Amazon guarantees service for household projects

Do you have a project you need done around the house? You could ask friends, find a supplier through your local Home Depot or Lowe's or join a referral service like Angie's List. You could also go on Amazon.com. Yesterday, the e-tailing giant announced the launch of Amazon Home Services, a new marketplace where consumers can find and hire local professionals with similar ease to buying products online.

The new service is currently available in 41 cities around the U.S and includes major metro areas including Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco and Seattle. Professionals listed on Home Services are by invitation only. They must pass background checks, are required to be insured and are expected to maintain high performance standards. Customers can rate suppliers just as they rate purchases on the rest of the site.

Amazon guarantees customer satisfaction with all services purchased. If for some reason the customer is not happy when work is completed, Amazon will step in to see it is done right or a refund is provided.

Scott Strawn, an e-commerce analyst at International Data Corporation, told U.S. News & World Report that Amazon's guarantee may be all it needs to induce trial of the service.

As with products, all pricing is upfront from the service pros on Home Services. Customers can add pre-packaged services to their order and only pay when work is completed. Amazon and the professionals on the site offer a price match guarantee.

Services vary based on area, but Amazon's Home Services offers a variety of services within major categories including automotive, computer & electronics, home improvement, lawn & garden, lessons and others. Amazon is offering a $20 gift card to customers who buy a service valued at $99 or more before April 13. According to Amazon, over 85 million of its customers shop for products that need professional services.

TakeLessons, an online marketplace for private lessons, is among those participating in the Amazon Home Services launch.

"On-demand access to services and lessons is the next phase of e-commerce," said Steven Cox, CEO of TakeLessons, in a statement. "Consumers can now purchase services as easily as buying a book on Amazon.com, while freelancers and specialized instructors gain instant access to business opportunities that enable them to make a living with their existing skillset. We call it s-commerce — service commerce."

• Introducing Amazon Home Services - YouTube
• Amazon Home Services
• Need Help Around the Home? Introducing Amazon Home Services - Amazon.com
• TakeLessons Teams Up with Amazon to Pioneer On-Demand Service Commerce - TakeLessons /PRNewswire
• Amazon Steers Its Online Strength Into Home Services - U.S. News & World Report
• Amazon looks to one-better Angie's List - RetailWire