I've had constructive criticism from BARE in the early days of carrying out work for them, which has improved my ability to perform assignments considerably. I usually find their pay rates reasonabl... See more
Company replied
While we don't verify specific claims because reviewers' opinions are their own, we may label reviews as "Verified" when we can confirm a business interaction took place. Read more
To protect platform integrity, every review on our platform—verified or not—is screened by our 24/7 automated software. This technology is designed to identify and remove content that breaches our guidelines, including reviews that are not based on a genuine experience. We recognise we may not catch everything, and you can flag anything you think we may have missed. Read more
Review summary
Created with AI, based on recent reviews
What people talk about most
Reviews shaping this summary
It does not seem I ever get paid. There is no section that says "paid" with a date.
Company replied
I love this company. The scheduler are so awesome. They understand life happens and if we need an extension, they work with you. The assignments are awesome and pay well.
Company replied
I have been completing assignments for BARE International since March of 2025. The company and the Schedulers are professional and responsive. They work hard to quickly answer any questions that come... See more
Company replied
Company details
Written by the company
With a legacy spanning 36 years, BARE International is a pioneering global provider of customer experience research. Catering to a diverse spectrum of industries, BARE International operates in more than 150 countries, supplying actionable insights provided by their in-house field force team that drive customer satisfaction, loyalty, and business efficacy.
Contact info
9990 Fairfax Boulevard, Suite 115, 22030, Fairfax, United States
- jbare@bareinternational.com
- www.bareinternational.com
3.1
Average
79 reviews
No recent history of asking for reviews
This company hasn't invited customers recently, so reviews may not be representative
Replied to 58% of negative reviews
Typically replies within 48 hours
How this company uses Trustpilot
See how their reviews and ratings are sourced, scored, and moderated.
Good Experience with Bare International
The assignment was simple and easy to complete. There was also good support during the assignment.
July 11, 2026
Unprompted review
Reply from BARE International
Hi Tope, thank you for sharing your experience! We’re glad the assignment was straightforward and that you received the support you needed along the way. We appreciate your time and look forward to offering you more opportunities with BARE! --Hilary R.
Advertisement
I was not paid for assignment I…
I was not paid for assignment I followed the instructions.
May 26, 2026
Unprompted review
Reply from BARE International
Hello John, thank you for bringing this to our attention. We understand how concerning it is to believe you completed an assignment according to the guidelines but did not receive the expected compensation.
Because we cannot review individual assignment details publicly, please contact your BARE representative with the shop ID and relevant correspondence. Our team can review the submission, confirm its status, and provide a clear explanation regarding the compensation decision. We appreciate the opportunity to investigate your concern. --Hilary R.
Honestly
Honestly, working as a mystery auditor with BARE International has been such a smooth and rewarding experience. When I first signed up, I was a bit skeptical about payment reliability and support, but all my doubts vanished after my very first few assignments. Their project guidelines are always clear and detailed, so you know exactly what to look for, and the schedulers are super responsive whenever you need help on the ground. Plus, the payments are completely reliable and always arrive on time, which is rare for a lot of mystery shopping agencies. The flexibility to pick up assignments around my own schedule, along with getting to visit great restaurants and retail brands, makes it one of the most trustworthy and enjoyable side hustles out there.
October 23, 2026
Unprompted review
Reply from BARE International
Sundeep, thank you for sharing such a thoughtful review! We’re delighted that your experience with BARE has been smooth and rewarding—from clear project guidelines and responsive schedulers to reliable, timely payments. Providing flexible opportunities and dependable support for our evaluator community is very important to us. We truly appreciate your trust and look forward to many more successful assignments together! --Hilary R.
It was awesome and fully enjoyable to…
It was awesome and fully enjoyable to work for bare with assignment of luxurious product. Hope to see many more assignment in future
October 23, 2026
Unprompted review
Reply from BARE International
Div, thank you for your wonderful review! We’re delighted that you enjoyed completing the luxury product assignment with BARE. We truly appreciate your enthusiasm and look forward to offering you many more exciting opportunities in the future!--Hilary
It does not seem I ever get paid
It does not seem I ever get paid. There is no section that says "paid" with a date.
