Getting projects done around the home can be a never-ending, expensive and often difficult process. ServiceLive.com is the only online marketplace where you can name your price for home improvements and repairs.

ServiceLive.com allows you to name your date, time and price to get a wide variety of projects done around your home from providers. ServiceLive.com allows you to choose from thousands of pre-screened providers to do the work, all of whom have passed a background check of criminal, vehicle and civil records – the same check required by our Fortune 500 clients.

ServiceLive.com does much more than help you identify service providers – it allows you to manage the entire process and save money and sanity at the same time. Just enter your zip code to review and select service providers; describe your project; name the date, time and price; and upload funds to your account. After the work is completed to your satisfaction, you pay and rate your provider – all online.

With ServiceLive.com, you determine how much you want to pay for a project, and the price for the specific project is agreed upon in advance. Of course, if the amount offered is too low, a service provider won’t accept the job or will respond with a counter offer asking for a higher price

There are currently more than 20,000 registered providers ready and waiting to work for you on ServiceLive.com.

Here are the simple steps to getting started.

Step 1: Enter zip code to select service providers

• ServiceLive.com allows you to find service providers by searching the distance to the service location, past customer ratings, languages spoken by the service provider and credentials. In order to increase the chances of receiving the price and schedule you are requesting, you should select multiple service providers.

Step 2: Describe your project

• In order to ensure the selected service providers understand the scope of the project and any preparation work or parts needed, you should take the time to give a detailed description of the project you would like the service provider to accept. You should consider describing measurements if applicable, such as room dimensions (length/width/height). In addition, you should describe whether there is furniture to move, existing wiring (if applicable), if there is prep work needed, the conditions of the project site, etc. The goal is to make the service provider feel comfortable accepting the order and offered price without viewing the project in advance.
• Be sure to include pictures and documents – A terrific feature offered by ServiceLive.com is the ability to upload pictures of the project site and/or fixtures to be installed, and documents such as drawings, instruction manuals, etc.

Here are the simple steps to getting started.

Step 3: Create and Fund your Account (if not already registered)

• Once you have determined the price you would like to offer for your service order, you need to purchase ServiceLive Bucks in the same amount with either a credit card or electronic transfer of funds from your checking account. The ServiceLive Wallet platform is an online method of payment powered by Integrated Payment Systems, Inc.* Payment from your Wallet will not be released to the service provider until you specify that the project has been completed to your satisfaction.

Step 4: Post Your Service Order

• With one click, your service order will be electronically routed to the service providers you have selected. The first one to accept it electronically wins the order, and you will be notified when your order is accepted. Service providers may respond with a counter offer if they would like to accept the order with changes to the price or time offered. You can decide whether or not to accept a counter offer, or wait for the remaining providers to respond. If you decide to accept an increase in price, you will need to purchase additional ServiceLive Bucks to meet the new price.

Step 5: Pay and Rate your Provider

• When the project is completed to your satisfaction, just click to close the order and pay, which moves funds from your ServiceLive Wallet to the provider’s Wallet. Then rate your provider and provide any comments, and you are all finished until your next service order!

*Licensed as a money transmitter by the banking department of the State of New York.

Provide as much detail about your project as possible. Upload photos, describe issues or requests in detail – that way the providers know exactly what they will be expected to do. A help box with information a provider may want to know about different service types will pop up when you are typing in your project description. Click here to see some sample orders.

If you aren't sure how much to offer for a project, a help box will pop up with information about the average hourly rate for the type of service you are requesting and the average time it may take to complete a few sample projects. Remember that every project is different (i.e. replacing a ceiling fan with existing wiring will take less time than running new wiring to the ceiling). Please remember that larger metro areas or areas with a shortage of service providers will likely have a higher hourly rate, and that the averages are just estimates to help you get started.

There are two simple ways to get help. You can email Support@ServiceLive.com or call toll free (888) 549-0640.

