I signed up and received a bid offer from them, they wanted $4.00 up front to make a blind bid and the description of the event was very unclear, so I did not reply

Howie
There return policy is if the customer doesn't contacts you after 7 days, or never wanted you in the first place they will refund your money. Just tell them what happened at support@thumbtack.com Tell them big Al sent you.

Thanks Al, I will go to Thumbtack.com and look at the information closer

FYI
Yesterday I complained that a potential customer never contacted me, and Thumbtack gave me an instant refund.

Al;

Good information, the next time I receive a Thumbtack referral. I'll follow through

Thanks

What Al has posted was fine in 2011 but I will give you an update from my experience in 2013.

After a few hundred dollars and a year (full 12 months) - I cannot recommend this sit as a serious lead generator. The folks looking for entertainment have nothing invested or anything to loose - the performer has everything to loose. Depending on how you are listed, it will cost the performer 3 to 9 credits ($5-$15) just to forward contact information buyer (buyer info not forwarded to performer) which has consistently lead to nowhere. Unless you are a "magic ***" that will lead to nothing but good advertising money waisted, stay away.

TIm, just summed it up. He went with the lowest quote.
I spend over $375 in leads to get one job. Yes $375....

People are looking for the lowest price. IT is awful you can pay about $5 to 9 per lead and receive no info regarding the contact person.

I also do the Thumbtack ads and found that I get around 1 good lead out of the 10 But that 1 lead does turn the experience into a profitable one.

I've gone to perform at that 1 lead that turned into another person that hired me for another job. So as long as you hand out those business cards good things can happen. For now I'll stay in and see what happens.

Just another view.

I have to agree with Curtis. I pay $5 per lead, all of which have been out of town requiring around a couple hour drive. I have given reasonable bids but have never gotten a response, and thumbtack does not give their contact information, so have no way to do so. Leads me to conclude that, at least in my case, price shoppers are the only ones using this. Was a waste of my money, so I stopped. Still get a few intermittent requests, but I ignore them.

Bob Phillips

Leads on thumbtack are real. However, if you reply and pay for one, it will 100% always be marked red even if it isn't.

I got a lead for an event and put in a quote for $150. Of course, within minutes my quote was read with no reply. A few days later, a well know "agency" called me for an event in the same town, on the same day. I took it for their offer of $125. Upon receiving the client information, it was in fact the same person! If you know the agency I am referring to, you know their price was more than my $150, especially if I was getting $125. I introduced myself after the gig that I had responded to her thumbtack lead. She told me she had gotten NO replies.

I use Thumbtack but I put out a lot of bids before I close one. Personally, I prefer Gigsalad's method of leads where you can choose who pays the $15 (you or the client) right in the bid. This way payment is made only if you get the gig.

Any updates on using Thumbtack? Sites can improve over time (or go downhill)
Besides Gigsalad, Gigmasters and Thumbtack, are there better online choices today?