My question is: How do I go about to to making a living in a relatively high priced community (San Diego) doing what I am passionate about? What are my options to acquire a license in one or more of the trades I am interested in (design, electrician, general contracting related work)?

Your feedback is appreciated.

Josef Kriegl, Amadeus Home Services, San Diego CA

At first, I thought it was a fluke, but this is going far beyond what is statistically possible. I've been on Thumbtack for almost 2 years, and it has NEVER been this hard to book a client. Even when I had no reviews or hires. My prices haven't increased. I now have 58 jobs done and 34 reviews.

If others are struggling with this, what is the issue? My lead prices have exploded over the past 6 weeks, and every lead has 5 other pros contacted. So, competition is something that Thumbtack is pushing hard. But can that be it?

I don't want to hear "The Economy" because that's NOT it. Thumbtack is making money from all the leads they're selling.

Am I stuck in the 'odd pricing zone' of not charging enough, as my competition is willing to work in my price range for $10 an hour?

I'm baffled here. Do I just cut all Thumbtack spending as low as possible until this season passes?

Does anyone have insight?

I don't do wedding videography. Thumbtack has a category for wedding videography. For some reason this person chose "Other" for videography type and the typed out "Wedding". It is August 2025. Why is Thumbtack not using AI to guide these people?

When someone types out the word "wedding", a box should pop up and say "Hi, it looks like you are looking for wedding videography. Would you like to repost in that category? You are more likely to find the pro you are looking for there."

I know I have posted the same thing at least a year ago and maybe even two years ago.

Why is Thumbtack so behind the times with using technology to make their platform better?

So I thought I'd post my response just to make sure someone reads it.

The new model helped our business grow sustainably. Even though we paid more per lead—and more overall—we saw higher profits because the leads were highly qualified. Each lead involved a meaningful conversation with our team, included detailed information, and often led to a confirmed booking. I don’t believe Thumbtack earned any less—in fact, they may have made even more. It truly felt like a win-win system. Others I spoke with shared similarly positive feedback.

Unfortunately, this system was unexpectedly shut down on August 18th without any explanation.

Hope Thumbtack could improve and introduce in the future a dual lead system, giving pros the flexibility to choose the model that best suits their business needs—and even switch between them at any time:

1. Direct Leads (Lower Cost, Immediate Contact):

• Pros pay a lower, fixed price per lead.
• They instantly receive the customer's phone number and can reach out directly.
• Ideal for pros who prefer fast outreach and high-volume lead flow.

2. Booking Inquiry Leads (Higher Cost, Qualified Engagement):

• Pros don’t get the phone number right away.
• All communication stays within Thumbtack’s platform until a booking is confirmed.
• The lead cost is higher (2x–4x), but only charged when a job is successfully booked.
• Designed for pros who prefer paying only for strong, high-conversion leads.

Seasonal and Strategic Flexibility:

• Pros can switch between the two systems based on demand, seasonality, or industry behavior.
  • For example, during a slow season, if a pro notices that customers are choosing competitors offering faster, cheaper communication, they can switch to Direct Leads to stay competitive.
  • On the other hand, during high-demand periods where direct leads result in too many unresponsive or low-quality inquiries, the pro can switch to Booking Inquiry Leads to focus on higher-intent customers.

Both systems have pros and cons, but this flexible dual system feels like truly fair and empowers professionals to optimize their spending, adapt to customer behavior, and align with their business strategy throughout the year.

We’re a moving company, and we’re genuinely curious where other pros stand.
Here’s a quick poll for fellow service providers:

Before I start, I want to make it clear: I know leads might not answer, and I don't expect every lead I pay for to convert.
However, as a Top Pro who pays about $1,000 a week for leads and has only 5-star reviews, I expect better from Thumbtack support—not only for myself but for any pro out there.

I’ll start by explaining what happened and will continue with what I think about the situation and why I'm here now, using my precious time typing all of this.

