Independent profile — not affiliated with Thumbtack
Thumbtack
Thumbtack, Inc. of San Francisco runs the Thumbtack marketplace, where professionals pay for customer leads and customers can claim under the Thumbtack Guarantee. This page quotes Thumbtack's own lead refund rules, Fair Shot Refund, account closing terms, Guarantee limits and arbitration clause as displayed on October 5, 2026, BBB and Trustpilot figures as displayed that day, two federal dockets read to the docket level, and two older posts from this site.
Complaints & Reviews on USAComplaints
USAComplaints currently maintains 2 historical complaints about Thumbtack, published between 2012 and 2013. No approved complaints have been published on this site during the last three years. For a current reputation snapshot, see the independent sources below.
Independent Sources
Shown for context — not merged with USAComplaints' own numbers.
Contacts
- Official website: https://www.thumbtack.com/
- Help Center (refunds, lead charges, policies): https://help.thumbtack.com/
- Help Center Contact Us (choose pro or customer): https://help.thumbtack.com/contact-thumbtack
- Support email named in Terms of Use: [email protected]
- BBB-listed phone: (800) 948-2034
Locations
| Type | Address |
|---|---|
| Mailing address | 415 Natoma Street, Suite 1300 San Francisco CA 94103 |
| Headquarters | 1355 Market St Ste 600 San Francisco CA 94103 |
Thumbtack lead charges, refunds, leaving the platform and customer protection: what Thumbtack's own pages say (checked October 5, 2026)
Thumbtack's own pages, opened on October 5, 2026, describe two different relationships. Professionals ("pros") pay Thumbtack for leads; customers who hire a pro through the platform can claim under the Thumbtack Guarantee. The two archive posts on this site that name Thumbtack as the business are dated 2012 and 2013, so the current terms below may differ from what those authors saw.
How pros are charged. Thumbtack's help article says: "On Thumbtack, you pay for leads — new customers who reach out to you directly." When a customer contacts a pro from search results and the job matches the pro's job preferences, the pro auto-pays for the lead at the lead price the pro has set. For "Opportunities" (open leads where the pro reaches out first), the article says the price is shown upfront and "You only pay the price shown if the customer responds to you."
Requesting a refund as a pro. Thumbtack's Refund policy for pros says that for situations not refunded automatically, "you can request a refund within 45 days of the charge" and that "All refunds are made at our sole discretion." It lists situations that will "most likely qualify": a job that changed significantly, a customer whose first contact is "no thanks" (Opportunities), a lead that violates the Terms of Use, a job on a fixed date outside the pro's calendar availability, an invalid customer phone number, and duplicate leads or double charges within 45 days. It says answers usually arrive within 24–48 hours and could take up to four days. Approved refunds go to the Thumbtack balance by default; a refund to the original card must be requested within 10 business days of approval. Thumbtack states that if the customer hired a different pro, "we don’t provide refunds in these situations" and that a prepaid credit package "isn’t refundable".
Fair Shot Refunds. Thumbtack's Quality Commitment Terms (page showing "Last updated September 28, 2026") say: "If a customer doesn’t reply to any pro they contacted within the first 72 hours, we’ll automatically give those pros a refund for the lead." The same page says customers can contact no more than five pros from search results per project within four hours of the first contact.
Stopping charges. Thumbtack's help article "How to stop receiving and paying for leads" lists four options: hide the business for up to 30 days, turn off job preferences, remove a service, or deactivate the account. It says deactivation is permanent, deletes reviews, profile information, projects and the account balance, and that the pro is not charged for leads afterwards. The Refund policy FAQ adds that "all sales and fees on Thumbtack are final and non-refundable. If you cancel your account at any time, you won’t receive any refund."
If you are a customer. The Thumbtack Guarantee Terms (page dated "Last Updated: February 28, 2025") describe a Money-Back Guarantee and a Property Damage Guarantee. For requests for pro services made on or after January 1, 2025 the Money-Back Guarantee limit is US$2,500 per incident (US$1,000 for earlier requests); the Property Damage Guarantee limit is US$100,000 per incident. Thumbtack's Guarantee page (thumbtack.com/guarantee, opened October 5, 2026) adds that the Property Damage Guarantee covers direct physical loss or physical damage, which "doesn’t include faulty installation or incomplete work". The terms say the guarantee "IS NOT INSURANCE", that payments are at Thumbtack's "sole discretion", and require among other things proof of hire within 30 days of the request and before work starts, a written scope of work before work begins, a good-faith attempt to resolve the problem with the pro first, and contacting Thumbtack Customer Support within 45 days of learning of a material deviation (14 days for property damage), and never later than six months after hire. The terms point consumers with a concern about a pro to Thumbtack's "Report a Concern" form.
