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Subject: Important Information Regarding Payouts—What Designers Need to Know
Dear Fellow Designers,
I’m writing to share my recent experience with requesting a payout. My intention is not to alarm anyone but to ensure that you are fully aware of the potential challenges you might face when asking for your hard-earned money.
My Experience:
After successfully completing and winning my fourth contest on this platform, I requested a payout. What I assumed would be a straightforward process has turned into a frustrating and drawn-out experience.
Initially, I was told that my payment had been released, but days went by without any confirmation or deposit. I reached out for clarification and was then informed that the payout would be processed on a specific date. However, when that day passed, I found that my payment was declined without any explanation or prior communication.
Despite multiple follow-ups, the responses I received were vague and inconsistent. At one point, I was told by a moderator that my payment had been released, only to later discover this was not the case. This lack of transparency and communication has been both concerning and disappointing.
Key Takeaways for Designers:
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Expect Delays: The payout process may take longer than expected, even after being told that your payment has been released.
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Inconsistent Communication: Be prepared for inconsistent and sometimes contradictory information from the support team. It can be difficult to get clear answers or timely updates.
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Lack of Transparency: There may be a lack of transparency regarding why payouts are delayed or declined, leaving you in the dark about the status of your earnings.
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Persistent Follow-Up: You may need to follow up persistently to get the information or resolution you need. Ensure you document all communications for reference.
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Consider the Risks: Before you invest significant time and effort into contests, weigh the potential risks of encountering similar issues with payments.
Payment Timing: Payments are typically made around 17:00 GMT on Thursday. If you’re told to wait until Friday, it’s likely misleading information. When they say “check on Friday” due to time zone differences—where “our today” is “their tomorrow”—don’t believe it. It’s just another excuse to delay. If you accept this and wait until Friday, you can expect to be told to wait until the following Thursday, or receive a copy-pasted response claiming payments are processed on Thursday. By doing so, you’ll have fallen into the trap of the never-ending Thursday delay.
Avoidance Tactics: If the payment timing is not met, they will likely resort to avoidance tactics. Expect them to start dodging questions about payouts on Thursday and only attempt to respond by Friday. Again you've fallen into the trap of the never-ending Thursday delay.
Moving Forward:
I believe it’s crucial for us as a community to be informed about these issues so we can better advocate for ourselves. If you encounter similar problems, don’t hesitate to share your experiences with others—it’s through our collective voices that we can push for improvements.
As of now, I still haven’t received my payout, despite multiple follow-ups and assurances from the platform. One of the moderators, Babba, has been communicating with me, but it’s clear that he doesn’t have any real information or authority regarding payouts. His responses have been vague, and he seems to be in the dark about the situation, stating things like, "I have told what I know so far. All is legit and transparent." Yet, nothing about this process has been transparent or straightforward.
Babba mentioned that he sent a reminder to the admin and that it must be hard for them to handle finalization, payment release, and bug issues. He even guaranteed that the admin takes payments seriously, but my experience suggests otherwise. He also admitted that moderators don’t have any input regarding payments or finalization, which makes it hard to trust anything he says about the status of my payout.
To make matters worse, the admin (Sharie) barely gets online and when she does, her responses (if she respond) are nothing more than copy-pasted answers. It’s apparent she’s unable to provide a coherent and personalized response, which only adds to the frustration. This attitude is both unprofessional and unacceptable, especially considering that these are funds we’ve rightfully earned.
Kafkaesque Experience: The situation has taken on a Kafkaesque quality due to the combination of Babba’s lack of knowledge about payouts and Sharie’s repetitive, copy-pasted responses. Sharie, being responsible for releasing payouts, should be the one addressing these issues, but instead, we’re met with a bizarre, bureaucratic nightmare where clear answers and resolutions remain perpetually out of reach.
Lastly, I urge DesignContest.com to promptly release my payout and address this issue directly, rather than avoiding it. Despite claims that a bug was responsible for the delay, I was informed that another designer received their payout after he was writing about the issue for a month in the forum. However, my payment Has been declined, And they told me Maybe the bug is back, Maybe i will never get my money due to these vague excuses. I address you to release my payout now, I don't care about your Thursday's rule anymore.
Wishing you all the best.
