Is JustAnswer a Scam? 

If you’re thinking of using JustAnswer, you need to know: Is JustAnswer a scam? 

Below, we explain whether JustAnswer is a scam and discuss some steps you can take to improve your safety when using this platform. 

What Is JustAnswer?

JustAnswer is a platform where you can ask questions and have experts answer them. 

It was founded in 2003. 

JustAnswer members can post questions that are matched with verified experts. 

You can then exchange messages with the expert (and even speak with them on the phone for an additional cost). 

If you’re not happy with the first response, you can ask for a second opinion. 

According to JustAnswer, the platform features more than 12,000 verified experts from various industries, including lawyers, doctors, mechanics, tech support specialists, and veterinarians, among many others. 

To become an expert on the platform, individuals must pass an 8-step expert quality process, which includes expert tests, license and credential verification, and performance reviews. 

To ask a question, you need to sign up for a monthly membership (which you can cancel once you no longer need it). 

Is JustAnswer a Scam?

No, JustAnswer is not a scam. It’s a legitimate question-and-answer platform.

However, it may not be the best option for everyone. 

The website Clark.com says: “If you’re in a pinch and need a quick response from a verified expert, a trial subscription with JustAnswer may be exactly what you need. For an in-depth conversation about a serious matter, I think it would be more worth your time to seek out traditional, professional help.” 

User reviews of JustAnswer are mixed:

• 3.8 out of 5.0 stars (from 9.23k reviews) on Google Play.
• 4.9 out of 5.0 stars (from 781 reviews) on Google.
• 3.7 out of 5.0 stars (from 19,152 reviews) on the App Store.
• 4.6 out of 5.0 stars (from 96,728 reviews) on Trustpilot.    
• 4.4 out of 5.0 stars (from 5,664 reviews) on Consumer Affairs. 

On online forums like Reddit, users report varying experiences. 

Many people complain about JustAnswer’s membership fee and the fact that the platform charges you for the first month even before you ask your question. 

One person said that they “considered the price worth it for the questions I had” but that they “cancelled right after so I wouldn’t get charged another month. I didn’t think the answers were very good.” 

Another person said: “[…] I also contacted Justanswer over a legal matter i wanted some information. I was offered a one time payment of £20.00 for the information which I thought was great value. Unfortunately the information i received didn’t answer any of the questions i wanted answering but consisted of more questions that really had nothing to do with my query. […] But now i have just found out that Justanswer have been taking £50.00 out of my bank account every month!”

In 2022, a class action lawsuit was filed against JustAnswer, alleging deceptive billing practices and violations of consumer protection laws, including California’s Automatic Renewal Law.

JustAnswer’s terms of service has information about recurring charges.

As per its terms of service, memberships auto-renew unless you cancel at least 24 hours before the next billing cycle. Free trials turn into paid subscriptions if you don’t cancel in time. Membership fees are non-refundable. 

However, the class action argued that the “terms of service” is a hyperlink to a separate web page with 26-page-long terms of service. Users are not required to actually view the terms of service in order to click “Start my trial” and begin using the JustAnswer services.

Some users also reported a lack of transparency regarding the identities and credentials of the experts they interacted with. 

On the other hand, others report positive experiences with JustAnswer. 

Overall, it seems like people’s experience on JustAnswers depends on the experts they interact with. One person said: “As a long time member, I can say that there are some excellent experts, some not so good and very occasionally an awful one.” 

JustAnswer notes in its terms of service that experts are not JustAnswer employees, and JustAnswer isn’t responsible for the accuracy or results of the advice given. 

It also says that “experts” is just a term they use and that the platform can’t guarantee the expertise of the experts on its platform:

“Use of the term “Expert” by JustAnswer and on the Platform is only meant to describe Users who answer questions on the Platform, and not to guarantee any particular level of expertise of these Experts.” 

If you opt into “Premium” or off-platform services (e.g., phone calls), you’re dealing directly with the Expert, not JustAnswer.

JustAnswer is Better Business Bureau (BBB) accredited and has a “B+” rating. See our review of whether the BBB is a scam.

Security

We couldn’t find much information about the security controls that JustAnswer has in place. 

In its privacy policy, JustAnswer says it maintains “procedural, technical, and physical safeguards” to keep your personal information secure. 

It does not specify what these safeguards are.  

It uses third-party payment processors to process your information. 

Privacy 

JustAnswer explains the kind of data it collects, why, and with whom it shares it in its privacy policy.

