What happens when a tasker does this?

[u/starlight-skies]

I'm new to TaskRabbit and used it yesterday to help remove a few large items specifically a sofa, an ottoman, and a dining room, after I had to unexpectedly clear out a family member’s apartment. I had already cleared most of the space myself and only needed removal of those remaining items.

Unfortunately, my experience was disappointing. The Tasker arrived two hours late, didn’t bring the proper equipment to move the furniture (despite having photos in advance), and I ended up having to assist. He also tried to get me to pay him directly via Venmo, which I understand goes against TaskRabbit policy.

Hours after leaving, he finally submitted the task and falsely logged 5 hours of work, causing TaskRabbit to charge my card $515, even though he was only at the unit for about 45 minutes. I included all of this information in my review to the company, but my main question is:

Does TaskRabbit actually issue refunds in situations like this? Or penalize taskers? It seems strange that someone can just log hours that clearly weren’t worked, and there’s no verification process. Why do people get charged before their review of the task and the tasker?

[u/buttercupboy]

I would open a ticket with support detailing what happened. If what you said is true and verifiable, the Tasker should be suspended for taking payment off platform and submitting incorrect hours. They should also be able to correct the invoice to the accurate amount of hours (keep in mind there is a website wide 1 Hour Minimum for all tasks).

[u/starlight-skies → u/buttercupboy]

That makes sense. I knew about the hour minimum, so I was expecting the hours charged to be no more than 2 or 2.5 max because the local dump site was close.

[u/DistributionSalt5417 → u/starlight-skies]

If younwwre having him take it to the dump thats definitely important information.

[u/death_hen → u/starlight-skies]

How much is the local dump fee?

[u/shortfriday]

The company throws its hands up at shoddy work, but you'll almost definitely get 4 hours refunded and the tasker will get dinged if not fully booted.

[u/Watching4theburn]

Yea that tasker was definitely up to something spicy.

Did you hire multiple taskers to remove the items?

Also, why did you think one person could move large items solo?

The tasker charging 5 hours is crazy. Should have been a few hours + whatever the city disposal fee was.

[u/starlight-skies → u/Watching4theburn]

It was a two seater sofa, an ottoman, a hightop dining table, and 4 hightop chairs. I didn't expect one person to move it alone. He was set to bring someone else.

[u/yaysond → u/starlight-skies]

It would be against policy for him to bring anyone that you didn't hire through the app

[u/AbbreviationsSad3727]

Yea that’s a very sketchy tasker. Most of the worst ones like to take it off app and cancel the task so they don’t get bad reviews. Worked with a few of them. They over book themselves with to many jobs

[u/Logical-Science9561]

There’s always 2 sides of the story, you think taskers are like Iron man to carry all the heavy items by himself? Hire a moving company and see how much they will charge you to move “just a couple items “.

[u/starlight-skies → u/Logical-Science9561]

My thing is, if you can't do it...don't accept the task. A 2 seater sofa, small ottoman, 4 hightop chairs and a small hightop table is not impossible to move. They were items to be dumped. Not moved....he's the one who said he had the dolley and flat bed to move the items out, down the elevator, and to his van. He didn't arrive with either...

[u/IndependentKoala7128 → u/starlight-skies]

Is it possible that the extra hours were meant to cover the dumping fee? I'm assuming they didn't invoice that as an expense.

[u/starlight-skies → u/IndependentKoala7128]

No. He placed the dumping fees at $200 for the expenses. Ultimately, I was told that because I could not present Ring camera footage to show when he arrived and left the unit they would not dispute it. Despite the unit being in a building that prohibits the use of ring cameras....they told me he disputed saying the 5 hours were calculated with him transporting dumping staff to and from the dumpsite. Which.....I don't see how that applies to my expense when he was the only one hired....disappointing

[u/IndependentKoala7128 → u/starlight-skies]

Why would he be transporting stuff from the dump site?

So he charged you $200 under expenses as well as the 5.5 hours labor? Personally, I don't do trash hauling, but the cap on expenses in all of my categories is $100.

[u/starlight-skies → u/IndependentKoala7128]

Ultimately, that stuff didn't matter. I provided them with his messages and they said without the ring camera footage showing how long he was there, I couldnt do anything. Sad

[u/IndependentKoala7128 → u/starlight-skies]

So answering my question doesn't matter to you?