Once your order is posted, it gets routed the service providers you selected. The first one to accept it electronically wins the order, and you will be notified when your order is accepted. Service providers may respond with a counter offer if they would like to accept the order with changes to the price or time offered. You can decide whether or not to accept a counter offer, or wait for the remaining providers to respond. If you decide to accept an increase in price, you will need to purchase additional ServiceLive Bucks to meet the new price.

Response rates and times to accept may vary depending on the type of work you are requesting, amount you are willing to spend, date/time you have specified for your order, or the service provider coverage in your area. In order to improve the speed of order acceptance, you should consider routing the opportunity to more service providers when possible.

In the event your service order is not picked up, you have the right to repost the same service order within 30 days, with no additional posting fees. If you decide to cancel an order that was not accepted, you can request a refund of the $10 posting fee (if paid) and the rest of the funds originally allocated toward the cancelled service order will be returned to your ServiceLive Wallet for future use or you can request a refund of the full amount.

If your order has not been accepted, and no providers are responding, you should consider increasing the amount you are willing to pay for the project, or change the date/time of the work you need done. This may make your request more attractive to providers. In addition, you may want to increase the number of providers you have selected or provide more specific information about the order.

To request a refund, you can email Support@ServiceLive.com or call toll free (888) 549-0640.

Our goal is to offer the broadest assortment of home services anywhere, however we are a new company, and there may be markets and types of services where service providers have yet to sign up. Please continue to check back, and send an email to Support@ServiceLive.com to make requests for provider recruitment.

As a brand new site, we are adding new service providers all the time. While they have all passed the stringent ServiceLive-approved background checks, they may not have performed work through ServiceLive yet. Please review the provider profile pages for more information about the providers. We encourage you to be the first to try and rate a provider in your area.

Before a customer posts an order to service providers on ServiceLive.com, the customer must first purchase ServiceLive Bucks in the amount of the order. When the project is completed to the customer's satisfaction, all he or she has to do is click to pay, and the amount is moved to the provider's ServiceLive Wallet.

You aren't actually paying for the service in advance - just uploading funds into your ServiceLive Wallet to show that payment is available and confirming that you are committed to hiring the service provider who accepts the service order. One of the key benefits of the site to service providers is the ability to receive payment immediately upon satisfactory completion of the project - and knowing that there are funds reserved in your ServiceLive Wallet confirms that commitment. If you do not use the funds in your Wallet, you can always request a refund - they are your ServiceLive Bucks to spend and you control them until you decide that a project has been completed to your satisfaction.

ServiceLive.com makes its money through the $10 posting fee and through fees charged to the provider. By leveraging the power of the marketplace and naming your price, the average price paid by customers for projects, including fees, is usually lower than paying a provider's regular fees due to the increased competition and process efficiencies enabled by the site.

Service providers benefit through the ability to grow their business without the cost for leads. ServiceLive.com levels the playing field for providers - good ratings and service matter, not company size, advertising budget or alphabetical placement in the Yellow Pages. ServiceLive.com also offers providers the flexibility to accept the orders they want and receive immediate payment upon satisfactory job completion.

ServiceLive.com 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.

You may cancel a service order, at any time, subject to any applicable cancellation fees. However ServiceLive.com may publish cancellation percentages in the buyer's public profile, which may affect your ratings. The posting fee (if paid) will not be refunded.

Cancellation fees will apply, if: (a) 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 (b) 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, or (c) 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) which causes the provider not to complete the service order during his/her visit, a $49 cancellation fee will apply. Buyers and providers can negotiate this fee on a per-service order basis.

In the event a service order failed to adequately describe the project, or, if there are additional parts needed to complete the project, you may choose to increase your "spend limit" to accommodate the requirement, or you may choose to cancel the service order. If you choose to cancel the service order, you will be charged a $49 cancellation fee.

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. One of the benefits of the ServiceLive.com platform is that provider behavior and past customer ratings remain with the service provider during their tenure on the marketplace. If a service provider has poor ratings or reputation, the likelihood of that person receiving additional work through the platform diminishes significantly.