October 21, 2026
Unprompted review
Reply from BARE International
Hi Erin, thank you for sharing your concern. We understand how frustrating it can be when an assignment’s payment status or expected payment date is not clearly displayed.
Because we cannot review individual account details publicly, please contact your BARE shop contact with the relevant shop ID. If you cannot locate the contact information, please provide it to info-us@bareinternational.com. Our team can confirm whether the assignment has been approved, explain its current payment status, and provide any available payment information. We also appreciate your feedback about making these details easier to find! --Hilary R.
Advertisement
One of my favorite companies
I have been completing assignments for BARE International since March of 2025. The company and the Schedulers are professional and responsive. They work hard to quickly answer any questions that come up and payments are made quickly and as promised. I look forward to completing many more assignments for them.
October 20, 2026
Unprompted review
Reply from BARE International
Karen, thank you for sharing your experience! We’re delighted to hear that our schedulers have been professional, responsive, and helpful and that your payments have been received promptly and as promised. We truly appreciate your contributions since March 2025 and look forward to offering you many more assignments in the future! --Hilary R.
Great Communication
Bare is consistently supportive of shoppers. From simple postal to complex resort shops I have always received timely help with questions and concerns. I truly enjoy shopping for Bare.
May 3, 2026
Unprompted review
Reply from BARE International
Barbara, thank you for your thoughtful review! We’re delighted to hear that you have enjoyed the variety of assignments available through BARE and have received timely support whenever questions arose. We truly appreciate your professionalism and are grateful to have you as part of our evaluator community! --Hilary R.
BARE
BARE, is by far, one of the, if not the BEST, mystery shop company!!! Treated like family, with respect and caring, mixed with professionalism and expertise!
October 14, 2026
Unprompted review
Reply from BARE International
Karen, thank you for such an enthusiastic review! We’re honored to be considered one of the best mystery shopping companies. Creating a respectful, caring, and professional experience for our evaluators is incredibly important to us. We truly appreciate your support and are grateful to have you as part of the BARE community! --Hilary R.
I like Bare but having two websites is…
I like Bare but having two websites is confusing when I need to get or input a shop.
September 9, 2026
Unprompted review
Reply from BARE International
Bambi, thank you for sharing your feedback. We understand how navigating different platforms to find assignments or submit reports can sometimes feel confusing. While BARE does not operate two separate websites, our assignments may be available through multiple third-party platforms, each with its own login and navigation process. We appreciate your patience and will continue looking for ways to make the evaluator experience clearer and easier to navigate. --Hilary R.
Advertisement
They scammed me out of $350 do not fall for their BS
Don't even waste your time with the scam this company is a scam they had me do a job they lied to me said I would get reimbursed $350 after it was all said and done they totally ripped me off I was supposed to get back $350 at a spin of my own money mind you I'm a single parent with three teenage boys I have no help from anyone else I did this job to it was a haul off job and it said 350 bucks after I get done with the job and do my review I'm supposed to get it back they only reimbursed me $169 which they did tell me but they told me an email after they bombarded me with like 10 other emails so it got buried in all these emails they didn't make it clear and then all the other communication was through the app it was like they just overwhelm me with all these messages I missed that one and it was like in a big long email inside of it so it happened to miss it it was done on purpose they totally screwed me over I am going to write a complaint to the appropriate people and now I'm seeing other people reviewing them saying the same thing this company needs to be sued and be held accountable and they need to be shut down it's a scam don't believe him don't work for them way too much work and then I ended up getting ripped off anyways everyone should file a complaint on this business
August 15, 2026
Unprompted review
Reply from BARE International
Thank you for sharing your experience. We’re very sorry for the financial strain and frustration this situation caused, particularly when you expected to receive a $350 reimbursement.
