Vivid's Aff Program (FYI)
 

I signed up for Vivids Aff Program, made some sales and all was going good. The othe day I couldn't log in. I got this E-Mail.

From: "Chris"
The Tax ID Number or TIN (**-*******) you provided upon joining our affiliate program does not exactly match your Payee Name, as required by the IRS. In such a case, the IRS considers the TIN to be incorrect. It then mandates that revenues be 'backup withheld,' as if you were an employee of the company, or that accounts be closed and revenues not sent at all.

Unfortunately, you may not use a Tax ID# in conjunction with your personal name. In addition, a social security number has to be used with the name that it was originally assigned to....

Please respond as soon as possible with the proper information so we may keep your account open.

Thank you,

Chris C.

Account Manager

When I got this E-Mail my acct was already suspended. I responded within an hour, and had already notice I couldn't log in. If fact I had been putting links up during that very hour.
I responded and explained:
Sorry about that. My Tin is **-******* and my legal name is Nicholas Sottero, the TIN was issued in that name.
I get my business mail as Nick Nicholson. Can you please turn my acct back on. I have traffic going to your program.
Thanks
Nick Sottero

Two DAYS later This is the reply I got:
From: "Chris"

Hello Nick,

You are currently using an EIN/TAX ID# with your personal name. (Nicholas C. Sottero) You may not use your personal name with the tax id you have on your account. Either we have a social security number with the name that it was assigned to or if you wish to use the TAX ID/EIN, it must be used with the name or DBA that it was assigned to as well...

Please let us know what you wish to do. We apologize for the inconveniences...

Thank you,

Chris C.
Vividcash.com

I told them to just cancil my acct.

Has anyone run into this situation? I use a TIN because I don't really want my SSN floating all over the net. I am sure other Webmasters feel the same. I don't see what reason they have for doing this. I have been paid by 6 other Aff Companies, using a TIN in my personal name.

What I am pissed about is Vivid Kept my money!

That particular situation, no. but I did have a problem with Vivid which led to me pulling every Vivid link I could think of. If I still send them any traffic it's from a very old page and is an oversite.

Long story short, they suspended my account because of an odd sale on their Vivid Live program. They claimed they would not unsuspend my account until I explained where I was sending traffic from, I did and they re-instated my account. I went in to check the details on this mysterious sale and all I saw were zeroes across the board.

When I asked why I couldn't see the sale in question, they said it was against their policies to discuss such things. Cocksuckers.

A very nice offline presence, and a shit poor affiliate program if you ask me (not just based on my disappearing sale, but on their affiliate marketing tools, backend navigation and stats as well).

I couldn't believe that! You know I thought a company like Vivid would be ok to promote. I did notice that they haven't come out with any new gallleries, or videos for AFF since Nov 06. So everything they have is old. I am a little guy in the biz, and when I loose multiple sales it really fucking hurts. O Well, to anyone reading this. Vivid Sucks! Sorry to hear I am not the only one they screwed. I'll get off my soap box now. I just wanted to see if they did this to others, and warn those who haven't had the pleasure of them.

Your business name & your real name are exactly the same? No "Inc" or "LLC" or "Co" at the end of the legal business name?

Same program & same issue as you. = delete

They are focusing their efforts on the development VOD cable tv, internet and retail sakes direct to the end users.

What does that have to do with the thread?? The thread is about SSN & EIN issues...

Jicky, I'm thinkin' that's relevant because they're focusing on other endeavors and neglecting or phasing out their affiliate/web programs...

I understand if they want to focus marketing on DVD Sales or whatever. Hey everyone and every company has to go with what works for them, but if your going to screw webmasters big and small don't have an affiliate program. Jicky Jack I guess your a victim of them also, so that makes 3 of us.

Greenie, no I don't have anything after my name. I read up on it when I first started and it didn't seem like I needed anything. I work as a Sole Proprietor. I looked at going "INC" its $1500, at least here in California, and I work alone out of my home. Is there something I missed? I plan to go "INC" later when I make more money so I can take the write offs. Right now I am just not at that level.

