False Negative Reviews- Yes, Thumbtack Allows These to Stand Without Evidence

JulietH

Today, I received a negative review riddled with lies from a man named Fardad Niknam. I never provided him services because he refused to make any payment, yet Thumbtack has allowed the review to remain. I also selected that I was not hired, but Fardad confirmed the job so that he could leave a false, slanderous review on my profile. I have an email chain and proof that no payment or services were provided. Why does Thumbtack allow prospective customers to assassinate the character and quality of a Thumbtack pro without evidence? Why does Thumbtack allow slander on its forum and invite customers to destroy businesses without evaluating evidence? I have been a Thumbtack pro for 10 years and I run a 5 star business. But today, I'm a 4.9 star business because a non-client is able to leave a vindictive review. This will clearly damage my 10 year reputation as reputable business owner and Thumbtack could care less. Beware of Thumbtack users like Fardad. They insist on freebies and have zero respect for a professionals time and effort.

DustiO

@JulietH I am so sorry to hear that this happened. As a former business owner and Thumbtack pro, I feel this. However, customers are able to leave a review about any part of their experience with a Thumbtack pro (ie there could be instances where a customer doesn't move forward with a pro, because they had a negative interaction with the pro before deciding to hire them). It is unfortunate when customers choose to leave negative reviews in these situations. I would recommend replying to the review in a professional manner and explaining exactly what you laid out here - that you did not end up working with the customer, so that future potential customers can see how great you are, even when faced with a difficult customer.

And, if it is any consolation when I have seen this in the past, those lower reviews often don't show up until several pages in. I know this isn't the answer you wanted (I can vividly remember my first negative review that was unearned in my opinion and it stung SO much), but overall you have a SERIOUSLY impressive profile. It is rare to see a pro with as many reviews and as many top pro badges as you have and it really speaks for itself - much more than one negative review could.

JulietH

Unfortunately, the review remains front and center. The most disheartening aspect is that the review is simply false, and there's nothing I can do. Ferdad is not a reasonable or serious person, and he is seriously untethered to the truth. He simply wanted free stuff, to which I professionally responded I don't provide free services, as is made clear on my Thumbtack profile. People like this are a danger to small businesses everywhere. Its also disappointing that Thumbtack and other platforms don't require proof of interactions. Each of his claims were false- I did not reach out to his daughter for payment; I reached out to him. My welcome email was not delayed. He delayed in his response. He even admitted as much when he contradicted himself by admitting he doesn't check his emails on weekends. His daughter's stress, for which I am genuinely sorry, is because he refused to make a timely payment. Instead, he scolded me in an email for not giving him a free hour (which I do not offer). And now, both his daughter and I will reap the consequences of his disrespect. The worst aspect- I essentially paid Thumbtack $80 for a lead that would result in a 2 star review for not providing any services to this consumer. Thumbtack is clearly not protecting small businesses.

DustiO

I'm sorry for this… so frustrating when people leave reviews like this. But, I just did an incognito search in your zip code and your category and that review didn't show up until the 11th page of reviews (they don't appear in chronological order to customers). Here's a screen shot of the first page, so you can see what I saw:

JulietH

I appreciate you taking the time to share this information with me Dusti. Nonetheless, this doesn't resolve the issue. Any psychopath can select me and attempt to aggressively coerce me into working for free. If I don't provide them with free services, they can post a negative review riddled with lies in retaliation. Going forward, I've learned I need to be more diligent about repeating my cancellation and payment policies ad nauseam, and hope this never happens again because Thumbtack's review policies simply do not protect professionals from libel.