Legitimate Study, Months of Follow-Ups to Get Paid! Keep Your Records
BE CAREFUL! I’ve participated in multiple research studies with this organization, and I genuinely enjoyed the work. Payment would take 2 weeks or so in the past, but this most recent experience was especially disheartening.
I completed a case study in early September and submitted all required proof. I was told everything was approved and that payment would arrive within a few weeks. When nothing came, I followed up at the end of September and was told it was “processing.”
In mid-October, Wes told me the payment had already been sent, but I never received a confirmation email or funds. When I asked what I might be missing, responses became inconsistent. After additional follow-ups in November, I was told the issue would be checked with accounting, but communication continued to be delayed or ignored.
Over the span of several months, I attempted to resolve this by contacting three different employees. Responses often took days or did not come at all, despite repeated follow-ups.
In December, I contacted Susan, who responded quickly with a screenshot and said it had been sent out. Then, I reached out again but she had to include the other two employees in a group email because she did not know how much the study was supposed to pay. She sent a screenshot of a transaction that was presented as proof of payment. Because I kept my original agreement and paperwork, I was able to verify that the amount was incorrect and that I was still missing $50.
This was eventually acknowledged, yet communication stalled again. I ultimately received the remaining payment on December 22 only after sending three follow-up emails in a row that day.
What’s most concerning is that I followed all instructions and completed the study months earlier, yet spent additional months doing unpaid work simply to receive the remainder of my agreed-upon compensation. There was no added payment, bonus, or acknowledgment for the extensive follow-up required. For someone who works full-time or attends school full-time, this can easily turn into a part-time job just to recover money already earned.
My advice to others: keep every agreement, record, and email, and follow up persistently. If you rely on this money for bills or time-sensitive needs, be cautious. Payment does not appear to be timely or reliable, and without continued pressure and documentation, it’s possible the issue would never be resolved.