Taking the guesswork out of gigs

Say you’re looking for ways to make extra cash and see an ad for a gig doing lawn or handy work, house cleaning, or assembling furniture. What they promise you’ll make per hour sounds good. When you complete the work, you expect to make what you saw advertised, right? But the FTC says that’s not what happened for most people who signed up for gigs on the Handy Technologies platform. 

The FTC says Handy’s ads displayed an inflated hourly rate that most people weren’t likely to make. Other ads claimed you could get paid right away but didn’t disclose a fee would be deducted to expedite payments. Handy, now owned by Angi Services, also charged gig workers fines for incomplete jobs if a customer didn’t properly cancel or let them do the work. The FTC says Handy failed to clearly explain how gig workers could avoid those fines.

To settle the case, Handy will clearly explain how workers can avoid all possible fines, fees, and charges — before people sign up for a gig. The company will also pay $2.95 million to the FTC for consumer refunds.

Are you thinking about becoming a gig worker? Here’s how to evaluate the opportunity:

• Research the company online. Read about how it pays workers and any other conditions of the job. Understand any charges or penalties that may be deducted from your pay and how to avoid them.
• Consult with other gig workers. Ask them about their experiences, income, and expenses.
• Check earning claims. Find out if you’ll be paid hourly or by gig. Get a breakdown of your earnings when you’re on the job to see if you’re getting paid what they promised.

Do you suspect a company is not delivering on its hourly earnings promises or unfairly deducting money from your pay? Tell the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. 

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