In the months of December 2004, and January, February and March of 2005 Bannerconnect (found at http://www.Bannerconnect.net) bought advertising space on our Bluetime CPM network. It is now May 6 2005, and we have yet to receive any payment from them. We have long since paid out to our affiliates and publishing partners for all traffic delivered in those months, including banners for Bannerconnect. We pay our affiliates on a Net 15 - long before we receive much of the revenue from the previous month, on the good faith that we will indeed receive it. Bannerconnect has abused that good faith that we, a very large publisher for them, placed in their company.
Though attempts to collect those payments have been met with a smile and prompt, polite responses, we have received nothing but false promises to pay. Bannerconnect laid out a payment schedule and promised to stick to it. They did not, and suggested an alternate schedule was possible. They did not follow the second self-designed payment schedule either, citing trouble with wire-transfers and “a policy of not-issuing checks” as validation of continued non-payment. They asked for a third chance, if we would just be patient. They have not yet paid a dime.
These excessive delays and the general behaviour of Bannerconnect staff lead us to believe they do not intend to pay their bill. As a result, we have resorted to contacting the proper authorities and collection agents in Bannerconnect’s country, the Netherlands, in an effort or collect the roughly $38,500.00 USD owed to us.
Bluetime is fortunate to have the resources to pursue delinquent accounts like this one from Bannerconnect.net. If you have neither the time nor resources to dedicate to something like this, then beware.
I don’t know what to think of this, I’d have to hear both sides of the story. I just hope Bannerconnect can sort this issue out, and be able to make all the payments to their publishers…
This issue has a lot of details that should not be discuss in the public forum, we are very surprised by this as we were under the impression that the issue reached an agreement and had mutual understanding.
We will stand behind our policy and will pay all publisher on time. As the issue discussed here by poster, we will have to address it with them.
Oh boy… I seriously hope this doesn’t become an issue for me - It’s nothing near the kind of money in talks here, but I should be receiving my first payment from them next month, and if I don’t, I’ll freak. Seriously, freak!
I will be taking them out of my chain until I receive my payment, because I won’t risk anything before I know that they pay…
This is very bad news, really something that will effect us publishers perhaps, last months Dart reporting loss and now this… what more worse can we expect.
I do not know if it helps, but they had paid publishers last month via wire. So, it could be construed that they will pay their publishers, just not pay their advertisers. Coming from a publisher POV, it sounds fine to me. However, from a business POV, it doesn’t look that stable.
Bluetime is being a big crybaby. Do business the rightway and sue them.
That is if you know how to do that. It’s about 350 bucks and it beats subrogation.
All indicators in the above posts seem to concede publishers are being paid and on time. Bluetime is only claiming on a public forum that a contractual agreement for payment by BannerConnect has been broken, which may or may not be true and which may or may not be libelous. Regardless, I’m enjoing the “drama”. “You big cry babies - go cry to mom she cares” -IANAL atomi.
I appreciate that Bluetime might be trying to warn publishers about BannerConnect non-payment, and that information is always useful to know.
However, it does sound like some kind of contractual problem, rather than a simple publisher not being paid. So I wouldn’t think a public forum like this would be the best place to discuss such a matter.
Yes, this was also what I was trying to say. They’ve seemed too had paid other publishers last month, so they do deserve credit on that. However, this thing about BlueTime and BannerConnect is more of an advertiser relations issue than publisher relations. Until we hear from publishers not being paid, then it is time for further concern. This doesn’t guarantee whether or not they will pay. Only time will tell. I know a lot of publishers (including me) who had given them a good amount of traffic. I say let’s sit tight and see what happens over the next few days. Anyone know when they start sending out wire payments?
It is appalling that BlueTime is being insulted for alerting publishers of their situation. Anyone who has ever gotten “stiffed” by an advertiser will appreciate the heads up, and will certainly appreciate BlueTime’s willingness to be forthcoming.
The fact that BlueTime is a company as opposed to an independent publisher is irrelevant. When accounts aren’t paid, real people feel the effect. Frankly, BlueTime should be thanked for the alert. That’s the kind of action that could help you avoid being the next to get shafted.
I would like to see who you have sued for only $350, small claims court with no lawyer doesn’t count either.
That would buy 3 hours of my lawyer’s time, I doubt they would be able to draft the lawsuit for that much less get it filed. THEN they would have to respond to the letters, have meetings, and eventually show up in an actual court to argue the case.