A little background: I own a roofing company and, like in any business, sometimes I get leads that do not match the services I offer. When that happens, I simply request a refund and expect to receive it—because I’d like to be charged fairly for leads. I also like to call Thumbtack right away to have the money transferred to my bank account instead of them holding it as credit.

What happened: I received a lead for fascia replacement. We do not offer fascia replacement. Like many times before, I requested the refund and expected to receive it, since the refund policy states that leads for services I don’t offer qualify for a refund. Just that this time, the automated refund system decided that this lead is not eligible. Not a big deal—but alright. Thumbtack says the next step is to write an email.
I wrote the email to request a refund for the lead and got an email back from the refund team saying the lead doesn’t qualify, but as a one-time courtesy, they would credit my account. I immediately thought to myself, "Okay, this lead is completely eligible for a refund—but that’s okay. As long as I get credited, it’s all good."

I then called Thumbtack support to have the credit transferred back to my bank account, and here’s where things got upsetting.

First call: A lady answers and tells me the lead is not eligible to be transferred to my bank account because it’s a courtesy credit and not a refund. I explained nicely that the fact it shows as a courtesy doesn’t mean it’s correct, and I requested that this be looked into again so I could get a proper refund.
The lady again explained why it’s not eligible for a refund. I politely asked to speak to a supervisor who could help me a little better, since it was clear she couldn’t help. Of course, she tried again to convince me the lead isn’t eligible for a transfer and said she could only pass a message to a supervisor. I told her I didn’t want to pass a message—I wanted a conversation with a supervisor to resolve this misunderstanding. Again, she said the only thing she could do was pass a message, and a supervisor would email me within 72 hours.
I agreed, thinking I would get actual help from a supervisor. I thanked her and disconnected the call to wait for a supervisor’s email.

Same day: I got an email back from a supervisor saying the lead was a courtesy refund and it’s impossible to have it refunded to my bank account—without leaving any phone number or explanation of what to do next, or anyone to speak with. Just left in the dark with an even less helpful answer than the lady I spoke with.

So, I called Thumbtack again and requested to speak with a supervisor. Again, the rep explained that the only way to reach a supervisor was to tell her my issue, and they would email me in 72 hours.
I explained I had already done this and only received a poor response. My request was to speak to a supervisor and go over the situation with someone who could help—not just get another email response.
Again, the rep said there was nothing else she could do and this was the only way.

At this point, I was completely frustrated—thinking to myself: If only the person deciding what's eligible for a refund had paid just a little more attention and care, I wouldn't be here right now arguing with unhelpful representatives and management.

I kept insisting on speaking with someone on the line who could actually help me—or at least schedule a call with someone who could. If not a supervisor, I asked to be directed to anyone who could help me with this matter. All she had to say was that the only thing she could do was send another supervisor email request.
I didn’t agree to this since I had already agreed once and it wasn’t helpful. I wanted to speak to someone, explain the situation, and get help.

Overall, the situation is very simple:
Eligible Refund → Wrong decision by refund team.
The rep put me on hold and told me it was impossible. Then she said, “If you have nothing else to request, I will need to end the call.”
I was shocked. I asked her:
“It’s been 35 minutes and I’ve asked over 50 times during this call to speak with someone with a little more authority than a rep—since a rep can’t help me—and you’re telling me it’s impossible?”
She put me on hold for a second, came back, said it was impossible—and disconnected the call.

I was boiling at this point.

WHY DO I NEED TO GO THROUGH SO MUCH JUST BECAUSE OF A SYSTEM ERROR ON YOUR END?

Now to be clear:
I don’t care about the amount. I don’t care about the credit.
I understand mistakes happen—but when they do, why make your customers go through hell to fix it?

If only a supervisor—or someone with authority—had answered for just a 2-minute call, I wouldn’t have had to go through any of this.

And it’s important to note: THIS IS NOT THE FIRST TIME THIS HAS HAPPENED.

