Complaints

The complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:03/17/2025

  Type:Order Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  1.Failure to Deliver Work as Agreed:The developer provided by Toptal failed to deliver a functional product as outlined in the initial project agreement. Despite repeated assurances, they did not adhere to the agreed timeline or complete the required work accurately.2.Deficient Testing and Premature Submission:The developer submitted an unfinished and untested app to the iOS App Store without prior notice or approval, bypassing standard quality assurance practices. This led to significant delays and required additional resources to address the issues.3.Additional Costs Incurred to Rectify Failures:Due to the poor quality of the work, I was forced to hire a separate developer to review and completely redo the app at my own expense. This expense would not have been necessary had Toptal delivered the services promised.4.Lack of Accountability:Despite my attempts to address these issues directly with Toptal, their platform offered limited support or resolution. Their terms appear to prioritize billing over client satisfaction or accountability for the quality of work delivered.5.Good Faith ******* Already Made:Toptal issued a $1,000 credit to my account as a partial acknowledgment of the developers failure, which I initially accepted. However, the magnitude of the additional costs and delays far exceeds this gesture, and I believe I should not be liable for the remaining charges given the substandard services provided.

  Business Response

  Date: 03/26/2025

  Dear BBB and Ms. ****** (******************),

  Toptal's service is to match its clients with freelance independent contractors from its curated freelance talent network. As was outlined in Ms. ******** agreement with us, we do not manage talent engagements or guarantee deliverables. Ms. ****** agreed to a time and materials engagement and was billed according to the commitment type she chose at the rate she agreed to. Ms. ****** remained responsible for managing the engagement and ensuring the Talent had the proper guidance for a successful engagement.

  We addressed Ms. ******** complaints directly with her and provided relationship credit solely out of customer centricity. ********************** has also already successfully opposed payment disputes initiated by Ms. ******* and Ms. ****** currently holds an outstanding balance with Toptal. We welcome her to contact our payment team to coordinate a resolution regarding her outstanding invoices.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 03/27/2025

   
  Complaint: 23076309
  
  I am rejecting this response because: First, I want to clarify that I am not a woman, and Toptals continued use of *** is incorrect and unprofessional, especially given that Ive previously communicated under my correct name and title.
  
  
  Regarding their response, I find Toptals characterization of the situation both misleading and dismissive. While they claim to only match clients with freelancers, their platform heavily markets itself as providing access to a curated network of top-tier talent, vetted and ready to deliver high-quality results. This implies a level of quality assurance and service that was completely absent in my experience.
  
  
  The freelancer they matched me with failed to deliver on basic project requirements, missed deadlines, and required constant oversight and redirection. Despite my repeated attempts to manage the situation and communicate my concerns to Toptal during the engagement, no meaningful support or intervention was provided.
  
  
  Toptals so-called relationship credit was a small gesture that did not come close to compensating for the time lost, the cost of ineffective work, or the downstream impacts on my business. I was ultimately forced to dispute charges for work that was not delivered as promisedand now, rather than acknowledging the failure of their service, Toptal is doubling down by claiming I owe them money for that same undelivered work.
  
  
  I submitted this BBB complaint not only to address my own experience, but to raise awareness about the disconnect between Toptals marketing and the actual service they provide. Small businesses should not be left bearing the cost of substandard freelance matches from a platform that presents itself as premium and curated.
  
  
  I remain open to resolving this matter fairly, but not by paying invoices for work that was never completed properly.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ****** ******

  Business Response

  Date: 04/02/2025

  Dear BBB & *** ******************* you for the correction regarding our inadvertently referring to *** ****** as ***** instead of "***"  We appreciate you letting us know and will be sure to address him correctly moving forward. Toptal is a well-established and well-known company in the freelance Talent marketplace known for its excellent service and high quality Talent. Neither Toptal nor its marketing provides implied assurances or guarantees - something made clear in *** ******** agreement. *** ****** had ample opportunity to evaluate the Talents themselves before choosing one to assist with his project.  All such Talent have passed Toptal's proprietary skills screening process.
  

  Per his agreement, *** ****** was responsible for managing and overseeing his engagement.  When he did approach Toptal with complaints about a Talent, Toptal promptly worked to help him find a replacement.  *** ****** was provided with work by both Talent he engaged.  We are simply asking him to pay for their labor and work product.  As noted, Toptal has already successfully defended itself in the charges disputed by *** ******.
  