BARE International does not intentionally misrepresent assignment fees or reimbursement amounts. Reimbursement limits and eligible expenses are provided in the assignment details; however, we understand your concern that the applicable information may not have been communicated prominently or clearly enough among multiple messages.
Because we cannot review account or assignment details publicly, please contact us directly at info-us@bareinternational.com with the shop ID, receipt, and relevant correspondence. We would like to compare the original assignment terms with the amount reimbursed, explain how the $169 was calculated, and determine whether any further action is appropriate.
We take concerns about transparency seriously and appreciate the opportunity to review both this assignment and how its reimbursement terms were communicated.
Thank you, Hilary
They dont pay their workers
I have worked 2 jobs for them 5 months ago and still have got the full payment, still missing 100€ 🤬 i have it all in writing and they just have 1 million excuses for why i havent got paid and now they stopped answering me but still get mails with new jobs they like me to do.
One of the jobs is fully paid, the other job was 200€ but i only recived 100€ and still waiting for the rest. The job was cleared and all months ago and the payment was promised back in June.
July 1, 2026
Unprompted review
Reply from BARE International
Thank you for sharing your concerns. We understand how frustrating it is to believe that part of an assignment fee remains outstanding, particularly after several months and previous follow-up attempts.
Assignment compensation is issued based on the approved project requirements and the terms provided for each evaluation. Because we cannot verify the specific circumstances through a public forum, we would like to review the assignment details, approved fee, payment history, and previous correspondence associated with your account.
Please contact us directly at info-us@bareinternational.com with the relevant shop ID and payment information so our team can investigate the reported €100 discrepancy and provide a clear explanation. We apologize if you have not received a timely response and appreciate the opportunity to review this matter thoroughly.
Thank you, Hilary
They claim to pay you for secret…
They claim to pay you for secret shopping businesses, but they reject your submissions for incorrect reasons after you’ve already paid to Secret shop for them and lost money on it. They are a scam. I do not recommend working for them at all. They tell you to be discreet and then when you don’t get a clear view of the person‘s face because in order to do so you’d have to waive your camera in their face, they decline your payment request.
September 10, 2026
Unprompted review
Reply from BARE International
Hi Jenny,
We’re sorry to hear about your frustration and appreciate you bringing this concern to our attention.
To clarify, BARE International does not charge evaluators to access or accept assignments through iSecretShop. BARE is one of many mystery shopping providers that use the iSecretShop platform, but we do not own or control it. Some assignments may require an evaluator to make a purchase, but any applicable reimbursement terms are disclosed in the assignment details.
Reports and photos must meet the client requirements outlined in the client objectives to be accepted. We understand, however, that discreetly capturing a required image can sometimes be challenging. If you believe your submission was evaluated incorrectly or the photo requirements were unclear, please contact us directly at info-us@bareinternational.com with the shop ID so our team can review the instructions, your submission, and the decision.
We take concerns like yours seriously and would welcome the opportunity to investigate the specific circumstances.
--Hilary
scam. Save you're bank
This was a good company at start. Until I found out about the shopping scouts they ask you to do inventory on 1 products which they say will take only an hour but your searching through the whole store which would take you four hours and only pay $21. Then there's been problems with the photgrpahy task where you have to go to Best Buy and take photos of the DJI products. I had to do several of these projects three times because they said the inside photos weren't properly Geotag. Also I noticed there's a new web mystery shop asking for one years worth of bank information wanting documentation of payroll in reward for $150 . That doesn't look like a bank scam at all. Just to let you know I hired an investigation so you better pay up for all this mystery shops you didn't pay me.
August 31, 2026
Unprompted review
Reply from BARE International
Thank you for sharing your concerns. We’re sorry to hear that these experiences have caused frustration and undermined your trust in BARE International.
Assignment scope, estimated completion time, project fees, and submission requirements should be communicated clearly before an evaluator accepts an opportunity. We also understand how frustrating it can be to repeat a visit because submitted photos did not meet technical requirements, such as geotagging.
