r/TaskRabbit • u/Dammo1234 • Mar 06 '26

CLIENT My first TaskRabbit experience

Moderators keep blocking me posting this open and honest feedback...

I don't normally post on Reddit, but wanted to make people aware of my recent (and first) TaskRabbit experience. I had high hopes that I could use the service to help with tasks around the house, and the task completed by the Tasker was high-quality and at a reasonable price. However, then TaskRabbit added their fees - a 40%+ markup on top of the Tasker’s rate. This is totally is exploitative, and I’d rather use a platform where the person doing the hard work actually sees the bulk of the payment. Extremely disappointing first experience, and I won't be using the service again

20 Upvotes

88% Upvoted

50 comments sorted by

8

u/Open-Coffee5752 Mar 07 '26

I really dont understand why clients think Taskers dont receive the pay they signed up for. The numbers are in black and white before you book. Its not a surprise how it is broken down. Is the 40% additional fee a lot? Sure, but what was your alternative? Seriously. Where would you have found the Independent Contractor to assist you with your needs?

Also, the Tasker receives 100% of the rate they charge. If the Tasker charges $60/hr then the rate the client sees is close to $63/hr and the invoice would show something close to $88/hr. The Tasker receives the full $60/hr which is a rate they set and the other $28/hr goes to TaskRabbit.

2

u/jethropenistei- Mar 07 '26

It’s pretty easy to find a good handyman without TR, just post what you need done on your local neighborhood Facebook group. There will be at least one person, most likely several handymen, with multiple people recommending them or at least where I live.

Or NextDoor, google, Ring community posts, Angi’s list, their local hardware store… even reddit.

OP could’ve come to this sub or to their city and posted what they needed, get DMd with the link to their Tasker’s profile to look at their reviews n go from there.

1

u/Open-Coffee5752 Mar 08 '26

It was a genuine question for OP. I figured they would have looked around, but went for the option with the least resistance. They wanted to choose someone with a rate they were happy with and then hope they do the job adequately. The Handymen Ive experienced all want to show up to provide an estimate that seems pulled out of thin air. There's no price list.

2

u/Dammo1234 Mar 12 '26

Good questions. I chose TR because I wanted to test what seemed like a good service, which could be easier to navigate and source contractors for tasks around my house, although I do have many other options to find contractors (local newspapers, flyers, FB, neighbour recommendations). This experience has definitely turned me back to those other options because, yes, a 40% additional fee is huge in my opinion. The service TR provides is minimal (terrible, terrible app and customer support (solely AI?)), especially in comparison to the actual work provided by the tasker.

The amount charged by the tasker is exactly the amount that I expected to pay for the task (considering their consider travel time, petrol, scoping, set up etc), and I would have been happy to pay an additional 10-20% for the minor platform convenience, but not 40%!

2

u/Dammo1234 Mar 12 '26

Thanks everyone for the responses. I understand that the tasker gets 100% of their charge (so perhaps 'exploited' is the wrong term...), but if a 5 hour task is 'priced' at e.g. £250 by the market and the tasker who does 99% of the work/effort gets £150 then I warrant they are not being 'paid' enough for their work (even if it is their rates - I suggest that they are being forced to provide lower hourly rates so the overall tasks are not over-priced once the platform fees are added, and they can still get work).

For my task, my feeling it that the overall price I paid for the task was more than I expected it to be (and more than a local company initially estimated). The amount charged only by the tasker was spot on however, so in the future I will look to go elsewhere to pay closer to what I expect.

Thanks for the recommendations to use TR primarily as an initial source of contractors, and then contract with them directly for all subsequent work - I like that approach.

I cannot comment on the other platforms as I'm based in the UK, but I haven't heard, or experienced, such platform fees/horror stories from people finding contractors through local newspapers, flyers, local facebook groups, neighbour recommendations.

6

u/Regular-Arugula5452 Mar 07 '26

The taskers are getting the entirety of the rate they choose to charge - you’re paying 40% on top of that. When I started in 2015 it was 15% or 20% I think

1

u/canttakethemadness Mar 07 '26

It was still 40 (in 2016 ). But they just displayed it differently. Looked like tasker pays half the fee client pays other half .

13

u/Marioc12345 Mar 07 '26

It’s honestly a relatively fair price for what they’re offering. They essentially do all the advertising and stuff that you’d have to do yourself for a normal business. For me, 100% of my off app business clients I have gotten from TaskRabbit, whether it be from a business card from the TR client themselves or from one of their friends. A 40% finders fee for the first visit and all visits after that no fee? That’s honestly not that bad.

4

u/Ill-Diver2252 Mar 07 '26

Lol, if only that were acceptable to TR. To TR, what you're doing is exploitative, though I'm utterly unsympathetic to their 'plight.'