Contact. Thumbtack's Help Center Contact Us page asks whether you use Thumbtack as a pro or a customer; its Terms of Use name [email protected] for the support department. Disputes are covered by the Terms of Use arbitration clause and class action waiver (see the FAQ); the Terms give a 30-day opt-out window described there.
Who operates Thumbtack and how the company describes itself
Thumbtack's Terms of Use (page showing "Last updated: July 10, 2026") govern the Platform "made available by Thumbtack, Inc. or any of its subsidiaries". The Help Center footer reads "© 2026 Thumbtack, Inc." The Terms direct arbitration notices to "Thumbtack at 415 Natoma Street, Suite 1300, San Francisco, California 94103, ATTN: Legal". BBB lists a different headquarters address (1355 Market St Ste 600, San Francisco) on its profile as displayed on October 5, 2026.
The company's About page says: "We’re Thumbtack, a technology company helping millions of people confidently care for and improve their homes." It also states, as the company's own figures, 300,000+ pros, 500+ project categories, 1000+ employees, 12 million+ 5-star reviews, and that it has raised "$500 million+ from Sequoia Capital, Tiger Global Management, Javelin Venture Partners, Baillie Gifford, and CapitalG". These are company statements and were not independently verified. BBB's raw profile data lists the business as started and incorporated on 2008-10-09.
Thumbtack's press page lists announcements dated April 23, 2026 (a home-services experience in Anthropic's Claude) and April 30, 2026 (an AI-powered experience for homeowners). No sale, merger or leadership change was seen on that page on October 5, 2026.
What the Terms say about vetting. The Terms state that designations such as "badged," "vetted," "top rated" or "background checked" indicate "only that that account has completed a specific process or met certain review standards at a point in time" and "do not constitute an endorsement, warranty, certification or guarantee"; they add that Thumbtack "does not conduct background checks on every individual Service Professional", and that where a profile is tied to a business entity a background-check designation "may apply to a particular representative only".
Complaint record: BBB, Trustpilot and archive posts (as displayed October 5, 2026)
BBB. BBB profile for Thumbtack, Inc., San Francisco, CA: rating A; BBB states the business is not BBB Accredited; 912 total complaints in the last 3 years and 230 closed in the last 12 months; customer reviews 1.1 out of 5 from an average of 541 reviews (BBB says reviews are not used in the letter grade). BBB's profile text says a review of complaints was completed in November 2025 and that "Complaints on file indicate concerns about being charged for leads that fail to generate opportunities." BBB also lists a second Thumbtack, Inc. entry with a Draper, Utah address, which is not used here.
Trustpilot. Trustpilot shows 2.1 out of 5 from 6,633 reviews; the profile is marked claimed since May 2019 with a paid Trustpilot subscription, and the visible reviews carry a "Company replied" label. Trustpilot says it does not fact-check reviews. ComplaintsBoard was not checked successfully on this date.
Archive posts on this site. Two approved posts name Thumbtack as the business. A 2013 post by a pro ("Thumbtack Charge for fake job leads") says the author paid a per-lead fee (the post mentions $5.99), later learned the customer chose someone else, and could not verify whether the lead was genuine. A 2012 post (offender field "Thumb tack inc") is the author's opinion about performers advertising licensed-character entertainment on the site and says Thumbtack should enforce its user agreement on trademarks. These are individual allegations and opinions, not findings. Other archive posts only mention that a service provider was found through Thumbtack and are filed under those providers.
These figures come from different systems and are not added together or compared with each other.
