Complaint Review: Thumbtack - San Francisco CA

We recently installed a new deck. I submitted a request for a quote through Thumbtack for deck staining and power washing. Before committing, I requested proof of business insurance. He stated he had insurance and would send a copy of the policy to me.

I noticed the insurance policy wasn't restricted down for editing. This prompted me to e-mail the agent, Jason Ayers, the insurance docs to verify proof of insurance. In the meantime, I began researching him by typing in his address listed on the policy and his name. Other businesses came up but nothing came up under the business name he was going by with Thumbtack. In addition, the quote he sent me had another business name listed as well.

I questioned him about the previous businesses and he claimed he had recently parted ways with his business partner and had started a new business on his own. When I questioned him about how long he had been in business for himself, because he looked young, he tried to put my mind at ease by scanning a copy of his driver's license through Thumbtack. Thumbtack only showed him in their system since July 2020. Big mistake on his part. I never asked for it. I told him the insurance doc was alterable, possibly the agent had forgotten to lock it down, and I was needing to verify it prior to hiring him. He stated he would have his agent call me the next morning.

In the meantime, I found this Yelp review for one of the prior businesses. The review stated the owners' employees had stolen over $10k in possessions from the home during a bathroom remodel: yelp.com/biz/mck-contrac… (MCK Contractors). I also verified the authenticity of the previous Yelp complaint with Lee's Summit police department. I spoke to Sgt. Chris Depue. I sent over the driver's license. They stated they had investigated and the case is now closed.

I made a follow-up call to the agent because I had not heard back from him. He stated the insurance docs were forged, the owner had not had insurance with them since 2018 and had canceled insurance because the owner stated he was out of business. I told him that I wouldn't hire him because of the insurance docs being forged. He claimed his business partner had given him a copy of the policy, he had paid his business partner money for the policy, and his business partner must have taken off with the money. I suppose this could be a true story, the stories don't really line up... but there is more.

I did a search on the owner through this website with the county: jococourts.org. A name similar to his popped up. I then followed a name change that was done under civil and typed it in. Criminal charges popped up. I was able to match it to his date of birth on his driver's license.

My neighbor thought I should file a police report because of the forgery, but apparently the agent needs to do that for himself since it was his name that was forged. The police told me this when they arrived at my residence this evening. They recommended giving what I had to Olathe Chamber of Commerce and the BBB. Thumbtack is investigating, but they obviously didn't perform a criminal background check as advertised on the contractor's page.

I filed a BBB report against Thumbtack and an Attorney General's report with the state of California immediately. I filed another with the AG of KS and also an FTC report. The business listed through Thumbtack is under Patriot Powerwashing Pros. The invoice is listed under Patriot Deck and Fence in Lee's Summit. MCK Contractors is also on Thumbtack. The owner's name in Ben McKeag.

The responses I have received so far from Thumbtack have been terrible. Their first reply to the BBB was the issue was between the contractor and me. The problem is they clearly advertised on the contractor's page that he passed their background check. They also have a page that states their background check includes criminal. They obviously didn't check it adequately, because they should have been able to glean the same information I had at my fingertips within minutes.

When I responded back that their excuse was unacceptable, citing again the advertisement on the contractor's page, as well as their guarantee of up to $1000 if a customer is unhappy with the transaction, they told me to talk to the person who is handling my complaint with Thumbtack, a person whose name has never been provided and who has never once contacted me.

Most importantly, despite filing the complaint with Thumbtack two weeks ago, filing the BBB report, and filing the AG's report with the state of CA, and supplying them with all the pertinent information over the phone (and, through their messaging system with the contractor), they have yet to deactivate the contractor's account. A week later, it was still showing he was actively logging in (a customer can tell when a contractor was last logged in by minutes or hours). The last time I checked, it no longer shows the last time he was on the account, but it still allows me to message him. This means they have not closed his account.

I have also talked to other residents in the area through Nextdoor that have suffered financial loss because of Thumbtack's negligence, but the incidents are with other contractors. Some of them have stated there have been criminal background check problems as well.