Adsense Descrepancies? Contractual obligations? Legal Recourse?

13 replies
  • SEO
  • |
The last payment I received from Google Adsense was on Nov 26, 2010 for earnings earned before Nov 1, 2010.

In Nov, I made around $40
In Dec, I made around $35
In Jan, I made around $65

As of Jan 31, 2011, my unpaid earnings were around $148

Feb 6, payment status says that my balance at the end of Jan was around $80 (the balance at end of Dec) and that I won't be getting a check at the end of Feb.

This makes no sense. I have reported the problem twice, but I get that "We're sorry that we won't be able to give you a personal response" message with each report.

I can't find any other contact info for Adsense.

I can't find any kind of contact information for Adsense anywhere.

There have been discrepancies in their accounting in the past, but they've been 'pennies' so I didn't pursue them.

But now there are balances owed which they aren't planning to pay on time, no representative to speak to, and obviously an entire month's earnings not accounted for, I'm beginning to wonder what is going on at Google.

Is there any way to contact Google?

There must be. After all, don't we as publishers have a right to pursue monies owed through a collection process as any other business does?

Has anyone ever tried to send Google correspondence regarding discrepancies and questionable accounting practices?

-Dani
#adsense #contractual #descrepancies #legal #obligations #recourse
  • Profile picture of the author Caleb Spilchen
    Google never has any type of contact information for anything, and a lot of people get slapped by adwords, adsense and others. What may have happened was some of your clicks were "removed" as they happen to like to do, they may say that they were "fake" or something else that they can come up with.

    You could sue them, but for $50. Would it be worth it?
    Signature

    Canadian Expat Living in Medellin, Colombia

    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3317609].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author markowe
    Feb 6, payment status says that my balance at the end of Jan was around $80 (the balance at end of Dec) and that I won't be getting a check at the end of Feb.
    This is the bit I don't really get. What's the exact text of the message? I'm sure it doesn't say, "You won't be getting a check...", right?

    I mean, I hold my payments until I have a reasonable sum to be paid out, and I think there is a minimum anyway (?) - but that's not the problem, right, that you just haven't hit the minimum yet?

    Sure it's frustrating - it's my belief that if you are a small-time Adsense publisher (i.e. less than about $100 a day or something!) they just have an automated system that fobs you off with a canned message. They just can't deal with every 10-cent publisher, which I understand, but there must be a better way...
    Signature

    Who says you can't earn money as an eBay affiliate any more? My stats say otherwise

    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3317650].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author markowe
    Originally Posted by darelinz View Post

    I need a very good Link Posting Tool or online tool any help?
    You're history, no good for me, you're history, aaaa-aaa-aaa-aaa-aaaa...
    Signature

    Who says you can't earn money as an eBay affiliate any more? My stats say otherwise

    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3317672].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Rich Struck
    My guess is that they determined that some of your clicks were bogus so they were deducted from your balance.
    Signature

    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3317701].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author margocales
    Has Google got too big for items like this and therefore cannot be bothered with "personal" responses.

    Surely no matter how small your business if you have a query they should respond.

    Many online businesses have a ticket system for dealing with queries and quite freqently they have a series of Q&A linked in which can give you an answer.

    If "small" online businesses can provide a service surely Google can offer something even if it is only a link to standard answers.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3317708].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Caleb Spilchen
    There form of a support desk... Is actually the Google Support Forum.

    Where you can get answers from Google Lovers. Sometimes there staff checks the forum I hear though...
    Signature

    Canadian Expat Living in Medellin, Colombia

    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3317730].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author VanessaB
      Caleb and Rich,
      The balance they say I have RIGHT NOW as of Jan 31, is the EXACT balance I had as of Dec 31.

      In ONE part of my Adsense account, it shows the balance including January's revenue, but in another part, it shows that exact same balance I had on Dec 31.

      1.) They surely aren't discounting EVERY click in Jan.
      2.) It still shows as part of the 'unpaid' balance.

      Mark,
      That's exactly what it says. "You will not be getting a check this month as your balance is only $8x.-xx," which is the balance on Dec 31, not Jan, 31.

      Caleb,
      It's not a matter of $50.00. It's a matter of accounting, and more. Errors in accounting are something I have to take responsibility for from the IRS when it comes to reporting my income. There are many other factors here, one of them being 'principle.' Another being law.

