[SOLVED] CrowdMachine - Not paying my bounty

[Arrrvin]

When CrowdMachine made its first announcements and started its bounty campaign I was still enthousiastic about the project. Unfortunately my expectations were not fulfilled, to say the least. It has become just one more project that refuses to pay me for delivered bounty work.

The bounty was executed by Tokensuite at https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=2491077.0. I have been translating the CrowdMachine ANN and BOUNTY threads into Dutch at https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=2503338 and https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=2503514. My work was acknowledged by Tokensuite on their sheet at https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1ZrcC4ROIA2N8fB1zdiRJ7V84JfDKGfxcoC44avYJTpI/edit#gid=1416936322. My position on that sheet is #6. I was entitled to $1155 in ETH, to be received in my wallet address 0xbF6b6F17eC2cDC4FF6406634747F36Ab4837682c. Up to date Etherscan shows that no payment has been made: https://etherscan.io/address/0xbF6b6F17eC2cDC4FF6406634747F36Ab4837682c

In the CrowdMachine Telegram group I was asked to send an email to bounty@crowdmachine.com, which I did at the 5th of june:



In the response on the 7th of june a certain Anne writes that CrowdMachine had not been distributing my funds because they didn't have my email to check my wallet (which is already an invalid excuse because Tokensuite can be trusted to have gathered all information needed for payment). She asked me to contact her through Telegram:



On the same day I contacted Anne through Telegram and let her know about this through email:



Since then I am ignored, payment wise, in Telegram and through email. Asking for attention in the main Telegram group got me banned. Emails and Telegram messages are not answered:



But most importantly; I am not being paid.

I would not have expected this behaviour from CrowdMachine. I PM-ed other translators of which many (though not all) were paid after contacting CrowdMachine. I have no idea why they don't pay me, ban me from their Telegram group and ignore my communications. They also don't want to share their reasons with me.

All I know is that I delived work for them and that they did not pay me for it, which equals that I was scammed by CrowdMachine.

[Arrrvin]

So the above case is escalated by Crowd Machine, they say. I hope not to Anne. She hasn't proven to be very responsive.

Of course Crowd Machine is invited to give their comments on the case in this thread as well.

[roccstar]

Yes they are definitely scammers. I participated in their signature campaign and I didn't receive the bounty. When asked about it, they banned me from the telegram group. Send email to the id received in my mail, still no reply. Messaged two admins in the main telegram group. But all went in vain. They are scammers.

[Arrrvin]

Yes they are definitely scammers. I participated in their signature campaign and I didn't receive the bounty. When asked about it, they banned me from the telegram group. Send email to the id received in my mail, still no reply. Messaged two admins in the main telegram group. But all went in vain. They are scammers.

According to the sheet at https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1ZrcC4ROIA2N8fB1zdiRJ7V84JfDKGfxcoC44avYJTpI/edit#gid=2070361248, postion #61, you're entitled to ETH in the equevalent of a little more than $1052. Etherscan shows that you have not been paid in the wallet which you submitted to Tokensuite: https://etherscan.io/address/0xf818cF9DF395BEb5E48E5A3682Cd7ae9AcBe4BFA. So this is a confirmative.

[Arrrvin]

There is one translator more who has the exact same experience. Getting banned from the main chat, being ignored in all communication channels, and not getting paid. He / she informed me about that through PM. But I leave it up to him / her to post his / her experience here or not.

[Arrrvin]

In the meantime I contacted Tokensuite, who in their turn consented to contact Crowd Machine. I'm very curious whether Crowd Machine is willing to communicate to them about this matter.

[Arrrvin]

Next step by the Crowd Machine scam. After ignoring me through email, banning me at Telegram they now block me at Twitter.

[Arrrvin]

Updates

1) Tokensuite has been very helpful. They contacted Crowd Machine and they did get a response from them. Basically Crowd Machine explained that an authentification was needed because there had been suspicious changes on the spreadsheet, but they didn't explain why they ignored my authentification messages.

2) I saw that Crowd Machine would be present at the Amsterdam Blockchain Expo at the 27th and 28th of June and saw perspectives. I sent them the following email (through their contact form):

Dear Crowd Machine,

With pleasure I took notice of your news letter where it is mentioned that Crowd Machine will be visiting the Netherlands at the Blockchain Expo in Amsterdam at the 27th and 28th of June. Booth 138; a number to remember.

You are creating for me the best opportunity to expose Crowd Machine as scamming me, as has been proven at https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=4489085.0.

This time there will be no opportunity for Crowd Machine to ignore me because camera's and / or me will be right in front of your nose. I am going to contact specialized press such as the Dutch TV show 'Opgelicht' (translated 'scammed') and other press. Ultimately I'll be personally in front of your CEO's nose and that would probably be the worst case scenario regarding PR & marketing.

The other scenario is that Crowd Machine simply and fairly pays me the ETH to which I am entitled for the work I delivered. $1156.666252 in ETH at address 0xbF6b6F17eC2cDC4FF6406634747F36Ab4837682c. Otherwise a rollercoaster expo in Amsterdam awaits.

It is tomorrow that I will contact the press. So Crowd Machine only has today to settle the matter. Something which should have been done in honesty from the beginning anyway.

Regards,

Arvin Das

Only a few hours later I suddenly did get a response from Anne at Telegram.



Anna states that she had not been reading my messages. This is however not convincing. When messages are unread a blue dot appears before the sent message, as shown below (tested with my other Telegram account). And my screenshot of my messages to Anna in the opening post clearly shows that she has been reading my messages.



After promising to email me on the 26th I received no response on that date. So on the 27th I reminded her that I would confront Crowd Machine's CEO with this case in Amsterdam. (See below).



The next day Anne promised me to pay me within a couple of hours, and this indeed has happened.

This means that my scam accusation can now be withdrawn.

About the sincerity and correctness of Crowd Machine in this case the reader can judge him-/herself. I have my own thoughts about it.