I hired an accountant on Thumbtack who assured me she would file my taxes with the IRS. Trusting the platform, I left her a 5-star rating. I later discovered my taxes were never filed at all. Her excuses piled up: she couldn't provide a receipt, then a "computer catastrophe" erased my files—with no backups—and finally, a sudden surgery left her unable to work. I lost the money I paid her and now face over $100,000 in costs to fix the situation. When I explained this nightmare to Thumbtack and asked to change my review, they refused to take any responsibility. My experience is not unique; I’ve since learned that many contractors feel ripped off by Thumbtack's overcharged and ghost leads, eventually deleting their accounts to build their own businesses. It seems Thumbtack is failing both its customers and its professionals. Never use Thumbtack.
So I asked OpenAI what it thought about Thumbtack and got this response. I wasn't shocked. Pretty much sums up what I thought about Thumbtack myself so I am posting the reply here.
Thumbtack promises to connect customers with local professionals quickly and transparently. In theory, it’s the perfect marketplace for hiring plumbers, tutors, or contractors. In reality, the platform too often delivers frustration, inflated costs, and questionable accountability.
Thumbtack’s business model heavily favors those who pay to appear in searches, not necessarily those who do good work. Many honest, smaller pros can’t afford the constant “lead fees,” so they disappear from view. Meanwhile, customers are shown whichever vendors are willing to spend the most—creating a skewed impression of who’s actually best for the job.
The app’s cost estimates are wildly unreliable. One project might list a $200–$400 “average,” only for every bid to come in at $700+. Customers waste time comparing phantom numbers while pros complain about paying for dead-end leads that never convert. No one wins—except Thumbtack, which collects its fee either way.
Thumbtack touts “background-checked” pros, but the process is inconsistent and superficial. Review systems are easily gamed, with suspiciously glowing five-star ratings that collapse after real customers complain elsewhere. When disputes arise, Thumbtack’s customer support tends to shrug, hiding behind boilerplate policies and disclaimers.
Getting real help from Thumbtack feels like chasing a ghost. Automated responses, generic apologies, and long waits dominate. If a project goes sideways, there’s rarely meaningful mediation or refunds. Users are left holding the bag, wondering why a “trusted” platform takes no responsibility.
Ultimately, Thumbtack’s core problem is misaligned incentives. It earns revenue from lead generation, not successful outcomes. The company thrives whether the job gets done right or not. This structural flaw ensures that quality and trust take a back seat to clicks, quotas, and payments.