Similarities Between Bubblews Members and Sirius Black (Harry Potter Series)

The latest news and update from Bubblews was that, unfortunately, those who redeemed before the 11th of November 2014 will no longer be paid while those who redeemed after the 11th will receive a reduced amount.

This was posted on the site on the 31st of December 2014. The reason given was that, apparently, there was way too much "manipulation and fraudulent activity".

Justice, Fairness

Is that right? Is that fair? Sure, there are cheaters, spammers, plagiarists, manipulators, etc on Bubblews, but, at the same time, there are also honest and good people there who did nothing wrong and who followed all the rules and terms to the best of their abilities.




Why should they be punished for something they didn’t do? Why should they be lumped or included amongst all the bad guys?

Sirius Black

Sirius Black is a character from the Harry Potter series of books by J.K. Rowling. He was first introduced in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, book 3. He lived a very sad and tragic life.

He was accused of betraying his best friend (James Potter), killing a bunch of people (including Peter Pettigrew, another friend), and being the right-hand man of Dark Lord Voldemort (the main villain of the series).

He was then sent to Azkaban prison without a trial because everyone believed he was guilty. They didn’t listen to his side of the story. They just threw him into prison, but the truth was that Sirius Black was actually innocent.

Bubblews Members and Sirius Black – Similarities

Just like what happened to Sirius Black, members of the Bubblews site are being accused of manipulating the system and engaging in fraudulent activity.

They are being punished by not getting paid and/or getting a reduced payment without being given the chance to defend themselves and show that they are not one of the spammers and scammers and plagiarists.

Whatever happened to innocent until proven guilty? Is it right to generalize and stereotype people like that? Why is everyone considered bad and evil when there are actually people who are good and who did nothing wrong?

Sirius Black may be a fictional character, but what happened to him can happen in real life. It’s happening now, isn’t it? You see entire groups of people or even entire countries being blamed for so many things even if a lot of them are actually innocent.

But these people are silenced and oppressed, and they aren’t allowed to speak freely and voice their opinions and defend themselves (this may or may not be referring to more than just the site-that-shall-not-be-named a.k.a Bubblews).

Your Thoughts and Opinions

What do you think about this? Feel free and welcome to share your thoughts and opinions by leaving a comment below.

*Notes:
- First image is by FirmBee (Public Domain) from Pixabay
- The rest of the images are from Amazon.com; links shown above via the Amazon Native Shopping Ads widget
- This was previously published elsewhere

Why Bubblews Named Their New App Sweeble?

Also known as, "What's to like about Sweeble, an app by Bubblews?"

As usual, I'm kind of late to the party :-(. I've been pretty busy lately, so it was only now that I got to log on to my Bubblews account (when you see the bank page refusing to move, it doesn't exactly motivate or encourage you to post new articles, does it?).

Anyway, it was only now that I've heard the news about Sweeble, an upcoming app by Bubblews. Just saw the official post about it too.

Did anyone check out the site URL mentioned in that official post? I've to say that I didn't. I saw some of the comments on that post, and it seems that I'm not the only one who isn't really interested in these kinds of stuff (apps).

But, even if I happened to be interested, I wouldn't want to join or look into something that hasn't even been launched yet. And, do we even really know exactly what this app is supposed to do?

Also, is there anyone else who wondered about the term "Sweeble" and what it means? Do you wonder why they chose that name for the app?

I ran a quick search using Google. I just typed the term "sweeble". The first result I got was to the site itself (the one that was posted on the official Bubblews article), but this was an advertisement (it's very clearly marked as "ad"). The site itself doesn't appear anywhere below that (the organic or natural results).

Some of the results link to recently published articles about Sweeble, but many of the first page search results are dated years ago. Apparently, Sweeble is some sort of publishing platform that is now defunct.

There are lots of posts and articles about it, so if you have time, you can check it all out if you like (as for me, I don't have much time right now, so I will have to pass on that).

