Getting Started

A. Absolutely not! Thumbtack is 100% free.

A. No! Thumbtack is open to anyone to search through.

A. It's easy - if you are looking to purchase services you can post a request and we'll direct service professionals to your request. If you want to sell your services on Thumbtack you can easily post your service and we'll bring requests we think you can fulfill to your attention.

A. In one word: Trust. We know that buying services can be very intimate -- especially when your home or child is involved -- and we built Thumbtack with this in mind. Real names, identity verification tools, and transaction based reviews are just some of the features we provide that allow Thumbtack to be your trusted marketplace for services.

Sell Services

A. Click on the "My Profile" link (on the top of each page) to manage your account. You can post new services or edit existing ones, check your messages, change your profile, and adjust your settings.

A. We take your privacy very seriously and only display your information on the site if you want us to. When you sign up, we'll ask you to choose what information you'd like our users to be able to see. We won't display your physical address, phone number, or email address without your permission.

A. When a customer is interested in your service, you will receive an email asking you to confirm your availability and price.

A. It's easy; go to your posted services in your profile and select the posting that you want to share with the world (i.e. Joe's Plumbing Service). Click "edit this job" and fill in whatever URL you like. For example, you could be www.thumbtack.com/joesplumbing.

A. Yes. Posting your services at Thumbtack lets the world know more about what you offer. It's a great benefit, and all you have to do is post your services. We'll take care of the rest.

A. PayPal is low-cost way for your customers to pay you online using their bank account or credit card. Simply go to PayPal.com to create a free account, and be sure to check the box saying that says "I accept PayPal" when you post your services . Some customers prefer to use service professionals that accept online payments, so this will give you an edge in landing more customers.

Buy Services

A. Besides being faster and easier, using Thumbtack helps you get better quality of service. Once your job is completed, Thumbtack will give you the opportunity to rate the service professional you selected. service professionals thrive on getting good reviews because it makes future customers more likely to book them. When you book through Thumbtack, service professionals have an extra incentive to go above and beyond to make sure that you're pleased with their work.

A. No problem. If you don't find what you're looking for, simply post a request. This will allow service professionals to see what specific service you're looking for.

A. Yes, but only if the service professional accepts PayPal. Each posting will list what forms of payment the service professional accepts (i.e. cash, check, and/or PayPal).

A. Of course it is! The overwhelming majority of Thumbtack users are trustworthy and well-intentioned. That said, you should be just as cautious booking services online as you would be offline. Check out our safety page to learn more about how we keep the Thumbtack community safe and our tips page for more info on what you can do to stay safe.

Background Checks

A. The full background screen verifies the provider's identity and vets his background.

• Identity is confirmed by verifying the provider's name, address, and Social Security number.
• Background is vetted by Acxiom's proprietary national criminal record database which contains more than 600 million criminal record files for all 50 states. Information in the national criminal record file is compiled from local law enforcement, statewide criminal record repositories, state department of correction records, state parole and probation records, and local public record sources.

A. A service professional may elect to run a criminal background check to demonstrate their trustworthiness to the community and also to raise their profile in search results. A consumer may also pay to run a background check on a provider. To request a background check, simply view a provider's profile and click "request a background check". A full background check costs $7 and includes name, address, and Social Security Number verification, as well as a national criminal database screen.

A. After you request a background check on a provider, he or she will be prompted to enter their information to complete the background check. For legal reasons, once the check is complete the service professional must give approval for the report to be publicly viewable. Once the check is complete and approval has been given, we will notify you so you can see the results.

A. Background checks are a great way to verify a provider's identity as well as vet his or her background for potential criminal offenses. The Acxiom criminal screen includes over 600 million criminal records in all 50 states and every effort is taken to ensure accuracy. However, our lawyers want us to remind you that no system is 100% accurate. The national database relies on the specific data in individual jurisdictions and the frequency with which they are updated varies. In addition, depending on the state, some arrests and convictions are expunged from a person's record after a number of years. If you believe that your background check results are not accurate, please contact Acxiom Information Security Services, 6111 Oak Tree Blvd, Independence, OH 44131 or by telephone at (800) 853-3228.

