Thumbtack
Reviews and Complaints
8
ISSUES RESOLVED
159
Company responses
3.3K
TOTAL REVIEWS
1.4M
CLAIMED LOSSES
670K
PAGE VIEWS
Thumbtack Reviews
Wasted My Time & Money
I operate my own mobile dj company in Greenville SC. A friend found this company online and sent me the link. I was impressed with the way it looked and navigated. Quickly signed up my company in their database and even bought their $35 credits so I could participate. All is fine, until I notice that NO ONE responds. The moment you pay, you receive several leads a day. So this kept me busy for a week, just sitting at my desk writing up custom quotes to all the leads I was receiving. I was very excited at first. Eventually, I suspected fraud, because I'm a very marketable and talented dj. So I did a series of extreme under bidding, $250 to $350 dj responses to several leads. Still no reply. MAYBE: Maybe they are sending out a few, a handful of real leads. But I'm certain that they generate fake leads just to tease the vendor into paying for the quotes. TRUE BUSINESS GOAL: The real bottom line for a vendor is to have the clients click through to their website. Like placing an ad in newspaper, the newspaper doesn't sell your product, they just share your name to the audience. So in the end, if the client clicks your website and still doesn't buy your product then it's the vendors fault. But thumbtack doesn't even get real clients, they create fake leads.
1 comment
ID
Location
Greenville, South Carolina
Service
Thumbtack Leads
Loss
$150
New Reviewer
Holy Cow, how are they still in business???
Update by user Jul 17, 2014
They Will find out a way to separate you(a business owner) from your hard -earned dollars. Thats what they do, and they do it like no one else I have ever seen!
Original review posted by user Jul 17, 2014
I tried this service, which I actually believe is a wonderful concept, but turned out to be a Highly Qualified Waste of Time. I was always suspicious about THUMBTACK. They are professionals at getting your hard earned dollars and use classic bad business practices on many levels to do it. There is great thought behind this SCAM company. I was contacted about a lead for someone spilling water in their Macintosh Computer(twice) - and I charge half of what apple charges. Never heard back from anyone with a highly competitive price. SO BAD ON SO MANY LEVELS. NEVER HEARD BACK FROM ANY LEADS OVER A SPAN OF 4 -5 MONTHS. They really need to be investigated by the attorney general of their State. Do yourself a favor, and don't even bother playing their "bait and switch" games. ID
Service
Thumbtack Leads
Loss
$45
Avoid Thumbtack at all costs !!!!
Thumbtack, without a doubt is the worst functioning internet company on planet earth. I have given my last cent to this corrupt and slimy operation. I will save you the time, money and effort of doing business with them. First of all IT IS NOT FREE !!!!!! if you are a service provider you have to pay to respond to the leads they send you. A huge majority of the leads are worthless, they lack information and detail. Bottom line is most customers are just price shopping and have no idea it costs us money to communicate with them. My biggest suspicion is probably true and that is that most of the leads are phony. People will dispute this (thumbtack will for sure) but how many of you have ever met or seen someone with the first name "Khristeena" Or how about "Tharesa" ? Thats just two of of dozens of strangely spelled first names I have seen. (leads I have gotten) Thumbtack refuses to listen to any advice the service providers give them. You can simply go to their Facebook page and read the onslaught of complaints (keep in mind the delete them constantly) thumbtack I cannot wait until you are sued.
2 comments
ID
Service
Thumbtack Leads
Loss
$80
Bogus Quotes
Seems from what I have seen and heard from others based on the way Thumbtack Works.. it's really ripping off the professionals using it. #1 They give you credits for completing things on their page, but you never see the credits and you can't use them for anything, you still have to buy credits. Thumbtack thanked me for all I filled out and said I have 92 credits, but they can't be used for replying to a quote. #2 Seems many of the quotes are bogus. 5 pros can reply to the quotes. The last one I did was $9.99 to quote (let's say $10 to make life easy).. so 5 people reply at $10 = $50 for Thumbtack, then the fake person opens all 5 and cancels the project = Thumbtack does not refund if the quote is opened. = $50 for Thumbtack. Let's say they do that in 200 cities a day = $10,000 per day in their pocket for faking out professionals. Until they block this loophole, I suggest staying clear.
