Paid for a singing telegram but they never showed up yet still said they did so Gigsalad refused a refund. Had to do a charge back instead. DO NOT RECOMMEND!
UPDATE: DO NOT TRUST THEIR REVIEW SYSTEM, they remove any unwanted legitimate reviews like mine.
The platform of gigsalad is great, but most requests from potential clients don't want to pay what you quote them. They are mostly looking for 2 to 300 dollar bands and they're event could be 200 miles away.
O I hired a singer named Scott King from Gig Salad to entertain for a small Christmas party I had for 2 years in a row.
Today I got a weird message from someone on my cell phone.He was looking for another booking I guess. I asked who it was and since I have sold that business asked him to remove my personal cell phone # from his contacts. He flew in a seemingly drunk rant on me out of nowhere! I don't know this man at all and paid him in full each time + tip!. They need to screen who they recommend on Gig Salad. These people are coming into our homes! This is seriously concerning. I will see who at Gig Salad is responsible for vetting these referrals but stay away from this one!
Hi Rebecca, we're sorry to hear about this experience. We would be happy to help look into this matter if you'd like to contact us directly. From what I can tell, you left a 5-star rating for the performer so we were unaware that anything was wrong. Please call us at 866-788-GIGS or email us at help@gigsalad.com. Thank you.
You'd think for a company with such a professional looking website, they could answer a message now and then.
I had an important event I needed to book a character for, and they pulled the request for quotes! After receiving no response from the company, my only recourse was to visit review sites like this and see where the problem was. It sounds like their customer service is sub-par or non-existent, among other organizational flaws.
This is the second time this month they've been unable to provide me with the services I required. Such a waste of time, it's a shame. At least I have some competitor's names I can go to now.
Hi Matt, we're sorry that you were unhappy with our decision to remove your request. Typically, the costumed characters who advertise on our site are looking to be hired for private events or parties, and most of them specialize in children's party entertainment. The request you sent included the following details: "We can duck out for a Gringos Locos taco break if we dance up a powerful hunger. I expect insane amounts of dancing, wear comfortable shoes. Costumes that cover the face are not permitted." Since this lead did not coincide with the trends on our site it was removed for suspicious activity in the best interest of our vendors. If you'd like further clarification, please contact us at help@gigsalad.com or call us at 866-788-GIGS. Thank you.
I am a top rated professional in my field. I wanted to give the site a try to supplement what I already do. After several dozen leads without one call back or booking I followed my instincts and got off the site. It started to look and feel as though the leads are fake... perhaps generated by team members. This is not a good way to market your business as you simply don't know what or who is behind these leads. No numbers or business names are ever given... Think about it... a 5th grader could sit in a chair all day and send out these leads. I plan to guard the reputation of my business and stay off this creepy site.
Hi Jen, we're sorry to hear that you had a poor experience with our platform. We can assure you, the leads are not generated by our team. Our site has approximately 25,000 visits per day and we sent over 40,000 leads to our members last month. If our members have leads that they find suspect, they're always welcome to let us know so that we can look further into the person who sent it. In regard to your comment that no names or numbers are given, we'd be happy to clear that up. Names are absolutely required and provided, but phone numbers are not. We strive to create a positive experience for both event planners and our vendors, and requiring a phone number has proven to reduce requests for quotes. Contact numbers can always be exchanged after each party feels comfortable. However, if a client does provide their number, that is always shared with our vendors who have a paid membership. If you have any other concerns, please reach out to us at help@gigsalad.com or call 866-788-GIGS. Thank you for your feedback and we hope we've clarified some of your concerns.
As an artist previously listed on GigSalad, I urge you not to use this site. They are all take and no give. If you need a musician/artist, go out into the world and find them yourself! All you are doing when you find somebody on one of these sites is taking money out of the artists' pockets. Customer service is so awful with this company! It's not even possible for an artist to delete their account. What kind of scam is that? They say they keep them for records? What? I had to call in and talk to 2 different people to get my account deleted and I still don't trust that they actually did it. Awful. Just awful.
Hi Cara, thank you for your feedback. As we discussed on the phone, your profile was removed at your request. We would have no reason not to comply with your request - we simply wanted to let you know that your information may still appear in Google search results for a few weeks until their cache changes. If we can help with something further, please let us know. Thank you.
