Profile Info

Thank you. As a former LMT, I can tell you that it is always the customers who pay the lowest rates who have the most entitled attitudes. I don't think there is a professional rate cheaper than ME, yet clients refuse to tip. The tips are the primary (if not only) incentive for MTs to work there. That is one of the reasons many of them leave.

There are no cheaper rates of equal quality. You're already paying the cheapest professional rate possible. So what if the MTs make more money than you do? That is not an excuse for choosing not to pay a gratuity. If you are that cheap, then there are charitable organizations you can contact who donate massages for free.

I don't know if you had time to shop around before your trip. Maybe you had no choice. Having said that, it shouldn't be a surprise that the closer you book to your departure date, the more the airlines charge. If you knew there were no available seats, then why didn't you book a seat on a flight that wasn't full? (You can check the seating chart online). Even if that was the only flight available, which I doubt, if you took a chance booking without a seat assignment, then you really have no one to blame but yourself.

These owners are double dipping. It's so unethical. It's bad enough the therapists get no compensation for sick leave, so they lose their meager pay whenever they take a day off. On top of that, they are expected to pay for a missed appointment unless the client immediately reschedules? That's outrageous! Clients are expected to pay their monthly fees whether they show up or not and they don't get a refund if ME cancels their sessions. The best way to teach these greedy owners a lesson is to vote with your feet. When no one shows up to do the work they will lose clients and lose money. Even if it means you lose your job, well, the job was actually COSTING you money. So what did you really lose? The only way to fight back is to hit them directly in the wallet.

There is a class action lawsuit against them in California. It was filed in 2011 and it's still going on right now. I hope they pay so much money in damages that they end up closing. It would serve them right for hiding so much info in the fine print on the contract, which sales associates are told to lie about or disregard entirely, hoping the naive clients will never read it. The policies are too restrictive and are basically set up to serve the business, not the consumer. I agree, a gift should be a gift for whomever you want to give it to, as often as you want to give it to them. ME has that restriction in place because they are using gift sessions as a sales tactic, hoping someone will get a gift and be hooked into signing on for a membership. They think allowing people to get too many gift sessions will hurt their sales, which totally defeats the purpose of giving a gift in the first place. They are really missing the big picture, that they hurt their sales when they cheat the customer. I hope this company goes out of business.

I'm sure some people have had success with Thumbtack. Otherwise, they would be out of business by now and they wouldn't be able to get away with shady practices. You didn't mention how much money you spent on credits or how much time you wasted responding to dead end leads before you landed the six jobs. So, how am I supposed to know whether you actually made a profit or not? I have to take your comment with a grain of salt. As I'm sure everyone else will.

Thank you for your comment. I feel you. When people go to places like ME, they don't realize the therapist is actually seeing very little of that fee. I'm an independent LMT who doesn't charge much more than ME. I offer package deals, too. The difference is, I don't expect a tip and I don't try to sell clients a contract with a lot of fine print. It frustrates me when people won't pay an independent therapist because they say the rate is too high, but they will sign their lives away to ME only to complain later that they were ripped off. At the end of the day, they pay a price one way or another. ME is just hoping nobody ever realizes it. The best way to fight back is to vote with your feet. Find an independent therapist and pay their rate. At least you will know where your money is going.

Ok, I am definitely not a fan of ME. Still, I can't help but tell you to stop your whining. If you weren't happy with your introductory session, why did you sign a contract? Don't blame anyone but yourself because you made a commitment for a service you don't want or can't use. You're pissed at the staff for being younger than you? So what? I can understand why the poor guy was shaking during your session. You probably made him nervous. It must have been difficult for him to concentrate while being distracted by your griping.

Thank you. I'm an independent MT who has been on my soapbox preaching about all the reasons why independent LMTs are worth more money. (And why they charge higher rates in the first place. Contrary to popular belief, it isn't because of greed). ME likes to hire therapists fresh out of massage school because they are willing to accept a lower rate of pay in exchange for the chance to hit the ground running and gain more experience. ME entices them by promising them instant clientele. The management schedules appointments as if they are running an assembly line, which shortchanges both the client and the therapist. It's so unfair, and it's bringing down the whole industry. I discourage people from supporting these treadmill establishments, but people will always be tempted by the lure of a sweet deal. The same people who complain about the lack of quality and service at places like ME are the ones who refuse to pay more experienced therapists a higher rate. They need to understand they can't have it both ways. If they want a customized experience, then they should find an independent therapist and pay the money.

I have also received offers from LC offering an interest rate as low as 6.78%. When I tried to apply, the rate shot up to 29% That's higher than the interest on my cards. Needless to say, I declined.