ID
Location
Beaverton, Oregon
Service
Thumbtack Leads
Loss
$65
Review from Maplewood, Minnesota
Thumbtack is awesome. Anyone who says otherwise doesn't know their industry/market or has zero ability to communicate to potential clients/customers in a compelling fashion. If no one is biting you're charging too much. *** "The fault dear Brutus is not In our stars, but in ourselves."
8 comments
ID
Location
Maplewood, Minnesota
got contractor's name and recommendation from your website as an experienced and reliable deck builder. Paid him $4,600, did not complete the project, did not return phone calls, did not return emails. found he is no longer a licensed contractor in PA. filed a...
View full review
7 comments
PissedConsumer1267322
#1267322
Brad Howell is not an honest man nor is he a reputable contractor.
Brad Howell is Dishonest, Unskilled and Unreliable.
View more comments
ID
Location
Palmerton, Pennsylvania
Product
Thumbtack Website
Loss
$2000
Thumbtack - Lead Generation Review
I am fully qualified that has her license missing. I have written my credentials. I got one customer. Trained him and then he wanted to go out with me. It's impossible with my abilities not to get hired. I gave it for free. So it's not $. I have over 25 years at 62 in fitness .At 36 25 34 size 5. No wrinkles on triceps flat stomach I'm doing or know something. The last video that came out dance to lose was something I wanted to do. Without monies, you are sol. I am goal oriented. I have ran Jack La Laane. Knew him. Ran Nautilus in Texas and Womens Fitness Hydraulic and interval.training. i guarantee my work. Some things wrong. Also you have me under Wendi-Davis. She's a talent director. Please remove.i'm Suzi Starr. Thank you.
1 comment
ID
Location
Ormond Beach, Florida
Thumbtack - Review in Professional Services category
I hired an officiant using thumb tack services rated five stars. I certainly would not rate sacred ceremonies five stars! She did the job but we had to reach her to say "hey could you sign our marriage license! Shecdu d come out to correct the err...unnamed
ID
Location
Fairfield, California
I have gotten one client on thumbtack but that is it. I have received about 12 leads in two months. However, I think most people are just price shoppers or not serious. Over half of the leads given to me, never even looked at the quote that I sent. However, you do get...
View full review
7 comments
PissedConsumer1646217
#1646217
Thumbtack was a good thing until it changed its format. Now, vendors who pay into the service are being ripped off.
They don't even have the choice as to which potential customers they make contact with.
They pay much higher premiums for receiving non-qualified leads. If looking to expose your business, look elsewhere.
View more comments
ID
Location
Thousand Oaks, California
Service
Thumbtack Leads
Thumbtack is NOT a SCAM
I spent $4000 in 2 years on 2 1/2 page full color phone book ads. Tracking included. Failed to get 1 call. Using the logic here, that makes the phone book a scam. Maybe they didn't send the books out? 99% of the complaints come from the photographer/wedding industry. Zero credentials are needed to be a photographer or DJ. Therefore, you are subject to competiton from any kid with a laptop. A lead service that advertises on competeing quotes gets people looking for a bargain. Therefore, in a cutthroat industry like that, assuming the leads are fake because you didn't get a sale is ridiculous. Is it possible that A. You don't know your market as well as you think? B. Your profile/ personal website are not very good? C. MAybe thumbtack just isn't for you industry in your area? D. Bad economy. Can you compete with a kid who will shoot an entire multiple location wedding over 5 hours for $300 (because that happens now..) Thumbtack works for me, and many others. Try it. If "blowing" $100, $200, or less..(as I have read complaints about "wasting $40") is killing you, maybe owning a business isn't for you. It feels good to blame thumbtack as a "scam", but considering most of the complaints come from a certain industry, maybe that industry is just overpopulated in your area. Part of owning a company is knowing your market. Having the best food won't make you rich if you open in a neighborhood with 20 other restaurants and no foot traffic. In fact, the few reviews I read that posted info about the reviewer (linked to their site), I thought both the review itself and the site were poorly written and would not get a call from me. TL: DR....MAYBE IT"S YOU Advertising is all jumbled right now. Phone books died. 50% have android. 50% have I phones. Google has a virtual Search monoploly.