      If Google can make it impossible to hold them accountable for accounting practices, their mistakes and collections, what next?

      If I contract with someone to do something and they do it, and I don't pay them, according to the terms of the contract, I have legal pursuit in the form of collections. I could be wrong here, but I think Google is an American company incorporated in the United States. That means they had to provide a correspondence address to some government entity somewhere, and they are bound by those same rules as any other business is.

      Also, I've tried the support forums. Maybe Google reps read it, maybe they don't, I don't know, and have no way of knowing. The point is, when someone has a contract to pay you a certain amount on a certain day, you have to have some manner of contacting them to resolve problems such as failure to comply with the contract.

      -Dani
      Signature
      The Recon Report
      Reliable Results, Predictable Profits
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3318573].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author Havenhood
        In Nov, I made around $40
        In Dec, I made around $35

        In Jan, I made around $65
        As of Jan 31, 2011, my unpaid earnings were around $148
        It sounds right.



        Your balance as of Dec. 31, was only about $75/80 and didn't qualify for a payment that would have come in Feb. It looks right to me. You should get the amount you made as of Jan 31 in late Feb. or early March. Make sense?
        Signature

        --= -Spazzle- =--

        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3319664].message }}
        • Profile picture of the author jbpatlanta
          Dani this same thing happens to me every month.

          It is a problem with there new interface. They are using an automatically updating date code in the source. It looks like you did not qualify for a payment. If you switch over to the old interface, it will report that you did not make enough in December for a payment.

          It will take until around the 15th of February or so before Google updates for the month of January. Once thay update it that message you get when you click on the "when will I get paid" link will change.

          I am pretty sure I am interpreting your problem correctly. This has happened to me every month since they released the new interface.

          Don't worry until after February 20th.

          If you want details, PM me.

          Jon
          Signature

          "DO or DO NOT. There is NO try!" -- Yoda

          {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3320031].message }}
          • Profile picture of the author VanessaB
            Havenhood,
            Nope. That doesn't make sense either.
            The way my Google Adsense account has always worked is that earnings reaching over $100 at the end of one month, will be paid by the end of the following month.

            So earnings over $100 as of Jan 31, should be paid by end of Feb, not end of March.

            JB,
            I wondered about the new interface being the problem and if it does update after the 15th, then it's fine.

            I wonder when the FTC will stop worrying about privacy policies, testimonials and earnings disclaimers and start looking at companies that operate under secrecy that rivals the CIA though.

            -Dani
            Signature
            The Recon Report
            Reliable Results, Predictable Profits
            {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3321658].message }}
            • Profile picture of the author Havenhood
              Havenhood,
              Nope. That doesn't make sense either.
              The way my Google Adsense account has always worked is that earnings reaching over $100 at the end of one month, will be paid by the end of the following month.

              So earnings over $100 as of Jan 31, should be paid by end of Feb, not end of March.
              That's what I said. You will receive that as your March payment, which happens at the end of Feb. or the beginning of March.

              You should get the amount you made as of Jan 31 in late Feb. or early March. Make sense?
              Signature

              --= -Spazzle- =--

              {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3322625].message }}
              • Profile picture of the author VanessaB
                Originally Posted by Havenhood View Post

                That's what I said. You will receive that as your March payment, which happens at the end of Feb. or the beginning of March.
                Late Feb makes sense yes, according to their terms; "by the last day of the next month."

                Sorry, I misunderstood your original reply and thought you were saying that the payment would be due until March -(Google always pays at the end of a month) meaning last week of March. Which is not what the terms say.

                I'll give it until the 15th to see if the balances change then.

                I wish the FTC would stop worrying about testimonials and look a little more closely at this business practice of Google's that gives no contact information to resolve problems.
                Signature
                The Recon Report
                Reliable Results, Predictable Profits
                {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3325270].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Caleb Spilchen

    I wish the FTC would stop worrying about testimonials and look a little more closely at this business practice of Google's that gives no contact information to resolve problems.
    http://www.google.com/contact/
    Our headquarters are located in the heart of Silicon Valley.

    Google Inc.
    1600 Amphitheatre Parkway
    Mountain View, CA 94043
    Phone: +1 650-253-0000
    Fax: +1 650-253-0001
    Signature

    Canadian Expat Living in Medellin, Colombia

    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3325297].message }}

Trending Topics