I recently signed up with Amber Arch for my first assignment as a mystery shopper. With over 20 years of experience in customer-facing roles, I saw this as a great opportunity to put my skills to good use and earn a little extra income on the side.Initially, everything went smoothly — I responded to an email about a local assignment, and the assignment manager quickly confirmed me for the job. I logged into the portal and thoroughly read the brief twice to ensure I understood all the requirements. At the time, there was no photo included of the specific individual I was meant to assess — but more on that later.On the day of the assignment, I arrived early and observed the fundraiser discreetly for around 17 minutes while he was speaking with someone. When the opportunity arose, I engaged him in conversation and found him to be engaging, informative, and clearly passionate about the cause. I was genuinely looking forward to writing a glowing report about him.That’s when things took a turn.The reporting process was lengthy and repetitive — which I didn’t mind, as I wanted to do a thorough job. However, upon submitting my first completed report, the site timed out due to the time spent filling it in, and all my work was lost. Undeterred, I started again — this time using the “save progress” function after every section. Despite this, I encountered the same issue three more times. Even with my answers copied into a Word document to speed things up, I was repeatedly timed out and lost all progress.I emailed the assignment manager to explain the issues and let her know I would be away the following day but could submit the report later in the afternoon. I also called the next morning to explain again, only to be told this was “an individual issue” and that no one else had reported problems. I felt dismissed, as though my lived experience didn’t matter.Later that day, when I returned to complete the report, I noticed the assignment had been updated — a photo of the fundraiser I was supposed to assess had suddenly appeared. This photo was not included the previous day, which was deeply concerning. I immediately called to raise this issue and submitted photos of the individual I spoke with during the assessment. Unfortunately, I was met with little empathy. My credibility was questioned, and I was informed that I would not be paid for the assignment — despite the time, effort, and genuine intent I brought to the task.What’s most disappointing is not just the technical issues or the lack of payment, but the way the situation was handled. Rather than being supported, I felt dismissed, patronised, and accused. Both managers I dealt with seemed more focused on hiding behind terms and conditions than listening to what actually happened.This experience has left me extremely disheartened and disappointed. I wanted to start my journey with Amber Arch on a positive note, but instead, I walked away feeling unheard and unfairly treated. I hope the company reflects on how it manages new shoppers and handles feedback — because based on this experience, I wouldn’t recommend them to others.
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