6 comments
ID
Location
Bristol, Connecticut
Service
Thumbtack Leads
New Reviewer
No jobs yet
I am a professional photographer and have been with Thumbtack for about a month now. I have received many leads, but it has not lead to any jobs yet. Thankfully I have not lost any money as I earned some free credits for trying out this service. But you would think that after a month I would hear from someone? But no, no one has contacted me. After reading these complaints I realize that what I suspected all along was true: Most of these leads are fakes. Or they are from people who don't really want to hire anyone in the first place!
2 comments
ID
Location
Boise, Idaho
Service
Thumbtack Leads
Avoid this corrupt and deceptive company at all costs. Here are the reasons why. #1 The "leads" they send out are mostly people price shopping. Many of which are not serious at all. #2 Thumbtack has no way of "age checking" people (especially kids) who send out...
View full review
6 comments
PissedConsumer1008441
#1008441
They are a rip off I kind of figured when my inbox started filling up with inquiries and my reasonable quoted were declined. Luckily I only spent $17 when a light bulb went on that this is BS!!
View more comments
ID
Service
Thumbtack Leads
Loss
$75
New Reviewer
I have my own web design business so i recently decided to explore some possibilities and stumbled upon thumbtack. First of all, getting request from a First name and Last name initial is completely unprofessional. e.g. Rosin S. is looking for a programmer. But check...
View full review
1 comment
PissedConsumer835411
#835411
I had issues with bad requests too. Client didn't know what they needed.
NOT thumbtack's fault. BTW, I emailed them both times and got an instant, no ?? asked credit refund. SO, what's the problem?
Any lead service that requires a customer to sign up and verify first doesn't work.
They are looking for an easy quote. Therefore, this happens, and thumbtack WILL refund if you ask.
ID
Loss
$3
We used this website to hire a company to video my daughter's wedding, after waiting six months the video was horrible. But your company highly recommended them, we were never told that it would take six months to process for one. And instead of admitting that he...
View full review
5 comments
PissedConsumer835331
#835331
You cannot blame a lead service for a contractors errors. That is like blaming the phone book because the pizza you ordered was gross.
Businesses pay to be on thumbtack. Complain to your local law enforcement or get a lawyer.
Thumbtack is ZERO at fault.
View more comments
ID
Location
Louisville, Kentucky
Product
Thumbtack Website
Loss
$450
I make good money, but the leads are too vague
First, I LOVE Thumbtack and make a little money from it at a Life Coach, Business Consultant, and Professional Speaker. My boyfriend makes a LOT of money getting leads for mowing lawns. The leads are far too vague, though, so you have to be very choosy about what you bid on. For the lawn care, clients only list yard size as small, medium, or large. The difference parameters are over 10 times the size, however, so how do you know what to bid? His strategy is to bid low and say that it is a guesstimate and that he will happily come by to give a real quote. This works and most people call him back. I do the same with life coaching, just quoting a low introductory session price, so they will call me. The great thing is when they call you, the rest is up to you and you get to take over without any interference by Thumbtack. Many people are looking for free speakers, but the number of credits you have to pay adds up to over $25 to bid on a free speaking gig! It is definitely worth it; just understand how the model works and what you're dealing with.
ID
Location
Kansas City, Missouri
Service
Thumbtack Leads
Loss
$50
Thank You for Your Reply!
Thank You for Your Reply!
We are processing your message.
11Thank You for Your Submission
Your comment is successfully posted.
Select Reason
Select Reason
Thanks for your review. I noticed the same pattern when I had an account with Thumbtack.
As soon as I bought a package of credits, I started getting leads like crazy (which is highly unusual in my profession).
When the credits were used up and I didn't purchase more, suddenly the leads dried up to nothing. I hardly think it was a coincidence.