Anyway, this makes me wonder why Bubblews decided on the name Sweeble for their app. If someone does a search for this, they'll likely end up seeing the many old articles about Sweeble (considering how Google shows a lot of them on the first page of their search results even though there are already a lot of posts about the Bubblews app in question).

What do you think about all this? What are your thoughts on Sweeble? Are you interested in this app? Feel free to share your opinions in the comments section below.

Here are some of the comments from this article, back when it used to be posted elsewhere:

j2jworkz wrote on February 1, 2015, 4:37 PM
No thanks on the Sweeb.

FreyaYuki replied to j2j on February 2, 2015, 2:25 PM
Yup, that's what I thought too. Actually, I didn't even go to the site though I did a quick Google search on it. It shows up as an ad at the top of the search results, but a lot of the results aren't even about the app in question.

j2jworkz replied to FreyaYuki on February 2, 2015, 2:37 PM
FreyaYuki I'm only curious to see how it all plays out. Will wait for others to report on the details. If it makes it to market :)

BarbRad wrote on February 1, 2015, 4:42 PM
My honest opinion is that once again, Bubblews didn't listen to its members. After promising us something awesome to come in the works, they offer us Sweeble. In case you didn't notice, it rhymes with feeble. I'm going to pass.

One reason I'm on the verge of deleting my account is that whenever they promise something new and awesome, I find it not only less than awesome, but something downright terrible, as in the July 15 update last year.

FreyaYuki replied to BarbRad on February 2, 2015, 2:32 PM
I agree with you. Did you see that line on the CEO's post where he said something about how they're supposedly going in the direction that Bubblews members want them to take? I wonder how they even know that for sure considering it really doesn't seem like they're listening to anyone over there.

I saw some of the comments asking questions, but none of the team are answering at all. I wonder about the app name too. Why Sweeble? And what does it have to do with the Sweeble of long ago? Did they know that this name has been used before?

beachchair wrote on February 1, 2015, 4:59 PM
I think they renamed it because there is such a negative association with bubblews. That is just my thought.

FreyaYuki replied to beachchair on February 2, 2015, 2:33 PM
The word "Sweeble" also has a negative association. It used to be the name of an old publishing site that failed. There are articles about it all over the net. If you run a search on the word "sweeble", the first page of Google search results will include a number of articles about Sweeble that are dated years back.

PeterChase wrote on February 1, 2015, 6:53 PM
You would think the original guy that used the name Sweeble would be mad if someone else stole the name and used it. This could end up in a big lawsuit against bblws and sink the company.

FreyaYuki replied to PeterChase on February 2, 2015, 2:36 PM
Yeah, I wonder if Bubblews knew about the old Sweeble. If so, why did they still choose the name unless they asked for permission or something? But if they didn't know, how could they not know?

A quick Google search of the term "sweeble" brings up several articles about it dated years back. I also wonder why they decided on this name. It doesn't sound all that appealing, does it? Wonder what it even means?

Squidwhisperer replied to PeterChase on February 4, 2015, 5:41 PM
Yes but Bubbles can claim lack of imagination in their defense. They're sorry - okay? Isn't that enough?

PeterChase replied to FreyaYuki on February 2, 2015, 5:25 PM
I think they are just very bad businessmen and very arrogant. They think they know it all and don't like any constructive criticism. If they didn't know about the old sweeble they do now since many members have told them about it, including me, but there has been no response to this from the staff.

JustSaying replied to PeterChase on April 1, 2015, 10:22 AM
any chance they are one and the same owners? of the failed site and now bubblews failing site.

PeterChase replied to JustSaying on April 1, 2015, 11:32 AM
No they are not. The owner of the Sweeble name has a blog and is not happy about Bubblews. They have since fallen silent and I suspect some kind of deal was arranged to use the name. Probably costing bubblews plenty thus reducing the payouts more to the writers! (If that is possible)

Ruby3881 wrote on February 2, 2015, 12:09 AM
I'm curious about Sweeble. Did I sign up for the "pre-registration"? Yes, but only out of curiosity. Will I end up using the app? No idea.

