Thumbtack generates numerous accounts to send false leads (potential customers) to the "pros." With each generated account, they send one "lead" to five pros. Each pro is charged $30 or more for each "lead," which I have experienced and observed, multiple times, every day I was a member of the platform. Shameful, deceptive and unethical practices. Customer service is poor, nearly non-existent. And, don't expect any refunds...you won't get any.
Date of experience: July 14, 2023
Share Review on:
Thumbtack has a rating of 1.6 stars from 1,566 reviews, indicating that most customers are generally dissatisfied with their purchases. Reviewers complaining about Thumbtack most frequently mention customer service, credit card, and phone number problems. Thumbtack ranks 99th among Local Reviews sites.
This company does not typically respond to reviews
Cut the grass, pulled weeds, finished with mulch all in 30 min! Did a fantastic job! Thank you Roberto Lopez from Lopez Landscaping and tree Services. *******226
Don't bother working with them! They are useless and using bots and not qualified leads that request a job and want to pay 50 bucks while some projects are minimum $500-750. No customer service total bs and you will lose loads of money on "leads" as they call them but it's just fake accounts that show some sort of activity.
I will not use this company anymore i been trying this app out for a few day and with in that few day they have charged my card over $430.00 and i only got 1 job off of it they are making more money then i am NOT A GOOD COMPANY TO DIAL WITH IF YOU ARE A SMALL BUSINESS IT WILL KILL YOUR COMPANY
Date of experience: September 6, 2019
I own a home and office cleaning service and have used Thumbtack off and on in the past few years and found them to be better than HomeAdvisor and better priced. Then on average I would spend maybe $60-100 on contacting 6-10 leads and would get 2-3 jobs on avg.
Now they have this new system where you can sign up for where they will automatically reply to leads for you at a 20% discount and you can set your weekly budget. So I thought I would try it with a $100 weekly budget. They responded to 26 leads of the 26 4-6 responded back each response was from $42-17-6 each. So in 3 days my $ 100 was gone and to boot the most expensive lead that I actually met and worked for ended up being the smallest job in the end. So I lost money. The 2nd week was the same except i got no new clients. The 3 rd week was even worse.
So I turned off the auto service response. Then all of a sudden potential leads started reaching out from my Thumbtack profile and I was getting contacted that way 4-6 times a week and I had the option to pass or reply they price was still way more than I had ever paid in the past and I felt was way too much but at least I could verify they were actual leads. So I paid $43 for one job and acquired a repeat client. Over all I have spent $250 now and 2 clients. Its a crap shoot is how I feel about them now. They have become my last go to for business when before they were one of the first I would try. Now I get more business from Nextdoor app than anywhere else and that is free.
Date of experience: April 1, 2019
I wasted $25 on stupid f****** credits that I bet it out on and I'm getting nothing back but so too much money we were looking at spending like $10 on cleaning the four winds up and down stairs the three bathrooms and mowing the front and back yard would you 5 extra dollars for painting the whole front of the house basically is what they're asking for I'm not a kidon the side street that once money for candy or something I'm a grown $#*! man doing something that you don't want to do and you're going to pay me like I'm up punk $#*! little kid homeless person $10 when am I going to do put that in gas to get to and from your house this is a f****** shame don't don't do it doesn't take your money and give you nothing all the good reviews are fake phony and this is coming from a person that is one of the members believe me
Date of experience: May 29, 2016
Basically they are charging you, filling their pockets with your money and providing a poor a super weak field in which you might find some customers. Their customer support is just terrible. For instance the app had a bug a few days ago, They sent me a lead which cost 40$ and the bug wouldn't let me send any messages to the customer. AFTER 1 HOUR someone answered me on their customer support platform and confirmed it was a bug but said they only could give me the customer's number, When I called the customer they said the app didn't really let them book me so they've hired someone else. NOW COMES THE INTERESTING PART! I reported this lead for a refund to which Thumbtack replied: we're sorry it looks like this lead is not eligible for a refund! WHAT IS THIS? AN HONEST BUSINESS? I DON'T THINK SO
Date of experience: January 29, 2023
ISC Roofing completed my home roofing in two days, and at a very competitive price.
I would recommend Paul Harvey's company to anyone needing a new roof or roof repair.
Date of experience: February 17, 2016
SamQ Photography took photos of my sons rehearsal dinner. They were beautiful! I highly recommend SamQ. Sam was punctual and very accommodating. Thank you Sam.
Date of experience: November 27, 2016
I feel played using them got duplicate leans and was told I will be refunded back to my card, they give me false information I am no longer going to be doing business with them.
