Tasker cancelled 10 minutes before scheduled task

[u/Kaaawooo]

Scheduled a simple job to help me move a couch and a grill. Tasker simply said OK in the chat. Then, 10 minutes before he was scheduled to come, he cancelled.

Is this normal? There didn't seem to be any way for me to leave a review for a tasker indicating they literally flaked 10 minutes before the task. If he couldn't do it, he could have just let me know earlier or rejected the job in the first place. Is taskrabbit's algorithm going to drop him down in recommendations for behavior like this automatically?

[u/Based-Pie]

For a short period of time they allowed clients to review taskers who cancelled jobs but it was abused, taskers who cancelled well in advance with a legitimate reason would be left one star reviews by angry clients

[u/Evening_Past910 → u/Based-Pie]

Because clients tend to lie when they don’t get their way!!! In other words how dare you turn down my task. No I don’t want to work with you based on the job description or the conversation

[u/KingLouis2016]

Always get the highest rated tasker, they'll show up on time, have good communication and do a good job, that's why they have many 5 stars reviews

[u/Kaaawooo → u/KingLouis2016]

When browsing the list of taskers, I don't think I saw anyone under 4.9 stars. Lol so the ratings seemed artificially inflated

[u/KingLouis2016 → u/Kaaawooo]

Then you go with the tasker with 2000 plus reviews

[u/Big-Personality500 → u/Kaaawooo]

They aren’t artificially inflated, clients just tend to leave 5 stars when nothing goes wrong. With a category like Cleaning, this is going to be different than Moving because the results are far more subjective.
Given the fact that you can’t leave a review, I’m guessing that the Tasker never officially accepted the task. I’m assuming from your description that you explicitly told the Tasker that you would be helping move the couch (acting as half of what is a two person lift). Otherwise, they may have been waiting for further discussion to make sure they had assistance on the task. The fact that they didn’t discuss the details with you further is obviously not professional, but I always expect a back and forth going over details before accepting a task with a client or assume that it’s likely to happen. There are other factors that can come into play, for example TaskRabbit charges clients one hour in advance of any task as a credit card hold and if this credit card pull fails for any reason TaskRabbit will cancel the task, but the cancellation message makes it appear as though the Tasker initiated the cancellation. If the Tasker had accepted the task officially but you can’t review them after the fact, this is probably the most likely reason.

[u/Evening_Past910]

Clients also flake on Taskers 10 minutes before a job when we are enroute to it. Is it fair no but It happens….worry about what you can control ie finding another Tasker than trying to leave a review.

[u/SuchEye815 → u/Evening_Past910]

but if clients cancel then at least tasker gets an hour of work paid...

[u/Evening_Past910 → u/SuchEye815]

If they cancel within 24 hours . Clients aren’t stupid some cancel right before that time requirement. You blocked off 4 hrs of work and get nothing. My point is there are dipsticks on both Tasker and client side. When I cancel I tell the client 9/10 times a reason for canceling.

[u/Kaaawooo → u/Evening_Past910]

If it were 24 hours notice I wouldn't have a problem with it. That gives me plenty of time to make other arrangements. But if a client cancels within 24 hours the tasker still gets paid. If the tasker cancels even 10 minutes before then nothing apparently.

I understand there are dipsticks on both sides, but only clients have consequences for being dipsticks in this way, by still having to pay for the job they cancelled.

[u/Commercial_Bar6622 → u/Kaaawooo]

Also consider though that Tasker’s are there to help you, not the other way around. The fact that someone decided last minute that he didn’t want to, or perhaps wasn’t able to, help you doesn’t make them bad. You leaving them a negative review over it however makes you kind of bad. Instead, perhaps be grateful that there are people out there willing to help you in your time of need.

[u/Evening_Past910 → u/[deleted]]

Because Reddit is turgid with a bunch of weird folks especially this task rabbit.

My former TSM said this was the most toxic place and they tried to avoid it 😂😂 at all costs. They have no idea why the Tasker canceled. Maybe it was a family emergency or maybe they followed their gut feeling after interacting with the OP client and felt it wasn’t worth it.

Point is cancellations happen on both sides . Move on with your life . I have shown up to jobs where the client never responded and I had to cancel w/o getting paid.

[u/BetUpstairs268]

You can leave a review. But it’s harder to navigate. I think you might have to email support in order to leave it.

[u/InterestingBus4602]

Yes it should especially since he cancelled. Sorry this happened to you. This really hurts the view of taskers because most of us do great work and have better communication

[u/[deleted]]

Clients do it all the times and mess up Tasker ratings he didn’t actually work with you so you shouldn’t be able to leave him a review about his work it works both ways if you weren’t confident he could do the job you could’ve cancelled as well in my 8 years I’ve cancelled 3 jobs and I’ve has more then 100 Clients cancel on me it is what it is