I’m writing all of this not because I want my money. I did receive my money.
I’m writing this because I want you to fix your customer service. The customer service line is supposed to help, not just be there to talk in a nice tone.

If an error happens on your side, I expect customer service to be helpful. Any child could’ve seen the error. And only because of your “no-supervisor” policy, I had to waste my whole morning emailing and calling—while I have a business to run.

Our time is valuable. Our money is valuable. And there is no respect for either one.

This is just one of many complaints I have about the service—but this one bothered me the most.

I still haven’t gotten a call from a supervisor, even after that rep disconnected the call.
It’s the second time I’ve had to go through hell just to get a refund for a lead that was clearly eligible.
Even if the automated refund system makes mistakes, it shouldn’t be so hard to reach someone helpful on the phone.

I’m really disappointed in Thumbtack, and I cut my service offerings in half today because of this incident.
I know other Pros feel the same way and have gone through the same hell for refunds they do deserve.

And I still want it fixed.
And I still haven’t gotten a call from any supervisor.

Thank you to whoever read this whole thing.
Thumbtack needs to fix their customer service—not just by training reps to speak in a nice tone and robotic sentences, but by actually resolving their Pros’ problems.

I’m very disappointed with Thumbtack. It’s frustrating and unfair that I was charged for a direct lead, only to find out the customer provided a fake phone number. I responded immediately and did everything right on my end, but there’s no real accountability for the quality of the leads.

It feels like Thumbtack cares more about collecting fees than ensuring their pros get genuine, verified opportunities. This experience was a waste of time and money — completely unacceptable.

Thumbtack needs to do better.

Jeff ARndt

I have been ghosted by two clients this year - a first (and 2nd!) time in my over 30 years of freelancing. They were both on thumbtack. Can I review them to help others on this site from hiring them also? I realize things may have just not worked out on my end, but this a new thing for me - customers just not responding (one paid their bill, another I have not billed yet). Advice welcomed!

Hope this new year brings more business networking and wealth to every business from all industries few tips I am looking to do to make my business expand this year hoping theses tools can help other businesses as well.

As a painting contractor I am looking to work with more General contractors in the Massachusetts/ Rhode Island area we go hand to hand and would love to collaborate with carpenters to even if painting is not your industry look to network with similar business and likeminded individuals this year to see if it helps expand your knowledge or business if you are a G/C or carpenter handyman etc please feel free to reach out.

Tip 2

More social media interactions and content to reach out to audiences that may not find you on TT I am learning that is a great way to find work if you have the right ad tools and promotions setup can maybe save some money looking to find the right pieces to making that work this year.

Tip 3

Reaching out to past clients via email listing although they may not need me right now a monthly reminder via email can be a great way for referrals to spread and can keep the business growing.

As a pro advisor member my mission is still to help thumbtack and the pros find a middle ground that is separate from the rest of the platforms as this is where I found the most success and the only platform I used for leads I am still open to 1-1 conversation and helping anyway I can Painters world will be live again this year for all entrepreneurs and owners to join to discuss a few things I mentioned in this post plus more if you are interested I have a rsvp date soon with hopes to working with you all.

stay strong stay positive and be great!!

Are there settings to avoid this? This awful lead destroyed my budget for the week. I'm honestly having a bad few months on Thumbtack since becoming a Top Pro. It seems like the status is hurting me. Is it because I'm now competing directly against other Top Pros? I've just been burning money on Thumbtack since upping my lead cost and budget.

Thank you for any insight.

Dear Thumbtack

I hope this message finds you well. I am writing to express my concerns regarding the current practices on the Thumbtack platform, particularly in relation to the handling of leads and refund requests.

I have been a user of Thumbtack for approximately three weeks, and during this time, I observed that even when a customer does not respond to my outreach efforts—despite my making contact—no refunds are issued. It raises concerns about the thoroughness of Thumbtack's lead vetting process, especially in light of recent information regarding a class action lawsuit involving lead generation practices. As it appears, some users have experienced issues wherein secondary leads were being sold to other professionals, which may create a conflict of interest and contribute to reduced responsiveness from potential customers.

