Instant Booking

Will you show us the data that proves this is effective for Interior Architects and Interior Designers please… I just received this at 3pm.

So Let’s get the record straight here… Thumbtack is claiming to provide a service to customers at no cost, while the customer is promised a free quote from a selected pro of their choice. The pros are then charged a fee on a sliding scale(which is entirely up to Thumbtack). This is borderline unlawful in many states. And on top of that, the pros are being coerced into giving up their rights to freely set their own prices for each job as well as communicate directly with the customers who requested their services, all BEFORE being required to put a set price on the quote? Every job is different, but Thumbtack thinks they should all be priced the same? There’s So many elements that are wrong about this scenario. There is a whole process to setting up a job with a customer, but Thumbtack thinks it’s beneficial to cut out some of the (obviously)essential steps of the process. And to force every pro to make this change, abide by it, and have no bargaining power whatsoever. This completely eliminates free market, because complete control is put in the hands of Thumbtack; Sure the pros can set their own rates. But by being required to do so ahead of time, Thumbtack can set their own commission rate based on the Pro’s pricing, eliminating the pro’s ability to make anymore money. Thumbtack ends up taking more for themselves…. This format makes it no longer a service, but a taxation. I suggest reading the laws in your states regarding business fairness policies, coercion and market pricing regarding monopolies.

This is one of the many new methods That these large companies are trying to enforce to gain more control over both their clients and customers. Luckily, we have Fair Business laws to prevent such behavior, because lets be honest here, this is far from anything that’s fair and beneficial to the Pros. Its difficult to justify it being defined as a service to the Pros anymore at this point. The fact of the matter is Thumbtack has the ability to set their own fees on the pros, change them whenever they want to, without any real reasoning, or structure. The Pros have zero negotiation power because Thumbtack is essentially the competition, not the other Pro’s(who are also being charged likely for the Same leads). Now requiring the pros to have fixed rates for their services so Thumbtack can take the most off the top possible is only something that an employer should be able to do, because it hinders the pro’s ability to operate in a free manner, setting up their own rates to increase profitability, and function in a competing market…. Thumbtack is walking on very thin ice right now.

We don't want it.

If the customer does instant book they should have to place a non refundable deposit with thumbtack towards the job. If they canceled they loose the deposit off but it goes towards the job. I bet no Customer would do instant book any more unless they are for real.

Any updates with this? This thread spans months and everyone is just left in the dark. I'm assuming the update that we'll be getting is not through here, but an app-wide official statement talking about the "benefits" of keeping the mandatory bookings, some sort of medium ground or wishful thinking- they just get rid of it altogether.