JustAnswer FAQ
Q. What is JustAnswer?
Q. What is The Consumerist's relationship with JustAnswer?
Q. How does JustAnswer work?
Q. How do I ask a question on JustAnswer?
Q. How long should I wait for an answer?
Q. How do I know if my question has been answered?
Q. What if I am not satisfied with the answer?
Q. Who are the experts who answer my question?
Q. How are experts selected and verified?
Q. Is it safe for an expert to ask for my personal contact information?
Q. Are my questions and answers anonymous? Can they be viewed by others?
Q. What are the payment options available to me?
Q. When will I be charged?
Q. I have already accepted my answer, but I am not satisfied. Can I get a refund?
Q. Where can I find more information if the question I have is not addressed on this FAQ page?
A. JustAnswer is an online company that, for a fee, connects people with verified experts--lawyers, doctors, mechanics, and so on--for one-on-one answers.
Q. What is Consumerist's Relationship with JustAnswer?
A. JustAnswer is a wholly separate and unaffiliated company to The Consumerist and Consumer Media's parent company, Consumers Union. Any transaction conducted between you and JustAnswer remains between the two parties. The Consumerist has no involvement in, or control over, the transaction that takes place between you and the JustAnswer expert. Therefore, we cannot address JustAnswer customer service questions or aid in resolving any monetary issues or disputes. The Consumerist is not responsible for the advice provided by JustAnswer's experts to any individual. If you need to reach JustAnswer directly, please visit their Contact Us page.
The Consumerist likes the service that JustAnswer provides and has decided to partner with them to bring their offering to you. If you choose to use the JustAnswer widget to pose a question, are happy with the expert answer you receive, and choose to pay for the service, then The Consumerist will get a portion of the revenue generated to help support our mission. If you're not satisfied with your answer, then you don't have to pay for it. In that case, neither the JustAnswer expert, the JustAnswer site, nor The Consumerist will receive any compensation. As always, The Consumerist does not sell advertising--not to JustAnswer, not to anyone. We do not get ad impression money or click-through revenue for placing JustAnswer on our site. Again, if you choose to use, approve, and pay for their service, you'll get access to the advice provided by their vetted experts and we'll get a share of the revenue. It's as simple as that.
A. There are four simple steps to getting your expert answer:
- Ask your question. Fill in your question in the JustAnswer question box.
- Name your price. You'll be given a range of pricing based on how much detail you'll need and how quickly you need an answer. After selecting your price, you then place a refundable good faith deposit.
- An expert answers. An expert will provide an answer or ask for more details. You may also ask the expert for more details or pose follow-up questions. You will receive an email when the expert has answered your question.
- Accept the answer. Your acceptance pays the expert and tells JustAnswer you're happy.
Q. How do I ask a question on JustAnswer?
A. To ask a question on JustAnswer, enter your question in the JustAnswer form and hit Submit. Remember that the JustAnswer experts may have further questions for you in order to best answer your question. If you receive a request for more information from an expert, you can reply to your expert using the reply box on your question page. You do not have to accept an answer until you're satisfied, and can continue to reply to your expert using the Reply button until you are ready to accept. If you'd like more information about posing your questions, please visit JustAnswer's Customer Support Center.
Q. How long should I wait for an answer?
A. Normally, you should get an answer within an hour of asking your question. However, questions asked late at night or on weekends take longer as there are fewer participating experts online to answer.
If you have been waiting longer than an hour, then there are a few things JustAnswer recommends you do:
- Make sure the first sentence of your question is descriptive. This is the first line participating experts will see when reviewing open customer questions.
- Read your question to make sure it is clear and concise.
- Ensure that you have set a value that matches your question's difficulty level.
- Contact JustAnswer's Customer Support to have the question marked as HIGH PRIORITY and/or listed in a second category.
- Request a refund by JustAnswer.
Q. How do I know if my question has been answered?
A. JustAnswer will send you an email notifying you of any answer or request for information from an expert. You may also wait online.
If you need assistance getting your question answered, please visit the Just Answers Customer Support Center. They are happy to help.
Q. What if I am not satisfied with the answer?
A. You may ask another expert the same question, keep your good-faith deposit on file (so that you may ask a question in the future), or request a refund from JustAnswer. You don't pay the expert until you are satisfied with the answer. In most cases, you can initiate your own refund. More details can be found on the JustAnswer website.
Reminder: The Consumerist is unaffiliated with JustAnswer. Please do not email our editors if you have issues regarding JustAnswer. Since JustAnswer is a completely separate company, we unfortunately will not be able to answer your questions or assist you. Rest assured: Those of us at The Consumerist want you to have a good experience. We will not receive any compensation whatsoever from JustAnswer unless you are happy with your answer and choose to pay.
Q. Who are the experts who answer my question?
A. Lawyers, mechanics, appliance technicians, doctors, vets and experts in over 100 categories are online 24 hours a day. All of these experts are background checked and have passed JustAnswer's strict quality standards, which include reviews from both customers and their peers.
Q. How are experts selected and verified?
A. Here's how JustAnswer selects their experts:
- Verify credentials. JustAnswer has a leading third-party verification service verify at least one credential of every expert--such as a license, job held, educational degree, or certification.
- Subject matter test. Every Expert is required to pass a rigorous exam in his or her specialty area.
- Ongoing review. All Experts undergo ongoing reviews, from JustAnswer customers and other experts in their fields.
Q. Is it safe for an Expert to ask for my personal contact information?
A. We suggest that you take the same precautions on JustAnswer that you would in any similar circumstance. We suggest you share only that personal information needed to complete the transaction. You will need to create a username and should avoid using your real name or any identifying information. Please note that in order to receive answers, JustAnswer requires an email address.
Q. Are my questions and answers anonymous? Can they be viewed by others?
A. When you register, you are asked to provide a username, which you should keep anonymous. However, registered users can view previous questions and answers on JustAnswer. We recommend not using any personal information in your username and do not include your first or last name, email address, telephone number, or any other identifying details in your questions.
Q. What are the payment options available to me?
A. JustAnswer accepts all major credit cards and debit cards, including prepaid gift cards displaying a credit card logo. They also accept PayPal. Getting a free PayPal account is easy: Just go to www.paypal.com. Please remember, your payment goes directly to JustAnswer. The Consumerist is not involved in any way in that transaction, nor do we receive any credit card, debit card, or PayPal information you provide to JustAnswer.
A. When posting a question to a verified expert on JustAnswer, you will be asked to pay for the answer--but you can decide how much to pay. You will place a good faith deposit, using a credit card or PayPal account. If you're not happy with the answer you receive and do not accept it, the charge is 100% refundable within 30 days from the date of the transaction. All payments go through JustAnswer directly.
Q. I have already accepted my answer, but I am not satisfied. Can I get a refund?
A. Once you accept your answer, the funds are transferred to the expert as payment for the work they performed. If you would like a refund after accepting, your request must be reviewed by JustAnswer's Billing Department. Unfortunately, those of us at The Consumerist cannot help, so please do not email our editors with customer service requests. As we've shared, JustAnswer is a separate and unrelated entity. Any transaction you conduct with JustAnswer is between you and JustAnswer.
Q. Where can I find more information if the question I have is not addressed on this FAQ page?
A. If you have further questions, please contact JustAnswer directly or search for additional FAQs in their Customer Service Center. Please do not contact The Consumerist or any of our editors with questions or concerns that only JustAnswer can address.
