How Associated Content Rips Off Their Writers
First I should explain what Associated Content is. Associated Content is a place where anyone who thinks they can write can get paid for their work. The only problem is they play favorites, and I’m not just saying this because I’ve been burned by them. I’m saying this because of my experience, my sisters experience, my cousins experience, my brothers experience, and my fellow staff members experience. If you feel this isn’t enough to back up my facts, join and see for yourself.
When you submit an article for publication to Associated Content and you submit it to be paid, and it’s not content they have requested, and if you aren’t one of their pets, you will get low-balled with anywhere from $3 - $5 for an offer of payment. Where as other companies will pay you much more for publications. If you have submitted it as non-exclusive and resubmit it as exclusive you are meant to be paid more, but often times this is not the case. I’ve submitted one as exclusive and got a low offer, so resubmitted it as non-exclusive and got paid more. When I took the time to post this in the forum, it shocked people as they had never heard that happening before. But it’s just one of the many rip offs Associated Content does to their writers. They seem to think writers are so desperate that they can keep ripping them off and they will take it.
Added to it, Associated Content pays $1.50 per 1000 views, or so they lie… I mean claim. But if you take the time to take a close look at your published content stats you will discover how they don’t even pay 50 cents per 1000 views. Here’s a copy from my sisters account 6,031 page views, paid $2.76. I don’t know but that sounds like fraud to me, but when you file a bbb.org report against Associated Content, they ignore your problem thus the Better Business Bureau closes the case and you get nothing solved. As even more proof of the rip off that Associated Content does about page views is at one point Associated Content removed over $2000 from their writers accounts. They claimed it was a glitch that was going on for some time.
When you have a website that you promote your hard work on linked to your profile, Associated Content removes your links and threatens that you will be banned, yet when their pets add their links, their email address and sell themselves like a prostitute they do nothing, regardless who reports the violation against their very clear terms on this matter. And, added to that, they give one of their biggest term breakers an award which made her breaching of the TOS all the more obvious.
The best part is, when you have published your work you are encouraged to spam, to sign up family and friends to subscribe to your work and you can freely add anyone to your content and they would never be any wiser. There is no confirmation mailer sent out that you’ve been added. I know this because my one sister got bombed with being added to loads of people she didn’t even sign up for. And don’t we get enough spam so we really need Associated Content promoting it?
If you are caught advertising your work your account is closed because you aren’t meant to promote it but only sign people up for spam.
Also, Associated Content has sent out surveys and had “gatherings” with promises of free gifts which they have no intention of ever handing out. I know this because I was one of many who was promised a gift and never received it. When I contacted them about it, both in the forum, and in personal email they ignored all communication. However after finally contacting the bbb.org Sam admitted they never promised a free gift, yet I have a copy of the email and survey which did. When I proved it, someone other then Sam replied and lied claiming that there was a drawing and they sent prizes out to certain people. There was no drawing, it was very clear that they asked our information in order to send us our free gift. It’s very clear in the forum, that NO ONE got anything.
When it comes to referrals Associated Content has flipped flopped back and forth from payments to not. If you refer too many people you will not be paid for them, unless once again you are one of their pets. Their pets are easy to find as they promote them over everyone else, and they ALL have their email address in their profile.
The only way to get your payback from Associated Content is, create a new account as new accounts with first published articles will get paid the highest amount for their first published article, and it doesn’t even have to be submitted as exclusive content. Anywhere from $7 - $12.
By: Amy Lynn
Published: 04/28/08
Published: 04/28/08
12 Posted Comments:
@ 10:32 am 04/28/08 by c.a. Marks
WOW. That's it, I'm deleting my account and cutting all ties with Associated Content. I don't use it anymore anyway.
Reply to this CommentIt is about time someone said these things and made it public, putting AC in their place. I feel we ALL need to email this link to them and laugh, well deserved two thumbs up! I am impressed! Thank you Amy for FINALLY saying ALL of the truth, YES TRUTH!
Reply to this CommentPayback?
