A First-Person Account of a Glitch, Silence, and a Lost Opportunity
A couple of years ago, I saw an intriguing video on YouTube. Various people stated that they had found a lucrative job training AI. Each person spoke of well-paying tasks that had essentially changed their lives. And the true cherry on top was the fact that it was flexible.
That was exactly what I needed. A real way to supplement my income.
I quickly clicked the link. I wanted in.
The Application
I registered, entering my name, email address, and phone number. The process seemed straightforward. The promise was enticing: $20 per hour for flexible, remote work training AI models .
Next, I started taking the ChatBot assessment.
I was excited. I took my time. I wanted to get it right.
Then the chatbot froze.
The Glitch
I stared at the screen. Nothing was happening. The cursor blinked, but the chatbot would not respond.
I attempted to refresh the page.
This resulted in the assessment closing.
Panic set in. I had spent time on this. I wanted to finish. I immediately sent an email to support, explaining what happened and requesting that the assessment be unlocked.
That request went unanswered.
What the Research Says: I Was Not Alone
After my experience, I started researching. What I found was both validating and frustrating.
The “Freeze and Fail” Pattern
A Reddit user described a nearly identical experience, noting that the assessment system “just isn’t equipped to handle” interruptions. When a task freezes or is skipped, the effect is the same as failing . Another user reported being “logged out mid-task,” and when they tried to log back in, they saw a screen that said, “Sorry, you can no longer use our platform” .
Key finding: The system does not handle technical glitches well. If your assessment freezes, refreshes, or encounters any issue, you are likely locked out permanently with no recourse.
The Support Silence Is Widespread
My experience of emailing support and receiving no response is not unique. It is a recurring theme across reviews:
| Source | Quote |
|---|---|
| Trustpilot | “No communication at all… after sending emails to support… I’ve received no response from anyone” |
| Trustpilot | “I sent two support queries and got no reply. This was 2 months ago” |
| “It’s impossible for contract workers to get in touch with any human being involved in running this company” | |
| Trustpilot | “There is no contact information anywhere to ask for help” |
One reviewer on Trustpilot described the frustration succinctly: “Spent 2 hours thoughtfully completing online assessments… support function doesn’t work. Wish I’d read reviews first!”
The “One Strike and You’re Out” Reality
A few days after my assessment froze, I logged back in. There was a message indicating that I had not been accepted.
I tried to take the assessment again. I was unable to do so. All of my personal information—my email address, my phone number—was connected to the account. I was locked out permanently.
This, too, matches the experience of others. A Reddit user wrote: “DA sat with no response for over a year so I deleted the account and tried to recreate but now it says my phone number was already in use” . Another noted: “I never even got the assessments email but they told me I would 6 months ago” .
The company’s own FAQ confirms: “You can only take the Starter Assessment once. There are no retakes or second chances” .
Translation: One glitch, one mistake, one technical failure—and you are permanently out.
The Broader Pattern: Unpaid Work and Silence
What makes this particularly frustrating is the amount of unpaid work required upfront. The Starter Assessment alone can take up to an hour to complete . The Core Assessment, for those who make it past the first stage, can take two to three hours or more .
And for many applicants, that unpaid work leads to nothing.
| Trustpilot Review | Quote |
|---|---|
| February 2025 | “Signed up, passed initial questionnaire, but when I went to do further questionnaires they disappeared. I sent two support queries and got no reply. This was 2 months ago and no work, no communication, nothing” |
| January 2025 | “Spent a long time going through their sign up process. 5 months later still showing waiting to review” |
| December 2024 | “I registered and completed what they called an ‘Assessment’… I have received no feedback or response about my results” |
Some reviewers have raised a more concerning possibility: that the unpaid assessments are themselves a form of free labor. One Trustpilot user wrote: “Seems like they may be using our assessment tasks to train their AI for free” . Another echoed this concern: “I had concerns that the work being submitted could be used to train or refine internal systems — again, without compensation or transparency” .
What I Learned
Looking back, here is what I wish I had known before I clicked that YouTube link:
| Lesson | Why It Matters |
|---|---|
| One chance is all you get | The platform explicitly states you can only take the assessment once . If anything goes wrong, there is no second chance. |
| Support may not answer | Thousands of reviews cite the same experience: emails go unanswered, support tickets vanish . |
| Technical glitches can end your application | A frozen browser, a refresh, a lost connection—any of these can cost you the opportunity with no recourse . |
| Your account locks you out permanently | Once your email and phone number are tied to a rejected application, you cannot simply create a new account . |
| The unpaid work is significant | The Starter Assessment alone can take an hour. The Core Assessment can take two to three hours. And there is no guarantee of acceptance . |
What You Should Know Before Applying
If you are considering DataAnnotation.tech, here is my advice based on both my experience and the experiences of hundreds of others:
1. Test your browser beforehand. Make sure everything is updated and stable. A technical glitch could end your application permanently.
2. Do not refresh during the assessment. If the chatbot freezes, wait. Do not refresh. Do not close the window. The system is not equipped to handle interruptions .
3. Document everything. Screenshot the freeze. Screenshot the error. Save a copy of your support email. You may need evidence if you ever get a response (though you likely will not).
4. Understand the odds. Some applicants report being accepted within days. Others wait months or years. Many never hear back at all .
5. Consider your time investment. The unpaid assessment can take an hour or more. For specialized roles (coding, STEM, professional credentials), the assessments can take even longer . Be prepared to walk away with nothing if you are not accepted.
6. Know that silence is the default. The company states plainly: “Given the number of applications, we are unable to provide direct responses for every applicant” . If you do not hear back, you likely will not hear back.
What Happened After
I did not get the job. Obviously.
But that failure taught me something important about the gig economy: not every opportunity is built for the applicant. Some platforms collect unpaid assessments, harvest personal data, and leave thousands of applicants waiting indefinitely.
I still have my screenshots. I still remember the frozen chatbot. And I still wonder whether my carefully crafted answers were ever read—or whether they just disappeared into a system not equipped to handle a simple refresh.
Final Thoughts
I applied to DataAnnotation.tech years ago. I was excited. The promise of flexible, well-paying work was exactly what I needed.
Then the chatbot froze. I refreshed. The assessment closed.
I emailed support. They never answered.
Days later, I was rejected. No explanation. No second chance. My email and phone number were locked to a failed application.
If you are considering DataAnnotation.tech, go in with your eyes open. The work is real for some. But for many, the experience is unpaid assessments, silence, and a permanent lockout with no recourse .
I learned that lesson the hard way. I hope you do not have to.
Key Takeaways
| Issue | What Happened | Evidence from Others |
|---|---|---|
| Assessment freeze | Chatbot froze mid-task | Reddit users report system “not equipped to handle” interruptions |
| Refresh closed assessment | Refreshing ended the test | Users locked out mid-task with no way to return |
| Support never answered | Emails went unanswered | Widespread complaint across Trustpilot and Reddit |
| No second chance | Account rejected, cannot retake | Company FAQ confirms: “You can only take the Starter Assessment once” |
| Locked out | Email and phone tied to rejection | Users report phone number “already in use” when trying to reapply |
Sources: This article is based on my personal experience with DataAnnotation.tech, supported by user reports from Reddit (r/DataAnnotationTech, r/outlier_ai), Trustpilot reviews, and the platform’s official FAQ. Direct quotes are cited with corresponding sources. I am not an attorney. This is not legal advice. If you have specific concerns about your account or data, consult with a qualified professional.