thumbtack.com "Sales Leads" are WORTHLESS! Internet

If this were a normal "rip-off" report, I would be lividly angry at the company. I should say right at the outset that I am not. I am more puzzled than anything.

However, after having responded to several of thumbtack's "sales leads," I decided to look them up on Google, and sure enough, there were a number of other people who felt about this company as do I.

My complaint is that thumbtack's business model, as it were, really does NOT work. They CHARGE you for submitting a "bid" on a sales lead, but there is never enough information upon which to submit a bid. So, each time I have replied to a lead, I have been forced to say something like: "Please give me a call so that we may discuss your project in more detail. I do not have enough information upon which to give you a quote. Here is my telephone number and email address... Let me tell you a little bit about me and my company. ... I should also mention that we enjoy working with small businesses like yours (I have yet to see a lead that was not from a very small company or individual), and our prices are affordable. I look forward to hearing from you."

That is all that I can say, as the prototypical "project description" is something like: "Katie D. Marketing strategy. 10 employees. Will drive to consultant, or can meet at our office." FULL STOP. That is all the detail that I have ever received on a thumbtack lead.

Clearly, the problem is with thumbtack's procedures. They don't mandate that the prospective client describe their project in sufficient detail so that a service provider can make an intelligible bid. I don't know how ANYBODY does it!

So, thus far I have wasted some pf my time and some of my money responding to a few of these so-called sales leads. I have never received even a call back from a prospective client interested in discussing their project.

HOW THE HELL CAN ANYBODAY SUBMIT A BID ON A PROJECT WHICH HAS NO DESCRIPTION??

The whole thing is ludicrous. You can say that what thumbtack does is a "scam," but it can better be described as JUST PLAIN DUMB. They should probably call themselves
"dumbtack." I don't see how they can keep any consultants continuing to submit unintelligible bids on undescribed projects.

My simple advice is: DON'T WASTE YOUR TIME AND MONEY WITH thumbtack! They are just plain DUMB as a company. It is really too bad, as the small business market for advisory services is one which is greatly under-served. But thumstack's procedures just don't work.

Oh well. thumbtack IS a scam, but a really DUMB one. I would AVOID THEM.