So you're saying I shouldn't blame Thumbtack because no one took my bids? Ok, maybe I could write that off to chance until I read and heard complaints from other users who said they intentionally underbid or even offered a service for free and still didn't get the job. That can't always be a coincidence. Especially when it happens to people who offer services (such as IT work) that are in much higher demand than my massage therapy practice and, unlike my services, are not considered luxuries. Even people who claim they got business from advertising on Thumbtack still admit the system is flawed and the return on investment isn't that great. Maybe 10 percent of people who use it can get something out of it. That doesn't mean you should dismiss the other 90 percent who end up throwing their money away.

You are being naive if you don't do your homework before you book an appointment. You know there must be a catch, otherwise the rate wouldn't be so low. I almost booked an appointment with ME once. When I asked if If I could still get the $39 rate without signing on for a membership, the sales associate said yes but seemed irritated about it, so I didn't go. I found out later that the branch closed. Apparently they couldn't get enough long-term memberships, which is the only way they turn a profit. I'm not a fan of ME. All I'm saying is it's partly the consumers' responsibility to inform themselves. It should be obvious that all businesses depend on repeat customers and if they charge less than the competition, there must be reason.

I cancelled my shipment through the website. Even after it was posted as cancelled, they still sent a shipment. I was out of town when the package arrived, so I wouldn't be able to return it within the 30 day period specified for a full refund. I called customer service and they apologized for the "oversight", but only issued a partial refund.

Hello, you did know this is a site for complaints, right? That's probably the reason it's called pissed consumer. So if you want to post a positive review, why don't you choose a site like Yelp or something similar? Probably because you're a poser. Or maybe you're just too *** to know what kind of site you're reading.

You *** ignorant cheap skate. You are already paying the lowest rate out there, and you're too cheap to leave a tip? By the way, they don't get paid per hour, they get paid per massage, so they don't make as much money as you might think. MTs who work in medical settings, such as chiropractors' offices, don't take tips. It all depends where you go, so that really blows your whole argument out of the water. Here's an idea: If you want a free massage, do the world a favor. Stay home and *** yourself off, ***.

Thank you for your review. I know it's been a while since you posted this review, but I still want to add my two cents. I almost considered working at Massage Envy until I found out how they operate. As a massage therapist, I know there is NO WAY that anyone can make a profit charging rates so low, so I was suspicious that they could even pay their overhead costs, let alone have so many branches open so quickly. Now I know. They lock the clients in and then hold them hostage. Also, please know the therapists barely see any of the money out of all the fees you pay. So, if you really want to get your money's worth, find an independent practitioner or a small group practice. They charge more for a reason. Because they are worth it.

I guess you didn't bother to actually read those reviews. If you did, you would know the complaints are not all about losing money.
They are about Thumbtack's deceptive business practices, such as NOT TELLING PEOPLE UP FRONT THAT THERE IS A FEE!!!
They advertise as a FREE website. At least when you advertise in the Yellow Pages or anywhere else, you know ahead of time how much you will be charged. They don't wait for you to post an ad and tell you after the fact how much it costs. What's more, consumers who browse through the Yellow Pages, or any other ads, are aware that someone is paying for that ad. That is not the case with Thumbtack. Potential clients have no idea that it costs money to respond to their requests. This tactic is unfair for both parties. I don't blame anyone for complaining about it. I'm surprised Thumbtack hasn't yet been sued for their misleading advertising practices.

I'm not surprised you had a bad experience. I'm a professional who used to get leads through Thumbtack. I posted my state license number and Thumbtack said they verified it, but there was no way to tell. I also paid extra for a background check. Posting a license number is completely voluntary and a background check is optional. There's nothing to stop so-called professionals from saying whatever they want. It ruins it for the rest of us, the legitimate contractors out there who are looking for real work.

Oh, thank you. I can't wait until Thumbtack gets slammed with a class action suit. I have seen so many complaints about them; I'm surprised they haven't been sued already. I, too, have picked up more clients advertising on Craig's List for free.

Thanks for your review. I also wasted my money on Thumbtack and I totally agree with some of your suggestions. I think professionals should get a credit refund if a prospective client cancels a request. The request form needs to include more details because many professionals charge a variety of prices depending on time, type of service, travel cost, etc. Just quoting a flat rate or a range from lowest price to highest price without any specifics can give the clients sticker shock. After that, they won't be interested in reading any more details. When you have no clue what the client is expecting to pay, you can't possibly guess
if it's worth your money to send a quote. I think clients should be allowed to include that in the form. Also, charging clients a minimal fee would *** out window shoppers.

What a coincidence that you didn't write any actual DETAILS in your review about why you think Thumbtack is so great! As far as rates go, experienced professionals know what a realistic fee is. I guess you ignored the reviews posted by other users claiming they intentionally underbid and they still didn't get the job. I wouldn't be surprised if you're employed by Thumbtack.

Thanks for your review. I noticed the same pattern when I had an account with Thumbtack. As soon as I bought a package of credits, I started getting leads like crazy (which is highly unusual in my profession). When the credits were used up and I didn't purchase more, suddenly the leads dried up to nothing. I hardly think it was a coincidence.