Frequently Asked Questions

General Questions

Why should I try ServiceLive.com?
There is nothing in the home service arena that parallels ServiceLive. This is the only place that lets you either name your price or request bids. We also prescreen all our pros and offer a wide variety of services – and the list is getting wider every day. We have simplified the process, improved the experience and taken home service project work to a whole new place. Back to top

Don’t other services exist to help find service pros?
Yes, other services exist. But ServiceLive does a few things most others don’t. Such as background checking all our on-site pros. And only ServiceLive lets you describe and schedule your project, connect with pros to ask questions, get bids or name your price, fund and manage your project, pay pros and rate your pro all from the convenience of your keyboard. Kiss those endless phone calls goodbye! Back to top

How does ServiceLive.com save homeowners money?
There are a few factors that help save you money. First, because you name your own price or request multiple bids, you maintain the ultimate control over how much you pay. And second, because we have created a unique marketplace arena, pros compete tp win your business Back to top

How many service pros are registered on ServiceLive.com?
At the moment, we have about 40,000 pros registered on ServiceLive. Think of it: Thousands of prescreened pros, all ready and waiting to work for you. Back to top

How is Sears part of ServiceLive?
Yes, ServiceLive is a wholly owned subsidiary of Sears Holdings Corporation. We love the fact that we are backed by the best. It means we can give you the best. Back to top

Getting Started

How do I get started?
Our process could not be easier. Just follow these five simple steps

  1. Start by describing your project in the search box on the home page. From here you’ll be guided into a specific service category and allowed to add more detailed information about your project and when you want it done.
  2. Pick your pros. Review the profiles and ratings of pros in your area and pick your favorites.
  3. Post your order. Either request bids from the pros you like best or name your price. Whatever works best for you.
  4. Fund your ServiceLive account, also known as your ServiceLive Wallet*. (Just to be super clear, this step simply reserves the funds. You don’t release them until the project is completed and you are happy with the work.)
  5. Pay and rate your pro. When you are satisfied with a project well done, then release the funds from your account with the simple click of a mouse and rate your experience.

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What information should be included in my project description?
Honestly, as much information as possible. For a provider to understand the scope of the work your project requires, more detail is always better than less. We make it easy to upload photos and instructions and provide tips to help you create a great description. Back to top

How do I request bids from service pros?
Once you log on, we’ll guide you through a few simple steps of describing what your project is and when you want it done. Then you simply scan through the pre-screened pros in your area, pick the ones you like best and post your request. Easy, right?Back to top

What if I’m not sure how to price my project?
If you aren't sure how much to offer for a project, your best bet is to request bids from multiple pros. If you’d rather name the price you’d like to pay, it’s good to remember that there are always variables. For example, big cities tend to have higher rates than suburbs and, no two projects are exactly alike (i.e. replacing a ceiling fan with existing wiring will take less time than running new wiring to the ceiling).

Category

Sample Services

Avg time to complete

Avg Hourly Rate for category

Automotive

Oil change

1

$63.00

Brake Repair

1

Windshield Repair

1

Cabinets & Countertops

Install Counter Top

2.5

$55.00

Install Sink

1

Install Faucet

1

Carpentry & Woodworking

Replace attic door

2

$56.00

Installation of Doors

2

Install Closet Organizational System

4

Computer/Network Services

Wireless Network Installation

1

$72.00

Wired Network Installation

1

Hard Drive Repair

1

Electrician

Install Ceiling Fan

1.5

$66.00

Install Light Fixture

1

Install Outlet

1

Floors & Patios

Hardwood Floor Installation

5

$56.00

Grout & Sealing

2

Coating / Sealing

3

Garage & Shed

Install Garage Door Opener

1

$61.00

Install Garage Door Springs

1

Installation of Built in Shelving

4

General Plumbing & Bathrooms

Install Water Heater

1.5

$71.00

Install Water Softener

1

Install Toilet

1

Handyman Services

Install Garage Door Opener

1

$59.00

Install Window Treatments

3

Install Mail Boxes

2

Heating & Cooling

Maintenance of Furnace

1.5

$74.00

Maintenance of A/C

1.5

Installation of New Furnace or A/C

6

Home Appliances

Install Dishwasher

1

$66.00

Install Garbage Disposal

1

Install Washer / Dryer

1

Home Electronics

TV Stand Mount

1

$70.00

TV Wall Mount

1

Basic Home Theater Install

1.5

Lawn & Garden

Mow Lawn

1

$58.00

Debris Removal

1.5

Tree Service

2

Masonry & Stone

Brick Patio Installation

6

$58.00

Brick Walkway

4

Garden Walls

4

Product Assembly

Home Gym

3

$59.00

Playsets

3

Lawn Equipment

1

Roofing, Gutters, Windows & Siding

Roof Repair

1.5

$59.00

Roof Installation

8

Gutter Installation

3

Walls & Ceilings

Paint Inside Room

3

$59.00

Drywall Repair

2

Wallpaper Install (one room)

