ComplaintsforObservati, LLC
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Complaint Details
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Initial Complaint
06/16/2024
- Complaint Type:
- Service or Repair Issues
- Status:
- Unanswered
I joined Observati to give reviews on restaurants in my surrounding area several months ago. There is a fee each month to do this. I signed up and unfortunately paid extra to double my earnings. I reviewed a restaurant called “Y’all Come Back Cafe” in Liberberty, NC on June 2, 2024. I reread all the rules, took pictures a wrote a very detailed review about my experience. As I was typing my review I could only see one sentence, not the whole review, I could not scroll back to proofread what I was sending. When I tried to do this I had to keep restarting to review from the very beginning. I took this review extremely serious a knew I had done a good job considering I could not proof the submission. I was supposed to receive a total of $70 compensation between cash and restaurant gift card x 2 bc I paid extra to doubt my compensation I was supposed to find out within 24 hours if my submission was accepted or no. When I didn’t see anything posted I sent a message to the company multiple times only to never hear back. This is a scam and I see it now but this company does not work on the ethics that it says it does. They took me for almost $100. This is not fair or right. I wanted to copy and save my review but I could not because I could only see as much of what I typed that fit on the one visible line I was typing at that time. I will go back and research all the money that I sent them so if and when you contact me I can give you that information. I just canceled my membership with them and did not think to take screenshots prior to canceling.Initial Complaint
03/15/2024
- Complaint Type:
- Product Issues
- Status:
- Unanswered
I did a review and it was approved. I wasn't doing them often enough to justify keeping my subscription. I also noticed the payout amounts went down from the initial $30. That being said I tried withdrawing the money in my account so I could cancel my subscription. I had to upload a w9 which took roughly 1-2 weeks to be approved before the system would let me attempt to withdraw my money. Once the w-9 was finally settled I attempted to withdraw the money. Almost 3 weeks later I still haven't seen my money. I emailed the company telling them to cancel my membership and get me my money as I didn't want to pay for another month. They told me my membership had to stay active or the money earned would be forfeited. WHAT BS is that? Anyway I told them multiple times to cancel and get me my money. They are blaming it on some paypal issue as to why they can't get me my money. Obviously they are a shading company just look at all the other complaints. They are drawing everything out so they can continue to pull membership fee's, as they dangle the carrot of actually giving me the money I rightfully earned. They have now charged my card for the membership even with Emails explicitly telling them beforehand that I do NOT authorize them to pull any more monthly membership fees. They act as though its totally fine and ethical to hold onto the money earned and forcing individuals to continue to pay memberships while they attempt to pay one their earnings. ABSOLUTELY STAY AWAY from this company. They need to be SHUT DOWN!! UNETHICAL worst BUSINESS PRACTICE. I believes its more of a SCAM than anything. DO NOT do business with them!!!Initial Complaint
03/08/2024
- Complaint Type:
- Product Issues
- Status:
- Unanswered
I signed up for Observati under the terms that I paid an $82 one time fee and would then review restaurants for them, spending at least $15 at the restaurant and earning $45 cash in exchange for my review. After a few months, the business started changing their terms. They drastically reduced the amount paid per review and had me acknowledge receipt of a message that they may change their fees at any time. This did not apply to me, as I paid a one time fee. I had an extremely difficult time receiving the payout for the reviews that I had already conducted. The company said I would be paid out on the 20th of the month following the review, but after Aug. 2023, this started to take longer and longer. Eventually, for the payout I was supposed to receive in November (for my October reviews), I didn't get it until mid January. The company provided very little information about this delay even when I reached out. I completed a final review in February which was supposed to have a $30 payout. After completing the review I received a notification that I would only get a $20 payout. A few days later, I received an email that I was charged $29.99 by Observati. There was no information about why I received this charge, and the link for their website now is no longer functioning. I would like a refund for the $29.99 charge, as well as to receive the final amounts I am owed for my last reviews, so that I can cancel my account. This business started fine but became increasingly more and more sketchy as time went on and I would advise anyone against signing up for it, because there is absolutely no way to know if they will stick by their terms, if they will try to change them randomly with no notice, or if they will just simply disappear without paying out.Initial Complaint