Lawsuits and regulators: what was checked
A CourtListener case-name search for "Thumbtack" on October 5, 2026 returned 10 federal cases, some brought by Thumbtack as plaintiff in commercial matters. Three where Thumbtack was a defendant are listed below: two were read to the docket level (the entries reviewed do not describe the allegations) and one, Williams v. Thumbtack, Inc., was read through the court's January 28, 2026 opinion. A 2025 Middle District of Florida case (Littlejohn v. Thumbtack, Inc., 3:25-cv-01065, filed September 10, 2025) was not read at docket level: its 2026 entries could not be opened on a court or court-records site on October 5, 2026, so its status is not stated here. Two further dockets could not be opened because CourtListener showed a verification page.
No Thumbtack consumer-protection action by the Federal Trade Commission or a state attorney general was identified in the sources checked on October 5, 2026; the FTC's own case search could not be filtered to this company, so this is not a statement that none exists.
Williams is a pending dispute over a roof repair booked through the platform; the court has so far addressed the contractor's motion to dismiss and the plaintiffs' motion to amend, and Thumbtack's part of the case is stayed while its arbitration appeal is pending (details below). The opinion treats the plaintiffs' allegations as true only for purposes of those motions.
The Turbin docket matters for readers because it shows how the Terms of Use arbitration clause has been applied in court: Thumbtack moved to compel arbitration and the court granted the motions in October 2025.
Is Thumbtack Legitimate?
Thumbtack's Terms of Use name Thumbtack, Inc. as the operator and give a San Francisco address for legal notices. BBB lists the business as started in 2008, rates the profile A, and says it is not BBB Accredited; the same BBB profile reports 912 complaints in the last 3 years, and BBB's own profile text says complaints on file indicate concerns about being charged for leads that fail to generate opportunities. Trustpilot shows 2.1 out of 5 from 6,633 reviews as displayed on October 5, 2026. The company's refund rules for pros, its Fair Shot Refund rule and the limits of its customer Guarantee are quoted in the first section of this page so readers can compare them with their own experience.
This page does not give Thumbtack a score or verdict. Disputes over lead charges are governed by Thumbtack's refund policy and its Terms of Use (including arbitration), and complaints about a specific pro or about a charge can also be filed with BBB or with the consumer protection office of your state attorney general.
Court & Public Records
| Case | Authority | Dates | Type | Outcome | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Turbin v. Thumbtack, Inc., No. 3:25-cv-03388 Docket 3:25-cv-03388 | U.S. District Court, Northern District of California | Dismissed | Dismissed The docket labels the case a diversity action with a fraud cause; the entries reviewed do not describe the claims. Thumbtack filed a motion to compel arbitration and stay proceedings on June 4, 2025 and a second such motion as to Mauricio Serrano on June 19, 2025. The docket shows that on October 28, 2025 the court (Judge Edward M. Chen) granted both motions to compel arbitration. A notice of voluntary dismissal was filed on July 17, 2026 and the case was terminated on July 20, 2026. The docket does not state the reason for the dismissal. | Source | |
| Tavarez-Vargas v. Thumbtack, Inc., No. 1:21-cv-09850 Docket 1:21-cv-09850 | U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York | Dismissed | Dismissed The docket's cause label is the Americans with Disabilities Act (42 U.S.C. 12101); the entries reviewed do not describe the allegations. On January 27, 2022 the plaintiff filed a notice of settlement, and on January 31, 2022 the court ordered the case discontinued subject to reopening. A notice of voluntary dismissal under Rule 41(a)(1)(A)(i) was filed on March 10, 2022 and the case was terminated on March 11, 2022. Settlement terms are not on the docket entries reviewed. | Source | |
| Williams v. Thumbtack, Inc. and A-G Eagle Construction LLC, No. 2:25-cv-03541 Docket 2:25-cv-03541 | U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Pennsylvania | Filed | Filed — no final outcome recorded Filed pro se on July 10, 2025. The court's January 28, 2026 memorandum describes the plaintiffs' allegations (taken as true only for purposes of the motions): they hired A-G Eagle Construction through Thumbtack for a roof repair in about August 2023 and the roof later collapsed. Thumbtack moved to compel arbitration (docket 12); the opinion says that motion was denied without prejudice, that Thumbtack appealed to the Third Circuit, and that the court stayed all matters pertaining to Thumbtack during the appeal. The January 2026 opinion addressed the contractor's motion to dismiss and the plaintiffs' motion to amend. The outcome of the Third Circuit appeal was not verified on October 5, 2026. | Source |
Frequently Asked Questions
How does a pro request a refund for a Thumbtack lead, and how long does it take?