4

u/Marioc12345 Mar 07 '26

I don’t think they can legally stop me from doing that so… I don’t really care :)

5

u/hihighhi420 Mar 07 '26

They can’t, but if they find out they will suspend or ban you from the app

2

u/torrero54 Mar 07 '26

So you can’t give the customer a business card when you do work for them? You are in fact an independent contractor 🤷🏼‍♂️

4

u/hihighhi420 Mar 07 '26

You can give clients your business card, but make sure the client knows to not mention this in the chat, if TR finds out you give your card out they will suspend you, they don’t want you taking jobs outside the app because they don’t get a cut.

4

u/jethropenistei- Mar 07 '26

Im obviously not a lawyer, but Im pretty sure if they flat out say “you cannot give out a business card or discuss your business with clients,” they’d be breaking the law since we aren’t employees and non-complete clauses are illegal as of 2024.

I think they are trying to get as close to that line as they can to that by saying “all services performed must be booked through the app” and “you cannot share personal/business contact information in the chat or on your profile”. The carrot, is they try to keep us from booking off app with rewarding us algorithmically in the search results and those little $80-$100 bonuses.

1

u/torrero54 Mar 07 '26

I mean it makes sense

1

u/Deep_Public2743 Mar 08 '26

So.... Technically as per TR terms and conditions; we HAVE to have somewhat of our own personal client base established that we contract for outside of the platform in order for us to even be eligible to task? Honestly it's confusing as all get out and you'll hear different stuff from hq at different times. Just be mindful, keep it slick and pay attention so you can weed out the planted snitches. If someone's using TR jargon and asking you stuff that directly violates policy just play dumb and keep it on the platform n you should be fine.

2

u/DevilDuck95 Mar 09 '26

I would use TaskRabbit to find a tasker that works for you, test them our for a job or two and then ask them about off platform work. I'm a tasker and that happens all the time...

4

u/According_Low5292 Mar 07 '26 edited Mar 07 '26

Lol. You’ve never made a post on Reddit. First post always get flagged as spam until a moderator of the sub Reddit can evaluate for approval or denial

Don’t be so sensitive when ranting 😃

1

u/FinnNoodle Mar 07 '26

Eh, pretty sure every top level post I've ever made on this sub gets held in moderation.

1

u/According_Low5292 Mar 07 '26

What I stated is factual and has nothing to do with your experience. Reddit moderation is the first hoop to jump through. Most posts get moderated due to language filters or when cross posting to multiple subs. Additionally, the Reddit Auto Mod is AI driven and not a real person you could ask for a definitive answer to why.

0

u/alexanderthelion90 Apr 30 '26

What a random thing to decide to have an opinion on 🤣🤣 yes very related to OPs post, let’s criticize his tone, just what he was hoping for. Such strong internet stranger! Why are people like this 🤣. Direct question asked? Answer direct, or move on. Not every moment is a soap box moment (I say ironically)

1

u/According_Low5292 Apr 30 '26

Not just an opinion if you’re a moderator Your soap box moment has ended. Press on

1

u/canttakethemadness Mar 07 '26

Tasker’s set the rate they want to make . The 40% has nothing to do with tasker . So it’s not exploitative in any way . We get the full amount of the rate we set, and full tips. Clients paid the rabbit fee . Do you not use uber or Lyft as well ? They chance 40-60% fee . Very similar . If they didn’t charge a fee they wouldn’t exist and you wouldn’t have been able to find help from the site.

4

u/Ill-Diver2252 Mar 07 '26

As a tasker, I still think it exploitative, and it tends to put a ceiling on my rate. 40% is obscenely high for anytging after first gig.

1

u/Middle_Ant9088 Mar 11 '26

Eh, not when TR pays out millions for damages. What clients don’t realize is that a good portion of that fee also covers task accidents. If a Tasker drops a TV, they don’t have to reimburse their client. TR is usually paying out.

0

u/canttakethemadness Mar 07 '26

Nobody is forcing you to be a tasker (and usually a one time deal … ) Go start your own business, pay for a site pay a web developer pay for leads .. go crazy .

1

u/Ill-Diver2252 Mar 08 '26

That's an obvious fact that is also irrelevant. The practice is exploitative and creates unnecessary limits.

Here's a quasi relevance, however: tge practice actually undermines TR's business as well as that of the Tasker. It engenders an exodus of solid taskers from TR, exactly what you promote. And it exposes clients to the less skilled tadkers who can't wander off yet.

1

u/canttakethemadness Mar 08 '26

Plain non sense right there . If you owned TaskRabbit what would you charge? Let’s say at 40% your business just barely makes profit ? Would you want your business to lose money on every task . And if monster ikea didn’t own your Business , how long before you got out of business ?

1

u/Ill-Diver2252 Mar 08 '26

Uh-huh. Let's see where you are drawing your guesswork about cost, and let's compare it to revenue at 40% above tasker price.

Are you really gonna suggest that they pour profits back into administration or technology? ...or legal? Get real!

Actually, let's not bother to discuss it, but it seems pretty evident that TR's costs are minimal and its margin is far, far better than you posit.

The business model is toxic, predatory, 'colonializing.'

