What the texts are#
Tuck texts from its own number for these purposes only:
- To sitters who said yes to Tuck's texts: a request, sent on behalf of a family the sitter already sits for, naming that family's parents and the kids and pets it's for by first name, unless the family chooses to leave the names out, and asking whether they can sit on a specific date, or on several dates asked about in one text that names every date with its hours, with a link to a private page to answer each; one closing text when that date is settled — whether the family found a sitter or called the evening off — so nobody is left waiting, or one naming every date settled at the same moment; one confirmation, in reply to the sitter's YES; and, when a sitter texts Tuck's number anything but STOP, START, HELP, YES or SITS, one reply per ask saying Tuck passed it on to that family, and, at most once a day each, how to stop or where to answer. Replies are passed to the family: the parents read them in the Tuck app, and answer, if they want to, from their own phones — never through Tuck's number.
- To parents: a sign-in link, only when you ask for one on the sign-in page. Tuck doesn't text parents anything else: news about your requests shows in the app, and as a notification in the Tuck app on your iPhone.
- To a sitter who asks for one by texting SITS to Tuck's number: a sign-in link. It is the reply to that text, sent to the phone it came from, and opens a page of their own sits from every family that has their number. It works once, for 15 minutes. Tuck sends one at most every two minutes and five a day, and none to a number that has replied STOP or that isn't on any family's list. And when Apple or Google sign-in is added to that page, one text to the sitter's number saying so, so a sign-in the sitter didn't add can be taken off.
Tuck never sends marketing or promotional texts. Tuck's number sends a family's asks only for a family that has Tuck send its texts, and only to a sitter who said yes to Tuck's texts. Every other ask, including every ask to a sitter who hasn't said yes, comes from a parent's own phone, not from Tuck's number.
How people opt in#
- Sitters say yes themselves, one family at a time. A parent adds only a sitter they already know and whose number they already have, and confirms this exact sentence first: [sitter’s first name] is 18 or older, and knows our family. Tuck's number sends no ask to a sitter nobody has confirmed. The parent then texts the sitter a heads-up from the parent's own phone, with the household's other parents on the thread, and a private link made for that sitter and that family. A sitter who hasn't said yes can also reach that link from the private page of an ask the family sent them. The link opens one page, with no app and no account, that asks Can Tuck text you about sitting for [the family's first names]? and shows, beside the button Yes, Tuck can text me, these words: By texting YES to Tuck, you agree to get texts from Tuck about sitting for [the family’s first names]: one when they ask about a date, and one when it’s settled. Message frequency varies. Msg & data rates may apply. Reply STOP to stop, HELP for help. And beside them: Tuck is for sitters 18 and over. If you’re not, don’t send the text — tell the family, and email jarryd@asktuck.com to come off every family’s list. The button opens a text to Tuck's number, (833) 349-4533, from the sitter's own phone, with YES and a code for that family already written; the sitter sends it. Tuck records the yes only when that text arrives from the sitter's own number — so nobody else, the parent included, can give it for them — along with the time and the version of the words on the page when it arrived, and replies with one confirmation. Tuck's number texts a sitter about that family's requests only after that. A yes given for one family is never used to text that sitter for another.
- Parents: whenever Tuck texts sign-in links itself, a parent asks for one by entering their own mobile number on the sign-in page, next to a line that says Tuck will text one link and that message and data rates may apply. Until then, and for any parent who signs in with Apple or Google, Tuck texts parents nothing.
- Sitters' sign-in links: a sitter asks for one by texting SITS (or SIGN IN) to (833) 349-4533 from their own phone. The link is Tuck's one reply to that text, and asking for one opts them in to nothing else.
This is the sitter's page, for an example family (open it):
How to stop#
Reply STOP to any text from Tuck and Tuck stops texting that number, for every family, including asks a parent would otherwise have sent by hand. STOPALL, UNSUBSCRIBE, CANCEL, END, QUIT, REVOKE and OPT OUT work too. You'll get one confirmation and nothing further. If you reply STOP to an ask a parent sent from their own phone, that parent records it in Tuck, and that family's asks stop. To hear from Tuck again, text START to (833) 349-4533; a STOP to Tuck ends every yes given before it, so each family then needs a new YES from you before Tuck texts you for them. A STOP given to one family is lifted only by a new YES on that family's link. Reply HELP for help, or email jarryd@asktuck.com. Anyone can ask us to remove a number from every family's list, including anyone who tells us a number belongs to someone under 18.
Frequency and cost#
Message frequency varies. A sitter gets a text only when a family they said yes for asks about a date, or several dates in one text, one when each date is settled either way (one text for any dates settled at the same moment), one reply per ask (and at most two more a day) when they text Tuck's number themselves, a sign-in link each time they text SITS (at most five a day), and one text when Apple or Google sign-in is added to their page: typically a few a month. Between 8 pm and 8 am in the family's time zone, Tuck's number sends a sitter an ask only when the family has just asked, or the sit starts by 8 am; any other ask waits until 8 am. A parent gets a text only when they ask for a sign-in link. Message and data rates may apply. Carriers are not liable for delayed or undelivered messages.
Sample messages#
- Tuck: You're set to get sitting requests from Meredith and Sam. Reply STOP to opt out, HELP for help.
- Hi Maya, it's Tuck for Meredith and Sam. Can you watch Ada and Theo (and Biscuit) on Sat, Sep 12, 6 to 10 pm? Answer with one tap: https://asktuck.com/r/… Reply STOP to opt out.
- Hi Maya, it's Tuck for Meredith and Sam. Can you watch their two kids, ages 3 and 6 (and a dog), on Sat, Sep 12, 6 to 10 pm? Answer with one tap: https://asktuck.com/r/… Reply STOP to opt out.
- Hi Maya, it's Tuck for Meredith and Sam. Can you watch their two kids, ages 3 and 6 (and a dog), on these dates? Answer each with one tap: https://asktuck.com/r/… Sat, Sep 12: 6 to 10 pm Sat, Sep 19: 7 to 11 pm Sat, Sep 26: 6 to 11 pm Reply STOP to opt out.
- Tuck: All set, Meredith and Sam are covered for Saturday. Thanks! Reply STOP to opt out.
- Tuck: All set, Meredith and Sam are covered for Sat, Sep 19 and Sat, Sep 26. Thanks! Reply STOP to opt out.
- Tuck: Passed to Meredith and Sam. To answer, tap the link in the text about the sit. Reply STOP to opt out.
- Tuck: your sign-in link: https://asktuck.com/api/auth/consume?token=… It expires in 15 minutes. Reply STOP to opt out, HELP for help.
- Tuck: Here's your link to see your sits: https://asktuck.com/s/in/… It works once, for 15 minutes. Reply STOP to opt out.
- Tuck: Google sign-in was added to your sits page. Not you? Text SITS within 7 days to take it off. Reply STOP to opt out.
- Tuck: You've opted out and won't receive more texts. Email jarryd@asktuck.com with questions.
- Tuck: Texts about sitting requests from a family you know, and sign-in links you ask for. Reply STOP to opt out. Help: jarryd@asktuck.com
Privacy#
No mobile information will be shared with third parties or affiliates for marketing or promotional purposes. Text messaging originator opt-in data and consent will not be shared with any third parties. Information shared with subcontractors in support roles, such as our text messaging provider, is only for the purpose of delivering these messages. Our full privacy policy explains what we collect and who sees it.