FreyaYuki replied to Ruby3881 on February 2, 2015, 2:41 PM
Am kind of curious about it too like what exactly does it do? Why did they choose this name? Did they know it's also the name of an old site from years back? Didn't check out the site though but it appears they are advertising it on Google search. Didn't sign up for the pre-registration either; I prefer having more info before considering if I'll try something or not.

amyk49 wrote on February 2, 2015, 8:08 AM
I'm not the least bit interested in Sweeble. Maybe they bought the domain name, because as you say, it's been around before. I'm disgusted with the way Bubblews as treated its members.

FreyaYuki replied to amyk49 on February 2, 2015, 2:46 PM
If that's what they did, I do wonder why they decided to do that. There's lots of articles about the old Sweeble, and there are some negative things about it since it was a failed site, so there are negative connotations too, and it makes one wonder why they would want to associate their app with something like that.

If one does a search for "sweeble" on Google, they'll also end up seeing some of these old Sweeble articles right on the front page, so some might be confused about this especially when they see the dates listed as years ago. Yeah, the site should have treated its members better. Even now, it seems like nothing has changed.

amyk49 replied to FreyaYuki on February 2, 2015, 4:14 PM
Yes, I've seen the negative things on Google that pop up. I don't know why in the world they would use that name. There were some comments regarding this on Arvind's latest posts.

grandma20121 wrote on February 2, 2015, 5:24 PM
i am not interested in the sweeble app either i think bubblews is wasting time and money on this when there is more important things

FreyaYuki replied to grandma20121 on February 4, 2015, 2:59 PM
Yeah, I wish they would focus more on the site itself considering all the issues it's currently still facing. There are so many things they could be doing for Bubblews and yet they chose to focus on some app that not all people will be able to use (some of the comments on the official post about this app say that some won't be using or aren't interested in the app).

rana199426 wrote on February 3, 2015, 7:52 PM
Ohh an app by Bubblews?? Like that's what we're missing! They should have called it "Scam" instead of Sweeble lol

FreyaYuki replied to rana199426 on February 4, 2015, 3:02 PM
LOL. There are actually already a lot of negative connotations and posts about the term "sweeble" considering it's the name of a site that is now defunct. The info is all over the first page search results on Google for the term "sweeble". Wonder why Bubblews chose that name for their app?

Began1988 wrote on February 3, 2015, 9:43 PM
Sweeble kind of sounds like Swindle...which Bubblews has done to a lot of people (myself included). It depends on what the app is for, but I really wouldn't trust anything that launch at this point.

I'm missing $20 because of them. It might not seem like a lot to some people, but I could use all the money I can get! It's why I have my own side business outside of my actual job, and why I've also started participating in Mystery Shopping! Anyways....no hope for Sweeble right now, even though I don't know anything about it lol.

FreyaYuki replied to Began1988 on February 4, 2015, 3:10 PM
I agree with you. I lost money thanks to them too. Lots of people lost so much, but it doesn't matter what amount a person has lost. The point is that they lost something without doing anything wrong, and that's just not fair.

Hope everyone who feels wronged tries to let their voice be heard by filing or complaining to the proper authorities. Am curious about what the app is supposed to be for and what it does, but not really interested in using it. Am wondering why they chose the name though. Aside from how it rhymes with swindle, it's also already been used before.

trufflehunter wrote on February 3, 2015, 10:26 PM
Interesting news! I never knew Bubblews had an app.

FreyaYuki replied to trufflehunter on February 4, 2015, 3:12 PM
They just announced it recently. It hasn't been released yet, but they're already asking people to sign up. No one really knows yet exactly what it does though.

Squidwhisperer wrote on February 4, 2015, 5:39 PM
I dunno - "Sweeble"? - kinda sounds like "plagiarism" to me...

