The Federal Trade Commission is mailing checks totaling more than $2.7 million to 62,893 workers who were charged fees and fines by Handy Technologies, the side hustle platform now operating as Angi Services.
The payments stem from a January 2025 settlement between the FTC, the New York Attorney General, and Handy over advertising that inflated how much workers could earn on the platform.
Why It Matters
Millions of Americans use side hustles to earn extra income, and the advertised pay rates are often the main reason they sign up.
The FTC's case shows how far those numbers can drift from reality: Handy advertised handyman and furniture assembly jobs at up to $45 per hour, but more than 90% of workers earned more than $20 per hour below the advertised rate. Lawn care jobs were promoted at up to $62 per hour, a rate fewer than 10% of workers actually reached.
The Details
According to the FTC's complaint, Handy's problems went beyond inflated pay claims:
- Delayed pay: Handy advertised that workers would be paid "as soon as the job is done." In reality, new workers were paid seven days after completing work by default, and getting paid faster required an extra fee.
- $50 no-show fines: When customers told workers not to come but never canceled in Handy's system, Handy regularly fined workers $50 even though the worker did nothing wrong. Avoiding the fine required a process the FTC called complicated and poorly disclosed, including granting GPS access and waiting more than 30 minutes at the job site.
- Hidden fees: The complaint says inadequately disclosed fees and fines withheld millions of dollars from workers' wages overall.
Under the settlement, Handy paid $2.95 million and must now get workers' express, informed consent before charging any fee or fine, and back up earnings claims with what a typical worker actually makes.
How This Connects
We reviewed Handy as a side hustle app and flagged that real-world earnings depend heavily on job availability and the platform's fee structure — a gap the FTC's case now quantifies.
Our reporting on the best side hustles consistently finds that platform-advertised rates sit at the top of the range: delivery drivers average $20.33 per hour, and handyman work typically pays $20 to $50 per hour.
It's important for potential side hustlers to understand that many times, advertised gig rates are marketing, not a pay stub. Before committing to any platform, look for the median worker's earnings (not the ceiling) and read the fee schedule closely. The FTC's action signals regulators are watching earnings claims across the gig economy, but the first line of defense is still a skeptical read of the recruiting pitch.
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Editor: Colin Graves
Robert Farrington is the founder of The College Investor and is widely recognized as one of the nation’s leading voices on student loan debt and saving for college. He holds an MBA from UC San Diego Rady School of Management and has spent over 15 years researching, writing, and advising on student loans, 529 plans, financial aid programs, and saving and investing for young professionals.
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