3

 

How can I ask pros questions about my project?
ServiceLive has created an online tool that allows you to communicate with the pros you have selected. Once you post your bid request, just enter the Project Center and click on your project. From here, you and your chosen pros can exchange questions and communication to ensure a more accurate bid and firm up necessary details. All questions, comments and bids are visible to all of the pros you selected until you accept a bid. Back to top

What if I need help creating a service order?
We are always here to help. You can email Support@ServiceLive.com or call toll free (888) 549-0640. Back to top

What if there aren't any service pros in my area?
We do our best to bring together the largest number and broadest assortment of home services and pros in a single place, so our hope is this doesn’t happen. But if it does, please shoot us an email at Support@ServiceLive.com to request provider recruitment. And please continue to check back as well, our roster of pros and services grows daily. Back to top

What if I my project doesn’t show up on the home page?
ServiceLive is home to a wide variety of home services, and we are constantly expanding our roster of services. But if you happen to have a project for which no pros seem to offer services, then follow the prompts that appear. It will allow us to stay in touch with you and let you know when that service does become available. Back to top

What happens when I make a pro a "favorite"?
When you choose a pro as a favorite, a small heart icon appears next to their name in the pro search list. This allows you to find them easily. Or, if you prefer, you can filter your search to only show your favorites. You can also share your favorite pros with your social networks. Back to top

Funding and Managing your Account

What if I forget my password?
No Worries Just click on this link to reset your password or receive an email reminding you of your user name. Back to top

How does the ServiceLive Bucks payment process work?
This is a great payment process we have put in place to protect both the service seeker and the service pro. In addition to using the Wallet as a simple way to pay posting fees, it makes final payment simple for all parties. Before you post a “name your price” order, or as soon as you accept a “bid” order, you must purchase ServiceLive Bucks in the amount of that order. The money remains in your Wallet and under your control until the project is completed and you are satisfied with the work. Then, all you have to do is click to pay, and just like that, the amount is moved from your ServiceLive Wallet to the pro’s ServiceLive Wallet. Back to top

Why do I have to pay for the service in advance?
You aren't actually paying for the service in advance - just uploading funds into your ServiceLive Wallet to show that payment is available and to confirm that you are committed to hiring the service pro who accepts the service order or whose bid you accept. The money stays completely in your control until the project is done and you are satisfied with the work. And, if for any reason, you do not end up using all the funds in your Wallet, you can always request a refund. Back to top

Why is there a $10 posting fee?
This fee is what allows ServiceLive to operate and provide you with this simplified home service process. The good news is that the fee is very minimal. The better news is that, for an introductory period, the posting fee is being waived. Back to top

Managing Your Service Order

What should I expect after posting my order?
For starters, expect a smooth and simple process to unfold. The process itself varies slightly depending on whether you choose to name your price or solicit bids. For bid requests, we’ll let you know as soon as a pro has responded with a question, comment or bid acceptance. Then, from our online Project Center, you will be able to view all service order activity and decide which bid to accept. Once you accept a bid, you then fund your account to cover the price agreed upon. Please remember, at this point, you are only setting the funds aside. You don’t actually pay the pro until the project is completed and you are happy with the work.

If you choose to take the "Name Your Price" route, the process looks like this: Once you decide on a price, you fund your account with that amount right off the bat. This is just to set the funds aside, you don’t release them until the project is finished and you are happy with the work. Then, the first pro to accept your project electronically wins the order. We send you an email letting you know as soon as this happens. A quick note about this process: Sometimes, pros will respond to your offer with a counter offer, proposing either a change in price or time frame. Whether or not you accept this counter offer is entirely up to you. You can go with it or wait for the remaining pros to respond. If you decide to agree to a price increase, you’ll have to add the additional funds to your account before you can actually accept the new offer. Back to top

How long should it take to respond to my service order?
Response rates definitely vary depending on things like the type of work you are requesting, amount you are willing to spend, time line you have specified for your order, or the service provider coverage in your area. If a speedy response time is important to you, it helps to route the opportunity to more service pros when possible. Back to top