@ 1:43 pm 04/29/08 by Rick"The only way to get your payback from Associated Content is, create a new account as new accounts with first published articles will get paid the highest amount for their first published article, and it doesn’t even have to be submitted as exclusive content. Anywhere from $7 - $12."
Actually, the way to get "payback" from AC - which is a BUSINESS, not a charity, by the way - is to write high-quality articles. Gaming the system is not how to "get payback" or stay in their good graces.
Why is this so hard to understand? Oh, right. You wanted something for nothing.
Reply to this CommentActually, the way to get "payback" from AC - which is a BUSINESS, not a charity, by the way - is to write high-quality articles. Gaming the system is not how to "get payback" or stay in their good graces.
Why is this so hard to understand? Oh, right. You wanted something for nothing.
@ 12:32 pm 07/17/08 by Rosa Hayes
I totally agree with you. I write for AC and love it there. I feel that most who down them are the ones who did something that they weren't suppose to do. i have received everything that I was suppose to from AC and enjoy them very much.
I love conspiracy theorists!
@ 3:11 pm 04/29/08 by JenniferThey're so entertaining. Isn't it interesting how the writers with the worst performance cry the most about AC keeping them down?
Reply to this CommentThere are so many things wrong with this rant, I'm not sure where to start.
The example of your sister's page view report, doesn't show AC's thievery. It only shows that you didn't read the report correctly. The number of views is a life-time accrual. The dollar amount is accrued since the last month's pay out. AC does pay $1.50/1000 PV as advertised. Your figures show that 1840 of the 6,031 page views occurred in the last month.
"They claimed it was a glitch that was going on for some time." It was a double-count of PVs that was caught. AC didn't take money away from anyone. They simply didn't pay you money they didn't owe you.
I don't understand any of your problems with being promotional. AC encourages its writers to promote, but they encourage you to promote your AC material. Perhaps you were doing to much extra-site promotions at AC? That, they frown on and it's understandable.
"I know this because my one sister got bombed with being added to loads of people she didn't even sign up for." You can't blame AC for the actions of a few desperate people who added your sister to their subscription lists. They couldn't have done so unless they knew her email address. The lesson here is, don't be too free with that type of information.
"If you are caught advertising your work your account is closed because you aren't meant to promote it but only sign people up for spam." This is blatantly wrong.
You didn't get stickers or a free tee-shirt and that is BBB worthy? Come on.
"When it comes to referrals Associated Content has flipped flopped..." No they haven't. They stopped paying for referrals over a year ago. Too many people were creating fake accounts, just to collect the $5.
If anyone follows your last paragraph's advice, they will surely be banned from AC.
I'm sorry your AC experience didn't go swimmingly, but this rant is so littered with erroneous information, I felt compelled to respond.
Reply to this CommentThe example of your sister's page view report, doesn't show AC's thievery. It only shows that you didn't read the report correctly. The number of views is a life-time accrual. The dollar amount is accrued since the last month's pay out. AC does pay $1.50/1000 PV as advertised. Your figures show that 1840 of the 6,031 page views occurred in the last month.
"They claimed it was a glitch that was going on for some time." It was a double-count of PVs that was caught. AC didn't take money away from anyone. They simply didn't pay you money they didn't owe you.
I don't understand any of your problems with being promotional. AC encourages its writers to promote, but they encourage you to promote your AC material. Perhaps you were doing to much extra-site promotions at AC? That, they frown on and it's understandable.
"I know this because my one sister got bombed with being added to loads of people she didn't even sign up for." You can't blame AC for the actions of a few desperate people who added your sister to their subscription lists. They couldn't have done so unless they knew her email address. The lesson here is, don't be too free with that type of information.
"If you are caught advertising your work your account is closed because you aren't meant to promote it but only sign people up for spam." This is blatantly wrong.
You didn't get stickers or a free tee-shirt and that is BBB worthy? Come on.
"When it comes to referrals Associated Content has flipped flopped..." No they haven't. They stopped paying for referrals over a year ago. Too many people were creating fake accounts, just to collect the $5.
If anyone follows your last paragraph's advice, they will surely be banned from AC.
