Why Angel Heart Surrogacy
We read the complaints. Then we wrote the answers into our contracts.
Before building Angel Heart Surrogacy, we studied what intended parents and surrogates say went wrong with U.S. surrogacy agencies: public complaints, reviews and community discussions. The same problems appear again and again. Here is each one, and what we do instead.
For intended parents
What parents told us went wrong.
| What people report | What Angel Heart Surrogacy does | In writing |
|---|---|---|
| Paid a large, non-refundable deposit, then waited months with no suitable match. | A retainer of $6,000, not most of the fee. If we haven't presented a fully screened surrogate within 9 months, you can leave and get it back, less $1,500. | Standard: Matching |
| Fees that weren't mentioned at the start, and costs that kept growing. | Every fee, and the typical cost of every other part of a journey, is published before you ever speak to us. We charge nothing that isn't on our website and in your agreement. | Standard: Prices |
| Travel, hotels and evaluations booked and billed without being asked first. | No single expense above $500 comes out of your escrow account without your written approval first. | Standard: Money |
| No way to see what surrogate reimbursements were actually for. | Every reimbursement is backed by a receipt you can see in the escrow company's records, as it happens, not after the birth. | Standard: Money |
| Escrow run in-house, or by a company tied to the agency. | Surrogate funds are held by a licensed, bonded escrow company we have no financial interest in. We never touch that money. | Standard: Money |
| A surrogate's profile turned out not to match reality after the match. | Screening is finished before you see a profile, and you receive a summary of every element of it: records, background checks, home interview. | Standard: Disclosure |
| Unanswered voicemails, slow emails, and a new coordinator every few months. | A reply from a person within 1 business day, a named coordinator and back-up who share one record, and no coordinator with more than 15 active journeys. | Standard: Responsiveness |
| A mismatch, then no replacement surrogate. | If your surrogate isn't medically cleared, we introduce another at no additional agency fee. | Standard: Matching |
For surrogates
What surrogates told us went wrong.
| What people report | What Angel Heart Surrogacy does | In writing |
|---|---|---|
| Reimbursements and monthly payments that arrived late, or had to be chased. | Complete reimbursement requests are reviewed and sent to escrow within 2 business days. If a payment will be late, you hear it from us first, with the date. | Standard: Paying surrogates |
| Promised screening gift cards or referral bonuses that never came, and being made to feel awkward for asking. | Anything we promise is paid within 30 days of being earned. Asking about a payment never affects your standing with us. | Standard: Paying surrogates |
| Turned away months into the process, or with no explanation. | Every baseline requirement is checked at the start, instantly. If we can't work with you, you're told why, in writing, within 3 business days. | Standard: Decisions |
| Not being told the parents had other surrogates pregnant at the same time. | Before you say yes, you learn who the parents are, where they live, and whether they have any other surrogacy journeys underway. | Standard: Disclosure |
| Pressure to sign quickly, with pay tied to deadlines. | No deadlines to pressure you, and your compensation is never tied to how quickly you commit. | Standard: Decisions |
| Attorneys chosen by the agency, and packages you couldn't negotiate. | Your own attorney, chosen by you and paid for by the parents, who can negotiate your contract. | Standard: Counsel and consent |
| Dropped after fewer transfers than the contract promised. | The number of transfers in your agreement is honored. We don't end journeys early for our own convenience. | Standard: Decisions |
| Left alone after a failed transfer or a loss. | A counselor reaches out within 48 hours, to you and to the parents. | Standard: Care |
| Forgotten the moment the baby was born. | Scheduled check-ins continue for 12 weeks after delivery, with paid recovery time and counseling. | Standard: Care |
| Surprised by taxes on compensation. | A plain-language note on how compensation may be taxed, before you sign. | Standard: Paying surrogates |
| Suspicion that glowing reviews were paid for. | We never pay for, write or edit reviews. Testimonials appear only with written permission, with any connection disclosed. | Standard: Reviews |
What the best agencies get right
The praise is consistent too. We aim to earn all of it.
- A coordinator who answers
- The most praised quality in every agency's reviews. We make it a written promise: a reply within 1 business day, and a caseload limit so it stays true.
- People who have been there
- Top agencies employ former surrogates and parents through surrogacy. We look for that experience when we hire, and we'll tell you who on our team has it.
- Matching that fits
- Parents and surrogates praise matches that align on the hard questions. Ours are aligned before introduction, not discovered after.
- Care after the birth
- The best agencies don't disappear at delivery. We commit to 12 weeks of scheduled check-ins, in writing.
- Surrogates who come back
- A high rate of returning surrogates is the clearest sign an agency treats them well. We will publish ours on our track record page once it means something.
