What's the scoop on Verotel?

[Greenguy]

I heard they pulled processing from a few adult sites, but not all.

I did the whole board search thing, but didn't find out anything concrete.

Anyone have any legit sources on what's going on with them?

[Cleo]

I really hope that nothing is up with them.

Why do I have the feeling that I will be needing to change a lot of link codes… again.

[Greenguy]

MML just sent me this:
http://www.verotel.com/new_ipsp.html

Let me re-read it & get another cup of coffee - LOL

[DangerDave]

Usual sky is falling BS and rumour....

Verotel did pull the processing for all "under@ge model sites, and will probably require "Visa Registration" (? in EU) possibly as of April 1st

Some suppose quoted text

"Verotel has been processing VISA and MasterCard transactions
for more than six years now. As an Internet Payment Service
Provider, we have to comply with the latest demands
from the card companies. These demands are mostly
related to protecting the brand names 'VISA' and
'MasterCard'.

In line with these demands, we have to inform you about
important changes related to your website(s).

As of today, the acquiring banks we are working with,
do not process any transactions anymore of websites
that are related to under@ge models. Even if the models
are fully dressed and are not involved in any sexual
explicit behaviour, these websites do infringe on the
brand names of the card companies.

An underage model is every model (male or female),
that is under 18 years of age, and/or any model
over 18 years of age, but pictured as an under@ge model.
In addition, the words '******' and/or 'little' are
not allowed in the domain name anymore."

.... and the section missing from many "quotes"

In line with these demands, we have suspended your account
and will not release any funds until six months from now.
That means that you will not receive any payments
until at least October this year. Your account stays
reachable with the Verotel Control Center for future
updates and information about your payments.

Please note and understand that copies of passports
and model releases do not help to fight any suspensions
of your Verotel account.

We regret that we have to inform you about this, but
this is a step made by the card companies over which
we do not have direct control.

As a Verotel user I have recieved no official communication, and am waiting on a reply to my query now.

DD

[Greenguy]

From what I read, it effects anyone that has a paysite or paysites processing with them & making over $1k a week - those companies will have to "register their company with the Chamber of Commerce in the Netherlands, to ensure the right registration with VISA and MasterCard."

This is also about a month old, so anyone that is doing over $1k should have been notified by now.

I did find one site in my admin that switched over to a different billing company

Looks like I have a few links to verify today

[docholly]

I logged into live chat at verotel.. and < help terry > told me that some of the banks are refusing to process for sites that have words like ****** (the object of humbert's affection) in their titles or sites. or the words little when it is accompanied by girl/boy etc.

she said if anyone wanted further information .. the risk management dept would be happy to answer.

riskmgmt@verotel.com

[Greenguy]

Here's a list of sites that I'm sending traffic to via Verotel that don't have them as a payment option

Program: http://www.chezchris.ca/webmasters/chriscash/main.html
Link Code: http://links.verotel.com/cgi-bin/sho...04000000443449

Program: http://ariannasplace.com/webmaster.html
Link Code: http://links.verotel.com/cgi-bin/sho...04000000443449

I think that the XXXXX in vercode=XXXXX:9804000000443449 is hwat you'd need to search for to remove these sites.

As far as I can tell, the other programs that I am promoting via Verotel are still using them for processing - I'll go thru them again after the 1st to make sure

[T Pat]

Jeez this thread just about gave me a heart attack.
I've been useing verotel since Globil bit the big one.
They did notify all the merchants a couple months ago about useing company name on invoices and registering with the Chamber of Commerace said they would contact merchants that needed to change. They never contacted me, of course my site isn't bringing in $1000 a week yet either.
I used there merchant support today and it took them most of the day to get the problem fixed but other than that I have no complaints get my weekly check like clock work

[Cleo]

I don't have a lot that use Verotel. chezchris.ca was the only one that I had without a Verotel join option. I deleted a few others because I didn't like their tours. LOL

[T Pat]

Dear Patrick Bray,

Verotel has an important update about an important subject:
Verotel Pro and Verotel Ticketsclub.


VEROTEL PRO WEBMASTERS, CHANGED IPSP REGULATIONS PER APRIL 1ST
==============================================================

Starting April 1st 2004 VISA and MasterCard require that there is
more transparency regarding larger merchants for which Verotel
processes. End-users need to know which company they are dealing
with when they are using their credit card on the Internet.
This is good for your business and ours, as it will reduce the number
of chargebacks and complaints.

