Fake leads are ones where the person does not exist, the number does not ring, or nobody asked for a quote. A duplicate is the same homeowner sent twice. Most bad leads show up in the first phone call, and a simple log turns a feeling into proof you can send to the seller.
This page covers the signs, what to keep on record and what to send when you ask for a refund. For what a checked lead should arrive with, see what is a verified lead.
Five signs of fake leads
- The number does not ring. Disconnected, a fax tone, or a business that is not the person.
- The name and the job do not match. “Test”, “asdf”, a celebrity, or a name that does not fit the email address.
- The person says they never asked. They filled in a competition form, or someone else used their number.
- The details are copied. The same wording, number or email across several leads, often within minutes.
- The job cannot be done by your business. A trade you do not offer, a rental, or work in a state you do not cover.
One sign alone may be an accident. Two or three together is a pattern.
Not every bad lead is fake. Some are real people who are not ready: they want a price to compare, or they are years away. That is a tyre-kicker, not a fake. See how to filter tyre kickers.
Duplicates and out-of-area
A duplicate is the same homeowner arriving twice, perhaps with a different email or a different form. Check the phone number and the address. If you have already rung them, you have your answer.
A harder case is the same homeowner sold to you and to others. That is a shared lead. Ask the seller who else gets each lead. Shared leads: how many businesses is too many shows how to get the real number.
Out-of-area leads are common when ads target a wide radius or a form lets people type any postcode. Compare the job suburb to your service area on the first call, and write it down.
Keep a simple lead log
A spreadsheet or a notebook is enough. One row per lead:
- Date and time the lead arrived
- Name, phone number, suburb
- Date and time you first rang, and how many tries
- What happened: answered, no answer, wrong number, said they never asked, out of area, not ready
- A short note in your own words
Ring within minutes if you can. The log is worth most if it also shows how fast you responded, because a seller will ask about it.
Asking for a refund: what to send
Read your agreement first. It should say the window to report and what counts as a bad lead. If it is silent, you are arguing from nothing, which is why the terms matter before you buy.
When you report a lead, send one email per batch with:
- The lead’s name, phone number and date received
- The reason, in one line, from the list above
- The times and number of your attempts to ring
- What you are asking for: a refund or a replacement
Keep it short and factual. No anger. A clear log makes this easy to accept or hard to refuse.
What a provider can do to prevent it
A provider can only prevent fake leads by checking before it sells. The options sit on a scale: a form only, a code sent to the phone, or a person ringing the homeowner. Each catches more than the one before. Ask which one the seller does, and who does it.
PreBuild Systems rings every homeowner who enquires and checks six things before sending the homeowner to a business: a real number, that they asked for a quote, that they want the job done and not just a price, that they are in the business’s area, that the job can be done at their place and that they make the decision. Each goes to one business only, so there is no duplicate between buyers. A homeowner who was not who we said is replaced. See the homeowners page.
When it is your response time, not the lead
Check this one first. A real homeowner who enquired at 10 am and heard from you at 4 pm may have signed with someone else, or stopped answering unknown numbers. That looks like a bad lead in your log. It is not.
Check your log. If the leads that failed were mostly the ones you rang late, the fix is speed. A missed call text back can hold a lead until you are off the tools.
Common questions
How do I know if a lead is fake?
Ring it. A dead number, a name that does not fit, or a person who says they never asked are the clearest signs.
Are fake leads common from Facebook ads?
Ads with an easy form can bring in careless or false entries. A check by phone before the lead reaches you is what filters them.
Can I get a refund for a bad lead?
If your agreement allows it. Read the window and the definition before you buy, and report quickly with your log.
What is a duplicate lead?
The same homeowner sent to you twice. Check the phone number and address.
What if the same lead went to other businesses?
Then it is a shared lead. Ask the seller how many businesses get each lead.