Thumbtack charged $812.38 for fake connections with potential clients. San Francisco California

Dear Sir/Madam,

I am writing to file a complaint about fraudulent business practices by Thumbtack and the inadequate resolution of charges by Bank of America.

I recently moved to the United States and I am still learning how some services operate here. In June 2024, I registered on Thumbtack to offer fashion styling services. Their terms and conditions were unclear to me, and I was unaware that I would be charged just for communicating with potential clients, even if no service was rendered. As a result, I was charged $812.38 for interactions with what later turned out to be fake profiles.

These profiles disappeared shortly after our conversations, leading me to believe they were created to deceive users and generate charges. Many others online have reported similar suspicious activity with Thumbtack, where users are charged for engaging with fake or non-serious leads. Despite my efforts, Thumbtack has not addressed my concerns or refunded my money.

After discovering these charges, I immediately contacted Bank of America, who initially issued a temporary credit while they investigated. However, for some reason, only $45.24 was credited back to my account, and the remaining $812.38 was not refunded, despite the clear evidence of fraudulent activity on Thumbtack’s platform.

Additionally, I mailed a letter to Bank of America’s claims resolution department with all the evidence I gathered, but it was completely ignored. Today, September 25, 2024, I received an email informing me that my claim was denied (Claim number: 240623554577). Bank of America stated that the charge was authorized by me or someone with my permission, which is not accurate given that I was misled by Thumbtack's vague and deceptive practices.

As someone new to the U.S., I trusted Bank of America to protect my money, but this situation has left me feeling financially vulnerable and unsupported. I am requesting your help to investigate both Thumbtack's unethical practices and Bank of America’s failure to adequately resolve this situation.

I do not want Thumbtack to continue deceiving and stealing money from other people, and their fraudulent activity must be stopped. I urge you to take action to prevent this from happening to others.

Sincerely,
Khrystyna Matura