LAte payment- the new normal?

[spacecadet]

I recall the first time payment took more than 4 days, a few years ago, Alamy actually apologised for it. It was then exceptional. Judging from last month's stock response about the allowed "9 working days"  (allowed where? is it in the contract?) we're just supposed to get used to it then.

[Celluloid Hero]

Under Alamy's new 'late payment' rule I have been getting my payments exactly one week after 1st of the month, no sign of it and not in pending payments for tomorrow.

Anybody else been paid yet?

[M.Chapman]

Still waiting here (UK Bank Account transfer)

 

Mark

[Steve F]

18 minutes ago, M.Chapman said:

Still waiting here (UK Bank Account transfer)

 

Mark

 

Ditto

[Cal]

On 06/02/2023 at 09:47, spacecadet said:

I recall the first time payment took more than 4 days, a few years ago, Alamy actually apologised for it. It was then exceptional. Judging from last month's stock response about the allowed "9 working days"  (allowed where? is it in the contract?) we're just supposed to get used to it then.

 

I've mentioned it before I think but one time I was due a payment and it said so on my dashboard. The date passed, then a few days passed, no payment. The dashboard then changed (the amount to be paid hadn't, iirc) to the next month's payout date. So they held the payment for a whole extra month for no reason I can see afaik. So yes, I'd say it is the new normal.

[spacecadet]

6 minutes ago, Cal said:

 

I've mentioned it before I think but one time I was due a payment and it said so on my dashboard. The date passed, then a few days passed, no payment. The dashboard then changed (the amount to be paid hadn't, iirc) to the next month's payout date. So they held the payment for a whole extra month for no reason I can see afaik. So yes, I'd say it is the new normal.

That used to happen when  the cleared balance went over $50 on the last day of the month I don't think it does now.

But it looks like 4 days is now 8 without explanation. I don't know if it's an earner or not- perhaps PAlamy has found a cheaper payment method. Either way someone benefits and we lose out.

As always, answer came there none.

[Celluloid Hero]

Forgot to say UK bank account here

[Alex Ramsay]

No payment here either, though it was due on February 1st. Account balance won't load. Dashboard shows next payment due on March 1st. I think Alamy owes us an explanation and apology.

 

Alex

[spacecadet]

My balance of account is showing "funds transfer initiated" on the 1st but it always does. No relationship to reality.

34 minutes ago, Alex Ramsay said:

I think Alamy owes us an explanation and apology.

Good luck with that🤨

[Steve F]

7 minutes ago, spacecadet said:

Good luck with that🤨

 

Ok, this is why the laughter emote was removed. 🤣

[spacecadet]

14 minutes ago, Steve F said:

 

Ok, this is why the laughter emote was removed. 🤣

Ah was that frownie a bit sarcastic then😀

Edited February 8, 2023 by spacecadet

[Allan Bell]

I think I was going to be paid on 1st Feb then it changed to 1st March.

 

The Feb payment would have been just over the limit but as there seems to be more payments being made Alamy probably delayed payment to allow these new payments for images used to be added to what I was going to receive.

 

This in my eyes is common sense and I approve in my case.  Of course if the total Feb payment had already been much bigger I might think differently.

 

Allan

 

[spacecadet]

4 minutes ago, Allan Bell said:

I think I was going to be paid on 1st Feb then it changed to 1st March.

 

The Feb payment would have been just over the limit but as there seems to be more payments being made Alamy probably delayed payment to allow these new payments for images used to be added to what I was going to receive.

 

This in my eyes is common sense and I approve in my case.  Of course if the total Feb payment had already been much bigger I might think differently.

 

Allan

 

This is probably the bounce-around that Cal reported, still happening then.

But the real point is that Alamy has taken a decision to pay most of its contributors the best part of a week later, presumably to its benefit, without a word of explanation.

[Celluloid Hero]

ALAMY -  maybe some input from you as to why the contributor payments are getting later and later? Imagine if you were paid this way, not knowing what day of the month your salary would hit your bank account. In this day and age of virtually instant bank transfers you would think that time to pay your contributors would be lessened not increased. Anyway Alamy your input on this matter would be much appreciated, thanks.

Edited February 8, 2023 by Celluloid Hero
typo

[Dave Nelson]

Still waiting here in the US also.

[Alamy]

Hi All, 

 

We appreciate what you're saying however you need to allow 9 working days in order to receive payment and we process payments on the first working day of the month. Once the money has been transferred it's out of our control and down to the individual banks to process the payments. We cannot influence how long it takes for the banks to process your payments. 

 

Thanks, 

Chantelle 

[spacecadet]

10 minutes ago, Alamy said:

Hi All, 

 

We appreciate what you're saying however you need to allow 9 working days in order to receive payment and we process payments on the first working day of the month. Once the money has been transferred it's out of our control and down to the individual banks to process the payments. We cannot influence how long it takes for the banks to process your payments. 

