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iBill not paying their customers going on 4 months (Internet)

By RatOmeter
Mon Feb 14th, 2005 at 05:49:33 AM EST

Internet

iBill's purpose in business is to provide an easy-to-use, secure means of accepting online payments. Most web-fronted business are happy to let iBill skim a little off the top to avoid the hassle of handling payments themselves. Lately, they've been skimming it all.


The owner of one high-traffic site says "(IBill) has not been paying out for almost 4 months now." For a busy operation like his (not the forum board in that last link), 4 months with no cashflow has got to be nerve-wracking and maybe business-wrecking to boot.

Since iBill is apparently the world's largest internet payment service, how many other business are being strung along? If it turns out to be a house of cards that falls like another ENRON, there will doubtless be many little guys taken down with it.

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iBill not paying their customers going on 4 months | 76 comments (54 topical, 22 editorial, 1 hidden)
BOOORRIIIING! (1.00 / 7) (#69)
by ShiftyStoner on Fri Feb 18th, 2005 at 05:12:30 PM EST
http://www.cannabis.com/untoldstory/hemp_9.shtml

Like I give a fuck about what this company is doing. There are a lot of shady people, doing alot of shady things. A lot of shady buisnesses doing fucked up shit. No Big deal.

Well, acctualy this should have been placed under humor, it is funny that all those dumb ass motherfuckers got ganked.
( @ )'( @ ) The broad masses of a population are more amenable to the appeal of rhetoric than to any other force. - Adolf Hitler

on the private webmaster login (none / 0) (#68)
by circletimessquare on Fri Feb 18th, 2005 at 02:40:17 AM EST
(at gmail dot com)

Company Update 02/17/05

Dear Clients,

We would like to update you on several recent events that have occurred at iBill.

On January 21st it was announced that Interactive Brand Development ("IBD"), a publicly traded company, had acquired iBill and began committing the resources necessary to return iBill to a respectable and profitable status. For your information, IBD's assets also include a 36.5% stake in Penthouse Media Group, significant investments in broadband TV and interactive media properties.

IBD's decision to acquire iBill was based upon a full understanding of the issues facing iBill's business, and we are focusing our energies and resources on achieving a turn around at iBill both through financial settlement with our clients and exploiting our innovative and secure products for current and future business.

IBD has engaged a top-tier restructuring firm to oversee the day to day operations and management of iBill in cooperation with IBD's senior executives. As such, IBD is confident that iBill will be managed with proper corporate governance.

As part of this turn around initiative, iBill obtained an initial $2.0 million investment on December 30. Based on the plan being established in conjunction with our consultants, iBill and IBD have arranged for additional capital injections into iBill above this amount with a view of supporting and growing iBill while it continues to resolve the effects of the September 16th events.

Over the last five months there have been announcements regarding the funding of past due amounts. One of the first objectives of IBD's management will be to address this primary concern through an organized and cohesive plan. This plan will be rolled out in the next few weeks and will supercede any previous announcements or commitments. We expect to update you on this progress no later than March 9th, 2005.

As you may be aware, Cathy Beardsley, iBill's President, has announced that she will be leaving iBill to pursue other interests. While IBD regrets Cathy's departure we note that she chose both in the interests of iBill's clients and employees to remain at iBill during the very difficult months of uncertainty while IBD evaluated iBill's business. It is largely due to her efforts that IBD was able to feel comfortable in our ability to address iBill's financial issues and complete this acquisition to the benefit of iBill's clients. Over the next 30 days, Cathy will be working with IBD management to ensure the finalization of the First Data reserve release as well as the implementation of the Inteca trusted third party payment program for our European clients. She may also continue to work with iBill on a freelance basis going forward.

IBD recognizes that iBill's clients have been through a difficult period caused primarily by events now rumored to be affecting others in our industry. Our experience in dealing with these same events has resulted in the implementation of the gkard debit card payment solution. This secure product has been tried and tested over the past several months to the benefit of many of iBill's clients. As part of a new and strong organization, iBill stands ready to apply our experience and these products to existing and future clients.

Sincerely

Interactive Brand Development Inc.


He who desires but acts not, breeds pestilence.
- William Blake


Consider the source, folks (3.00 / 3) (#63)
by johnbartley on Mon Feb 14th, 2005 at 08:19:08 PM EST
http://kiloseven.blogspot.com

The sole source for this story appears to be the "New York Daily Times" website.. which uses the original name of The New York Times, but instead appears just to recycle other stories. Is it trying to transfer the cred of the Gray Lady to itself? Make your own judgement, folks.