FreyaYuki replied to Squidwhisperer on February 7, 2015, 7:58 AM
LOL. I do wonder if they knew that there was already another site named "sweeble". But, if they didn't, well, how could they not know? Articles about this are all over the first page of Google search results and they're all dated years back. Or maybe they actually had permission to use the name?

bestwriter wrote on February 5, 2015, 12:57 AM
I get to read their posts on FB. Saw it and ignored it (lol)

FreyaYuki replied to bestwriter on February 7, 2015, 8:04 AM
LOL. Not on FB so didn't know about that. I read their post on the site itself. They posted it on Bubblews with a link to the sweeble site. Didn't bother going to that new site though.

HappyLady wrote on February 5, 2015, 9:43 AM
I will try the app and signed up for it out of curiosity as I love trying and using apps. The name however, seems a big mistake. Those guys need a proper business advisor.

FreyaYuki replied to HappyLady on February 7, 2015, 8:06 AM
Yeah, I wonder about the choice of name too. How did they come up with "sweeble"? Did they have permission to use the name? Am curious about the app too and exactly what it does but not enough to sign up for it. I guess I'll wait and see what others have to say about it before looking further into it.

GayleStorm wrote on February 7, 2015, 11:54 AM
This post took me back to Bubblews when nothing else could. There's so little information about it, why would I sign up? I don't really care; I don't need another app. It seems like every post I read from the CEO says similar things: we've got something new and awesome that everyone's gonna love but we can't tell you -anything- about it. If they really wanted to prove they're listening, they'd do something the members ask for, like fonts and font color.

FreyaYuki replied to GayleStorm on February 8, 2015, 4:31 PM
I didn't bother to sign up either. No one knows yet exactly what this app does or what it's for so people are curious about it. Am curious too, but not enough to check out the site or sign up. I do have to wonder why they chose this name since it's already been used and the info is all over the internet.

Yeah, I'm seeing a lot of comments on their posts, but it seems that hardly anyone is responding. Some were asking for the payment threshold to be lowered, but it seems there's still no response to that.

Coffee wrote on February 24, 2015, 9:25 AM
I'm curious to know what this app is all about - I am sure if I stick around here long enough I will find out.

FreyaYuki replied to Coffee on February 25, 2015, 5:31 PM
Yeah, many are curious about it and some have even signed up on the Sweeble app site. The app hasn't launched yet though. Am also curious though haven't bothered to sign up since we don't even know exactly what this app is for, what it does, etc.

JustSaying wrote on April 1, 2015, 10:19 AM
this company has proven themselves thieves, why anyone would ever deal with them again in any format is beyond me. I think this company needs to just.........go away.

FreyaYuki replied to JustSaying on June 17, 2015, 3:11 AM
From what I heard, it looks like the Sweeble app was just launched.

AudreyHowitt wrote on June 16, 2015, 11:34 AM
I have heard some buzz about this, but am on the fence about the whole thing

FreyaYuki replied to AudreyHowitt on June 17, 2015, 3:14 AM
From what I've heard, the Sweeble app was just recently launched. It's a photo sharing app or something.

*Notes:
- This was previously published on Persona Paper on February 1, 2015, 4:04 PM
- Image is by FirmBee (Public Domain) from Pixabay

How To Get Paid By Bubblews For A Redemption Made Before 11 November 2014?

Yes, from my experience, it is possible to get paid by Bubblews even if you redeemed before November 11, 2014. I redeemed on August 2014 and got my payment via PayPal e-check on February 3, 2015. The e-check from Bubblews was cleared on February 5, 2015.

More details

Okay, so I mentioned this before already and even posted an article about it here on Persona Paper, but I guess not many saw it. I'm mentioning it again because I'm hearing and seeing some posts of people being asked for photo IDs by Bubblews and that sounds kind of suspicious, right?

I don't know what's up with that, but that didn't happen with me. Also, I'm glad that more people are speaking up and letting their voices be heard 😃. I think that this can really help increase the chances of more innocent people being paid what they're rightfully earned. Anyway, there are more details about this here.