The solution is that larger merchants will need to show their
company name on the descriptor portion of credit card
statements. Currently the name 'VEROTEL' shows up on an enduser's
credit card statement. Webmasters that process, on average,
more than USD 1,000 a week, have been selected in February to
become a VEROTEL PRO customer, and it is required that the webmaster's
company name is shown on the descriptor.

The affected webmasters have been notified by registered/courier
mail and by e-mail.

Please note that starting May 1st 2004, everybody can become a
Verotel Pro customer, regardless of the amount of weekly processing
volume. At that time there is a one time registration fee of
USD 1,500.00 and an annual fee of USD 250.00.

The current preselected group of Verotel Pro customers do not have
to pay any one-time registration fee -and- their annual fee is waived
until January 1st 2006.


VEROTEL CUSTOMERS THAT ARE NOT SELECTED TO BECOME A VEROTEL PRO
CUSTOMER WILL BE A VEROTEL TICKETSCLUB CUSTOMER STARTING APRIL 15TH.
===================================================================

Starting April 15th 2004 Verotel wants to gain more control
over its portfolio with merchants, processing for smaller websites.

That's why Verotel introduces the Ticketsclub (www.ticketsclub.com)
for all Verotel merchants, that have not been selected to become
a Verotel Pro customer. With Ticketsclub, Verotel can actively
monitor endusers that bought a subscription for your website,
reducing the number of fraudulent transactions.

All future Verotel Ticketsclub accounts stay free of charge. However,
some restrictions will be introduced:

- all members being subscribed to a Verotel Ticketsclub merchant
website should login every time at www.ticketsclub.com. That
means that that MEMBERS button link should be replaced on all
Verotel Ticketsclub merchant websites.

- all members being subscribed to a Verotel Ticketsclub merchant
website are being monitored, each time they login to www.ticketsclub.com.
The login information will be shared with all Verotel Ticketsclub
merchants in the Verotel Control Center.

- all websites, owned by a Verotel Ticketsclub merchant, should
be described more detailed in a so called 'Website profile'
by the Verotel Ticketsclub merchant.

- for all credit card, US Check, and Direct Debit Europe transactions
a non-negotiable fixed fee of 14.5% will be charged for all transactions.
There is a 1.5% surcharge for recurring transactions. Please note that
all previous discounts and surcharges will be cancelled for
Verotel Ticketsclub customers starting April 15th.

Please read the full story at:
http://www.verotel.com/new_ipsp.html

You can see on the first page of the Verotel Control Center
if you are a selected Verotel Pro or a future Verotel Ticketsclub merchant.

If you have any questions about our company policy regarding
Verotel Pro and Verotel Ticketsclub, don't hestitate to email
us at compliance@verotel.com.

We thank you for your business and we hope that we both can
increase our sales and security using these new rules and
regulations.

Kind regards,



Verotel Management
Amsterdam - Netherlands

I hate changes

[tiny]

Well I can tell you this we recieved that email on 3/31/04.But the twist that pissed us off was the actually suspened our account.
Verotel,never gave us any warning that we were not complaint and Believe we are because we also use ccbill and had satified them with our sites.
Verotel will pull your account without notice,but they hate it when our lawyers slap them silly for doing stupid shit.
We were awarte of the transparency letter we got and took care of it.The main reason we decided to put most of the funds with them for processing was they didn't have knuckle heads doing stupid shit like ccbill.
We were in fact the first to change or name before and i mean months visa came down on the word l****a,but kept school hehe we have always been kinda proactive but you'd be surprised the shit they come up with .
And HELL NO theres nothing underage or has ever been on or sites.
We have yet to get a response also from them we just tell the members t ocancel demand a refund and use the other billing company or change it back.Lets see what happens from here but we're pretty much done with them after 3yrs of service.
Don't know if I should but what the hell heres a letter haha

Dear PJ:



This email correspondence is sent in follow up to my client’s initial response to your notice of funds withholding. It appears that your company may be in breach of its duties to remit the appropriate funds to our client in accordance with your fiduciary obligations as a billing processor. If you have any evidence that our client has posted any illegal or underage content, please forward links immediately for our review and further action. We take any allegations of involvement with child pornography very seriously, and intend to investigate this matter to the fullest extent. If, on the other hand, there is no evidence of underage content, such allegations may be considered defamatory, and subject to a demand for retraction, or further formal action.