GigSalad.com isn't willing to put people above profits. One of their entertainers cancelled on my event at the last minute -- after being booked & paid for 2 months -- simply because they negligently double-booked. The entertainer (a Santa Claus hired for a party for children) made no effort at all to make it right. GigSalad's "worry free guarantee" is nothing more than a refund. When a vendor waits until late in the game to cancel, a refund doesn't create a "worry free" outcome. We don't need a refund, we need a last-minute Santa. A company that provides this type of service is only as good as the talent they contract, and GigSalad isn't willing to stop advertising for a vendor as long as they're making them money. As a business owner, I know that anyone I contract to serve my clients is an extension of my business. Sadly, GigSalad doesn't subscribe to that line of thinking. I recommend considering a more reliable option before booking with them.
Hi Amanda, we're sorry that you feel this way. We issued a full refund and attempted to help you find a new Santa Claus. There was over a month until your event and we extended all ways of assistance that are possible when a vendor cancels. If there is anything more we can do, please let us know.
This company recommends a refund/cancellation policy for their vendors then circumvents it to suit their own profiteering needs. When a vendor complains they remove the vendor from their site no matter how excellent or for how many years the vendor has performed. This company is as unethical and unprofessional as it gets!
Hi Santa, while we're sorry to see you're still frustrated, we have clearly explained this situation to you on numerous occasions. The client you're referring to booked you in error and immediately notified both you and our customer service team to rectify the situation. The cancellation policy didn't apply in this case since it was clear she meant to book a different Santa Claus. We gave you the opportunity to be understanding and flexible, but in the end, getting the deposit was more important to you. We paid you the deposit out-of-pocket (so no profit was made on our part) and based on your continuous expression of dissatisfaction with our platform, we removed your profile. We wish you all the best in the future.
This could be a great service, but their policy to force the client to pay BOTH the deposit and balance up front, then refuse to give the vendor the money til days AFTER the gig is done is absurd. I never, ever play until I have received the full payment. Had GigSalad not hidden this policy, I never would have joined. As it is I do not plan to renew, and I have to tell every potential client to please NOT book through GigSalad. My other option is list the whole amount as the "deposit" so I actually receive it. Extremely dissatisfied with their customer service too.
Hi Ellie, we're sorry to hear that you're dissatisfied. You reached out to our team last year about this question but never returned our call. We don't hide anything about our process and send each new member a welcome email outlining how everything works. That being said, we do offer a feature that allows you to accept payment offsite, and then come back and mark the lead as booked by paying the service fee. We know that flexibility is important and strive to implement tools that allow you to use your own system. I don't show that you've contacted us since last year, so again, I'm sorry that you're dissatisfied with our customer service - but we're always happy to help. You can call us at 417-889-9909 or email us at help@gigsalad.com. Thanks, Ellie.
When advertising as a paid pro, leads were adequate. Now I have a free listing, things are nonexistent.
Hi there, thanks for reaching out! As competition grows on our site, our free members may find it tougher to get the leads they used to. Currently, our Featured members get 25x the leads of Free ones. Please reach out to us at help@gigalad.com for a free profile analysis to see what you can do to make the most of your membership.
I have used Gig Salad twice. The first time was a pleasure. The second time I had to cancel a few days after I booked the singer due to one of the guests being in the hospital for COVID. I in no way inconvenienced the performer, but they kept the whole $405 deposit. Be careful when booking if they ask for all of the money upfront. If you need to cancel, you WILL lose all of it.
Hi Paulette, thank you for sharing your experience. Many vendors set a non-refundable deposit because they rely on the booking as their source of income and cannot risk losing money in the case of a cancellation. They've likely turned down other events to take a booking and wouldn't have time to book something new to recoup those funds. We certainly advise that our users closely read the cancellation policy set by each vendor before booking and negotiate what's best for all involved. GigSalad does not set the policy and can only enforce what is agreed upon between the client and the vendor. We hope your guest has gotten better and that you're able to host another fun party in the future!
GigSalad is by far my biggest source of new leads every holiday season. They make it easy to message clients without committing to a booking, and if you pay to list with them, they do not even require that you book via their platform. I don't like that they don't provide the client's email address, EVER, at any stage of the booking process. I don't like the amount of the fees they will slap on top of quotes that I send to clients - it is extremely jarring and confusing to clients when they have negotiated a rate with me to then find out they are going to pay about 8% more (the amount/percentage is not consistent and they are not transparent about how much the fees will be, either). And finally, I don't like that there are no ways to send multiple options in GigSalad quotes.
