The Zombaio Chronicles

[Squirm]

There's been a lot said about Zombaio in various threads. I thought I'd add my own anecdotal experience with some chat excerpts regarding attempts to nail down payment of just one of many oft-delayed payouts.

I'll minimize my commentary and let the chats speak for themselves, except that I will anticipate and answer two questions up front.

1. Q: Why are you starting a new thread? A: Because I'm a self-centered attention whore who only gets validation through online forums where the discussion centers around ME ME ME. And, I'd like to kick off a discussion where other people who still have business with Zombaio can add their own anecdotes in a low-flame atmosphere.

2. Q: Why the heck are you still with Zombaio? A: I'm not significantly with them anymore. I have a true and proper merchant account and I've moved most everything over to it except for one site and for a few remaining rebills. My plan was to keep Zombaio semi-active as an emergency backup processor should something ever go wrong with the primary merchant account. Now I'm in search of a backup for the backup.

So here we go... These communications are all in regard to a single payout which was "created" on August 1, for sales which occurred in July and earlier. Even by Zombaio's generously-revised (generous to them) payout calendar, this one was supposed to hit my bank on Sept. 5th.

Nothing arrived even by the 10th, and thus began a series of chats:

(These are excerpts. If you're feeling cynical, you may safely assume that I redacted critical portions in an effort to make myself look better.)

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September 10 Chat Excerpt:

[Me]: Hello. I am writing in regard to payout # [nnnnnnn]. I have not received it yet. It is late even according to the revised payout schedules. The status shows as "cleared". Please check on the status and let me know when I will receive it. Thank you.

Michael: One moment please

Michael: It have not been sent yet but we expect it should be sent later this week, I would have more information tomorrow

[Me]: What time tomorrow should I check in for more info?

Michael: Should have an answer about this time tomorrow

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September 11 Chat Excerpt:

[Me]: Hello, Micheal. I contacted you yesterday regarding payout # [nnnnnnn] and you said you'd have more info today.

Michael: One moment please

Michael: I am sorry but it will not be send until next week, I do not have the specific date at this time.

[Me]: Yesterday you thought it would be sent later this week.

Michael: Yes some were sent but yours were not send so it will not be until next week.

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September 16 Chat Excerpt:

[Me]: Hello. I am contacting you again about Payout # [nnnnnnn]. Has it been sent?

Michael: No it have not been sent yet but we hope to get it out by the end of week or early next week.

Michael: We apologize for the delay.

[Me]: Last week it it was "later (that) week" and then the next day it was "next week" (this week) and now you're talking about "end of week" or "early next week". Why can't I get a straight answer? This money is way past due even according to your revised (and never honored) payout schedules. As I informed your coworker months ago you could be doing a lot more business if you paid out reliably. We've stopped selling Zombaio subscriptions on our main site and are only doing rebills.

Michael: Yes and we are working on improving this, there will be a huge change for the good on Oct 1st.

[Me]: So I have to ask if you're just stalling me on this payout until Oct 1st or can I expect to get this particular payout prior to Oct 1st?

Michael: It will get to you before Oct 1st.

Michael: Most likely next week.

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September 22 Chat Excerpt:

[Me]: Hello. I am contacting you again about Payout # [nnnnnnn]. Has it been sent?

Michael: [nnnnnnn] will be send tomorrow

Michael: I am sorry for the delay but I have just been told this by Accounting

[Me]: So as an ACH it should hit my account Wednesday morning?

Michael: yes

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September 24 Chat Excerpt:

[Me]: Hello. I am contacting you again about Payout # [nnnnnnn]. On Monday you said it would be sent "tomorrow" (Tuesday), and I asked if that meant I would see the ACH hit my account today (Wednesday). However, I see no ACH this morning.

Michael: It have not been sent yet, some of the ACHs in the same batch have been sent we are waiting for the rest to be send

[Me]: When will it be sent?

Michael: I am sorry but I do not have a specific time for you

[Me]: Why not?

Michael: Because I do not know but I expect it to be this week.

[Me]: Just like last week and the two prior weeks? Come on. [...]

Michael: I apologize for that and we do our best to get the payment to you as quickly as possible

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September 26 Chat #1 Excerpt:

[Me]: Hello. Has payout # [nnnnnnn] been sent? When we communicated previously regarding the multiple delays, Michael said you "expect it to be this week".

Jesper: Hi [name], let me take a look at your account. One moment please

Jesper: IT should be today. Im waiting for a confirmation from Accounting.

