chris
Completed the call, then wasn’t paid
Completed the call, then wasn’t paid Really disappointing experience. I completed a full paid research call and gave genuine first-hand insight based on the brands I founded and agency role I do across e-commerce, Shopify, marketing, growth and operations. After the call, App Store Research decided my relationship with the brand didn’t fit what they expected and refused to pay the incentive, despite their own messaging saying they are looking for founders, operators or key team members. There was also an issue with having two profiles because I work across different businesses models. I accepted that this was against their rules and had no issue with the referral bonus being removed. I spent days explaining everything to support. In the end, they refunded the client, closed my accounts and refused to pay for a call I had already completed in full. If you work across multiple brands, own businesses, consult or run an agency, I’d be very careful using this platform.
Response from App Store ResearchOct 2, 2026
Hi Christopher, Thank you for sharing your feedback. We’re sorry that your experience ended this way. We want to clarify that this was an exceptional situation and not something that normally happens on app store research. If a participant accurately represents their role and meets a project’s eligibility requirements, they are paid for their completed call. The project was specifically looking for someone working directly on the brand side. At the time of applying, the profile presented Christopher as working directly with the brand. In reality, his relationship with the brand was through an external agency, and he was not a member of the brand’s internal team. This information was important to the project’s eligibility requirements. This meant that the participant was selected based on information that did not accurately describe his role. Had his actual relationship with the brand been stated in his profile, he would not have met the project requirements and would not have been selected for the call. There was also a separate account issue: an existing agency account was used to create another participant account through a referral, representing the agency-managed brand as a separate brand-side role. Our rules also prohibit using a referral to invite yourself or create an additional participant account for yourself. The incentive decision was therefore based on inaccurate eligibility information provided in the participant profile, rather than on the quality or completion of the call itself. We also refunded the Researcher as a separate resolution. We understand that working with multiple brands or through an agency can sometimes make roles less straightforward. That is completely fine. Participants do not need to work for only one company or have a traditional full-time role. They simply need to accurately describe who they work for and how they work with each brand. If a participant’s profile accurately reflects their role and they are selected for a project based on that information, they can complete the call knowing that their participation is eligible for payment. There is no issue with being an agency owner, consultant, freelancer, or working with several brands - the important thing is simply to be clear and accurate about your relationship with each one. This was an exceptional case involving inaccurate profile information and a self-referral, and is not representative of the normal participant experience on app store research. Best regards, app store research team