Smugmug Pro payment policy gripe

If you want to dodge the IRS, have your clients pay you with PayPal and you give them the download link. Frankly, I don't see any problems with Smugmug. Either way, if payment is coming through Smugmug, the tax man would know, period. Don't worry, though, $500 personal income the IRS won't even touch you.

TooManyShots wrote in post #15474892
If you want to dodge the IRS, have your clients pay you with PayPal and you give them the download link. Frankly, I don't see any problems with Smugmug. Either way, if payment is coming through Smugmug, the tax man would know, period. Don't worry, though, $500 personal income the IRS won't even touch you.

Read my posts. I never said anything about objecting to filling out appropriate IRS forms.

mikeinctown wrote in post #15474413
They cannot change the terms unless they give you notice and you agree by either not closing your account or checking a box somewhere that you have read the new terms and agree. So you either just didn't bother to read what they sent or you didn't care at the time.

So you closed your photo account because they wouldn't write a check when you sold something? Seems like a bad plan to me. As the poster above me said, identity theives go through trash and gain your info from methods normaly other than electronic. Also, companies keep bank account info very protected and when there is a breach they are required to notify you immediately. not sure if required by law or not, but many if not most companies also will pay to have a bank card replaced or other measures to protect against ID theft.

1. I didn't get a notice.
What's the big deal; just write a check. It's my credit that's at risk. Like I said earlier; my identity was stolen over the Summer. You want to hand out your personal info to everyone, go ahead.

2. This has nothing to do with why I cancelled. The annual fee has doubled and I don't do "pro" photography anymore. For $100/yr (my old rate) I was OK with paying for the extra features, tracking, controls, etc.

We've been paying thousands of pros each month via direct deposit for years and never run into any problems with identity theft. As soon as you submit the info through the website it becomes encrypted and not even SmugMug employees can see your private information. I'm sorry this was a problem for you. We wish you all the best!

-Zac

As has been pointed out. SSN is for tax purposes, if you make over a certain amount you have to pay the taxes. They have to pay taxes on the money they make from your prints so you have to pay taxes on what you make from their services.

As for payment only and no credit, its a smart business move for them. Less to have to deal with, and easier to keep track of.

Also, a 100 a year is not a good pro rate.....

NBEast wrote in post #15475153
What's the big deal; just write a check. It's my credit that's at risk.

Actually, if they mail you a check, it's their bank account at risk.

I don't know how else to get this through your head. Mailing a check doesn't reduce the risk of fraud. It increases the risk of fraud. I'm sorry you were victimized but you need to learn more about what truly puts you at risk.

You may as well get used to this. Printed checks are going the way of the buggy whip, and protecting your personal information is part of the reason.

Curtis N wrote in post #15476186
Actually, if they mail you a check, it's their bank account at risk.

I don't know how else to get this through your head. Mailing a check doesn't reduce the risk of fraud. It increases the risk of fraud. I'm sorry you were victimized but you need to learn more about what truly puts you at risk.

You may as well get used to this. Printed checks are going the way of the buggy whip, and protecting your personal information is part of the reason.

Anyone saying it's OK to share SSN and bank number together - just do so publicaly, right here. No takers?

Same difference as giving it to an unregulated agency. The guys at Smugmug seem diligent but without oversight, I'm not willing to risk it. Period. What's the problem with respecting my wishes?

Eventually; Smugmug came around and paid my Paypal account (an option I offered them initially).

"getting it thru my head". Really? I think I'm not the one misinformed here. Its crazy how little info is needed to steal identity. Sad that Federal Banking Regulations are so lax in this area. SSN should never be used as "positive identification" but, combined with other stuff like address, phone, account number, it is.

Also; Wells Fargo issues / mails checks with *their* account number for free. It's called "Bill Pay". I use it all the time.

thegreatgeekyme wrote in post #15476145
As has been pointed out. SSN is for tax purposes, if you make over a certain amount you have to pay the taxes. They have to pay taxes on the money they make from your prints so you have to pay taxes on what you make from their services.

As for payment only and no credit, its a smart business move for them. Less to have to deal with, and easier to keep track of.

Also, a 100 a year is not a good pro rate.....

$100/yr shows how long I had it. Now it's $300.

Payment method is the only complaint here. Tax forms, no problem.

Note: I'm unsubscribing this thread. Deaf ears and all.