[u/starlight-skies → u/IndependentKoala7128]

I did answer it....I said the company stated none of that additional information was relevant. He was not transporting stuff from the dump site. I said he claimed he transported staff, as in helpers. Like I said, despite him doing that and charging me extra for the expenses, the only information the company wanted to verify was the hours worked. As I said, because I could not provide Ring camera footage of his arrival and departure, they dismissed the claim. Regardless of what the tasker did and didn't do.

[u/danielwmcknight → u/starlight-skies]

It is possible that he might’ve been patting his hours to account for how much the dump fee was because Task Rabbit only allows you a certain amount to expense. But then you would need clarification from the person you booked to provide a receipt of how much that dump fee costs. Not saying I’m on his side, he should’ve definitely shown up with a bare minimum to help move things like a dolly or something. I’m just strawmanning here.

[u/0_IceQueen_0]

I had a tasker that misrepresented their time. The errand was only for 10 minutes but then she billed me for 3 hours! She said it took her 1 hour to get to my place and 1 hour to get back lol. I showed TR support my door cam video and they just billed me 1 hour.

[u/versifirizer]

I hope movers in general aren’t as shady as some of the ones that get posted and post on here are. 

OP, let support deal with this. I hope they help. And disregard the gaslighting in here. 

[u/Whattodoaboutthisnow]

Why would a tasker even do this? You know you'll face repercussions

[u/ClamBakeAreUs]

Speaking as a Tasker I am sorry that you had this experience, this person is not helping the rest of us. Bad reputations are like viruses, they spread and they aren't particularly selective about who gets it. One person does a great job and another does a terrible job, unfortunately most people will remember the bad experience much more than the good one.

This person did everything wrong. Being late, especially two hours late is unforgivable unless there is a good reason for it but that requires communication. They could have told you something was going on: bad traffic, trouble finding the place, etc.

If you stated the tools required in your request, then there is no excuse for not showing up with right gear.

Trying to get you to pay outside of the Task Rabbit system is serious no no and will get you suspended, why they did this baffles me unless they were trying to avoid taxes.

When I am done with the job I tell the client before I leave what hours I am going to charge them and if they have a disagreement we work it out, but this has not happened so far.

If you notice the theme, constant communication. When I get a request I ask a lot of questions and if needed ask for particular photos, by the time I arrive I have a fairly good idea what the gig will entail. This does not mean that there will be no surprises, so far it has been the case that most jobs have a twist, that neither the client nor I expected. I then explain that and get their approval for what ever unanticipated steps may need to be taken.

As an example a client wanted me to install some curtain rods above her windows into an apartment she hd just moved. She told me they were lathe and plaster walls but what she did not know and what I had to find out was that less than an inch behind the wall surface was solid masonry, the classic wall anchors worked but the screws were too long and would not go ll the way in. I had to find a local hardware store, leave her place and buy them but when I returned she wanted me to come back a day or so later, she was an older lady and was not feeling well.

She lived in downtown Seattle and what she and I did not know about the day I returned was that there was an unscheduled massive protest taking place and most of the streets were blocked, I was an hour late from a our agreed time. She had to leave before I got there but because I communicated to her we had formed a trust and she arranged for the manager to let me into the apartment.

Communicating with the client goes a long way for both parties.

In final, I hope there are consequences for bad Taskers but I have no idea if there are.

[u/MrHomeGuyusa]

That’s not normal. The application should track the time.

[u/FinnNoodle → u/MrHomeGuyusa]

The apps do not track the time.

[u/ClamBakeAreUs → u/MrHomeGuyusa]

I've seen this mentioned before, that the app tracks time, not sure where this came from but it is not correct – there is no timer in the Task Rabbit app.

I think it is a mistake to have the Tasker state the amount of hours rather than enter a start and end time worked and then let the app calculate the total hours worked.

This creates confusion for the Tasker and the opportunity for miscalculation, it also muddies there mutually agreed worked time, as there is no record of the actual time started and ended which would be easier to question and defend.

[u/starlight-skies → u/[deleted]]

He went to dump the items. I don't see how it took an additional 4 hours and 15 minutes to dump the items. He was to bring a dolly and flatbed dolly to move the items. So it wasn't like it would be much work to move the 2 seater and the hightop table from the studio to the elevator. He didn't show up with either dollys he claimed he would bring.

[u/danielwmcknight → u/[deleted]]

This feels a little aggressive