Thumbtack is a total scam. They don’t vet the vendors on their platform or verify business insurance, and they even have disclaimers about it. Their so-called "guarantee" is a joke—whether they honor it is entirely up to them, and my experience proves this.I hired *Serenity Outdoor Solutions*, run by the owner and sole operator, *Steven Whipple* out of *Sarasota, Florida*, for a major landscaping project at my home, totaling $21,050. I paid in full, but Steven had constant staffing issues, damaged my property, and left the project mostly unfinished. He promised a refund via credit card, which never happened. I submitted a dispute on Thumbtack and left a negative review. Later, I discovered Steven had a history of this behavior. I hired an attorney, sent a demand letter, and now I’m being forced to take him to small claims court because of his unresponsiveness. This happened in early July, and now we’re heading into October.Thumbtack refused to honor their guarantee, citing the fact that Steven claimed he was hiring a lawyer as an excuse not to get involved. So, not only am I out the $21,050, but I’ve had to hire another landscaper (not from Thumbtack) to fix and finish his work, and I’m paying for an attorney to pursue the funds in court. Meanwhile, *Serenity Outdoor Solutions* is still listed on Thumbtack.If you’re considering using Thumbtack, think again. Their guarantee is worthless. Save yourself the headache and go with a service that actually protects its customers, like Google with their Google Guarantee. Learn from my experience—don’t make the same mistake.