Here's the quick info:

• January 13, 2015 - filed a complaint with the Better Business Bureau. For those that need a detailed tutorial on exactly how to fill out this complaint form, I wrote about it here. Here is the direct link to the BBB site where you can file a complaint against Bubblews: http://www.bbb.org/greater-san-francisco/business-reviews/internet-services/bubblews-in-san-francisco-ca-525234/file-a-complaint. Please feel free to ask questions in case you need help 😃
• January 19, 2015 - received a response from Bubblews via the BBB
• Very important note: I received an email message that came from the BBB and NOT from Bubblews. In this email, the BBB said that they got a response from Bubblews and they then included a link, which, when clicked on, took me to the page where my complaint was located. It was on this page where I saw the response from Bubblews and where I could then type my response to both the BBB and Bubblews
• The first response from Bubblews via the BBB - Bubblews asked me for my username and the email address that I used to sign up or create an account on Bubblews. This is all that they asked me for. They didn't ask me for an ID or screenshots or anything else.
• February 4, 2015 - received another email message from the BBB telling me that Bubblews responded to my complaint. Again, the email included a link to the page where my complaint was located. Upon checking this link, I saw the response from Bubblews - they said that they sent me my e-check already
• After that, I went to check my PayPal account for proof
• February 3, 2015 - according to PayPal, Bubblews sent me an e-check on this date
• February 5, 2015 - the e-check that Bubblews sent to my PayPal account cleared on this date

The BBB will ask you if your complaint has been resolved already and you can then answer that question on the same page where your complaint is located.

Note: I actually got an email message from Bubblews. This was sent to the email address that I used to sign up to Bubblews (this is actually different from my PayPal email). It's likely an automated message though because this one simply said that they sent me my e-check payment already.

So, good luck to all of those who will try this, and I hope you can get your payments too. If you're being asked for an ID or something, you can try contacting or telling the BBB about this first to ask if this is something that you should be doing, to tell them that you're feeling wary about this, etc.

I hope the news of more people being paid by Bubblews via the BBB can encourage and motivate and inspire more people to try and speak up and let their voices be heard. Good luck and if you need any help, please feel free to ask 😃.

Here are some of the comments from this article, back when it used to be posted elsewhere:

iimouto wrote on February 22, 2015, 2:29 AM
Lucky. I made a redemption on Bubblews last October and I never got it. I don't ever expect to see it either.

FreyaYuki replied to iimouto on February 22, 2015, 5:42 AM
You can try filing a complaint with the BBB. Maybe you can still get your payment. I got mine that was from August 20, 2014 so it is possible. You don't have to pay anything to file your complaint and your location doesn't matter to the BBB. Good luck.

bestwriter wrote on February 22, 2015, 2:32 AM
Although I was hesitant earlier not to pursue with BBB after reading success stories I have just lodged a complaint. Keeping my fingers crossed.

FreyaYuki replied to bestwriter on February 22, 2015, 5:43 AM
Good luck. I hope you get your payments too 😃.

MommyCharm wrote on February 22, 2015, 2:47 AM
Well, this made me reconsider if I would run after my $50 redemption last October 4, 2014. Let me see if I'll get paid too! Thanks for this post!

FreyaYuki replied to MommyCharm on February 22, 2015, 5:48 AM
You're welcome 😃. Good luck and I hope you can get your payment too. My missing redemption was from August 20, 2014, and I finally received the e-check on Feb 2015.

Shadi wrote on February 22, 2015, 3:03 AM
Congrats! Still not going back there even if they paid me a fortune.

FreyaYuki replied to Shadi on February 22, 2015, 5:49 AM
Thanks. My bank there still has around 46, so I still log in sometimes. If you're missing payments from them, you can try filing a complaint with the BBB too.

Shadi replied to FreyaYuki on February 22, 2015, 6:25 AM
I don't think that will be possible as I deleted all my posts there and re-published them in my blog. But I will spread the word for some friends who can still fill a complaint. Thank you!

FreyaYuki replied to Shadi on February 23, 2015, 11:35 AM
You're welcome. I hope the others can get their payments too. If your posts are still in Google's cache, maybe you can still try filing a complaint and then just link to the cache instead of to your posts. Is your profile still there on the site? Do you have screenshots of your bank page there? Maybe you can use those as proof?

