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|| SportsShooter.com: Member Message Board
AP Paying on Time??
Sean DuFrene, Photographer
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southern california | ca | united states | Posted: 6:36 PM on 09.16.08 |
| ->> are they notorious for taking for ever to pay? anyone have any helpful tools around this situation? i know they are moving to a direct deposit program, which should speed things up, but damn they are taking a long time with some older invoices. |
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Bradly J. Boner, Photographer, Photo Editor
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Jackson | WY | USA | Posted: 7:12 PM on 09.16.08 |
->> Hmmmm... first they come up with an all rights-grabbing contract, follow it up with a half-baked new one that's supposed to entice shooters to come work for them but only damages the business of freelancing, and NOW they're taking their sweet time to pay the photographers whose rights they're hoarding?
It's a wonder anyone is working for them at all... |
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Kevin Clifford, Photographer
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Reno | NV | United States | Posted: 7:51 PM on 09.16.08 |
| ->> It takes about a month or so to get paid. You can also call the person who assigned you to see where you stand at getting paid. |
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Mike Shepherd, Photographer
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Wichita | KS | USA | Posted: 8:11 PM on 09.16.08 |
| ->> I'm still waiting to get paid for an assignment in May. |
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Sean DuFrene, Photographer
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southern california | ca | united states | Posted: 5:16 PM on 09.17.08 |
| ->> this is f%$#ing rediculous. they wouldn't be who they are without their freelance base. |
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Bob Levey, Photographer
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Richmond/Houston | TX | USA | Posted: 5:21 PM on 09.17.08 |
->> I have no problems here in Texas.....and now they have madated direct deposit....Im gettin my $$$$...
Bob |
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Will Powers, Photographer
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Denver | CO | USA | Posted: 6:21 PM on 09.17.08 |
| ->> In the local office they pay on Fridays. We've had some busy weeks in Denver, but they usually pay in about two weeks by direct deposit. |
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Brian Leddy, Photographer
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Gallup | NM | United States | Posted: 6:28 PM on 09.17.08 |
| ->> I won photo of the month here in New Mexico for the month of March and I'm still waiting for my money. While it is a bonus check, the fact that I've had to call half a dozen times to get everything straightened out speaks to the fact they are not trying very hard to make sure I receive my money. It certainly has affected how much and what I submit to the wire. |
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Brett Flashnick, Photographer
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Columbia | SC | United States | Posted: 1:21 AM on 09.18.08 |
| ->> I'm not having any problems getting my money, but I have been in their direct deposit system for 6-8 months now. Payment times vary depending on what department or bureau you are invoicing, because it has to do with the bureau chief or department head signing off on the invoice. For example most of work I take on through the Specials Desk (AP Images), gets paid in 2-3 weeks from when I submit the invoice, but local stuff can take between 3-4 weeks (sometimes a tad longer). Don't ask me why... That is just what I have been told. |
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Hugh E Gentry, Photographer
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Mililani | HI | USA | Posted: 4:19 AM on 09.18.08 |
| ->> Direct deposit works for me as well. Last 4 assignments no worries. Only about 2 weeks to get paid for each. Good luck. |
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Casey Templeton, Photographer
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Richmond | VA | USA | Posted: 9:15 AM on 09.18.08 |
| ->> Don't accept the contract. |
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Bradly J. Boner, Photographer, Photo Editor
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Jackson | WY | USA | Posted: 1:25 PM on 09.18.08 |
| ->> Casey... it's disheartening the number of photographers who DO accept the contract... |
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Sean DuFrene, Photographer
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southern california | ca | united states | Posted: 12:12 PM on 09.19.08 |
->> it sucks! because it's a big name backing my freelance game (potential door opener). and then it's funny that they need us (as a whole) as much as we may need them.
it just kills me that the AP treats their freelance base the way they do (in forms of payment) when they should be going out of their to help us out for the pure reason that they wouldn't be who they are with out their freelancers. what a bunch of dicks! |
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Alan Look, Photographer
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Bloomington | IL | United States | Posted: 12:36 PM on 09.19.08 |
| ->> It's pretty sad when you can make more by selling a 4x6 print. |
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Mark J. Terrill, Photographer
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Simi Valley | CA | USA | Posted: 5:52 PM on 09.19.08 |
->> "What a bunch of dicks!"
Sean,
Did it ever occur to you to call and ask what the problem is? Maybe there is a paperwork problem or some other reasonable explanation. They have hundreds of regular freelancers in this country that work everyday. Do you really think that they would keep them if not paying was the norm? Did it ever occur to you that A LOT of people see what you write?
The way you are handling this is about the most unprofessional that I've ever seen.
Mark |
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Patrick Fallon, Student/Intern, Photographer
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Columbia | MO | USA | Posted: 6:29 PM on 09.19.08 |
->> Sean,
These message boards live forever. People read these. Lots of people, some regularly, some when they get an email with a 'heads up.'