A. Here is a description of the possible results of Acxiom's background checks:

Social Security Number Verification

• Verified – The Social Security Number is valid and it matches the name of the provider.
• Not Verified – The Social Security Number is either not valid or it does not match the name of the provider. The Social Security number may not match the name of the service professional if the service professional has recently changed their name, did not specify their full legal name, or is a minor. In these cases, we encourage the service professional to re-run their correct information if possible. However, this result may also indicate that the service professional ran the background check with a fraudulent Social Security number.

National Criminal Records Search

• No Cases Found – The search of the national criminal databases did not return any criminal cases for the user.
• Cases Found – The search of the national criminal databases returned one or more criminal records for the user. If the search returns felonies in the last seven years Thumbtack will automatically remove their profile and ban the service professional from our community. If the search returns anything else the service professional is given the option to share this information publicly with the community.

A. The only way a user can view a background check is if the service professional gives their consent. Pending background checks are not publicly visible. And if a background check returns any erroneous criminal records, a service professional will be given the opportunity to contest the accuracy privately and free of charge.

A. Although every effort is made to ensure that the background check results are correct, it is possible that the records used to compile the background check are not 100% accurate or complete. If you believe that your background check results are not accurate, please contact Acxiom at: Acxiom Information Security Services, 6111 Oak Tree Blvd, Independence, OH 44131 or by telephone at (800) 853-3228.

Reviews

A. Thumbtack reviews are very different from our competitors in five ways, and as a result they are far more accurate. First, Thumbtack does not receive any advertising money from service professionals, so we have no conflicts of interest. Second, reviewers must have purchased the service on our site in order to review it, which eliminates fraudulent reviews. Third, all reviewers are treated equally and displayed to all users, meaning that no one class of reviewers has more power than any other. Fourth, once a review is written it cannot be changed for any reason. Finally, customers are asked to review each transaction, so our reviews are more than just rants and raves.

A. Bad reviews don't help you, but one review is never enough to make or break your business. Users understand that even the very best service professionals can't get 100% positive feedback. What they care about is that a service professional has a consistently positive reputation. Be sure to listen to whatever complaints your negative reviewer had and work to improve your service. To maintain the integrity of our community's review system, Thumbtack cannot alter user reviews in any way.

A. Why should it make any difference in your review? We strive to make our reviews as objective as possible, and find that sometimes people who received positive feedback are more likely to give it undeservingly. We're not saying that you're like this, but we take this precaution for the benefit of the Thumbtack community.

Other Questions

A. Be sure to check your spam folder and add support@thumbtack.com to your address book. If our message got flagged as spam, please let us know.

A. Remote services are services that can be performed virtually (i.e. by phone, internet or postal mail). We like doing business face-to-face, but some tasks just don't call for it.

A. Thumbtack supports all modern browsers, including recent versions of Internet Explorer, Firefox, Safari and Google Chrome. For Internet Explorer 6 users, you may want to install Google Chrome Frame. To find out what version of Internet Explorer you have, go to Help and then click on About Internet Explorer

A. Facebook connect is an easy way to log into Thumbtack without having to create an account or remember another pesky password. We never see or store your facebook login credentials, so it's 100% secure.

A. Announcing your services to your clients can be a great way to spread the word about your new online presence and generate more bookings. We don't store your credentials and will never contact anyone in your mailing list without your explicit permission.

Contact

A. Send us an email or give us a call. We love hearing from our users, and we're happy to answer all of your questions personally.

Email: support@thumbtack.com
Toll-Free Phone: 888-560-7962
Local Phone: 415-779-2191
Snail-mail: 1001 Page Street, Suite #45, San Francisco, CA 94117