Euro Android devs: Google's hanging on to our pay

Still waiting for February paycheck

By Bill Ray, 14th March 2012

Android developers across Europe are up in arms as Google hasn't processed their March payments, which should have arrived more than a week ago.

Google pays developers their 70 per cent share every calendar month, normally in the first few days of the month, with the money then taking a few days to clear. But this month dozens of developers haven't had their money, and have been frustrated by the Chocolate Factory's apparent lack of concern.

The developers affected first turned to the Google response forms, but failed to get any response, and then launched an ongoing thread on the Google forums complaining about their inability to get any sensible response. Following several days of enquiry, some developers have managed to get a stock statement from Mountain View, though it offers little in the way of consolation:

Thank you for your email. I've forwarded your query to a Specialist to look in to. Please rest assured that we'll respond with additional information as soon as we have more to share with you. Thanks for your patience in the meantime

Google only communicates with developers through web forms and email addresses, so one just sends in a request and hopes for a response. It's not the first time Google has failed to pay developers on time, but last time the Chocolate Factory shut down the public forums on which its staff used to provide support, so now developers can only submit requests and hope for the best.

For the weekenders, creating apps for fun and a few drinks, then the delay isn't a big deal – Google will, no doubt, sort out the payments eventually – but it definitely strike the wrong note with the professional developers, the very people Android needs to attract to provide an iOS alternative. ®

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