read 18 October 2026.
• Source: FTC administrative complaint, In re HomeAdvisor, Docket No. 9407, read 18 October 2026.
• Source: FTC press release, April 2023 HomeAdvisor final order, read 14 October 2026.
• Source: California Attorney General, CCPA, read 18 October 2026.
• Source: Yelp Support, message a business or request a quote, read 18 October 2026.
• Source: New York Attorney General, Hiring a Home Improvement Contractor, read 18 October 2026.
• Source: FTC, How To Avoid a Home Improvement Scam, read 18 October 2026.
• Source: California CSLB, Finding the Right Contractor, read 18 October 2026.
• Source: Pennsylvania Attorney General, home improvement contractor brochure, read 18 October 2026.