  While we understand *** ****** has raised this complaint regarding $3,095, and we are open to working out a resolution, we also note *** ****** owes Toptal a much larger balance he refuses to pay. Again, we encourage *** ****** to contact us directly to organize a resolution.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 04/02/2025

   
  Complaint: 23076309
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  I appreciate that Toptal corrected their previous misgendering, though the mistake reflects a broader pattern of inattention to detail that has characterized my entire experience with their platform.
  
  To clarify: I am disputing the full $7,833.60 balance Toptal claims is owed. This is not a case of a minor disagreement over a portion of the charges. It is a full dispute due to Toptals failure to deliver the quality of service they advertise.
  
  Toptal promotes itself as a premium provider offering access to rigorously vetted freelance talent. This is what convinced me to use their service. However, the talent matched to my project failed to meet even basic professional expectationsmissing deadlines, producing poor or unusable work, and requiring constant oversight and redirection. Even after raising concerns mid-engagement, the proposed replacement was similarly unfit for the task.
  
  The result was not just a bad experienceit caused real delays and losses for my business. Toptals screening and curation did not translate into quality assurance, accountability, or meaningful support. Theyve attempted to deflect responsibility by leaning on the language of their engagement agreement, but that does not excuse substandard delivery or negate the expectations set by their marketing.
  
  Toptals claim that I owe payment for labor and work product ignores the fact that much of what was delivered was either unusable or never delivered at all. I am not refusing payment out of principleI am refusing to pay for services that were not delivered competently, completely, or professionally.
  
  I remain open to a fair resolution that reflects the actual value receivedwhich in this case, was negligible. I submitted this complaint not only to resolve my dispute, but to encourage greater transparency and accountability for other small businesses who may be misled by Toptals branding and claims.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ****** ******

  Business Response

  Date: 04/09/2025

  Dear Mr. ****** & BBB,
  
  We strongly disagree with Mr. ******** incorrect claims and reserve the right to pursue ******************* Stylist, ******) entire overdue balance, totaling $9,929.60 USD. Toptal's service was provided exactly as advertised and described in our agreements. As Mr. ****** suggests, Toptal's screening process and the curated network do not guarantee quality or particular results but improve the likelihood of finding a quality freelancer. Toptal represents, as we have previously communicated, that all Talent in our network have passed Toptal's screening process, which fewer than 3% of applicants pass, as described on our website (****************************************************). Toptal allows each Client to interview candidates and decide if the individual meets their needs, providing them with the flexibility and opportunity to find a replacement. Mr. ****** benefited from Toptal's support, including relationship credits. Without Toptal, it is unknown whether Mr. ****** would have found a suitable individual for his project, nor would he have had our customer support to assist him with his complaints. Mr. ****** was responsible for managing his project and ensuring the work met his needs, not Toptal.
  
  Mr. ****** is attempting to disregard the actual terms of his agreement and claim that Toptal was somehow responsible despite all evidence to the contrary. Mr. ****** owes the amounts correctly billed to him, and we remain receptive to working out a resolution with respect to his overdue balance if he would like to reach out.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:03/11/2025

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Charges:October 25, 2024: $79.00 November 15, 2024: $3,686.00 November 20, 2024: $9,828.00 UI Designer Issues:Hourly rate: $100+ per hour Expected high-quality work but received subpar results Took one month to create something the user could have done in a week Claimed to have years of experience but did not meet expectations Recreated the provided examples but made them worse Failed to deliver half of the requested features Programmer Issues:Hourly rate: $100+ per hour Used the wrong backend database chose an easier option instead of one suited for scalability The app is not even an MVP yet and looks far from finished Code is incomplete Financial Expert Issues:Hourly rate: $100+ per hour Hired to create a pitch deck and business plan for investors Did not deliver anythingdeflected the job entirely Only spoke to him for one hour max, yet they are charging $1,900+Other Issues:Freelancer payout discrepancy:User was not informed that freelancers receive only half of what was paid A freelancer mentioned he could get in trouble for revealing this *********************** charged to credit card: $13,593 Total amount requested: $41,829.40 Company attempted to lower the total to $32,682.76, but user found it unjustifiable Requested a full refund, but company refused and said that was the best they could offer

  Business Response

  Date: 03/21/2025

  Dear BBB and Mr. ************************************** margins and Talent rates are confidential and should be redacted from any public listing of this customer experience. Mr. ******** comments regarding Toptal's margins are inaccurate. Further, Mr. ****** reviewed and agreed to the rates prior to the engagement.

