Self-billed invoices from CJ - a joke

[Colin@DVDTimes]

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Guys,

I can't stand your current method of handling self-billed invoices. Sending via email is hit and miss and I haven't received a number from the 2008-2009 financial year.

On top of that, the invoices I do have take up between 2 and 3 pages of A4 paper AND contain all sorts of advertising/promotional gumpf that isn't suitable for inclusion on an invoice.

To top it all, it appears there is no way of accessing past invoices on your site - so now I can't complete my accounts until I have a response from your help service and I don't know if there's any way I can get past invoices.

Please, please, please, make a link to previous invoices available and also please can you drop the promotional rubbish that is on them. They're legal documents, not flyers.

Colin

[hobbsy]

Colin - I am with you 100% on this (in fact I'm sure I've posted on this very subject a few times on A4U). The invoices CJ sends out monthly via email are really poor. I view them in Gmail and they never format correctly or neatly for printing.

However -- if you email CJ accounts they have in the past been able to send me Word .doc attachments instead of the inline versions. Their accounts department have been very helpful, so I'd like to thank them for that -- but in my opinion they should just send out an attached .doc or .pdf invoice in the first place (stripped of the adverts or promo text you talk about)

The other problem with CJ invoices - which you didn't mention Colin - is that maybe every other month the totals will be 1 pence out (due to rounding issues)

[John]

I'm still waiting for an invoice from CJ for a payment received in March - as you say there's no online area to print past invoices off (as there is with just about every other network under the sun) so it's a totally unworkable system.

[Daniel Powel]

Hi all,

Thank you for your postings. This has certainly been raised before and we fully appreciate that the current system is not ideal. We are looking into ways to provide the information you require in a format which is useful. This need has been raised with our engineering team and we are looking at both a network wide solution and/or a local solution for our UK market.

In the meanwhile, if you have issues with invoices, please contact me and we see what we can do about a bespoke solution in the meanwhile.

John Re: Self-billed invoices from CJ - a joke

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I'm still waiting for an invoice from CJ for a payment received in March - as you say there's no online area to print past invoices off (as there is with just about every other network under the sun) so it's a totally unworkable system.

Can you drop me a line and we will see about your March invoice. They have certainly gone out to the publisher base.

Thank you,
Daniel Powel
dpowel@cj.com
0208 785 5825

[babafette]

I completely agree with the comments above about the lack of transparency and delay in sending invoices. I produce my own invoices for our records and have no way of cross checking how much VAT - if any - has been paid over the last few months until I receive an invoice by email.

For example, I have a Self-Billing invoice dated 30th December, then nothing until the next one dated 30th April received on 1st June. This is really not acceptable and makes completing a VAT Return very difficult. :td

[Hannah Luckie CJ]

HI there,

As Dan mentioned we understand the situation isn't ideal and we are looking to resolve it. You should most certainly though be receiving your invoices by email. babefette - could you please PM me with your PID and I will ask our finance team to look into this for you.

Many thanks
Hannah Luckie
hluckie@cj.com
020 8785 5802

[Colin@DVDTimes]

It's nearly a month since I raised this with the CJ help system and I still haven't had a response - that's terrible.

Relying on emailed invoices just isn't adequate - there are all sorts of reasons they could go missing. Even if you think they're sent, that doesn't mean they're received and they should be kept as simple and professional as possible. Anything with ads or updates on is NOT an invoice I'd expect.

At the very least, I'd expect a simple way of requesting missed invoices to be sent over again - and that shouldn't take more than a month with no response.

[Daniel Powel]

Hi Colin,

I'm sorry you've not had a resolution. It looks like your query was forwarded to finance and it says that it was actioned. If this is not the case, please accept my apologies. That is not acceptable.

I understand that you just PMed Hannah today and we are looking into this currently. We'll be right back with you shortly.

Thanks,

Daniel Powel
dpowel@cj.com

[Colin@DVDTimes]

From my end, my question states 'Unresolved' and the only responses on the ticket are mine.

[hobbsy]

Any chance you can send out your invoices as .PDF's in the future? (or allow us to log-in to CJ and download them from the control panel).

I feel strongly that the advertisements/promotions on the actual invoices should definitely be removed

[Travel Pixel]

I have spoken to Dan several times on this matter and I am quite sure he is doing his best battling a poor system in terms of financial accountability for affiliates.

The solution is plain to see: There needs to be a section where affiliates can view/download self billing invoices in the interface as soon as affiliates are paid, just like all the other networks. That is the best way forward for the long term.

Dave

[hobbsy]

Once again, credit where it is due:-
Thank you to Annette at ValueClick/CJ :tup
I end up chasing invoices every quarter and she has been incredibly helpful to me today

The (new look) Word .doc invoices that I was able to get hold of look great - Daniel you should make these the default, as they are miles better than the inline email ones

[ceetee]

Just printed off the email invoices and the numbers are barely legible because the coloured inks are almost exhausted. So here's my request - no colours please.

[IntroSites]

I agree totally on this, and the reports scare me!if i manage to find the report i want i panic that i wont be able to find my way out! :scared

oh how i love Buyat / DGM's invoice thru the post :tup

[ogopogo]

I've been trying to get some invoices for weeks now. I have to complete a VAT return imminently, and cannot do so as I do not know how much VAT they have actually paid.

I tried emailing Mr Powel directly, but got no response. I logged a support question, the next day they sent me an email saying they would close it unless I told them it was not resolved (they hadn't done anything with the question at all!). I could not reply to the email, so I updated the question on line, and have since heard nothing.

If anyone can give me a different contact who might actually do something, I'm desperate.