ServiceLive offers a number of communications tools you can use to resolve disputes if they arise. Upon request of both parties, ServiceLive may provide voluntary, limited Dispute Resolution Assistance to work with buyers and providers to help them resolve their disputes; provided that final payment for services has not been issued. In such instances where a buyer and service provider are unable to mutually agree upon an equitable resolution, ServiceLive will forward the dispute to the Dispute Resolution Committee, which will review the case and offer a non-binding recommendation. In keeping with the spirit of the marketplace, we recommend the committee recommendation be accepted by all parties.

At the start of every project there are guidelines one should follow to help avoid unexpected issues that may result in disputes between the buyer and service provider.

• When communicating with others, be precise 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.
• Buyers should post service orders with clear scopes of work, well-defined deliverables that are time bound, and specify payment terms.
• Providers should 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 as the goal is to institute a positive change. Explain precisely what needs to be changed and a timeline for correcting any problems.

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This report summarizes the total gross payments made by the Buyer to the Provider(s) for the period of time defined when the report is requested. "Total Gross Payments" represents the total amount paid to the Provider(s) prior to any fees Provider(s) may owe ServiceLive for using the Platform.

The report may display multiple records for a single Provider if that Provider changed his tax filing information (updated their Tax Identification Number on its W9).

It is recommended that the Buyer also review the "Buyer Payments by Service Order" report, which provides a breakdown by Service Order of each payment made to a Provider. The Buyer may use these reports in combination to assist in the preparation of tax reporting statements for Providers.

As a reminder, this information must be treated as confidential as it contains sensitive taxpayer identification information. This information should only be used for the purposes of producing tax reporting statements.

This report displays the total payment made by the Buyer to the Provider(s) by Service Order. This report may be used in conjunction with the 'Buyer Payments by TaxpayerID' report to assist the Buyer in preparing any tax reporting statements owed to Providers.

"Total Gross Payment" is the final total amount of the Service Order. This is the amount actually paid by the Buyer for the completion of the Service Order.

The "Buyer Posting Fee" is the amount the Buyer may have paid to post the Service Order on the ServiceLive Platform. This information is provided to assist the Buyer with reconciling available funds and other bookkeeping requirements the Buyer may have.

The "Provider Fee" is the amount which the Provider paid ServiceLive for utilizing the ServiceLive Platform. . This information is provided in the event a Provider questions the difference between what is reported as his total revenue vs. what monies were actually available in their Wallet for withdrawal.

As a reminder, this information must be treated as confidential as it contains sensitive taxpayer identification information. This information should only be used for the purposes of producing tax reporting statements.

This report displays the total payments made to the Provider by each unique Buyer for a defined period of time. This report is broken down by Gross Revenue, Service Fee, and Net. If the Provider should receive a tax reporting statement from one or multiple Buyers, this report may be used to assist in reconciling to the statements.

"Gross Revenue" is the total amount of all Service Order(s) Closed and paid from the specified Buyer during the defined period of time. This is the amount actually paid by the Buyer for the completion of the Service Order.

The "Service Fee" is the amount which the Provider paid ServiceLive for utilizing the ServiceLive Platform. .

The "Net" amount reflects the funds available for withdrawal in the Provider's account (Wallet). This represents the Gross Revenue earned less the fee paid by the Provider to ServiceLive.

This report details the Service Order payments received by the Provider. Revenue is broken out by Labor and Other. Providers may use this report to assist in their bookkeeping and payment reconciliation.

The "Total Gross Service Order" amount represents the final total amount of the Service Order. This is the amount actually paid by the Buyer to the Provider for the completion of the Service Order.

The "Service Fee" is the amount which the Provider paid ServiceLive for utilizing the ServiceLive Platform. .

The "Net" amount reflects the funds available for withdrawal in the Provider's account (Wallet). This represents the Gross Revenue earned less the fee paid by the Provider to ServiceLive.