That being said, they definitely deliver leads if you are paying for their highest listing level. Their SEO is very good and it makes a lot more sense for me financially to list with GigSalad than to try and keep up with changing SEO standards on my own website (I'm not a marketing or web design expert, I'm a musician!). Their customer service is pretty good although they don't really respond to suggestions, since I've made the "give us multiple options for quotes" suggestion many times, but they take care of transaction-related concerns right away.
I have listed my Christmas caroling business with several different online gig sites, and GigSalad is by far the best one. They make it very easy for me to respond to leads with my own premade templates. The fee that they charge for bookings is reasonable; it's actually less than I would usually pay for credit card processing fees (but I think they only offer that booking fee rate to featured listings, which artists need to pay for).
They always pay on time, and their customer service is very responsive. Compared to some other booking sites that I'm not going to name, dealing with Gig Salad is an absolute breeze, especially during the holidays when things move very quickly.
Although I have been with GigSalad for a while now, this was the first time I have been able to accept a gig opportunity. They were very prompt answering my questions about how payment works. It was really easy, and their fees were very reasonable. I highly recommend working with GigSalad if you are looking for more gigs.
I give GigSalad 5 starts for being so well organized and easy to use. I love that they send a text message the moment a prospect is making an inquiry. I will stay with GigSalad as long as I am in business.
We're glad you like the text notifications, Marlene! Thank you for taking the time to leave this feedback and for your continued membership.
I've been with Gig salad for 2 yrs. To check them out, I went with the Free Membership option although I'm already considering one of their Paid Memberships. Setting up my Profile was easy & painless. One thing I really like is the ability to request & have posted, reviews from previous Event Coordinators (even those not booked through GigSalad). Gigsalad is getting more and more efficient. From time we get leads. Then we reply with a quote. What's awesome about this platform is that GigSalad sends you an email notification on the spot when the client "view" your quote. This is key in following with the client on time.
When one gets many leads from time to time on several platforms on can miss on the follow-ups. And THE FOLLOW UPS (rightly done so) are KEY in closing/selling deals. Gig salad it is a wonderful page where you can find people interested in what you do and they really appreciate your work when you are responsible and talented
We're so glad it's working well for you, Sonya! Thank you for sharing!
I've had nothing but great experiences with the expedience in
Working with Gigsalad. Events for my psychic entertainment
Services are clearly presented, communication works and payment
Is prompt. Thank, guys!
Hi Carol, you're very welcome! Thank you for your awesome feedback!
I honestly didn't expect much when I signed on for GigSalad. But I have been blown away by not only the amount of gigs I have landed, but also the service I have received from GigSalad. They are always extremely helpful and friendly any time I run into an issue. I started out with the FREE account and within a week or two had already received multiple leads. In January I decided to go ahead and pay for the highest level of booking. Less than 6 months in and I have 19 bookings with venues I would not have had otherwise. Thanks GigSalad. An incredible service for performers!
Thank you for the kind and thoughtful words, Doug! We appreciate your membership and wish you lots of happy gigs.
I'm on my second year which speaks for itself. Initially, it took a couple of months to get rolling, but once you have some reviews, you are off and running. Respond to inquiries quickly and send follow-up materials - current song lists - upcoming schedule of performances. Great site!
Great website, good product, great customer service... very useful business tool.
We are magicians, and gigsalad has helped us get over 15 gigs in the last 6 months... their fees are a bit higher than others, because they charge a fee to both the entertainer and buyer... but still well worth it.
5 stars all the way!
How awesome, Jonathan! Thank you for sharing your success with us.
We have been using GigSalad for over 3 years now. They have provided awesome characters, great face painters, clowns, mermaids, unicorn ponies, fire dancers, carolers, Santa's and more. So easy and convenient to use. We highly recommend this service.
Overview
GigSalad has a rating of 3.7 stars from 250 reviews, indicating that most customers are generally satisfied with their purchases. Reviewers satisfied with GigSalad most frequently mention customer service, several years and potential clients. GigSalad ranks 2nd among Event Planning sites.
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- Sitejabber’s sole mission is to increase online transparency for buyers and businesses
- Sitejabber has helped over 200M buyers make better purchasing decisions online
- Suspicious reviews are flagged by our algorithms, moderators, and community members
Hi Scott, we wanted to take the opportunity to correct the misinformation you've shared here. The singing telegram you booked tried to complete the performance for your child. However, the adult guardian at the address was not comfortable with your attempt to contact the child via a singing telegram and dismissed the vendor. Since the vendor made every effort to complete the booking, we were obligated to release their payment. The recipient of a singing telegram cannot be forced into accepting the service, and that's no fault of the vendor or GigSalad. Thank you.