Sponsors Minimum Payouts

[koolkat]

I am just wondering if anyone else is experiencing similar situations regarding minimum payouts, sales, and traffic. I have noticed on several occasions that I will sign up for a new program and start promoting them. Very quickly I will receive get sale or two (typically within a few days). Then basically the bottom falls out. Hits sent are equal or greater to when I generated sales, but any other sales seem to become pretty much non-existent. Of course I am always just below the minimum payout threshold, so I don't get paid! I have also noticed that sponsors are raising the minimum payout thresholds. I guess pretty soon you will have to make over $1000 to get paid.
There is one sponsor that I generated a sale 3 years ago and hasn't generated anything since, so they have held on to my measly $30 or so for the last 3 years. I am sure this is the programs way of making money by holding on to it as long as they can (or even forever), but I believe that after a certain period of time (ex. 6 month) they should payout even if you haven't met the threshold. I may be unrealistic here since buyers are unpredictable people, but it just seems fishy that you do so well in the beginning, but then fall flat on your face just before it is time to be paid!