  Toptal's service is to match its clients with freelance independent contractors from its curated freelance talent network. As was outlined in Mr. ******** agreement with us, we do not manage talent engagements or guarantee deliverables. Mr. ****** agreed to a time and materials engagement, and was billed according to the commitment type he chose at the rate he agreed to. While we understand Mr. ****** feels his experience could have been more positive, neither the agreement nor the engagement circumstances justify a refund or write-off of his outstanding invoices. We remain in contact with Mr. ****** regarding reasonable suggestions to address his concerns.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 03/24/2025

   
  Complaint: 23053189

  I do not accept Toptals response because it does not address the core issue of my complaint that I was misled and ultimately scammed out of both time and money. Toptal advertised access to the "Top 3% of freelancers," yet the individuals they matched me with were not only underqualified, but in some cases exhibited behavior that suggested they were more focused on inflating billable hours than delivering quality work.

  
  The code provided by the developer was unusable, poorly written, incomplete, and not viable for production. The UI designers work was similarly disappointing: unoriginal, lacking creativity, and far below the standard I would expect from someone claiming to be among the top 3% of freelance talent. I could have received significantly better, faster work from freelancers charging a fraction of the rate on other platforms.

  
  While Toptal claims I agreed to certain rates and terms, those agreements were made in good faith under the belief that I was being provided elite, vetted talent as advertised. Instead, I spent substantial time and resources trying to make up for subpar work, missed deadlines, and freelancers who lacked urgency and accountability. Their conduct reflected time-padding practices, which not only wasted my money but also significantly delayed my project. The quality delivered did not even come close to justifying the premium pricing Toptal charged.

  
  Toptals response avoids accountability by hiding behind technicalities in their contract, rather than addressing the disconnect between what was promised and what was delivered. This approach reinforces my belief that the service was misrepresented from the start.

  
  I stand by my original complaint and continue to request a full refund.
  
  Sincerely,
  ***** ******

  Business Response

  Date: 03/31/2025

  Dear BBB & Mr. ***************** candidates presented to Mr. ****** successfully passed Toptal's proprietary screening process. As represented on our website, fewer than 3% of applicants pass (****************************************************). Mr. ****** interviewed the candidates, chose who he wanted to work with, and was provided with a risk-free trial period for one of them. We remained available to assist Mr. ****** with any complaints. Mr. ****** was provided with a significant amount of work during the engagements and provided some positive feedback. Most of Mr. ******** disputes/claims were raised to Toptal after his engagements were placed on hold for failed payments.

  Toptal is not hiding behind the technicalities of its agreement, nor is it showing a lack of accountability. We are explaining the reality of the terms of our agreement with Mr. ******* which was transparent and explicit. Mr. ****** proceeded with the engagement with full knowledge and awareness of our service arrangement. A full refund would provide Mr. ****** with tens of thousands of dollars of work for free, making it inequitable and unreasonable. We remain in contact with Mr. ****** in an attempt to resolve his balance.

  
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:07/21/2024

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Toptal has been an absolute money drain in my personal opinion. Here are the facts of the current dispute I find myself in with Toptal for anyone looking to engage with developers of their platform. I hired a developer in January 2024 for front-end work that could be integrated with a back-end. Toptal advertised this engineer to my as senior, "top", talent but it took this developer approximately 2+ months to deliver around 20 static UI screens with zero underlying routing logic so that when I hired 2 additional contract engineers thinking that they could simply "integrate" with the back-end endpoints (they were available) - they took four months to fully integrate as they had to write out the logic and architecture from scratch. I thought that Toptal would refund me or adjust for the "fraud" or "misrepresentation" that the first front-end "senior" developer did and I even provided evidence and as well have testimony from the front-end contracts that I subsequently hired about the lack of "logic" and having to do routing from scratch again. It would not make sense to pay an engineer over 7k+ to just do static HTML + CSS screens and two months as well. This is shoddy workmanship at best or otherwise straight up fraud. Toptal refused to refund me saying that it was up to me to manage any developer output and that they do not "promise" any outcomes.Buyer's beware!