-
Have you emailed/called/asked? While I have not done anything since the direct deposit was started, Kim and Tracy from AP LA took care of everything quickly, my first check from AP was processed and I got it in a very reasonable timeframe with no problems. Sounds like something went wrong, it never hurts to talk with the right people in accounting and find out if perhaps they were waiting for an SSN or some other detail that did not get passed through. Mistakes happen!
Good luck,
Patrick |
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Steve Mitchell, Photographer
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West Palm Beach | FL | United States | Posted: 6:41 PM on 09.19.08 |
->> I also have no problem getting payed down here in South Florida. Matter of fact the turn around time is usually less then two week....
sm |
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Stew Milne, Photographer
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Providence | RI | USA | Posted: 7:15 PM on 09.19.08 |
| ->> Sniff, sniff....I smell a bridge burning. |
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Mark J. Terrill, Photographer
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Simi Valley | CA | USA | Posted: 9:25 PM on 09.19.08 |
->> "it sucks! because it's a big name backing my freelance game (potential door opener)."
Publicly bashing the oldest and largest news organization in the world without having all the facts is not the way to go about getting your foot in the door. I think that door just slammed, amputating your foot. |
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Jeff Martin, Photographer
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wellington | OH | usa | Posted: 9:35 PM on 09.19.08 |
->> Sean, you need to chill on a PUBLIC forum. I second all that Mark T. said.
Deal with the problem. Privately. You may find that they don't feel like they need you as much as you think. |
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Michael Mariant, Photographer
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Morro Bay | CA | US | Posted: 8:11 PM on 09.20.08 |
->> Sean,
Remember, this post might drop down the list to the bottom someday, but Google never forgets. As Mark said, not a good way to get your foot in the door, but also when future editors - 1 year to 5 years from now - Google your name, the last thing you want them seeing is a post with profane gripping.
I have never had billing problems with Tracy and Kim as they are very much on top of it. Any problems have always been my error, usually not getting the invoice in on a timely manner in the billing cycle. For the near decade I've been freelancing with them, the whole AP LA office has been very supportive and highly communicative.
This is a very incestuous business; be mindful of your public rants and deal with your private business concerns behind the appropriate closed doors.
Good luck. |
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Jeffery Jones, Photographer, Photo Editor
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Gallup | NM | USA | Posted: 11:55 AM on 09.21.08 |
->> Mark and Michael have some good points - to be aware of the potential backlash, but at the same time there needs to be some way of getting the word out if an organization is making a habit of things... I think of the term Un-Paid Internship. You can call that UPI for short I guess.
SO I will agree with Mark and Michael, but also say that if things are truly a problem that the WHOLE Photo COMMUNITY needs to know about, then feel free to share. Just remember that something that has you really up in arms today may be clarified and worked out next week. If you approached the public venting with professionalism then no real foul. But if you turned into attack mode you can't take it back in the cyber world. |
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Robert Hanashiro, Photographer
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Los Angeles | CA | | Posted: 10:28 PM on 09.26.08 |
->> sean,
in addition to your unprofessional comments here living forever something else to consider is learn what capitalization is.
just a tip from one of many that read the comments here and is often asked to recommend people for jobs and freelance work.
(Note: I purposely did not capitlize to emphasize my point. Photographers that do not use capital letters at the beginning of sentences or punction marks are little pet peeves of mine.) |
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David A. Cantor, Photo Editor, Photographer
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Toledo | OH | USA | Posted: 10:55 PM on 09.26.08 |
->> gee bert,
i thought we were off on an e e cummings riff........
for the "Huh?" meisters,
http://www.poets.org/poet.php/prmPID/156
specifically:
"In his work, Cummings experimented radically with form, punctuation, spelling and syntax, abandoning traditional techniques and structures to create a new, highly idiosyncratic means of poetic expression." |
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Robert Hanashiro, Photographer
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Los Angeles | CA | | Posted: 12:35 AM on 09.27.08 |
| ->> or it could be adapting to the iphone keyboard? |
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Myung Chun, Photographer
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Los Angeles | CA | USA | Posted: 2:00 PM on 09.27.08 |
| ->> I hope things work out for you Sean but, "what a bunch of dicks!". Ugghhhh, you can't un-ring that bell. |
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Mike Purcell, Photographer
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Page | AZ | USA | Posted: 11:30 PM on 09.27.08 |
->> Possibly everyone he is dealing with has the first name of
"Richard"? |
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Vasiliy Baziuk, Photographer
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Rochester | NY | USA | Posted: 1:57 AM on 09.29.08 |
| ->> Back in the day when we used to send pics to AP they would mail a payment about once a month.... i think that's how their accounts payable works. |
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Vasiliy Baziuk, Photographer
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Rochester | NY | USA | Posted: 1:59 AM on 09.29.08 |
| ->> and oh yeah... be sure they have your W-9 on file, or you sent one with your invoice. |
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