How to turn off auto pay

dmcgphotography

Despite not getting a return text for almost 5 weeks- my question remains

• thumbtack states we do not pay for leads UNLESS the client initiates contact or responds to our reaching out to them
• repeatedly TT charges for leads because my services “match” what they are looking for, yet didn’t actively reach out to me
• support routinely declines refunds based on this
• support cannot be reached by phone due to short staffing and text support is usually days from assistance and response time to their response is only allowed to be 90 seconds or the situation is deemed “solved”

I am a platinum status member- have made very good money with thumbtack and would like that to continue- when all operates as it should, I spend upwards of 2k per month- when these practices that simply border on neglect occur- i will usually spend less than 600 month.

it is in TT best business interest to assist me, why can i not get a response?

LilyGarden

Dmc,

I had a similar question that I had asked Thumbtack customer service a few months ago. I was told that Thumbtack charges whenever a lead is automatically sent to a customer that matches the targeting preferences that you set. I was told that charges are not dependent on whether that costumer responds or not. In addition, I was told that since Thumbtack now includes the lead’s phone number, they do not offer refunds for leads that do not respond.

Again, I am just relaying what was explained to me at the time. If that policy has changed, I hope a customer service rep can post a reply explaining any changes to their policy.

Thanks.

dmcgphotography

and yet that is the complete opposite of what is said in all of their information

that’s patently untrue

LilyGarden

Hopefully one of the site admins can weigh in and clarify the policy on how leads are charged and refunded.

DustiO

I wanted to clarify here - if you receive a lead from a customer, it is because they have actively chosen to reach out to you - Thumbtack does not "send leads" to customers at all. They enter what types of jobs they want done, then they see a list of pros who match whatever criteria they entered, they then click on profiles that interest them and can reach out to you proactively. This is why they are saying "matched". Hope this helps clear up your concerns.

Also, here is a guide that shows step-by-step what a customer does to reach out to a pro. Under that article you will see some guide to targeting preferences - I would recommend looking at that as well and making sure your targeting preferences are really dialed in to the types of jobs you want to do so you make sure you are getting matched with the right jobs!

dmcgphotography

You are incorrect- profoundly so- and i have continually reached out to customer service with text back and forth between clients and me and they say they did not contact me-

Also- notably- “you were paired with this lead because it matches your preferences and profile” says it right there

DustiO

This is in fact correct. Please read in the Help Center about how Thumbtack works and how leads work. When your preferences match the job criteria that the customer selects you show up in the search results list and then the customer can choose to reach out to you, it is at that point that you are charged - this is how it works. If you are still confused, please refer to the help center (to the resources I linked above).

If someone entered an incorrect phone number (so you are texting someone that says they didn't contact you) , please use this form to request a refund. And be sure to keep screen shots of the person telling you that you have the wrong number. Thanks.

dmcgphotography

i’m dialed in- and as stated can show numerous times when this has happened -

to be clear-

1- client didn’t contact me

2- i received “direct” lead

3- i got in contact with client

4- asked client specifically if they contacted me

likewise- when a “direct lead” doesn’t even respond ? those only seem to happen when the scenario i described - ie my profile and services match their preferences but they do not actually contact me directly - the question is why would a client not respond to a contact that they directly contacted?

the answer is likely the most obvious, they didn’t contact me

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dmcgphotography

@DustiO when I can definitively show that

A- clients don't contact me

B- when i get a lead that says I'm the only person they contacted, and I then ask the client they say, in text on the app, they didn't contact me they were matched

C- that the fact we are "directly" contacted by the client, or it is client initiated other than a default setting- which thumbtack has yet to explain if that's the case- is a very common occurrance

D- Suggesting my profile or services are not properly set up, is dodging the question, and gaslighting

I'm totally dialed in, have my profiles set up, and other than a client whose first language isn't english who doesn't have the knowledge of what one service is versus another or how a birthday party is not a headshot session, these things happen with consistent frequency

E-the continued refusal of thumbtack in the photography category to create more separation between wedding and Event photography as well as commercial work allows the creation of a loophole that lets TT charge for what is obviously a misunderstanding from the client.

F- the comical inability to get someone on the phone or respond to a text within a few days suggests that by hoping problems stop getting asked about, they will go away.

TT is a great resource, I understand the business model of charging for leads, and I don't have fault with that, but the sheer unwillingness to admit where there are blind spots in the corporate wall of culpability is very difficult to understand or defend

DustiO

@dmcgphotography I have already answered the question. If you need to request a refund on a lead, because you feel it was not a match to your preferences, please do so using the link provided. And please drop feedback for Thumbtack here so it can be properly logged.

If you want to DM me and share the names of customers who, in the Thumbtack messenger app stated that they did not reach out to you, I am happy to look into those for you. I took a few minutes to look through your leads (and went through several pages) and the only time I saw that terminology was when you asked the customer if they were "auto-connected" and they said they thought they were. But, I want to reiterate yet again, that Thumbtack does not send you a lead unless the customer has specifically clicked on the "check availability" button. In the case of the one that I did see in your messages, they did state that they were in fact interested in getting photos taken, AND they filled out the entire project request form including notes about what they wanted done - "I would like a nice nature background with a professional headshot like the sample images shown but without a jacket." and then they selected that they wanted to check your availability.

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