Date of experience: October 1, 2020
I recently recorded a demo for voice-over at 7th Wave Music in Morristown, NJ. The guy running the show there, Larry Kucher, is some wonderful pro and person. I was actually nauseous, this being my first time recording in a studio, and Larry walked me in off the ledge and made the memory of the experience AWESOME. He was patient and professional all the way through the session and I am happy to recommend his studio to anyone needing that sort of service!
Date of experience: July 11, 2019
So I was with Thumbtack since 2017 as a pro and over the years I saw how the company came up with new ways to charge pros more and more money and create new ways to reject refund requests. First it was providing pros with the phone number when a client requests services and once you have the phone number they will not give you a refund. When clients do not even respond to any of your messages you will not get a refund. Then they started a bidding ware between pros to set prices that they will pay to get leads. This in turn allows the pros that are willing to raise their price per lead the opportunity to get more leads, which is horrible for small, self owned businesses. I gave probably half of my income to thumbtack but I was stuck in this trap because I had no other option to make money. Now that I am financially free and moved on to a different source of income, I wanted to share how truly disgusted I am with Thumbtack and their constant corporate decisions to increase their revenue by stealing from pros. Every pro that I reached out to shared the same exact feelings. When you google thumbtack reviews, you will see that the good reviews are for Pros from the customers. The bad reviews are from the pros themselves. I'm so glad I am finally done with this company.
Date of experience: September 14, 2023
I bought a thumbtack account from the salesperson but as a healthcare professional advertising wellness services, apparently that doesn't do so well, at least not yet. I've had this platform for about 4 months now and I don't have a single hit and my platform according to the thumbtack app is very excellent. I simply didn't get any views on it and I have tried reaching out to people myself and I still get nothing. Again I think the platform is a really good concept and I'm sure once it matures and grows a little more it will help people push their businesses, I just believe they also need to expand their options on the UI for the professionals to use a little more like myself (IE personal training, massage therapy, coaching, etc), especially for those with dual practice licenses. What I would like to see is more customizable options in the app itself so the profession can narrow their focus a little more and personalize the account in greater depth so they have the option to cater to more of a niche market.
Products used:
Therapy
Date of experience: June 14, 2023
I used thumbtack for less than a week and it drained me of $200 for "leads" as a company. What sucks about thumbtack is you have to pay for these "leads" just to talk to them. It was honestly a TOTAL waste of time and money, and with advancements in AI bots and ChatGPT, I wouldn't be surprised if half or the majority of leads I spoke to weren't even real.
Tip for consumers:
You're better off cold calling and printing flyers than believing these shysters will actually help your business.
Date of experience: January 30, 2023
Giant rip off. I'm not convinced that the leads are not automated. Sent out a ton of bids that were very competitive. Never heard a word back from any of them.
Date of experience: August 1, 2017
I found out about thumb tack through a mutual friend It's really great website Mr. Williams Morton did a great job and I will definitely call him again if I need any future work
Date of experience: September 10, 2018
I was on Thumbtack for 5 years until they did something proving that they have no regard for the pros who keep their company alive yet they'll cower like a weak puppy if one of their non paying customer/ recipients have a complaint!
Here is an example. A couple of months back, I had the opportunity to work for a fellow by the name of Mark W. I was set up to work this party for 7 hours. However, when I got there it was raining heavily and much to my dismay, I found the party to be outside. I sought shelter inside the house while the ceremony was going on elsewhere and no one wss drinking at the time. This guy had the nerve to yell at me and said I had no right to be in the house even though the temp was in the 50s and it wss raining heavily! A week or so later, he had the nerve to write a review of me calling me a crack whore and thereby ruining my reputation. I asked Thumbtack to please remove review but they declined. It took months for me to have the review deleted but only after I threatened them to take the matter to the Better Business Bureau and along with a threat to sue this idiot Marc.
There are lots of places to get jobs these days and if I were to give advice to anyone regarding Thumbtack, I would advise them to promote their business elsewhere.
Date of experience: September 16, 2018
You Thumbtack people are unbelievable. You are NOT here to help. Not only have you allowed someone I have never had dealings with on any level to attack me and spew lies on a review page, but you have approved of it! I didn't join Thumbtack to have my proposals, no not jobs, PROPOSALS, savagely and maliciously critiqued by lying complete strangers in a public manner. You did read, correct, how he said that my video sample was grainy and choppy? You do read, correct? You do have ears and eyes, right? That would allow you to verify that such a defamation is utter and complete nonsense? And yet you are more than happy to allow it to stay, and what is really beyond the pale, defend this idiot's right to lay those unfounded and totally alternate facts at my professional doorstep. I'm going to set up a website and FB page to tell the world what a nefarious organization Thumbtack is to allow lies, oh, I'm sorry, alternate facts to be slapped on someone just for proposing work. Once more, just to see if there is ANYONE in your organization who can distinguish lies like "grainy and choppy", or ANYONE who give a damn about truth and honesty... actually never mind. You have shown who you are by allowing obvious lies (you did look at the video in question, correct?) to be slung at me by someone I don't know on any level. I gladly and happily will cease any dealings with your company in any form. May you be thrown piecemeal to the wolves as you have allowed me to be.