  Business Response

  Date: 07/26/2024

  Hi ****** and BBB,

  ****** had contacted Toptal regarding his concerns about one of his engagements which had ended on March 1, 2024.  We were able to reach a mutually agreed resolution with him directly.  We reject any accusations of fraud or misrepresentation. Toptal's service is to find and match clients with Talent from our curated talent network.  Once matched, Talent work directly with clients and our clients have the ability to evaluate the Talent during our risk-free trial period. Toptal does not oversee or manage engagements and are not in a position to review or direct any Talent work. Our model is outlined in our client agreements. If a Talent is not meeting a clients expectation, they should reach out to us right away, and we can coordinate with them to address their concerns or find a replacement. We are known for our excellent customer service and can help clients within reason.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:02/12/2024

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  On 1/8/24 I was hired for a data entry position, but in order to receive my computer loaded with software I was emailed a check that I had to print and deposit for a mobile deposit. Once the funds were deposited I was asked to send the money to the vendor via Zelle and Chime not even 24 hours later my account had been compromised and closed my bank. Im now responsible for paying $1450 back to my bank. Ive already gone to the bank and I will be pressing charges!! I just wanted to earn some extra cash, but instead Im having to pay out extra cash! This Company is a complete SCAM!!!

  Business Response

  Date: 02/20/2024

  Hi Customer & ********************,

  Thank you for reaching out to Toptal. We have checked our records for the Customer and do not have records matching the Customer's information. Further, ********************** does not send individuals who apply to our network digital checks, nor would we ask them to Zelle money to us.

  Unfortunately, the opportunity in question is not legitimate and is not related to Toptal. Toptal has become aware of scams targeting jobseekers misusing our brand on social media and in messaging apps. We have posted this notice on our website to help people better identify such scams (***************************************************************************************).

  We ask that Customer report this incident directly to the social media platform or app where they were contacted. We also ask that the Customer report this incident to the *** (Federal Trade Commission), here (******************************).

  While we sympathize with Customer's unfortunate experience, we cannot provide any financial resolution. We hope this helps clarify the matter.

  Kind regards,

  Toptal, LLC

   

• Initial Complaint

  Date:05/08/2023

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  This business claims that it will match top talent (supposedly meaning top 3%) with businesses seeking freelance workers. The application process is extremely lengthy and, in my case, required roughly 2 hours to complete. After I submitted an application, I received a prompt email saying, "After carefully reviewing your application, we have added you to our waitlist." The note went on to say that, at this time, they had more freelancers than needed.I complained to the business that it was dishonest and unethical for them to induce me to devote time and effort to filing out a detailed application when, in fact, there was ZERO chance I would be receiving referrals. I received a smarmy note back from the business "inviting" me to "reapply" in October, at which time someone would ACTUALLY review the materials I had submitted. In other words, the initial (apparently automated) response to my application dishonestly suggested that the materials I had taken great pains to provide HAD been "carefully reviewed" and warranted adding me to a waiting list. The subsequent response I received from the business after complaining, reveals that it's initial (apparently automated) email was false: the application I submitted had NOT been reviewed, carefully or otherwise; if I "reapplied" in October, the materials I had submitted in ***** might conceivably be reviewed, at THAT time.Since the business -- by its own admission -- is not on-boarding new freelancers at THIS time, it is incumbent on the business to DISCLOSE this fact, prior to inducing people to devote time to applying on its platform. The business's failure to disclose material information caused me to waste valuable time. I have lost the opportunity to be compensated for the time I wasted going through this business's "application" process.

  Business Response

  Date: 05/18/2023

  Dear Applicant,
  
  I hope this message finds you well. While we appreciate applicants applying to join Toptals Freelance Talent Network, we do not pay them to apply, and nowhere do we claim to do so. 
  
  Naturally, there are many factors that Toptal takes into account when building and maintaining our network of Top Talent, including skillset demand. You were promptly notified before proceeding through our extensive screening process that we did not have the need for finance experts at this point in time and invited you to reapply at a future time in case circumstances change. 
  
  Please note that admission into Toptals network is not guaranteed, regardless of accomplishments, and we do not pay individuals for time spent trying to make it into our Talent Network, nor can we guarantee work once in the network.