Tell me about hiring people through Taskrabbit

April 12, 2023 7:07 AM

I need to hire someone to move some heavy stuff. Everything I find about Taskrabbit online is from the viewpoint of working for them. Please tell me everything you know about using it to hire people.

I'd like to hear good experiences and bad, things to watch out for, whether it's safe to let a stranger from Taskrabbit in my house, and how to be a good Taskrabbit employer.

Some of the stuff I want to move is high up and would require using a ladder. Does Taskrabbit have something in place in case of injury? I do have homeowner's insurance.

Feel free to share anything else you can think of.

posted by FencingGal to Work & Money (11 answers total)

A friend wanted an awkwardly large piece of furniture moved from the home of the person they bought it from to their own place, and I suggested TaskRabbit for doing this, and the friend did so, and reported that everything went really well, furniture movement and transport. This was in Toronto a few months ago.

That said, the TaskRabbit contract specifically disclaims liability for anything, and stipulates that taskers hold "all necessary insurance." Taskers are not employees.

TaskRabbit is "partnered with" IKEA, whatever that means, and is the recommended solution for people to get shit moved and assembled, so IKEA does have a vested interest in having things operate smoothly.

I have not used the service, but it would be high on my list of places to reach out to for tasks I could not do (or find friends to help with).
posted by seanmpuckett at 7:22 AM on April 12, 2023

I've used it a few times for moving heavy things and getting help assembling furniture that needed two people. I had pretty good experiences. It's got a rating system so taskers are motivated to show up, on time, and do a good job.
posted by ananci at 7:27 AM on April 12, 2023

I use them now and then. Preferred the experience in 2011 in a big city to now in the suburbs. The app is annoying - people often say they are available and aren't , and instant messaging is clunky. My strategy is to book the smallest number of hours possible and then use the app to call the person to actually get a sense of them and their skillet and real availability. It's very easy for both sides to cancel tasks with out much penalty so I really recommend having an actual conversation. Also a help if you are nervous about people, of course nothing's certain but you'll get a much better idea than with text alone and can ask for references if you like. In my experience all more effectivity done through talking. Over all a nice way to find help just wish it didn't involve the buggy app. Though it could be myolder device combined with the app..

Never really thought about insurance question bc mine were minor jobs but maybe someone else has insight.. hope this helps
posted by elgee at 7:28 AM on April 12, 2023

I've used task rabbit a few times. It was easy and went well. The closest thing we had to a problem was one guy showed up in a vehicle not large enough to fit all the items we wanted moved even though we were very clear on the request. He just made two trips though so it was fine in the end.

No idea about the insurance though.
posted by CleverClover at 7:48 AM on April 12, 2023

My son and his friends moved to an apt that had 3 bedrooms, each with lofts for their beds. They had a Task Rabbit guy come and build guard rails, so he was working quite a bit while on a ladder. I don't know anything about the insurance, but he did a great job and they were very satisfied.
posted by wisekaren at 7:57 AM on April 12, 2023

This is not taskrabbit-specific, but I'd suggest talking to your homeowners insurance agent about adding Umbrella Liability coverage, if you don't already have it. It's not usually a terribly expensive addition, and should help cover you if anybody (uninsured independent contractors included) is injured on your property.
posted by hovey at 8:13 AM on April 12, 2023

I used it for moving a small amount of stuff and it wasn't the greatest experience but it got the job done. When I used it the price didn't include a ton of extras and it was different per ad so it was hard to get a total cost. Also the men who came weren't the person we had been communicating with and the scheduling was difficult. But I would probably use it again but be more careful to compare total costs between task rabbits and between them and other places.
posted by SpaceWarp13 at 9:40 AM on April 12, 2023

I’ve used it a bunch. Like people everywhere, Taskers run the gamut.
posted by dianeF at 9:49 AM on April 12, 2023

Lugg is an app for moving things that I’ve used before. Check it out and see if it works for you.
posted by Mr. Papagiorgio at 10:01 AM on April 12, 2023

I tried to use it to get something heavy taken to the dump, but the Task Rabbit guy told me he had an additional fee for using his truck that was pretty hefty, and not stated in the app. I ended up using a junk-removal service that also charged me a not-listed extra fee.
posted by Peach at 12:56 PM on April 12, 2023

I know someone who does gig work via Taskrabbit; they have proper certification in their trade, have a business license, and carry their own business insurance of $2M. They mention all of this on their profile. It also lists what equipment they have to accomplish certain tasks (dolly, ladder, etc.) Of course they're probably on one end of the spectrum; I'm sure there are others who are like, "I have a truck, I can move the occasional couch for $$!" But my point is, the people who do do this for their main source of income would most likely highlight insurance, equipment, etc. as it sets them apart from the rest.

Also, if the insurance aspect is important to you, could you ask for it in your Task Description?
posted by tinydancer at 1:48 PM on April 12, 2023