It collects the following information directly from you:

• Contact information and other personal identifiers, e.g., name, phone number, mailing address, email address, and signature.
• Expert credentials and identity information, i.e., if you apply to become an Expert, the platform will ask for certain information to verify your identity and verify your eligibility to become an Expert, such as a Social Security Number and a government-issued photo identification.  
• Additional profile information, e.g., job title and educational background. 
• Communications, submissions, and other user-generated content, i.e., the information and content you submit when you ask questions. 
• JustAnswer referral information, i.e., if you use the referral program. 
• Financial information, e.g., PayPal or payment card information. 
• Commercial information, e.g., records of products and services purchased from JustAnswer.
• Audio and visual information, e.g., any photos you share through the platform. 

JustAnswer may also collect information about you from third parties, including social media networks (e.g., comments and content you post relevant to JustAnswer), marketing partners and data providers (e.g., commercial information and personal identifiers), affiliates (e.g., personal identifiers and commercial information), and other users (e.g., your personal identifiers). 

Additionally, the platform may collect data about you automatically from your use of the JustAnswer platform (e.g., device information, browsing information, location information, and inferences drawn from other information), as well as cookies and other technologies.

It may also collect information in ways it describes to you at the point of collection or with your consent. 

JustAnswer uses your information to provide its platform, process payments, conduct internal business operations, customize content, communicate with you, and comply with laws.  

It may share your data with service providers, partners, advertising partners, within its organization, on social networks, through public disclosures using the platform, with third-party partners to provide co-branded or jointly offered products, in the event of business transfers, with law enforcement, and otherwise, with your consent or at your direction. 

JustAnswer may transfer and store your data inside or outside the United States.

It states that it will retain your information only as long as necessary for business or legal purposes. It doesn’t provide specific timeframes (only that the length of time “depends on the purposes for which we collected and use it [data] and your choices”). 

In its terms of service, JustAnswer says that anything you post or share (including with Experts) is not confidential. JustAnswer can use, edit, or republish your content, even after you leave the platform.

Depending on where you live, you may be able to exercise your privacy rights, such as the right to delete the information that JustAnswer has on you.

However, JustAnswer notes that it may “not always be possible to completely remove or delete all of your information from our databases without some residual data remaining in our archives.” 

Should You Use JustAnswer?

Depends.

JustAnswer may be a good choice if you need quick access to general information from a professional or want a second opinion. 

JustAnswer may not be the best option if you need in-depth, personalized, or binding advice or if you require confidentiality (your conversations with an expert may be indexed by search engines, allowing anyone to find them online). 

How to Use JustAnswer Safely and Privately 

• Don’t share identifying information. Avoid including your full name, address, phone number, or any other sensitive information in your question.
• Assume nothing is confidential. Your questions and follow-up posts on JustAnswer can be indexed by Google or reused by JustAnswer.
• Use a separate or masked email address. This can help you avoid tying your questions to your main email account and personal identity.
• Cancel the trial on time. If you start with a JustAnswer trial, remember to cancel before the renewal to avoid the full monthly fee. 
• Check if you’re in a pay-per-question flow. Some users think they’re paying once but end up in a membership plan. 
• Monitor your bank statement. Especially after a trial period, to quickly spot any unwanted renewals.
• Be wise about how you ask questions. Be clear and specific. Experts may not follow up much if your question is vague. If you’re unsatisfied, you can ask for a second opinion.
• Understand what you’re getting. You’re not getting official legal or medical advice. It’s general guidance only, and JustAnswer doesn’t guarantee the expertise of the “Experts” on its platform. 
• Exercise your privacy rights. Depending on where you live, you may be able to exercise certain rights, like a right to access information that JustAnswer has about you, correct this information, delete this information, or restrict the use of this information. 
• Opt out of promotional emails. You can do this by clicking “unsubscribe” at the bottom of any marketing email from JustAnswer. You can’t opt out of administrative emails, like account or billing updates. 
• Opt out of personalized advertising. JustAnswer uses tracking cookies and ad networks to show you targeted ads. You can’t fully stop this, but you can limit it by opting out through the Digital Advertising Alliance (DAA) and Network Advertising Initiative (NAI), adjusting browser settings (i.e., turning off “interest-based ads” or tracking in your browser privacy settings), changing mobile device settings, or clicking the “AdChoices” icon in some banner ads to control personalization.