If the basis for withholding of funds is premised upon ‘virtual’ underage content, or models who are over the age of 18, but who appear to be younger, such content should not form the basis for any concern on the part of Verotel or Visa/MC. It has been conclusively held by the U.S. Supreme Court in the Free Speech Coalition v. Ashcroft case, that sexually-oriented material involving young-looking adults is fully protected by the First Amendment. Aside from this constitutional protection, there would be no workable set of criteria that could be developed to determine whether our client was operating within Verotel’s tolerance levels relating to such content. In other words, your classification of simulated underage content could well be different than mine or anyone else’s classification, due to the lack of any written guidelines or criteria to determine same. If you have received instructions from Visa/MC relating to young-looking adult content, please forward a copy of those regulations to my attention, along with a list of links to any content that you contend violate those regulations.



Frankly, it defies logic and common sense for Verotel to simply claim that illegal content exists on our client’s site, and, without any evidence or opportunity to respond, announce that your company intends to penalize our client by suspending the account and withholding funds for a period of 6 months. Such actions, at the very least, will be considered a violation of your bailment responsibilities relating to the subject funds, and may give rise to claims for conversion or civil theft. It is our hope that this matter can be resolved amicably, in accordance with reasonable business practices and procedures. Accordingly, please feel free to contact me to discuss a negotiated resolution of this matter.



Sincerely.



/s/

Lawrence G. Walters, Esq.

Weston, Garrou & DeWitt

www.FirstAmendment.com

781 Douglas Ave.

Altamonte Springs, FL 32714

407.389.4529

[Angel]

Thanks for posting this letter! Please let us know what Verotel's response.
Concerning the Ticketsclub, doesn't it look like an ARS system? It appears that all sites making under 1k will only be able to sell a ticket at $19.95 and access will be given to the member for the club allowing them to get entry into EVERY site listed. Am I getting this wrong?

[T Pat]

Hi Angel
I don’t think it’s going to work like an ARS and all programs don’t have to sell for $19.95
The Tickets Club details are kind of sketchy ,

Welcome to TicketsClub
TicketsClub is the Internet's premier club to manage information and entertainment websites.
Your TicketsClub account number and password allows you to get instant access to websites or content you have subscribed for.
Subscriptions are starting from USD 3.75 up to USD 75.00! As an TicketsClub member, you will receive great discounts on other websites in the same categories you fancy!
TicketsClub is discrete. We keep all the information you provide to us safe and secure on our servers in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Your information will never be sold or traded with anybody else.
Becoming a member of TicketsClub is easy and free. Just complete the signup procedure and let us know what information you fancy. We then will search in our database what TicketsClub Websites are found that match your pattern.

I can’t find anyplace else on there site that talks about merchants discounting there programs for Tickets Club Members.

I hate changes

[Angel]

Thanks for clrearing that up. Its reasuring for the smaller guy who isn't considered a pro merchant by verotel.

[Vendzilla]

Thanks for this thread, I just signed up with them for my first paysite and I'm trying to figure out the code that they want me to upload.
Seem like a good company and havn't heard anything bad about them!

[NotThatKevin]

I emailed verotel because I was concerned that all the other Verotel sites would have access to my content area and this is their response.

Dear Kevin,

Yes, if you keep your members button available for all existing
members (that keep on recurring) then we keep on billing for you.

Please note that you won't lose control over your copyright(ed)
content of your website or your members area. Only YOUR members
(who paid at your website for a ticketsclub membership) can
login to your members area. Ticketsclub is not an AVS system.
Also, Verotel will sometimes take a look at your content to
see if they fit the content regulations.

Please let me know if you have any further questions,
with kind regards,

Joost Zuurbier
Verotel

[T Pat]

Originally posted by Vendzilla
Thanks for this thread, I just signed up with them for my first paysite and I'm trying to figure out the code that they want me to upload.
Seem like a good company and havn't heard anything bad about them!

Vendzilla Just call or email support they will install the code for you.
I recently changed hosting company's and lost some sales becouse the server path wasn't changed.
I have no complaints with Verotel been useing them since july

[Vendzilla]

Originally posted by TijuanaPat
Vendzilla Just call or email support they will install the code for you.

Yeah I signed up for there install, waiting for the weekend to be over. The thing that got me to sign-up with them is all the different ways they take payment, a customer can even pay with there cell phone account with a NT payment. Just like they do in those Soda Machine commercials. I know that's big in countries like Korea and Japan and thru-out the EU. I just want to keep my bases covered, since this is my first paysite.

[T Pat]

I've had 4 people join my site through the 900 number. First one was 12-12-03 guess it takes longer for the phone billing to clear becouse I still haven't been paid on any of them. Checks seem to take an extra week to clear. Glad most new members use Credit Cards

[Vendzilla]

Damn, that's along time, but I've heard that before. Credit cards would be the best route, but the extra options don't hurt!