We take concerns involving outstanding compensation and requests for sensitive financial documentation seriously. Any request for personal information should have a clear business purpose and be handled through approved, secure channels. Evaluators should never provide sensitive information if they are uncertain about a request’s legitimacy and should contact BARE directly for verification.
Because we cannot investigate specific assignments or account activity through a public forum, please contact us directly at info-us@bareinternational.com with the relevant shop IDs and payment details. Our team will review the assignment instructions, rejected submissions, documentation request, and any outstanding compensation associated with your account.
Thank you-Hilary
Advertisement
Disappointing experience as a mystery shopper
I completed an assignment for BARE International where the original instruction was simply to visit the location and take one or two photos.
I completed the visit and submitted my report according to the instructions I had received. Afterward, I was repeatedly asked for additional information and explanations regarding rental services and sustainability. I was also asked whether I could return to the shopping mall to take additional close-up photos of specific posters and signs.
Eventually, my report was rejected because the required photos were allegedly missing.
My main issue is that these requirements were not clearly communicated to me at the beginning. If specific close-up photos were required, this should have been clearly stated in the original assignment instructions.
I did my best to cooperate and respond to all the follow-up requests, but the process became unnecessarily frustrating. I also felt that the amount of work expected from me increased after I had already completed the assignment.
I appreciate that a manager eventually acknowledged my concerns and said that my feedback would be shared with the project team. However, based on this experience, I decided to delete my account and will not be accepting further assignments from BARE.
My advice to other evaluators: make sure you receive and understand every photo and reporting requirement before accepting an assignment.
August 11, 2026
Unprompted review
Reply from BARE International
Hello Hani, we appreciate you sharing your experience. We’re sorry the assignment and subsequent follow-up left you feeling frustrated and that the expectations seemed to change after your visit.
BARE assignments include detailed client objectives and reporting requirements, and evaluators are expected to review all instructions before completing a visit. At the same time, we recognize that requirements—especially those involving specific close-up photographs—must be presented as clearly and prominently as possible. We regret that the expectations were not clear to you in this instance and that the requests for clarification and additional photos added to your frustration.
We appreciate your efforts to respond to the follow-up questions and your willingness to cooperate throughout the review process. Your feedback has been shared with the project team so they can assess whether the instructions and photo requirements could be communicated more effectively in future assignments.
We respect your decision and are sorry this experience led you to close your account. Thank you for the time you spent working with BARE and for providing candid feedback.
--Hilary
Deceptive Upwork Listings & Headline Rate Manipulation — Unethical Contracting Practices
BARE International relies on deceptive headline pricing on freelancing platforms like Upwork to recruit mystery shoppers and evaluators under false pretenses.
They publish job postings and milestones with an advertised rate of $50, only for evaluators to discover after committing that $30 of that figure is a variable expense reimbursement, leaving an actual base reward of just $20. For on-site evaluations requiring personal transit, time, and mobile data, absorbing travel costs out of a $20 base payout turns the contract into a net loss.
This is a deliberate "bait-and-switch" strategy. Advertising an inflated headline figure grabs attention for jobs that no reasonable contractor would accept at $20. When evaluators challenge this breakdown, coordinators hide behind fine-print text buried inside contract descriptions, claiming technical disclosure while profiting off the discrepancy.
Looking through freelancer feedback across platforms, this isn't an isolated oversight, it is a recurring operational pattern designed to minimize base labor pay while inflating listing rates to secure sign-ups.
This practice is unethical, manipulative, and amounts to wage distortion. I have escalated these contract structures internally and expect management to audit these listing formats immediately.
July 31, 2026
Unprompted review
Reply from BARE International
Blessings, thank you for raising your concerns. We’re sorry the fee structure did not feel sufficiently clear before you accepted the assignment.