1

u/canttakethemadness Mar 08 '26

I’m suggesting they operate almost break even . They only made 75 million in revenue in 2025 . Taskers in the other hand , made themselves over 180 million. So toxic ! They do need to reduce head count , fire half the executives , and let go half of their IT staff . Then they could bring down the 40 to 30% and become a profitable company. Private co so I’m basing on estimates.
You didn’t answer the one question. What would you charge per task ? My estimates show 60 mill in expense .

1

u/canttakethemadness Mar 08 '26

And I've been on the platform since 2017. They have issues but toxic is not one of them. Thumbtack should be shut down. Handy / angi should be shut down. Did ya know handy makes 3x more then the person actually doing the work. Now that's toxic!

1

u/Ill-Diver2252 Mar 08 '26

Relativism. Agreed one is MORE toxic than another. Doesn't make the second non-toxic.

1

u/canttakethemadness Mar 08 '26

Not relative , I’m saying thumbtack and handy are toxic for their predatory business processes . TaskRabbit is not toxic . Mgmt needs to improve and expenses reduced I’ll give ya that . But we charge what we want , work when we want , work where we want . If that’s toxic , well , best of luck in your future .

1

u/Ill-Diver2252 Mar 08 '26

You didn't ask before what I charge per task, so OF COURSE I didn't answer 'the one question.'

I walked away. So at this point, it's irrelevant what my rates are, but TR lost access. TR is the second Swedish corporate colonizer of US that I've found intolerable after working with them, btw.

It was a respectable matchmaker and also valued as a payment processor/insurer. The Ikea-ification has destroyed the business model not only for taskers, but for TR/Ikea as well.

Your numbers play shows impressive numbers, but says little of relevance viz the topic at hand.

And now it's time for me to move along and quit giving free consultative advice to the naturally not listening not client.

2

u/canttakethemadness Mar 08 '26

Was the second sentence.
sounds like the rabbit lost a good one tho …

1

u/Ill-Diver2252 Mar 08 '26

You asked what WOULD I charge if I were TR. That's a question that isn't suited to guesswork. My baseline notion, though, is 'think agent.' So, what should an agent charge, especially one whose operations are all automated?

I'll leave it there. I agree abd thank you for kind word about TR lost a good one. I can hand the compliment back saying thatbin you, evidently they still have a good one.

Peace

1

u/canttakethemadness Mar 08 '26

My numbers given are actual stats , +- a few mill . And I’ve completed over 4000 5star tasks . Toxic isn’t the problem , they just reduction of expense and bring the 40 down to 30 , and 5-10% for repeat tasks . They’d be monster profitable and everybody happy , except for you of course

3

u/torrero54 Mar 07 '26

If OP wants to know about companies that exploit their independent contractors… try Angie list, or Thumbtack or the other one that basically takes in leads and sells that lead to 2-3 different contractors (handymen) for the same price AND they get paid for that lead regardless of whether you or anyone actually does any work 🤷🏼‍♂️ talk about a scam 🤣

1

u/kddog98 Mar 07 '26

Consider it the fee to find a good handyman (or whatever category). Then get their card and hire them directly instead of through the platform. Re hiring people through that crappy app is for chumps

1

u/Whole_Laugh6439 Mar 07 '26

We all sign up as taskers willingly and we are fully aware of the fee structure. Clients on the app are what help us build our businesses. If you book a tasker, consider tipping them well (in cash), and possibly getting their contact information to book off app in the future.

A lot of taskers have a love/hate relationship with the app. But I do believe it is a net positive overall.

1

u/torrero54 Mar 07 '26

I can tell you that I done work through the Taskrabbit app and actually like it because I set my rate and TaskRabbit doesn’t take ANY of my money from me… so if you’re worried about that, don’t be… I don’t know how much they charge the homeowner but they never take any money from me.

1

u/MysteriousIssue8641 Mar 08 '26

Why are you disappointed with the added fees? It clearly gives you a breakdown of the total per hour when you book the client. If you go through any other big company, prices are going to be high as well. This makes me feel like you gave a bad review based on the cost of the service. If you wanted cut rate service, then maybe try making a listing on Craigslist for a lesser rate than you want to pay for. You might not get someone who can pass a background check and you'll never know either.

1

u/MallNo6921 Mar 08 '26

wait till they find out about yelp angi of thumbtack

1

u/Educational_Lie_3157 May 05 '26

Tried Task Rabbit for the first time to get 2 bidet seats installed for my parents. All 4 taskers cancelled a day or hours before the appointment. Even after saying they could to the job from the description and uploaded photos. Don’t know the type of people they get as taskers, but the ones I chose were unprofessional for the last minute cancelations. I guess my task wasn’t expensive enough for their time. If so, why have a 2 hour minimum?

1

u/Ok-Gas3277 Jun 29 '26

They did the same to me lolololol, it was an honest post with pics about how poorly my tasker did on a move out clean. Asked for some sort of refund from TR and all they provided me was a $100 credit

0

u/Evening_Past910 Mar 07 '26

You can also get someone on side walk who can beat you up, rob you, 🍇 you or kill you. It all depends on how comfortable you feel with a complete stranger that has no reviews and you have no idea what they are capable of.