Frequently Asked Questions


Are your transactions secure?

Yes. All our transactions are handled by Stripe, a highly secure system used by more than 100,000 organizations worldwide. including Adidas, Facebook, Twitter, Best Buy, and Unicef. To meet the strictest standards of credit card companies, your banking information is encrypted and transferred directly from your computer to the Stripe servers. Zook-it keeps no record of your banking information.

How will I keep my profile up to date?

Once you publish your profile, you can update it with the Profile Management Tool. You find this tool in the toolbar after you sign in to your account (top right corner of www.zook-it.ca).

What if I want to close my account?

You can suspend your account at any time. Your profile will no longer be displayed in the directory, but it will remain on our servers in case you want to reactivate it at a later time. Alternatively, you can delete your account, which would make your profile inaccessible. You can also request that the data associated with your account be destroyed, in which case we’ll meet that request in a reasonable amount of time.

Who owns the content I post on my profile?

You remain the sole owner of your content. Your registration means you temporarily allow Zook-it to use it to promote your services or the directory's content. More details can be found in the Terms of use.

Is my profile guaranteed to appear in the directory?

Yes. If it respects the terms of use, your profile will appear in the category of your choice.*

However, we reserve the right to suspend or remove any profile that appears to be fake, conveys erroneous information, or does not meet the terms of use.

Furthermore, if your content contains grammatical mistakes that make it difficult to understand, we will contact you to find a way to resolve the issue and may suspend the display of your profile in the meantime. We do this in order to ensure a quality browsing experience for all users.

* If a category for your profession is not yet available in your area, your profile will appear in the general category and will be transferred into the proper professional category once it becomes available.

What will be my profile’s rank in the directory?

Various factors are taken into account to determine the ranking of profiles. The prime factor is a customer’s search criteria: only service providers who meet the criteria set by a customer will appear in their search results. If more than one provider matches the criteria in question, the next leading factor is customer appreciation*: the better and more numerous the reviews on a profile, the closer to the top of the list it will appear. Other factors such as a service provider’s availability, their seniority in the directory, the popularity of their profile among Internet users as well as the quality and quantity of their content will also be taken into account.

The algorithm also includes random factors in order to avoid unfairly disadvantaging suppliers.

* N.B. this factor will be taken into account once the ‘reviews and ratings’ feature is in place.

Can I pay to improve the ranking of my profile?

No. We strive to provide users with the most objective information possible and help them find the best match for their needs. Consequently, all profiles in a given category are ranked using the same formula.

However, suppliers who wish to increase their visibility can place ads - that will be clearly identified as such - in the category of their choice. For more information on ad placement, contact us at info@zook-it.ca or 819.282.9121.

What can I do to appear higher in the search results and/or get more contracts?

Here are seven strategies that will optimize the return from your listing:

  • add an introductory video to your profile

  • add appealing content frequently (photos, written content, videos)

  • post links to your profile on social media

  • ask current customers to leave comments on your profile (once this feature is available)

  • add the url of your profile to your other promotional material (business cards, flyers, car decals, website, etc.)

  • have a special offer for Zook-it users

  • advertise on the site - note that this will not directly improve your display ranking, but will allow you to appear in the ad space of the category of your choice, driving additional traffic to your profile or your website

Are all professions and types of businesses welcome on Zook-it?

All service providers and all businesses are welcome. If your desired professional category is not available yet, you can ask us to make it a priority and list your profile in the general category in the meantime. We’ll take care of associating your profile with your professional category as soon as it is made available.

The wait time for launching a new category is currently two weeks. Note that only lawful services are allowed on the directory. Suspicious profiles will be suspended at Zook-it’s discretion and/or the request of legal authorities. In the event, no additional fees will be charged to the profile owner in question, but committed fees will not be refunded.

How much does it cost?

For all questions related to billing, click here.

  • How much does it cost?

  • Are your rates locked-in?

  • Do I have to register for the whole year ahead?

Does Zook-it guarantee the information displayed on profiles or the quality of the service providers’ work?

Although we endeavor to provide users with the most accurate information possible, we cannot guarantee that every piece of information on every profile is accurate. Service providers are responsible for the content of their profile and their account may be frozen, suspended or revoked if this content is found to be erroneous.

How do you ensure the reviews on my profile are legitimate? What can I do if I disagree with a customer’s review?

If you want to challenge a customer’s comment or review, you may request a revision. After a quick audit, we may:

  • delete the comment if it does not seem legitimate and suspend the account of the user in question

  • ask the customer to revise his or her comment if it is legitimate, but impolite, and allow you to respond in the comment thread

  • keep the customer’s comment in the thread if it is legitimate and expressed politely, while allowing you to respond directly in the comment thread.

Do you have a smartphone app?

We are working on it. In the meantime, all of Zook-it’s content and features can be accessed on a phone or tablet through our mobile-friendly website.

I have another question.

Send it to info@zook-it.ca and we’ll respond quickly!


How much does it cost?


Why is your service not free?

Zook-it is free for customers looking for a service provider.

We ask for a monthly contribution from service providers in order to avoid dummy registrations. This makes Zook-it a more reliable source of information, which generates more traffic on listed profiles.

So, how much does it cost?

For customers, Zook-it is free. For service providers, the registration fee varies depending on the category in which a profile is displayed. For professions / categories whose annual income is typically below $ 35,000 (e.g. housekeeping, lawn mowing, guitar tutors), the contribution is $5 per month + tx. For professions whose annual income typically exceeds $ 35,000 or requires machinery (e.g. accountants, landscapers, general contractors), it is $10 per month + tx.

As we add optional features in the future, some will be free while others may entail an additional fee.

Are these rates locked-in?

Yes. When you sign up for a Zook-it profile, your monthly contribution will remain the same* as long as you don’t suspend your profile. Even if the subscription fee were to increase for new registrations, your fee will remain the same as when you signed-up.

* Subject to price adjustments for inflation, which could mean an average increase of 1% to 3% per year.

What is the revenue from registration fees used for?

Primarily for hosting profiles, maintaining and developing the directory, and improving our customer service. Since our service is relatively new, we also invest a substantial proportion of the registration fees in ads on social media and in local media outlets. Our objective is to direct as many customers as possible to the profiles we host.

Do I need to register for a full year right away?

No. Your monthly contribution will be charged to your credit card once a month and you can suspend the automatic renewal of your registration at any time. If you choose to be invoiced for the whole year, you will get a $20 discount.

Do I have to use a credit card?

Not necessarily. For more information on paying via e-transfer, give us a call at 819.282.9121.

For more similar questions, see Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ).