new member: ITIN question

[paffie]

Hi Guys,

I'm new to GFY, but i've been an adult webmaster as a hobby since i was about 16 (so i'm promoting adult paysites for about 16 years now). I used to post on webmasterlinkup for several years under a different nickname, but i dropped off the social radar about 6 or 7 years ago (got married, bought a house, had a kid,... continued to make some spending money promoting adult paysites in the meantime)

Lately, i ran into troubles with penthouse/adultfriendfinder and i need advice (if anybody cares to give some)... They (FFN) have succesfully payed me over $2000 over the last couple of years.
About a year ago, they stopped paying me, and demanded that i filled in a w8/BEN-form (i'm from Belgium, so i understand the need to do this). Since at that time, google adwords and other respectable companies allowed webmasters to fill in a w8/BEN without an ITIN-number, so that's what i did. Since i'm doing this as a hobby, i'd rather not have my name out in the open as an adult webmaster... And since this is only a hobby, i've never reported anything to the authorities (i don't even know if i have to do this or not). this is why i rather not applied for an ITIN...

I tried to discuss my problems with the friendfinder networks, but they are totally unwilling to work with their webmasters (just my opinion). Everything has to go exactly as their attornies tell you, or you'll have a problem (apparently).

Offcourse they denied the W8/BEN form application, and they haven't payed me a dime since (my account currently holds $1000 from rebills).

Today, they shoot me an email saying they'll close my account on the 12th of june, forfeit the $1000 AND make me pay a fine for their troubles?

Now, this seems totally out of line... Other companies hold 30% of the income to pay taxes if you don't submit a W8/BEN... They take your money and fine you???
Even the act of paying a fine seems totally ridiculous, since they already "fine" me $1k when they forfeit my money...

Does anybody have any advice? It's to late to apply for an ITIN now...
it takes:

• at least 1 week to get a passport
• at least a couple of days to get the passport notarized
• a couple of days to get form W-7 and fill it
• a couple of days to get a letter from penthouse stating that they'll pay me (apperantly it's needed to get an itin)
• at least 4 to 6 weeks to get an itin
• a couple of days to fill form w8/BEN

Any advice would be welcome, or is there a penthouse/FFN rep that is willing to work with an affiliate on this forum ;-p

[sarettah]

You need to post this in the main forum with a title like "Any AFF reps out there" or something like that.

It will not get noticed in here.

just imho, of course.

.

[Itchy]

Originally Posted by sarettah

You need to post this in the main forum with a title like "Any AFF reps out there" or something like that.

It will not get noticed in here.

just imho, of course.

.

[paffie]

thanks for the tip guys, i'll try to rewrite my post, and put it in the main forum tomorrow morning!

[pm2000]

Welcome to GFY!