 

Thanks, 

Chantelle 

Yes, but it took exactly 4 working days for a decade or more and it now quite suddenly, as of the last few months, takes at least 8. You must know why.

This stock "9 days" answer isn't an answer.

[Celluloid Hero]

21 minutes ago, Alamy said:

Hi All, 

 

We appreciate what you're saying however you need to allow 9 working days in order to receive payment and we process payments on the first working day of the month. Once the money has been transferred it's out of our control and down to the individual banks to process the payments. We cannot influence how long it takes for the banks to process your payments. 

 

Thanks, 

Chantelle 

Sorry Chantelle, you were asked the question WHY IS IT TAKING LONGER THAN IT DID LAST YEAR? WHY HAS IT CHANGED FROM 4 TO 9 DAYS? please do not fob us off with a stock (no pun intended) answer.

 

Also I am sure we all have accounts with different banks which we do appreciate have varying processing times, however this is happening to every contributor in this topic, so all our banks are behaving the same way and taking the same time to process the payments? Highly unlikely.

Edited February 8, 2023 by Celluloid Hero
further question

[M.Chapman]

Methinks that now that interest rates have risen it's become worthwhile to hang onto our money a little longer, and that's why things have changed. Either that or there's an Alamy IT problem that's delaying things.

 

Mark

[geogphotos]

Alamy pays out around £1m to its contributors every month so I would think that they want a few days more interest. 

[Rebecca Ore]

30 minutes ago, M.Chapman said:

Methinks that now that interest rates have risen it's become worthwhile to hang onto our money a little longer, and that's why things have changed. Either that or there's an Alamy IT problem that's delaying things.

 

Mark

 

My publishing money over some amount ($1K?) used to be held for two weeks with only a fraction released when my bank received it.   Bank's decision, not the agent's or the publishers'.  And it was money made on the float.   Also, publishers made money on the float from when bookstores paid them to when they sent money to the writers' agents. 

 

So, yeah, either it's on PA/Alamy's end or on the banks' ends for everyone with this problem.

[Dave Richards]

7 hours ago, Alamy said:

Hi All, 

 

We appreciate what you're saying however you need to allow 9 working days in order to receive payment and we process payments on the first working day of the month. Once the money has been transferred it's out of our control and down to the individual banks to process the payments. We cannot influence how long it takes for the banks to process your payments. 

 

Thanks, 

Chantelle 

Rubbish!!

I wrote two cheques yesterday to pay money from my bank current account into two building society savings accounts. Checking my current account this morning both cheques show as cleared.

I transfer money and pay bills using online banking and it always reaches the payee within two hours, if not sooner.

 

 

 

[Betty LaRue]

I got my notice if not on the 1st, shortly after & it was in my bank right away. I deleted Alamy’s notice so I can’t check for sure. I’ve gotten mine within a couple of days of the first always. If I remember right, it seems there was one exception for valid reasons by Alamy that the payment was later, and Alamy notified us of the problem. I can’t remember if that notification was timely, though.

PS

I take that back. I did get the “Alamy has paid you” notification days ago, but I just checked my bank acct & it’s not in there. I am assuming it is on the bank’s end. It would not surprise me that the whole mess is because the banks are instituting a new rule or whatever to hang onto our money & make money on it before depositing it in our accounts. It sure wouldn’t be the first time the banking industry wasn’t lily-white.

Maybe I'm gullible but my gut says bank not Alamy.

Now if you want to talk about Alamy selling our images for peanuts, I’ll jump on that band wagon immediately. Considering last month I had 4 sales only with the total of them about 1/4 what I would have once received for ONE.

Edited February 8, 2023 by Betty LaRue

[Steve Hyde]

My bank shows a payment from Alamy arriving tomorrow. 

[spacecadet]

11 hours ago, Dave Richards said:

Rubbish!!

I wrote two cheques yesterday to pay money from my bank current account into two building society savings accounts. Checking my current account this morning both cheques show as cleared.

I transfer money and pay bills using online banking and it always reaches the payee within two hours, if not sooner.

 

 

 

Well I'm told that the arrangements for business payments are quite different, they don't use the faster payments route and typically take 3 days here. But not 8. There's also a currency conversion step as Alamy pays in dollars (this costs us 3% BTW!) but your point is well made. Why an extra 4 days now- it's a fair assumption that someone is benefiting.

 

11 minutes ago, Steve Hyde said:

My bank shows a payment from Alamy arriving tomorrow. 

So the cycle has got longer, 4 to 8 days, it's not random.

BTW what do you do to get that advance notice? I don't get it, or, at least, don't know how to find it.

Edited February 9, 2023 by spacecadet