This pattern of behavior effectively leads to receiving fraudulent leads, as numerous customers have simply not engaged despite offers for my services. I have submitted multiple requests for refunds in such cases, but Thumbtack's current policy seems to deny these refunds regardless of the circumstances. The policy states that a refund will not be issued even if a customer's initial response is a polite decline.

Furthermore, I have encountered situations in which I reported non-responsive customers to Thumbtack, only to find that instead of addressing my refund requests, the system would close the customer’s request without further communication. This leaves my inquiries unacknowledged and creates a sense of frustration.

Given the concerns raised, I believe it is essential for Thumbtack to evaluate its current policies and practices regarding customer interactions and support for service professionals. There may be a significant number of individuals who have experienced financial strain due to these systematic issues. If there is enough interest from others similarly affected, Thank you for your attention.

Sincerely,
Shawn Ulibarri

The Issue: A "Lead" That Was Never a Lead—I was charged $65.35 for what Thumbtack calls an "opportunity"—except this was never an opportunity for my business.

A potential client mistakenly responded to my response to her "opportunity", thinking they were speaking with another pro. Their message literally said:

"Thanks for sending the 3 options. We will get back to you soon."

Except—I never sent them any options. We never connected. The client was clearly responding to another pro, yet I was still charged for this nonexistent lead.

The Dispute Process: A Complete Runaround—I disputed the charge, providing clear evidence that the lead was a mistaken response to the wrong person—something completely outside of my control. After multiple follow-ups and days without a response, Thumbtack denied my dispute multiple times, with no valid reason.

• I requested escalation to a supervisor mutliple times—ignored.
• I waited over 5 business days—no meaningful response.
• I was told the decision is final and won’t be revisited.
• I was only responded to by the same person on the "refunds team" and was never given a valid reason for their unwillingness, inability, or reason for not conneting me with a supervisor.

Why This Matters to All Pros—If Thumbtack can charge us for leads that don’t exist and then refuse to address legitimate disputes, where does that leave us? We’re paying for opportunities that don’t even happen, and when we try to get resolution, we’re met with generic copy-paste responses and zero accountability.

This isn’t about not getting hired—it’s about being charged for a lead that was never mine to begin with. Please, do better.

At the very least, reviewing a dispute fairly and providing actual reasoning should be part of your process. Instead, I’ve been dismissed, ignored, and told to visit your Help Center for “resources.” What I need is basic fairness in billing—and to be able to connect with a supervisor when it is warranted!

Yesterday, I was unable to reach customer support (in an attempt to connect with a supervisor) from 1:30pm until I finally stopped trying at 4pm PST, since the phone message—with the phone message stating you are in a company-wide training for the "next hour" and the chat assistant indicating that "Thumbtack Specialists are currently unavailable due to system maintenance."

I’d love to hear from other pros—have you had a similar experience? How did you handle it? If we’re all getting charged for misdirected or incorrect leads, it’s a serious problem that needs to be addressed.

I am happy to provide further supporting documents, as needed. I would like to speak with someone regarding this decision, that is at a supervisor and decision making level.

Thank you for reading and I look forward to your response.

I swear, it seems the more I pay for a lead ($100+) the more it's a fake/scam lead. The less I pay ($40-60), it's a real person. I've never had a $100+ lead pan out.

Tip #1. Charge a non-refundable $100 deposit.

As several of you have learned one of the least reliable jobs you can get is a instant book job. So charge a deposit.

This method will protect your initial investment in case of cancellation but because the customer has put some money into the game the odds of them canceling drop.

Feel free to add your tips by commenting below

Can there be a more fair process when the opportunity goes to others?

I feel that its better to ask MORE question, and not less so the lead that comes to the Pro is actually a lead that can work for both parties. What are your thoughts fellow Pro's ?