Facebook Blames 'Technical Issue' For Shorting Video Creators Thousands of Dollars In Ad Revenue (theverge.com) 20
The Verge spoke with several Facebook video creators, all of whom say the company shorted them on cash and ignored their requests for help. From the report: The creators had no reason to initially question the amount they were paid since Facebook's estimated revenue tool almost always mirrored their actual payouts. Usually, they'd be short only a couple hundred dollars. But after their revenue seemed off two months in a row, the creators say they looked into the issue. All three say the problems began in January, around the time Facebook transitioned to its new Pages experience and made updates to how creators can monetize. [...] [T]hese creators say Facebook only cares about advertisers, leaving them with no one to turn to when their payments are unexpectedly short. They reached out for help, but the company gave them no feedback on what could be wrong.
After The Verge reached out for comment, however, Facebook said it "resolved a technical issue that prevented a small number of video creators on Facebook from receiving their full in-stream ads payouts." "We're notifying these partners that they'll receive those remaining in-stream payments during the April payout cycle, and we apologize for any inconvenience," a spokesperson said in an emailed statement. It's good news for the creators getting a rebate but still an alarming precedent -- holding thousands of dollars back for months with little explanation or guarantee the same problem won't pop up again in the future.
After The Verge reached out for comment, however, Facebook said it "resolved a technical issue that prevented a small number of video creators on Facebook from receiving their full in-stream ads payouts." "We're notifying these partners that they'll receive those remaining in-stream payments during the April payout cycle, and we apologize for any inconvenience," a spokesperson said in an emailed statement. It's good news for the creators getting a rebate but still an alarming precedent -- holding thousands of dollars back for months with little explanation or guarantee the same problem won't pop up again in the future.
We'll pay you when we feel like it.... (Score:3)
Isn't the world great? If you owe Facebook money, they'll send bill collectors after you in 60 days. When they owe you money? "We'll get it to you when we get around to it."
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Politeness, n: The most acceptable hypocrisy. - Ambrose Bierce
Re: (Score:2)
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Just shut it down already (Score:2)
Facebook has videos? ... Why?
Only care about advertisers (Score:5, Insightful)
[T]hese creators say Facebook only cares about advertisers, leaving them with no one to turn to when their payments are unexpectedly short.
That's Facebook's entire business model. If they can't trace an expenditure directly back to supporting advertising, it's considered a waste of money. That's why they make such a shitty product. If you want to contact a real person at Facebook you better work in advertising (and represent a big ass account/agency) or you'll be shit out of luck. Customer support is for the customers. Everything else is automated.
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Facebook screws their customers, too (Score:2)
T]hese creators say Facebook only cares about advertisers, leaving them with no one to turn to when their payments are unexpectedly short
Strictly speaking, although the advertisers are the customers, Facebook doesn't care about the advertisers, either.
So why is facebook still a thing? (Score:1)
Re: So why is facebook still a thing? (Score:1)
Oopsies (Score:1)
Obligatory... (Score:1)
the long con (Score:2)
Facebook's copying Microsoft (Score:2)
"It's not a bug, it's a feature."
...belongs in a special circle of hell. (Score:2, Funny)
Youtube did the exact same thing! (Score:2)
https://support.google.com/you... [google.com]
We still haven't been compensated for this junk view detection glitch that caused it.
FB "Mistakes" [sic] (Score:3, Interesting)
Exactly how many times has a "Facebook mistake" favored someone other than the company? Those are not mistakes, it's a pattern.
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Indeed anyone remember the early miscount, where the over-counted views to charge advertisers more?
Late fees (Score:2)
I think that penalties, interest, and late fees should apply in cases where the Big Corp owes the Little Guy money, just like it does in the other direction.
It would be interesting if a few hundred of the biggest drawing creators on one of these platforms actually banded together, bought a legal team, and actually negotiated a contract with the platform, instead of just accepting what the platform laid down. If the platforms actually had financial obligations with teeth toward the people who make them thei
A profitable mistake is never fixed (Score:1)