I thought what they did was odd, because I have been paid by several companies. Both in the U.S. and by Jugg Cash out of Canada with no problems. The TIN is asigned to me under my SSN, by the IRS and so that exempts me from the "Back up withholding."
I got pissed off because I fax in my I-9 and no one said shit till I made some money. They didn't give me a chance to fix, or explain myself before they suspended my acct. At least give me a chance, to provide my SSN before turning me off. If thats their policy, make it clear. They didn't and kept my money. That's really not fair. It's not the amount of money its just not fair. Like with Preacher they didn't give him a chance to explain himself. You know he makes good sales and alot of sales and it didn't matter. Its just bad business, and bad for the business. You figure you can trust a name like Vivid. Vivid is not some fly by night company.

So, being a sole proprietor, you TIN is your SSN. Is that what you gave them? It looks like they are saying you gave them a different number.

I did give them a different number. The IRS asigned me a EIN that is different then my SSN but they (The IRS) knows its me. I applyed for a EIN as a sole proprietor, after reading up on it. It's was reccomend by the IRS for "Internet business." No business name was required, it's just designed to allow you to keep your SSN confidential.
I stated above by mistake that it was a "TIN." Sorry for the confustion. The IRS states you can have an EIN even with no employees and use it this way. I filled out this form

http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/fss4.pdf
In box 8a I checked off Sole Proprietor

I used to know a guy that went by Nick Nichelson in atlanta.

Is it getting tougher and tougher to make business from the USA ?
Im glad to be in Europe, no SSN or whatever :)

I remember Cash Quest (or maybe the old Hustler/Flynt Program) having this policy a couple years ago, but I forget why they had it in place. Anyone remember?

Maybe it was to keep the Beer Money & Weekend Webmasters out :D

What Greenie, have a policy like Vivid? That's what I really wanted to know. Is this something people have heard of? Do some Companies work this way? Or is Vivid just fucked up, and giving me the shaft.

I believe Webquest manages the Vividcash program. I will send this URL to a rep from their company.

As will I.

I thought it was Leslie Sharps big client

Hey Nick,

We run checks on every account that is registered with our program. We match SSN's and TIN's to all Payees as part of our standard fraud check procedure. The reason we do this is simple, at the end of the year we need to report all accounts paid over $600 to the IRS, which includes 1) payee, and 2) TIN or SSN.

We do not allow our affiliates to use mis-matched data. In fact, no US sponsor would if they actually matched (or knew how to match) SSNs and TINs to their payees. If you're not comfortable using your SSN, which is totally understandable, your best bet is to incorporate. There are a lot of reasons to incorporate your business, not only for protecting your privacy but for taxes and limiting your liability among other things.

Shoot me an email with your account and if the payout is under $600 for the year I can release what is owed to you. I can't reinstate the account unless you provide us with matched information though.

-Mike C.

Preacher,

We will never disclose a reason for fraudulent account termination. That is my policy. However, with Vivid Live we do not handle the fraud checks. Fraud is handled by Video Secrets, so any account terminations would be passed along directly from them.

I'm curious though, when did this take place? Were you seeing zeros for all of Vivid Cash or for Vivid Live only?

We recently redeveloped our entire affiliate program doing away with all third party tracking software, and what you described sounds like Jumbo, which was our old platform. The new system is incredibly fast and since it's been live I have never heard it described as 'shit poor'.

Nick,

Can you shoot me an email with your info exactly how you are saying it's supposed to be mike@vividcash.com (Spam Arrest). There may be a mix-up or our reporting agency may not be totally up to date. Chris also may have misunderstood this situation because it does seem a little more complicated than normal. If everything checks out, I'll have your payout included with June P1.

-Mike C.

Fraud and tax reporting. Fraud database going back to about 1996. TIN matches so we know who we're doing business with. Thousands and thousands of affiliates amongst all of our clients, both big and small :)

Leslie is now managing Digital Playground and Wicked. She hasn't been with Vivid for about 2 years now.

I just logged into your back-end and yes, it is completely different from what I was describing as shit poor. So I apologize for not double checking first, though you of course you knew the old platform was 'shit poor' or you wouldn't have changed. ;)

I can understand not wanting to disclose every single detail, but I at least expected to see a sale followed by chargeback in the stats, but again it was your old stats so maybe your new stats would treat the situation differently.

I've been doing a lot with pornstar content lately... To sound like a total hypocrite I'll take another look at your program. I didn't promote Wicked until they moved to NATS and had an actual working back-end so in that respect your program is not much different.

She was crushed after firing AlienQ eh?