How do we get paid for clients that disappear?

jacebyers · August 24

Twice now this has happened me, and I emailed support with the required info and they don't respond

I get a lead and both times the lead sheet said PAID on it, which I can only assume means they prepaid for this job

I get done with the job and send a payment request, and they don't answer messages or phone

What is the amount of time that the system waits after I select job done before that money the client prepaid is transferred to me?

What does thumbtack do to ensure we get paid from clients who use the service one time and leave before paying at the end of the job?

If the client prepaid and the job gets done, I am sure they just assume the money will go the pro, so if they ghost the platform and don't respond at all, where does that prepaid money go? it most certainly hasn't gone to me, the pro who did the work.

DustiO · August 25

If you go to your settings > earnings you will see the payments that have been made to you and you'll see that they will be deposited directly within 3-4 days.

If you ever have a customer who does not pay you for a job that you completed I would recommend reporting that customer in the app and reaching out to support.

Hope this helps!

DerHilfer_LLC · August 25

Don't forget to have the User sign a contract. I've had three Thumbtack inquiries from two Users where my contract saved me days of unpaid labor. One User submitted the same Inquiry twice.

When I presented the contract, suddenly, they had reservations. It was a "small" job. $7,000! Small to whom? Another: My price was too high. That's funny cause Thumbtack should show you I'm charging $94/hr. plus materials.

Real simple: there's only two reasons a User won't sign a contract. One: he does not intend to pay or does not intend to pay upon completion. I'm not in the business of financing his project. I have bills to pay. I have employees who know I will pay them within 24 hours after the job finishes (if not sooner). That's why they love working for me. So I need to get paid when I leave the site after the job is done.

The other reason: he thinks I'm incompetent in which case, why am I here?

Find a simple <insert your industry> service agreement if nothing else and use that when you arrive on site. I personally paid a lawyer $3,000 to write my contract and since it saved me $7,000 worth of headache, that means I'm four grand to the good. BTW, this was a piece of advice from my very first customer who was a journeyman electrician. Do not work for a handshake, because that may be all you'll get in the end.

If they still won't pay, that's A-OK. Most localities have a "Mechanic's lien" process where you won't get paid today, but it'll be a bugger of a problem to sell their house. And my contract specifies a 1.5% monthly interest rate beyond 30 days. So that (insert your favorite four-letter word) person who owes me $300 from a year ago? In 10 years, she or her estate will have to pay me $2,500. Plus whatever I had to pay to apply the lien to the property also at 18% interest.

I'm 95% civilized modern man and 5% neanderthal. Don't rattle the cave-man's cage.

DustiO · August 25

This is great advice about contracts (and I hard-learned lesson that I recall from my business-ownership days) - thank you!

How do we get paid for clients that disappear?

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