The only deaf ears here are yours NBEast. The SS number is on your W-9 form which goes to accounting. If you had a business tax ID you wouldn't even need to share your SS number. You refuse to listen to anyone and instead choose to argue a losing point. Oh, and it still costs Wells Fargo $ to print and mail checks. You are paying for that service, just in a different way.

I would never send a single fax with my SSN and B/A number together, but I would give them to the same company, and have dozens of times. You do for a utility bill, for your job, and for a host of other things.

Nobody here is happy you got your identity stolen (not even sure what exactly the thief did anyway) but we are trying to tell you that the methods you prefer to be paid by are at the MOST risk for having this done to you again.

My wife was notified by a past employer that a laptop was stolen with employee information on it. They offered 2 years free credit monitoring! Less than 6 months later, we were notified that a laptop with customer information was stolen ( Maybe they should be investigated)! At that point I notified all 3 credit bureaus and had a credit freeze put on. Sure it was an inconvenience when I wanted had to have my credit checked but the inconvenience is a small price to pay.

NBEast wrote in post #15480058
$100/yr shows how long I had it. Now it's $300.

Payment method is the only complaint here. Tax forms, no problem.

Note: I'm unsubscribing this thread. Deaf ears and all.

...BYE!!!

Just to point out that the rest of the world pretty much operates this way now. 9 out of 10 clients pay by direct deposit. My bank account number is included on my invoice as well as my GST number, my name, my "trading as business name", and my address. The clients get the invoice, pay the money into my account, and the next morning I have money. A very simple and relatively safe proceedure. I actually recieved my first cheque late last year: it was a pain in the butt to deposit. (I had to leave the house!)

My understanding is that with such a large number of banks in the United States all with different systems it is taking a while for this sort of thing to become "the norm." I would reccomend to the OP not to fight the process, but to embrace it: its easier for your clients and makes your business an easier one to deal with.

ZacW wrote in post #15475625
We've been paying thousands of pros each month via direct deposit for years and never run into any problems with identity theft. As soon as you submit the info through the website it becomes encrypted and not even SmugMug employees can see your private information. I'm sorry this was a problem for you. We wish you all the best!

-Zac

Thanks.

I'm glad you're taking good precautions. With all due respect; you probably wouldn't know if it happened. Speaking from experience; I don't have a clue who got ahold of my identity last year or how - only that it's a bear to deal with.

After my experience, I'm erring on the side of caution.

Thanks to Smugmug accounting for finally agreeing to pay via Paypal.

Man, I really got under some people's skin by exercising extreme precaution. Added a couple of unsympathetic responders to my block list - don't ever need to hear their opinion on anything again.

Anyway; all's good. I'll go on happily using my personal Smugmug account to share with friends.

NBEast wrote in post #15485514
Man, I really got under some people's skin by exercising extreme precaution.

You got under their skin by thinking you were being cautious, when in fact you've been reckless, and are trying to cover it up by blaming the companies that are required to get your ID number by law. If you don't want your SSN out there for financial transactions, you need to get a Tax ID Number. It's just that simple.

CraigPatterson wrote in post #15491207
You got under their skin by thinking you were being cautious, when in fact you've been reckless, and are trying to cover it up by blaming the companies that are required to get your ID number by law. If you don't want your SSN out there for financial transactions, you need to get a Tax ID Number. It's just that simple.

What is strange is that they either already have his SSN or had to get it to pay him, and when the cashed check would have been cashed, it would have had his bank account number on it.

There is so much misinformation out there about identity theft it boggles the mind. Having been in banking for 10 years I can tell you that most people who suffer through ID theft are reckless and/or inconsistent. They won't give their info to a huge company with a lot to lose (I'm not sending my info to SmugMug, I don't shop online, etc.) but they hand their debit/credit card to any minimum wage cretin who asks. Ever pay with a credit card and have the clerk ask you for your zip code? Guess what, if they have a connection they now have a way into your bureau. Ever let someone make a copy of your ID for an application of some kind? Same thing.

Simply put, you don't need a social to run credit. Let me repeat that. You DON'T need a social to run credit. You simply need cross reference information. While it is illegal to run a bureau on someone without their consent, most thieves aren't all that concerned by the constraints of law and how pissy someone might get.

Alright, done ranting. And for the record my undies aren't in a bunch because someone exercised caution. They're in a bunch because there is so much ignorance out there and people do things that are just plain useless.