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:01/08/2026

  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.

  I am filing this complaint regarding a confirmed in-person appointment for [REMOVED] Project DaVinci (REMOVED) on Wednesday, January 7, 2026. I received a formal confirmation for a $150/2-hour session. Most critically, I received a same-day reminder email only 2 hours before the start time (11:30 AM) (see the attachment), reaffirming the appointment was valid. This induced my reliance and travel to REMOVEDUpon arrival, I was turned away due to overbooking. While uTest requires a 48-hour cancellation notice from testers, they effectively canceled me on-site. This double standard caused unnecessary travel costs and lost time. A small "goodwill payment" is insufficient for this bad-faith management.I am seeking a total settlement of $210.00:$150.00 (Full original session fee as I was present and ready).$60.00 (Compensatory damages for Manhattan round-trip travel and 2+ hours of wasted time).I acted in good faith based on your repeated confirmations. I expect uTest/Applause to honor their commitment and compensate for this logistical REMOVEDReference: VEYV-RFTE-HOZF Booking Time: Wednesday, January 7, 2026, 11:30 AM

  Business Response

  Date: 01/09/2026

  Thank you.

  We wish to inform the complainant that they agreed to the turn-away possibility when they accepted the test cycle: we communicate transparently the possibility of being turned away in the email invitation prior to booking and in booking confirmation / reminder email notifications.  There are multiple reasons  "overbooked", including tech issues, lack of moderators, or booking additional slots to ensure we have all seats filled.  This is common practice and is communicated  to testers before and after making their appointment.  See attached image for verbiage included in the project invitation email and comms from the REMOVEDpage.  Please see disclaimer in red in the image attached here. Further, we clearly communicate our policy:

  Turn-Away Policy
  We do our best to accommodate everyone and sometimes, due to the nature of the pre-production devices we are using, we may not have enough active devices or more testers show up than we have resources to test. Because of this, we offer a partial turn-away payout if you arrive on time for your appointment and you are unable to participate due to the rooms being full or for any reason we are unable to accommodate you. If you are turned away, we welcome you to reschedule your appointment and we will make every effort to prioritize you upon your return. REMOVEDis not responsible for issuing turn-away payments as a result of delays caused by inclement weather or delays in private or public transportation.

   

  As of today we issued the complainant the stated $30 turn away fee. via a gift card Regards, Applause

  Customer Answer

  Date: 01/09/2026

  Better Business Bureau:I have reviewed the response submitted by the business and have determined that the response does not satisfy or resolve my issues and/or concerns in reference to complaint # REMOVED. Please add your rejection comments below; if you do not provide any details, your complaint will be closed as Answered. 

  I have reviewed the businesss response and I do not accept it as a satisfactory resolution of this complaint.
  The businesss reply focuses almost entirely on repeating internal policy language and general disclaimers, rather than addressing the substance of the complaint. The issue is not whether a turn-away possibility was mentioned in advance. The issue is whether the business can knowingly and intentionally overbook appointments and then shift the resulting operational risk and losses to consumers who arrive on time and comply with all requirements.
  The business admits that overbooking is a deliberate practice used to ensure full capacity. This is a controllable business decision, not an unforeseeable or unavoidable circumstance. Disclosure of a possibility does not constitute meaningful consent for consumers to absorb losses caused by the companys own resource allocation choices.
  Additionally, the $30 turn-away compensation was issued as a non-cash gift card. This form and amount of compensation is inadequate and does not reasonably account for the actual harm incurred, including time lost, transportation costs, and scheduling disruption. A restricted gift card does not represent fair or equivalent compensation.
  The business also characterizes this practice as common, but commonality does not make a practice fair or acceptable. Repeating a policy does not resolve concerns about whether the practice itself is unfair or shifts risk disproportionately to consumers.
  Notably, the business has not directly addressed why consumers should bear the consequences of intentional overbooking, nor why compensation is limited to a minimal, restricted payment rather than a reasonable remedy.
  For these reasons, the response does not resolve my concerns. I respectfully request that BBB keep this complaint marked as Unresolved and require a substantive response that addresses the fairness of the business practice, not merely a restatement of internal policies.
  
  FAQ
  
  Regards,

  Chinghao

   

   

• Initial Complaint

  Date:02/05/2025

  Type:Sales and Advertising Issues
  Status:

  ResolvedMore 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.

  I completed a study for Applause in November. Despite providing evidence, receiving email confirmation that I completed the study, and consistent email communication, they have not paid the promised compensation of $50.

  Business Response

  Date: 02/10/2025

  Thank you. As the General Counsel of Applause, I checked into this matter immediately. We learned that 
  
  The complainant apparently completed after we ended the collection. They had not finished by Nov. 19 (the date we indicated the cycle was ending), which is why they were not paid (they didn't complete in time). However, I'm fine with having UI go ahead and pay them if it will resolve this complaint. We successfully paid them. 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 02/10/2025

  [A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business's response.  If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]
  
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response submitted by the business and have determined that the response does satisfy my issues and/or concerns in reference to complaint #REMOVED. I understand that by choosing to accept the business response that my complaint will be closed as resolved. 
  
  Regards,
  
  REMOVED

• Initial Complaint

  Date:01/03/2024

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  ResolvedMore 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.

  I was scheduled to participate in a study by this company at their REMOVEDoffice. I arrived at the scheduled time and was told the study was cancelled. I received zero notification of this. I emailed asking about compensation for their mistake. Was told to setup an account on uTest to receive payment. I tried setting up an account multiple times but the UTest site was not working. Was not offered an alternative option.

  Business Response

  Date: 01/04/2024

  We regret any inconvenience and are happy to provide the requested refund plus an additional amount in consideration of this individual's time and effort.

  We will pay $75 -will this close out this matter?

  Thank you.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 01/04/2024

  [A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business's response.  If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]
  
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response submitted by the business and have determined that the response does satisfy my issues and/or concerns in reference to complaint #REMOVED. I understand that by choosing to accept the business response that my complaint will be closed as resolved. You can email me about resolving this. REMOVED
  
  Regards,
  
  REMOVED

• Initial Complaint

  Date:10/28/2023

  Type:Service or Repair 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.

  I was invited to do a fascial expression task in REMOVED. Upon arrival, they allowed me to bring my service dog in. It was pretty successful to do 2 kinds of facial expression in REMOVEDTotal work hours was 2.5 but they said the task was not complete. In the job description, they have never mentioned that $75 is their maximum compensation. Im filing this claim for a $115 amount.

  Business Response

  Date: 10/30/2023

  Response to

  REMOVED
  63 REMOVED2d
  REMOVED, REMOVED10035
  Daytime Phone: REMOVED
  E-mail: REMOVED
  

   

  Applause response: Thank you. We are pleased to inform the complainant that we immediately issued another $40 to her account which she should have received to total a full amount of $115. We appreciate her rescinding this complaint in consideration thereto. Thank you, REMOVED, General Counsel of Applause App Quality, Inc.