This must be the year of don’t pay your partners. It was not long ago that Watefront Media was withholding partner payments and now I see Beyond Interactive, a Mediacom Company, is following suit. At least with the previous instance, there was some communication from the affiliate management team and Commission Junction. In this latest no-pay episode by Beyond Interactive, the most disturbing (and frustrating) fact is that all recent emails and voicemails to their finance department and campaign managers have gone unanswered.
Payment Term of Net 45 days Means 5 Months and Longer
In late 2006, a client was approached by Beyond Interactive to run an advertising campaign for ConAgra Foods, a major food company. The 6-week flight was scheduled to run from the beginning of January 2007 to mid-February 2007. Payment term agreed by both parties was net 45 days. It is now net 150+ days and counting and payment is no where to be seen.
Ignore Your Partners
Earlier enquiries in March, May and June to Beyond Interactive’s finance department did yield some responses. In separate occasions, the replies were “Please accept my apologies… Your invoice has been cleared for payment, but checks have not yet been cut”. As mentioned previously, more recent emails and voicemails to Beyond Interactive in early July have gone completely unanswered.
Clients listed on beyondinteractive.com
3M
Adobe
Audi
Bayer
ConAgra Foods
GlaxoSmithKline
Hasbro
Hallmark Channel
Royal Bank of Scotland
Shell
Subway
Staples
I wonder if these high profile clients know that they are associated with a company like Beyond Interactive – a company who is taking their advertising dollars and at the same time withholding payment to publishers who were contracted to run their ad campaigns.
Is Beyond Interactive in Financial Trouble?
Is this why they are not paying their partners? Is anyone else affected by Beyond Interactive / Mediacom not paying up?
Just like the Waterfront Media episode, I am still the eternal optimist hoping things will eventually get worked out.
Coincidentally, after posting the above entry, I received a reply earlier today from Beyond Interactive stating that there was “some sort of computer glitch” and “it seems the issue has been cleared up and a check will cut shortly”.
I will be sure to update this thread once the client receives payment.
Being an eternal optimist does work. Client has received payment in full from Beyond Interactive.
Let us hope future Beyond Interactive campaign payments are truly net-45 rather than net-150+ days.
I’ve worked with them before in the past and have never had a problem or late payment. This must be a first and it sounds like it was a computer glitch