Thumbtack's Refund policy for pros says some refunds are automatic (for example a lead flagged by Trust and Safety) and that for other cases a pro can request a refund within 45 days of the charge, with details and optionally up to six screenshots. Thumbtack says it usually answers within 24–48 hours, up to four days if more review is needed, and that all refunds are made at its sole discretion. Status (Pending, Refunded, Credited, Denied) can be checked under Payments in the Pro app.
Does Thumbtack refund lead charges to a credit card?
By default approved refunds go to the pro's Thumbtack balance. The Refund policy says a refund to the original payment method requires contacting Thumbtack within 10 business days of the approval, a non-zero balance, and the original card; it then takes 5–7 business days. It also says courtesy credits, prepaid packages and promotional balances are not eligible for refund to a card.
What is Thumbtack's Fair Shot Refund?
Thumbtack's Quality Commitment Terms (page showing Last updated September 28, 2026) say: "If a customer doesn’t reply to any pro they contacted within the first 72 hours, we’ll automatically give those pros a refund for the lead." The same page limits customers to contacting no more than five pros from search results per project within four hours of first contact.
Can I get my money back if I close my Thumbtack pro account?
Thumbtack's Refund policy FAQ says: "As part of our Terms of Use, all sales and fees on Thumbtack are final and non-refundable. If you cancel your account at any time, you won’t receive any refund." Its article on stopping leads says deactivation is permanent and deletes the account balance, and lists milder options (hide the business for up to 30 days, turn off job preferences, remove a service).
What does the Thumbtack Guarantee cover for customers?
The Guarantee Terms (Last Updated February 28, 2025) describe a Money-Back Guarantee up to US$2,500 per incident for requests made on or after January 1, 2025, and a Property Damage Guarantee up to US$100,000 per incident, both at Thumbtack's sole discretion and subject to conditions such as proof of hire within 30 days of the request, a scope of work agreed before work starts, contacting Customer Support within 45 days (14 for property damage), and a good-faith attempt to resolve the issue with the pro first. The terms state the Guarantee is not insurance, and Thumbtack's Guarantee page says the Property Damage Guarantee covers direct physical loss or physical damage and does not include faulty installation or incomplete work.
Does Thumbtack background-check every professional?
The Terms of Use say Thumbtack "does not conduct background checks on every individual Service Professional that may provide Pro Services" and that designations such as "background checked" indicate only that an account completed a specific process at a point in time and are not a warranty or guarantee. They also say a background-check designation on a business profile may apply to one representative only.
Can I sue Thumbtack, or does the Terms of Use require arbitration?
The Terms of Use (last updated July 10, 2026) contain a binding arbitration provision and class action waiver, with a stated opt-out by written notice within 30 days of first use or of notice of changes, and exceptions for small claims court and intellectual property claims. Before arbitration the Terms require written notice sent by certified mail to Thumbtack at 415 Natoma Street, Suite 1300, San Francisco, ATTN: Legal, followed by 60 days in which the parties work together on resolution (extendable by agreement). The Terms also say that, to the extent permitted by law, any claim arising out of or related to the Platform or the Pro Services "must commence within one (1) year after the cause of action accrues". This summarizes the contract text and is not legal advice. Claims of $10,001 or more are to follow JAMS rules according to the Terms. In Turbin v. Thumbtack, Inc. (N.D. Cal.), the court granted Thumbtack's motions to compel arbitration on October 28, 2025 per the docket.
How can I contact Thumbtack about a charge or a problem with a pro?
Thumbtack's Help Center Contact Us page asks whether you are a pro or a customer, and the Terms of Use name [email protected] for the support department. For lead charges, the Refund policy says pros can request a refund within 45 days of the charge (steps are in its "How to request a refund" article). A phone number (800) 948-2034 appears on BBB's profile but was not found on Thumbtack's own help pages checked on October 5, 2026.
What do BBB and Trustpilot show for Thumbtack?
See the complaint record section for the full snapshot as displayed on October 5, 2026: BBB rating A with 912 complaints in the last 3 years and 541 customer reviews averaging 1.1 out of 5; Trustpilot 2.1 out of 5 from 6,633 reviews. They are separate systems and the numbers are not combined.