Remote Problems & Issues
Real user-reported problems, complaints, and limitations for Remote. Based on analysis of 13 signals.
Issues by Category
Payroll processing delays affect employee salaries
Employees in countries like Brazil and India report delayed salaries due to payroll processing errors. Payments that used to be immediate now take a couple of days to be reflected. This impacts employee morale and trust in the platform.
Visa and social security enrollment mistakes
One user reported an employee received a different visa than requested, requiring months of emails and calls to resolve. The same employee wasn't enrolled in social security properly despite taxes being withheld. Critical compliance failures.
Billing errors and double deductions reported
Users report unexpected charges including double deductions for benefits. Remote is very unforgiving of payment delays and will freeze accounts, but they also make billing mistakes that create financial headaches for customers.
Tax document and payslip errors
Users report sloppy document generation, missing tax documents, and payslips without names. One former employee reported incorrect figures in final pay that caused serious complications with their personal tax return.
Local HR expertise is lacking - costly compliance mistakes
Remote claims local expertise but users report local 'experts' who completely misunderstand regulations. One user in the Netherlands reported mistakes that cost thousands of Euros. A European company faced 20,000+ Euro penalties after Remote mishandled statutory allowances in France.
Support tickets take days to resolve
Users report support is painfully slow with queries taking ages to be resolved. Not being able to reach people by phone is cumbersome. The support chat feels like dealing with untrained amateurs according to some reviews. Complex issues drag through generic support channels.
No phone support - chat only with long resolution times
Remote only offers chat support, which users find cumbersome for complex issues. Simple issues take longer to resolve. Any ticket can take days to solve. For urgent payroll or compliance issues, this lack of phone support is frustrating.
Onboarding delays and document issues
Employees report difficulties with onboarding that resulted in working without benefits or having to sign contracts with unanswered questions. Some said their dedicated support person disappeared with no one able to help. Contract generation described as sloppy with missing documents.
Employee termination process is difficult and slow
Several users have cited difficulties navigating employee terminations through Remote, causing delays and complications. The complexity of international termination rules combined with support delays makes this process painful.
HR functionality is an afterthought
While employees can upload documents, log hours, and request PTO, the platform lacks compliance guardrails. When onboarding glitches, payroll errors, or verification bugs occur, delays can be costly. HR features feel basic compared to dedicated HR platforms.
Expensive EOR fees - $599-699 per employee monthly
Remote charges $599/employee/month (annual) or $699/month (monthly billing). For a 10-person global team, that's $72,000-84,000/year just in management fees. Competitors like Deel offer similar services, and some users find Remote's pricing hard to justify.
FX markup fees add unexpected costs
While Remote claims transparent pricing, FX fees can add up especially in high-volatility markets. The Remote FX rate varies over time and per currency pair. Payment processing fees may apply beyond core service costs, and currency conversion costs may not be included in base price.
Limited bank account support in some countries
Users report problems adding certain bank accounts, such as Bangladeshi bank accounts or Payoneer accounts. SEPA Direct Debits in Europe don't always go through. Payment infrastructure in some regions described as immature.
Regret Patterns
Common reasons users regret choosing Remote.
Compliance mistake cost more than EOR savings
Users discover Remote made a local regulation error that resulted in penalties exceeding what they saved by using an EOR. One user lost thousands of Euros in the Netherlands, another faced 20,000+ Euro penalties in France. The compliance expertise they paid for wasn't reliable.
Support delays during critical payroll issue
When payroll errors affected employee salaries, chat-only support took days to respond. Employees were upset about delayed pay while the company waited for Remote to fix billing issues they caused.
Realized Deel or Oyster was cheaper for small team
After committing to Remote's annual billing, teams of 3-5 employees discovered competitors offered better pricing for small teams. The annual commitment made switching expensive.
Employee onboarding delays caused missed start dates
New employees couldn't start on planned dates due to documentation delays, missing contracts, or support person being unavailable. This affected hiring timelines and employee experience.
FX and hidden fees higher than quoted
Final invoices included FX markups, processing fees, and bank charges that weren't clearly communicated upfront. Total cost exceeded the advertised $599/employee price.
Termination process took months instead of weeks
What was expected to be a straightforward employee termination dragged on for months. Complex international requirements combined with slow support made the process painful and costly.
When Remote Breaks Down
Specific scenarios where Remote fails or underperforms.
Urgent payroll issue needs immediate resolution
An employee's salary is incorrect or missing. With chat-only support and multi-day response times, the issue can't be resolved before payday. Employee trust erodes while waiting for a ticket response.
Hiring in a country with complex labor laws
You hire in France, Germany, or other heavily regulated markets. Remote's local 'expert' misunderstands regulations, resulting in compliance penalties that exceed the cost of proper legal counsel.
Need to terminate employee quickly
Performance issues require swift employee termination. Remote's process is slow and complex, extending the timeline and costs. International labor laws plus support delays create months of uncertainty.
Budget-conscious small team
A startup with 2-3 international hires can't justify $7,200-8,400 per employee per year. Total EOR costs exceed 10% of some employees' salaries. Alternatives or contractor relationships would be more cost-effective.
Employees in countries with limited bank support
You hire someone who needs to be paid to a bank account Remote doesn't fully support. Payment issues, delays, or failed transactions frustrate the employee and create administrative headaches.
Need comprehensive HR features
You expect Remote to be your full HR platform but discover it's EOR-first with basic HR features. No compliance guardrails on PTO, limited reporting, and you need to add another HR tool.
Visa or work permit complications
Employee needs visa support but Remote processes the wrong visa type or fails to properly enroll them in social security. Months of emails and calls to resolve, plus potential legal exposure.