What if no one accepts my service order?
There are a couple of things you can do if this happens. You can repost your same service order within 30 days with no additional posting fees. You also can cancel an unaccepted order. If you do this, your funds can either remain in your ServiceLive Wallet for future projects, or you can request a refund in the full amount back to you. If you do choose to repost your order, we recommend increasing the amount you are willing to pay for the project or changing the timeline of the work you need done. This may make your request more attractive to pros. It might also help to increase the number of pros you have selected or provide more specific information about the order. Back to top

What if there aren’t any rated service providers in my area?
All on-site ServiceLive pros have been prescreened with background checks, so you will never find a provider on our site that we haven’t approved. However, we are welcoming new pros all the time, and some may not have preformed work through our site yet. Please review the provider profile pages for more information about the pros. We encourage you to be the first to try and rate a provider in your area.Back to top

Service Pros

Do all of the pros work for ServiceLive?
ServiceLive is a marketplace made up of thousands of independent contractors. So, no, they do not work for us. However, they are all screened and background checked by us before they are ever presented to you. Back to top

What is the advantage of becoming a ServiceLive pro? Why would someone want to join?
ServiceLive offers pros a chance to grow their business without the costs usually associated with doing so. In addition, ServiceLive levels the playing field for pros - good ratings and service matter, not company size, advertising budget or alphabetical placement in the Yellow Pages. Here, pros have the flexibility to accept only the orders they want and receive immediate payment upon satisfactory project completion.Back to top

Have all ServiceLive.com service pros been background checked?Absolutely. ServiceLive pays for every service provider to receive a background check of criminal, vehicle and civil records - the same check required by our Fortune 500 clients. Back to top

Order Cancellations

Can I cancel a service order?
Of course. You can cancel a service order at any time, but please know that in certain circumstances, cancellation fees will be applied.

  1. If a service order is cancelled (after acceptance by a service provider) within 24 hours of the time the provider is scheduled to perform the service, a $25 cancellation fee will apply.
  2. If an authorized representative (who must be 18 years or older) of the buyer is not at the service delivery location (e.g., the buyer's home) when the provider arrives to perform the service, a $49 cancellation fee will apply.
  3. And if there are material omissions or misstatements in the service order (e.g., wrong address, service order is for an 19-inch TV; but the TV needing repair is a 57-inch plasma TV) that creates a situation where the provider cannot complete the service order during his/her visit, a $49 cancellation fee will apply.

Also, please know that the posting fee (if paid) will not be refunded and that ServiceLive.com may publish cancellation percentages in the buyer's public profile, which could affect your ratingsBack to top

What if my service order requires a part or additional work that wasn't included in the agreed price?
If a service order failed to adequately describe the project or if there are additional parts needed to complete the project, you have the option to either increase your maximum price and add funds to your ServiceLive Wallet to accommodate the requirement, or you can cancel the service order. If you choose to cancel the service order once the pro is on-site, you will be charged a $49 cancellation fee.Back to top

What happens if the service pro doesn't show?
If a provider doesn't show up for an appointment, you will not be charged any fees, and the service provider's "reputation" ratings will be adversely affected. This is a place that operates on reputation and track record. And a provider’s behavior and past customer ratings stay with them for as long as they stay with us. They never get to hide unprofessional behavior. So if a service provider has poor ratings or reputation, the likelihood of that person receiving additional work isn’t very good. Back to top

Resolving Disputes

How are disputes handled?
If disputes arise, we have a few ways to help put them to rest. The first is through our Dispute Resolution Assistance. Upon request of both parties, ServiceLive will provide voluntary, limited Dispute Resolution Assistance to help buyers and pros resolve their disputes; provided that final payment for services has not been issued. If, after this, a resolution still can’t be reached, ServiceLive will forward the dispute to the Dispute Resolution Committee, which will review the case and offer a non-binding recommendation. Back to top

What should I do to minimize the possibility of a dispute?
We have done our best to create an open place and a simplified process so that disputes don’t arise. However, we also offer the following guidelines to help you avoid unexpected issues that may lead to disputes.

  • Always try to be as precise as possible in terms of what you require, what you will provide and what you expect of the other party. Avoid making assumptions or providing vague details.
  • Post service orders with clear scopes of work, well-defined deliverables that are time bound, and specify payment terms.
  • Only accept a service order with clear scopes of work that completely specify the key deliverable(s), timeframe for completing the work and payment terms.
  • Ask all clarifying questions up front, document any ambiguous items and validate all assumptions.
  • Keep the communication lines open throughout the project.
  • Always provide constructive feedback with the goal of instituting a positive change. Explain precisely what needs to be changed and a timeline for correcting any problems.
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