BARE International does not intend to misrepresent evaluator fees. Assignment totals may include both a fixed evaluator fee and reimbursement for specified expenses. We agree that these amounts should be presented prominently and transparently so evaluators can make an informed decision before committing.
Our company owner personally responded to your email within two hours of receiving it, and the matter has been escalated for internal review. We are examining the listing language and milestone structure involved, including how fees and reimbursements are displayed on third-party platforms.
We take concerns about fairness and transparency seriously and remain available to continue the conversation directly. We appreciate the opportunity to review this experience and identify where our communication can be improved.
-Hilary
Outstanding pay from February 2026 :(
I've had constructive criticism from BARE in the early days of carrying out work for them, which has improved my ability to perform assignments considerably. I usually find their pay rates reasonable and enjoy their work.
In February 2026, I carried out some work for them that, to this date (June 18th at the time of writing), remains unpaid. I've had numerous contacts with a couple of people at BARE, and despite promises to pay, this still remains outstanding. The job listed on their postal that is currently on 'Hold Pay' status relates to a location that wasn't even allocated to me. I'm in the process of escalating with various statutory authorities. This has proven to be a very frustrating process. Perhaps the people at BARE International reading this will reach out to me. I have emailed the Bare International main email address with no success.
June 18, 2026
Unprompted review
Reply from BARE International
Thank you for sharing your experience; I understand how important timely payments are
and how a delay can be frustrating. Payment timelines can vary depending on project
requirements and approval processes, but we’d like to look into this for you. Please send us a direct message or contact our support team at info-us@bareinternational.com with your evaluator ID and assignment details so we can assist further. -Hilary
Advertisement
i did an audit for one of their shops…
i did an audit for one of their shops in UAE, i submitted all the details as per the audit guide ( i have done hundreds of audits so i am not new to this) they came back to me telling me that my audit is incomplete and rejected me without paying anything
AVOID
May 20, 2026
Unprompted review
Reply from BARE International
Thank you for sharing your feedback. We are sorry to hear that you were disappointed with your experience.
After reviewing the audit in question, our team found that the report was submitted outside of the required reporting timeframe and contained several incomplete mandatory sections that are necessary for client validation. Our Data Quality team reached out multiple times with requests for clarification and additional details, and our scheduling team also attempted to assist, including offering support through WhatsApp to help finalize the report before the client deadline. Unfortunately, we did not receive the required responses in time, and due to strict project timelines, the audit ultimately had to be reassigned and excluded.
We certainly understand that travel and time zone differences can sometimes impact communication, and we appreciate the explanation provided afterward. However, our quality and timing requirements are applied consistently to all evaluators to ensure fairness and maintain the standards expected by our clients.
We genuinely value the work of our evaluators and always aim to resolve issues collaboratively whenever possible. We wish you the very best in your future projects.
The schedulers are professional and…
The schedulers are professional and awesome. I love working with Bare International for the same reason.
May 11, 2026
Unprompted review
Reply from BARE International
Thank you so much for your kind words, Dhairya! We're delighted to hear you've had such a positive experience with our scheduling team. Our schedulers work hard to support our evaluators, and we're thrilled to know their professionalism has made a difference. We truly appreciate your continued partnership with BARE International and look forward to working with you on many more assignments!--Hilary
I like doing the mystery jobs but…
I like doing the mystery jobs but there’s one that I recently did that caused frustration because it wasn’t organized. I would finish a mission then it would ask the same thing again in the next mission.
May 8, 2026
Unprompted review
The Trustpilot Experience
Anyone can write a Trustpilot review. People who write reviews have ownership to edit or delete them at any time, and they’ll be displayed as long as an account is active.
We use dedicated people and clever technology to safeguard our platform. Find out how we combat fake reviews.
Learn about Trustpilot’s review process.
Here are 8 tips for writing great reviews.
Verification can help ensure real people are writing the reviews you read on Trustpilot.
Offering incentives for reviews or asking for them selectively can bias the TrustScore, which goes against our guidelines.