Monday, October 27, 2008

Payment Promised...

UPDATE
They did pay this Designer monies owed her...but you know, they never should have withheld this money regardless, it saddens me that this Designer had to go through this, and as I learn more about this particular site...it truely isn't where I want to spend my money!!! I really don't want my monies to be held from anyone...and that is exactly what this site did, even if it was only for a short period of time!!! Withholding someones pay is just not right!!! I will say that there truly are some awesome designers at this site, and while I would love to have their product, I will not support that type of business, which means I cannot purchase from them, for that I am sorry!!! I am sure if those designers were in the same shoes as other designers that have left, they would want the same support.

I was out camping this weekend and got back a bit late, thus I am not posting this update until now. I did go read the designers blog when I got home to find that she was emailed that her final check would be mailed out on Monday. Now, I think she did the "classy and high road" thing by immediately posting this as soon as she found out about, rather than waiting until the promised check was in hand, cause it's not yours until you get it...kwim??? But she went ahead to let the digi community know that the check was promised to be mailed and infact said once it is all sorted out that she will remove the post from her blog, which is again a "classy and high road" thing to do!!!
Now it was stated to me before they removed my post at the site I posted at that they would discuss this with me in private, so I pm'd the CEO and what I was told that they had legal right to withhold her money. Well, you know I don't see anywhere that it is right to withhold an employee's final check, it's just not proper or legal from what I have read.
Then there is also the other side of it, if they were totally legal to withhold the check, why back down and set presidence for future final employees (cause ya know, there will be more that leave I am sure!!!) Some would say to be nice...come on bottom line "It's business", Right!?! and paying one former employee their money, does set a presidence for anything future, unless contracts are changed. So for me personally, I don't buy that it is to be "nice" but rather they didn't have a legal right to this designers money, and while I will wait to decide what to do with the rest of my GC in their store (most likely will donate it in their "Breast Cancer Awareness" Day, it's suppose to go 100% to the cause), I have pretty much decided I won't be spending my monies where I don't think they are on the up and up!!!
Also, it has been said that I need to be careful what I post on this blog...but I would like to say that, all entries of mine on this blog are just my thoughts and concerns and my way of journaling my way through those thoughts and concerns...they are only my opinions, you can take them or leave them, doesn't matter to me.

Friday, October 24, 2008

Piracy...does it happen where you don't expect???

Tonight I went to a site to ask a ligimate question, since I at one time purchased extensively at that site, and happen to want to support the talented designers at it, and within two minutes my post was closed for discussion...I wonder why??? And now I have been totally CENSORED!!! The thread has been totally deleted for none to see, hmmm...again, I wonder why???
Here is what I posted...

Are You Committing Piracy?
With the thread started by Margie about the Great Exodus at DSP and her sharing private business concerns that should have been left between employer/employee (which the thread has now been edited to delete a lot of what was shared). I now have concerns regarding how DSP handles the distribution of funds to their employees whether that be past or present. I am referring to the post at a former designer blog that is upset due to non payment for her sales in September and NO response from DSP regarding her payment. I am concerned over this, because as a customer that likes to help, promote and support the great talented ladies from DSP, I would be very concerned and upset to know that my monies that I use at this site are not being distributed as what I would expect when I purchase something. I also know that I depend on the money my employer pays me when it is due and that it be on time. Also, that in no way or form would I expect them to withhold any of that money, for any amount of time, no matter what, I depend on my income.
And while it seems she tried to handle this situation privately, there comes a time that you have to speak out for yourself, much like a couple of current DSP Designers did on their blogs about non payment for papers they made for a Printing Company that didn’t pay them.
According to this former designer, her payment should have arrived on the 15th of the month, and here it is the 24th and she has not had any money and only one vague response from DSP regarding her funds, which she says she asked for clarification on the vague response and had still heard nothing.
So DSP what is up with that???
There was a question within her statement which is making me think and realize it is something that we as consumers need to be aware of no matter where or how prestigious the site is when purchasing products online..."Could this be considered Piracy?" Something to think about when and where we are spending our money and wanting it to be distributed fairly and timely!!!

Reply by Margie (CEO and Buckeye Fan)
I will gladly discuss this with you privately, but I won't break our commitment to non-disclosure, but fyi, no we are not committing piracy.

While I would say this is defineately a contriversal issue, it is an issue as a consumer I have the right to know. As a consumer I want to know if I am contributing to piracy, wouldn't you???

So does cutting off the post with the reply mean that no matter what they do, they can do it because they are above it all. Well I guess so since I have now been totally CENSORED!!! So, am I to take their word that it's not piracy, well I looked up that word in the dictionary...and this is what it says...

pi·ra·cy (pī'rə-sē) Pronunciation Key
n. pl. pi·ra·cies
1. Robbery committed at sea. (well we are not at sea so this doesn't apply)
2. A similar act of robbery, as the hijacking of an airplane. (nope...not in an airplane)
3. The operation of an unlicensed, illegal radio or television station. (naw not this one either)
4. The unauthorized use or reproduction of copyrighted or patented material: software piracy. (hmmm...not paid for I would think that is unauthorized, BINGO!!!)

I really must do some more research on this, hmmm I think that DST would be a good place to start...