I'm in Arizona and writing because I have a long list of repairs and renovations I need made but I've been ripped off so many times already that I'm just saving money because I'm terrified of losing anymore on poor work done by plumbers, electricians, etc.

I thought I had found the ideal handyman about a month ago, but he's been swamped with work and seems to prefer to paint only.

I contacted Service Magic, telling them I wanted a contractor to oversee the work rather than individual companies that would require me to be my own "contractor", but instead they provided me with names and numbers for ... you guessed it ... plumbers, electricians, etc.

Using Service Magic in the past, I had luck with a couple of companies and then bad luck with just as many, so I turned to Angie's List. But it seems like all the companies are about 30 miles east of me and thus don't want to drive to my home, or they want to charge at least a $65 "service call" fee. Hell, I'm a graphic and web designer, etc., and I don't charge anything to drive to a meeting with a customer.

The ROC here is useless, as they "err on the side of the contractor", the supervisor told me in a recent convo. The BBB is also useless because so many companies are rated "A" that are no longer in business, and the contact information for quite a few businesses I tried to reach is invalid.

Is there anyone in or near Peoria, Arizona, who knows of one competent, honest repair person or contractor?