The story itself also appears at <http://www.oregonherald.com/n/special-reports/internet-billing-company-fraud.htm>

That "Oregon Herald" also attaches itself to a historical newspaper name, with nothing as far as I can see to substantiate any adherance to standard practices of journalism. In fact, <http://www.oregonherald.com/home.htm?m=about> is nearly comic in its lust for anything resembling copy, as this bon mot from the end of that page indicates: We offer news publication for your rews releases.

It incorporated in 2003 as per Oregon's Secretary of State:
<http://egov.sos.state.or.us/br/pkg_web_name_srch_inq.show_detl?p_be_rsn=950606&p_srce=BR_INQ&p_print=FALSE>

The author name, "Lawrence Kiminski", appears nowhere else after a Google search.

And, reading the story itself, I don't see any reference to primary sources.


Known? How? (none / 0) (#56)
by cdguru on Mon Feb 14th, 2005 at 12:19:29 PM EST

There are a lot of comments below that fall into the "you should have taken heed" as if there was a lot of warnings about this particular company. Huh? OK, so any company that processes credit card payments for porn has to be a little bit on the odd side, but is that the extent of the "warnings"?

We use "internet merchants" to sell software and it turns out that Digital River has bought up all of the various services that we were using. So, now it is just about all Digital River. Things change.

Who else does "internet credit card billing" for small-time sales?

-1, internet & capitalism (1.00 / 6) (#46)
by vera on Sun Feb 13th, 2005 at 02:44:31 PM EST
(verasalero.at.gmail)



Hyperbole, anyone? (3.00 / 2) (#10)
by Patrick Bateman on Fri Feb 11th, 2005 at 11:53:18 PM EST
(patrick_bateman_10005 at Yahoo!) http://lyingmofo.ohskylab.com/bee.php

From the "New York Daily Times" article:
iBill has become one of the most reviled, despised, mistrusted, and suspicious companies on the Internet, with business practices reminiscent of Nazi Germany.

---
I have to return some videotapes.

They're just following (2.50 / 4) (#9)
by 3waygeek on Fri Feb 11th, 2005 at 08:52:44 PM EST

the Army's example.

WTF, over? (3.00 / 4) (#8)
by Tyler Durden on Fri Feb 11th, 2005 at 06:37:41 PM EST

Hmmm, after 4 days of not being paid, I'd have transferred my account out and been on the phone to any government agency I could think of to complain.    After a month, I'd have a lawyer on their ass.  By the 4th month, it's time for alternative justice.

iBill customers are going to get screwed on this.  That's a given.  The only question is how much.  Happily I'm not one.

Jesus Christ, EVERYONE is a troll here at k5, even the editors, even rusty! -- LilDebbie

So...what have you done? (2.62 / 8) (#4)
by thelizman on Fri Feb 11th, 2005 at 05:52:45 PM EST
(hammerattack.yahoo@com) http://www.andrewkrause.com

Have you contacted Attorney General of the State in which the Business is located? Has anyone filed a complaint with the FTC (who has jurisdiction under 15 USC-1693)? Or have all you done so far is to complain to a bunch of trolls on K5?

Christ people, this is big money. I threaten to firebomb people who owe me more than $50.
--

"Our language is sufficiently clumsy enough to allow us to believe foolish things." - George Orwell
they owe me a couple of grand (3.00 / 4) (#1)
by circletimessquare on Fri Feb 11th, 2005 at 04:42:07 PM EST
(at gmail dot com)

i had to go with ccbill

i'm as pissed as you are, and have no idea what to do

it's got something to do with ibill being sold to some company called ibd... which was just delisted from amex

http://home.businesswire.com/portal/site/google/index.jsp?ndmViewId=news_view&am; p;newsId=20050124005888&newsLang=en

http://home.businesswire.com/portal/site/google/index.jsp?ndmViewId=news_view&am; p;newsId=20050210005796&newsLang=en

and the little guys, you and me, suffer for this bullshit which has nothing to do with us ;-(


He who desires but acts not, breeds pestilence.
- William Blake


iBill not paying their customers going on 4 months | 76 comments (54 topical, 22 editorial, 1 hidden)
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