I'm sorry your AC experience didn't go swimmingly, but this rant is so littered with erroneous information, I felt compelled to respond.
Are you out of your mind?
@ 10:22 am 05/01/08 by Lucinda GunninLet me set this out as simply as I can for the author who apparently cannot read.
AC does have some differences in the base pay offered, including paying more to people who actively promote their work. But I have done absolutely nothing to promote my work and routinely earn more than $3 to $5 per article.
Barefoot already pointed out the problem with your page view rant, so let me address your attack on a fine human being and friend of writers everywhere. The content producer you speak of is a professional. When she had lower offers, she asked why and changed her approach to fit AC's needs. She also promotes her website in the appropriate manner. If you read the rules, you could do this too.
She also refrains from libelling other people which you have come dangerously close to doing. If I recall my media law classes properly, libel requires identification and damage to a person's reputation. Since anyone family with AC or who does a search for AC awards can find the person you mentioned, the first criteria is met.
The second criteria might be harder to prove as I don't think most rational people will believe your erroneous statements. However, I think you are lucky that the Lady involved has better manners than you do.
I fear that if your AC articles were as one-sided and poorly researched as this is, I know why you had problems with them.
Reply to this CommentAC does have some differences in the base pay offered, including paying more to people who actively promote their work. But I have done absolutely nothing to promote my work and routinely earn more than $3 to $5 per article.
Barefoot already pointed out the problem with your page view rant, so let me address your attack on a fine human being and friend of writers everywhere. The content producer you speak of is a professional. When she had lower offers, she asked why and changed her approach to fit AC's needs. She also promotes her website in the appropriate manner. If you read the rules, you could do this too.
She also refrains from libelling other people which you have come dangerously close to doing. If I recall my media law classes properly, libel requires identification and damage to a person's reputation. Since anyone family with AC or who does a search for AC awards can find the person you mentioned, the first criteria is met.
The second criteria might be harder to prove as I don't think most rational people will believe your erroneous statements. However, I think you are lucky that the Lady involved has better manners than you do.
I fear that if your AC articles were as one-sided and poorly researched as this is, I know why you had problems with them.
I agree
@ 7:59 pm 05/03/08 by An Unhappy AC C.P.I absolutely agree that AC plays favorites. When you go into their forum areas, they have a very obvious social click that comprises their list of favorites. Though they deny being a "Clique", favorites they absolutely ARE!
I LOVED YOUR POST HERE!
Reply to this CommentI LOVED YOUR POST HERE!
@ 8:02 pm 05/03/08 by An Unhappy AC C.P.
Another issue i have with AC is that they allow for gangland attacks on people who do not "Conform" to the ways and liking of their favorited pets. I've witnessed all kinds of abuse in their forum like this and AC Admin basically does NOTHING about it. These CPs complain about not being accepted for various writing positions simply because they're AC CPs, yet these same people fail to acknowledge the idea that their grossly immature and unprofessional behavior might absolutely attribute to their lack of professional writing gigs.
Reply to this CommentAC reply
@ 5:35 pm 05/26/08 by AmandaFIrst of all lets not judge people we dont know. The truth hurts. I wonder about them too. I believe they lure you in by paying for all your articles upfront then start declining. This is just a theory. Why not promote everyone and give them a chance to be one the front page? I agree with 'pets'. Someone suggested they promote certain writers.
Reply to this Comment@ 11:48 am 06/10/08 by Anna
I agree that they underpay, but at least they pay. I wrote a nice article about how businesses can best use craigslist to find workers, and make it easy for the workers to find them. I couldn't find a business publication that would pay for it, so I got $5 from AC. Would I have preferred to target it? Yes. Did I see other articles like it out there? No. But was it worth the hassle to find a business publication to post it, and still not get paid? No.
Reply to this CommentAssociated Content
@ 3:19 am 07/18/08 by OsirisI used to be with AC, but unfortunately at that time they did not allow anyone outside of US to earn from their writing. It has high quality content and appears to be a good site. Thanks for reminding me of their existence, think a re-visit might be in order.
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