[Me]: I could really use something more definite. I've chatted with you guys multiple times over the past several weeks and the confirmation is ever-elusive.

Jesper: I understand that. I should have the confirmation within 3 hours.

[Me]: OK I will check back.

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September 26 Chat #2 Excerpt (3hrs, 10min later):

[Me]: Hello. We communicated earlier regarding payout # [nnnnnnn]. You said you'd have confirmation from Accounting in 3 hours. I'm checking back in for that.

Jesper: Hi again [mangled name]. I have not received it yet sorry to say.

[Me]: Will you have an answer for me today? This has been dragging out for weeks.

Jesper: Yes I sure hope so. Thats what I was told earlier.

[Me]: How late do your chat hours go today?

Jesper: about 5 more hours

[Me]: I will check back in a few hours. If you get an answer ahead of time please email me.

Jesper: yes I will do that

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September 26 Chat attempt, 4hrs 18min later, 6:05pm Pacific time:

All chat operators are currently offline. Please return during our opening hours:
Monday - Saturday 10:00am - 7:00pm PST

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What will Monday's chat bring? Stay tuned.

[xXXtesy10]

Yet people still use them. That's the funniest shit of all.

[Robbie]

Originally Posted by xXXtesy10

Yet people still use them. That's the funniest shit of all.

I don't know of anybody still using them. Just people trying to get the money for rebills.

[beenthereb4]

Well in 4 days they can uncork the champagne and say "we did it" . We got to keep all those rebills and reserves and we made it to the 1st . So who looses here ? Everyone Except Zombaio . Got to give a big hats off to all those who came in and said oh don't cancel rebills what if they pay you ? Well if they did not pay you then Zombaio kept every penny just like they did the reserves .This is exactly what I feared would happen and now they have everyones money .

[fitzmulti]

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz zzzz

[rogueteens]

Dammit, I miss-read the title, I though this was going to be about a new zombie movie!

[Squirm]

Originally Posted by rogueteens

Dammit, I miss-read the title, I though this was going to be about a new zombie movie!

Who knows? It could turn out that way. It would probably make a lot of people happy. :-)

[Barefootsies]

Originally Posted by Robbie

I don't know of anybody still using them. Just people trying to get the money for rebills.

Agreed. The way they handled this whole thing was a complete disaster. I do not know of anyone who would/could still have any confidence in them to be honest. We waited it out initially, but once they stopped responding to support tickets, that was it. We literally had replied 6-8 times on a support related issue, and they just did not even bother to reply to email, tickets, XBIZ, nothing. We pulled everything immediately after that.

Since then, they have sent out a couple of emails "noticing" we were no longer sending them more sales, and that they had managed to save their company, make changes, back on their feet, whatever. Unfortunately, the way they handled things up to that point basically sunk any trust we had from years of doing business.

In the end, the buck stops there.

[Mediamix]

Not this shit again...

[NewOldPlayer]

My accounts are paid up to date.

I think that if you stay with them, keep the processing going, bringing in fresh funds, they are paying your accounts.

If you pull out and are just trying to draw old past funds in reserve, it will be a longer wait.

They are making an effort to stay in business and get their shit together. They would've closed out a long time ago if they didn't want to survive.

For about 6 months my accounts were over a month behind, but lately have been all caught up. I think they will make a strong come back.

[adultchatpay]

If not for the rebills.....arggg

[Socks]

They paid me out and I'm up to date.

[ShowMe69]

Originally Posted by NewOldPlayer

My accounts are paid up to date.

I think that if you stay with them, keep the processing going, bringing in fresh funds, they are paying your accounts.

If you pull out and are just trying to draw old past funds in reserve, it will be a longer wait.

They are making an effort to stay in business and get their shit together. They would've closed out a long time ago if they didn't want to survive.

For about 6 months my accounts were over a month behind, but lately have been all caught up. I think they will make a strong come back.

Anybody who uses this company now or going forward in order to save paying visa/mc fees is absolutely crazy

[H-Tom]

They are 3 payouts late.

[Harmon]

Somebody should really go and find these mother fuckers and break their fucking jaws.

[Sid70]

[RegUser]

They will simply shift payout dates on Oct 1 to around X Mas.

[Squirm]

An update...

========================================

September 29 Chat Excerpt:

[Me]: I am contacting you again regarding payout # [nnnnnnn]. I did not hear back from Jesper on Friday (and your chat system was closed early). There is still no sign of a deposit as of this morning.

Michael: One moment please.

Michael: It were sent from our processor on Friday

[Me]: Are you absolutely certain? Can I count on seeing this tomorrow morning?