03/04/2024
- Complaint Type:
- Product Issues
- Status:
- Unanswered
I signed up to be a mystery shopper and they take 20$ every month. But everything i try to log on to there website my browser gets an error code. I try calling the number provided and no answer. I can't get or find anyone to talk to to cancel my membership much less get paid for any work. They took $19.00 on Nov. 29th. Dec 6th $20.00 Dec 31st $19.00 Feb 4th $20.00 and March 4th $20.00. My bank statement shows their LLC as **********. Any help to stop them from monthly payments and a refund of all monies taking would be greatly appreciated.Initial Complaint
01/11/2024
- Complaint Type:
- Product Issues
- Status:
- Unanswered
In their advertisement, they said and promised that you're literally the secret sauce! Restaurant owners need your help and we will literally pay you to give them feedback on their business! You'll eat for free and earn upwards of $60 to review incredible restaurants. Think of the delicious possibilities! So dated September 28th, 2023, they collected money fr my bank twice in the amount of $82.99 and they charged me $5.99 monthly. For two months I started to go to the restaurant that I chose to review in September and spent more than $75.00 expecting that they would reimburse me as promised from their ADS but they declined and told me that I did not follow their rules not to extend our time up to 5 pm, I contested it & complaint but to no avail. They will not let you win.I will try one more time to prove to myself that this company is a SCAM. In November, I tried again and I made sure that I followed their instruction and posted my reviews with pictures and receipts coz this time you can not get away for any reason I told myself. I put all the pictures that I submitted including the receipt in one folder. Surprisingly this time they said that I did not include the receipt!!! I emailed them right away and contested it right away. I told them these: Give me a reason that is believable please. That is the problem with your website we don't know where is our review history and what happened until we ask you. These companies pay you good money to get REAL REVIEWS FROM PEOPLE LIKE US so be mindful of what you are doing. So they refused to pay me for the second time and I said cancel all my membership. I can not take it anymore. I know that they only trying to scam me and sell my honest reviews to the restaurant owners. I hope whoever the government agency will shut down this company for their FALSE ADS and scamming people like us. So when I read some reviews all of us suffered and wasted time and money on this company. They need to refund my OWN MONEY OF $ 100.96Initial Complaint
01/03/2024
- Complaint Type:
- Service or Repair Issues
- Status:
- Unanswered
I have done reviews for restaurants for Observati and they pay for reviews. I requested my payout on 11/22 and we are a month and half later and they are able to take my monthly membership fee but not will to take my pay.Initial Complaint
12/26/2023
- Complaint Type:
- Product Issues
- Status:
- Unanswered
I have encountered unsolicited emails, deceptive advertisements, or unwanted messages associated with the site. they sent me an email to join for 1.00 and charged my card for 20 I want a full refund and for them to remove my bank account information from their data base immediatelyInitial Complaint
12/23/2023
- Complaint Type:
- Product Issues
- Status:
- Unanswered
Signed up & paided to review restaurants, all my reviews were approved, made my 1st withdraw request on 10/23 & did not receive it till 11/10. Made my 2nd withdraw request on 11/20 & still have not received it (30 days so far) There website says 5 days to receive cashout... You get no real answers when contacting them, just computed generated. They have been very deceptive, when i signed up it was $30 per restaurant & within 2 months it dropped to $10 per restaurant, & you have to spend at least $15. It's like a bait & switch scam.Initial Complaint
12/18/2023
- Complaint Type:
- Billing Issues
- Status:
- Unanswered
I joined Observati on August 10, 2023 and paid $35.99 to start subscription. I have paid $5.99 per month since then. I have not been paid my amount earned and I requested the deposit to my PayPal account on 11/21/2023. I was told it would be deposited in 5 business days. In the meantime, payment for secret shopping went from $25.00 to $15.00 per secret shopping. I have more receipts and emails regarding money owed. I am unable to upload anymore than 2 files on this form.Initial Complaint
12/09/2023
- Complaint Type:
- Sales and Advertising Issues
- Status:
- Unanswered
Observatori claims that I was solely signing up for a $1 trial membership. Subsequently they took $20 which I did not find about until I canceled my membership. Deceptive business practices. AKA predatory business practices. Seem to be the business model. They need to be investigated for fraudulent business models.
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Customer Complaints Summary
13 total complaints in the last 3 years.
12 complaints closed in the last 12 months.