Date of experience: March 29, 2017
This is complete sham of a company. Literally ANYONE can submit a potential job, and if you as a professional would like to send a bid, you have TO PAY! If said customer even acknowledges your bid? That money you paid is JUST GONE. I tried asking if I could be refunded for the jobs that I never got, but MY MONEY WAS TAKEN for, and nope. They just send you a very scripted message with a bunch of bullsh*t links.
Date of experience: December 13, 2018
I want to give big ups to Drew and his side kick they did a awesome job putting up my gazebo very Professional came when they say they was coming I suggest u use him great guys thanks again
Date of experience: August 22, 2021
James Ireland is very knowledgeable experience and professional. He wasted no time in getting the job done. He informed us along the way. He was honest and and fair. We will hire him again!
Date of experience: March 11, 2016
Pros BEWARE. Lots of FAKE LEADS. Thumbtack now providing pros with FAKE LEADS, they raised prices and refusing to refund for BOGUS leads, that are cancelled, no replies, etc. Everything changed since March 2020 and all they do - charge your credit card and NO real work and NO legit inquires! Seems like they are hiring people who creating FAKE accounts and Fake inquiries! Out of 20 leads that I paid for - ZERO work and ZERO replies. Do the math!
Date of experience: May 8, 2020
I signed up for Thumbtack hoping to generate some leads for my travel agency. Set the lowest weekly budget I could just to test it out. I had read that leads were typically about $6 each, which I was comfortable with as a test. The account goes live, and shortly after I get a lead that cost me $31. Call the number within 10 minutes, get voice mail with no name. I realize this is a scam, so I cancel my account in a panic. Just before I could cancel, I get another lead that cost me $29. The account was closed by then, so I didn't even get to see the lead information. Once you close the account, you have ZERO ability to contact Thumbtack or dispute a lead charge. So I filed chargebacks on the two leads and ultimately lost. I am out $60 for a bogus lead and another one I never even saw. DO NOT USE THIS COMPANY, it is a total scam! I wish I had read the review before trying it out, I just never dreamed that leads would be so expensive and come so quickly -- easy to do when they are completely fake.
Tip for consumers:
Do not use Thumbtack, not in any circumstance. Don't believe me? See if you can find a phone number for them anywhere. You can't, because they would be inundated with calls from people like me who want refunds for their fake leads.
Products used:
Business Leads
Date of experience: January 27, 2023
Sunny has been my groomer for years & is the absolute best there is... treats each pet like they are her own. She's wonderful. You won't regret sending your best friends to the best.
Date of experience: September 27, 2015
I am Very irritated with this company as they send as well as charge me for prospective clients that live over 4 hours away when I state I need clients 30 min or less away. After recently charging me for someone 4 hours away (which is impossible for me to train) they deactivated my account without any warning or reason.
DO NOT WASTE YOUR TIME OR MONEY ON THIS SITE!
Date of experience: March 8, 2021
Thumbtack just said "hold my beer" to United Airlines and showed me customer service can actually get worse. My experience with them was actually so unimpressive, it was actually impressive.
Date of experience: June 14, 2018
Thumbtack did have a small company closed because they make more money then the company do I thought Thumbtack was a company that help small business grow. I thought it would be a good investment oh how wrong was I if you want your company to stay open STAY AWAY FROM THEM
Date of experience: November 11, 2019
This is an updated review. Coco does great work. I thought I was missing some stuff, and she was kind enough to come over and show me where everything was.
Date of experience: January 6, 2022
Thanks for sharing these updates, Debbie. We're really happy to hear that you reconnected with this pro and everything was sorted out!
Thumbtack is a technology leader building the modern home management platform. Through the Thumbtack app, people can effortlessly care for their homes — confidently knowing what to do, when to do it, and who to hire. Bringing the $500 billion home services industry online, Thumbtack empowers millions of people to fix, maintain, and improve their most valuable asset. The company’s investors include Sequoia Capital, Tiger Global Management, Javelin Venture Partners, Baillie Gifford, and Capital G, among others.
So glad to hear this! Sounds like you found a great pro to work with for your gazebo project. We appreciate the 5 star review and hope to hear from you again.