Michael: [MyCompany] [$Amount] Released 0 09/23/2014 N/A 09/26/2014

Michael: Last date was went it were actually sent

[RegUser]

Originally Posted by Squirm

An update...

========================================

September 29 Chat Excerpt:

[Me]: I am contacting you again regarding payout # [nnnnnnn]. I did not hear back from Jesper on Friday (and your chat system was closed early). There is still no sign of a deposit as of this morning.

Michael: One moment please.

Michael: It were sent from our processor on Friday

[Me]: Are you absolutely certain? Can I count on seeing this tomorrow morning?

Michael: [MyCompany] [$Amount] Released 0 09/23/2014 N/A 09/26/2014

Michael: Last date was went it were actually sent

and then .......

[Squirm]

Originally Posted by RegUser

and then .......

Lo and behold it got here. I see an ACH this morning from "CS LLC PAYMENTS".

So despite all the missed "tomorrow" and "next week" types of promises, they did manage, by just one day, to hold to the "before Oct 1" promise they made on Sept. 16th. And only 8 weeks after the money was actually earned.

Now if only I could string along all the bills that I pay on a regular basis for 8 weeks without penalty.

[ShowMe69]

Originally Posted by Squirm

Lo and behold it got here. I see an ACH this morning from "CS LLC PAYMENTS".

So despite all the missed "tomorrow" and "next week" types of promises, they did manage, by just one day, to hold to the "before Oct 1" promise they made on Sept. 16th. And only 8 weeks after the money was actually earned.

Now if only I could string along all the bills that I pay on a regular basis for 8 weeks without penalty.

The interesting thing is CS LLC PAYMENTS , is this a new ACH payment provider for Zombaio, or a new biz partner?

[ShowMe69]

2 months to make payments, that's a pretty deep hole they have dug for themselves
a long way away from their initial paying weekly promise

[freeforlife07]

I was paid today also. Payment 8 weeks late.Note: I only place two live chat discussion with them and was very mellow in convo-- So they paid one the promise "it was sent last friday. I do believe they are doing just what they say they are doing and restructuring to survive.

[RegUser]

I still have not received a cent despite being 2 payments 6 weeks late. Have received several promises of payout next week but next week is no where in sight

[empireman99]

@squirm the payment they sent to you from what month was it? I am owed July which had settlement date of 8/26 and August which had settlement date of 9/26 so wonder when can I expect my payout, and as I read your chat excerpts is the same thing they have been telling next week, next week, Let me check accounting, Oh tomorrow it will be sent, then I contact them tomorrow and give me need confirmation from accounting and I have no date on when it will be sent. So your experience is same as what I am going trough so wonder if they are current with your account or what month did they paid you and what they owe you?

[Squirm]

Originally Posted by empireman99

@squirm the payment they sent to you from what month was it? I am owed July which had settlement date of 8/26 and August which had settlement date of 9/26 so wonder when can I expect my payout ...

Depending on which page/report you look at (there have been inconsistencies ever since they started shifting payout dates, they altered one report script but not another), the settlement date was either 9/1 (dashboard) or 9/5 (payout report summary).

This was not the first time a payout was late and required multiple chats and shifting promises to resolve. And the past two or three post-Christmas payouts have been terrible for numerous people.

(And, to reiterate, I've shifted most everything to my merchant account. What it comes down to now is pretty subjective and an issue of belief: You must weigh the risk of never getting paid for your rebills if Zombaio completely fails, against the risk that only a small percentage of your current (rebilling) customers will subscribe again at your site with a different processor if you cancel the rebills and leave Zombaio.)

[Peter-Porn]

so is no hope to get my money... fuck this shit

[RegUser]

Originally Posted by empireman99

@squirm the payment they sent to you from what month was it? I am owed July which had settlement date of 8/26 and August which had settlement date of 9/26 so wonder when can I expect my payout, and as I read your chat excerpts is the same thing they have been telling next week, next week, Let me check accounting, Oh tomorrow it will be sent, then I contact them tomorrow and give me need confirmation from accounting and I have no date on when it will be sent. So your experience is same as what I am going trough so wonder if they are current with your account or what month did they paid you and what they owe you?

I too am being told exactly same bull shit for 6 weeks now. Payouts pending since July

[Fat Panda]

this is a fucking horror story

[Paully]

They are current with us. We just got paid out on the 25th. Transferred to Redpass and money was available on the 1st, yesterday.

[TinyOak]

wow good to know.

I will stay away far from them.