Shadi replied to FreyaYuki on February 23, 2015, 12:51 PM
Unfortunately I have none of that and my posts are long gone from Google's cache. My profile still exists because my request for account termination was never answered, but my bank shows -40$ or something. So I don't think I'd be able to fill a complaint as it appears I owe them money lol. Anyways I am glad it ended this way. I learned a lesson.

Hollyhocks100 wrote on February 22, 2015, 4:28 AM
Thanks for all this help. I just contacted BBB but am unsure if I filed the complaint properly, I wish I had seen this post beforehand.

FreyaYuki replied to Hollyhocks100 on February 22, 2015, 5:53 AM
You're welcome. I hope you can get your payments too.

LadyDuck wrote on February 22, 2015, 4:53 AM
I have no more pending redemptions, but I have lost a quite big amount when they make their changes.

FreyaYuki replied to LadyDuck on February 22, 2015, 5:59 AM
Don't have anymore pending redemptions either though currently have about 46 in the bank page. You can try filing a complaint with the BBB to try to get back the amount that you lost when they made all the changes. I was able to get my August 2014 redemption thanks to the BBB. Good luck.

Kungfu123 wrote on February 22, 2015, 7:16 AM
Thank you so much. I will learn to do it. You see, I don't want to do anything for my lost redmption at first because I don't have any proof for my redemption.

FreyaYuki replied to Kungfu123 on February 23, 2015, 11:02 AM
You're very welcome 😃. I wrote a tutorial about this in case you need help. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask 😃. I hope you can get your payments too. I had screenshots, but, in my experience, neither the BBB nor Bubblews asked me for them. I just filed my complaint and that was that. Good luck.

Kungfu123 wrote on February 22, 2015, 7:33 AM
@ FreyaYuki can you tell me what's the difference between Prename and First Name?

FreyaYuki replied to Kungfu123 on February 23, 2015, 11:06 AM
First name is your real first name. You cannot use a pen name or pseudonym when you file your complaint. You cannot file your complaint anonymously either. Prename or prefix is Miss, Ms, Mr, Mrs, etc. It's a title that you use before your name. Hope this helped. If you have more questions, feel free to ask 😃.

scheng1 wrote on February 22, 2015, 8:43 AM
Good to hear that. I just feel sorry for those international writers who do nothing wrong, and yet do not know how to contact BBB.

FreyaYuki replied to scheng1 on February 23, 2015, 11:45 AM
Thanks . There's a direct link to the BBB complaint form for Bubblews in this post and on other posts I wrote about this. A simple Google search for BBB or Better Business Bureau will have the BBB site at the top of the search results. Their website is bbb .org. Anyone can file a complaint with the BBB regardless of location and it's free too so people will lose nothing by trying. I hope it works out for everyone.

ViperGirl85 wrote on February 22, 2015, 1:45 PM
Oh snap! I'm glad you got your payment!

FreyaYuki replied to ViperGirl85 on February 23, 2015, 12:06 PM
Thanks 😃. I hope the others can get their payments too.

BarbRad wrote on February 23, 2015, 2:33 AM
I was fortunate enough to get my payment right before they stopped redeeming

FreyaYuki replied to BarbRad on February 23, 2015, 12:19 PM
That's great 😃. I heard there were some people who didn't lose anything there and that's good. I do hope those who lost money can get their payments too.

BarbRad replied to FreyaYuki on February 23, 2015, 6:20 PM
Oh, I'm losing the almost $20 sitting in my back I'll never be able to cash in if I quit, but there's no guarantee Bubblews will still be there should I decide stick around until I get to $50.

FreyaYuki replied to BarbRad on February 24, 2015, 9:02 AM
My bank there is stuck at around 44. Sometimes, I still log in and try to post, but the non-moving bank is discouraging and, yeah, we don't know if the site will still be around long enough for any of us to be able to cash out especially with how long it takes to earn even a few cents.

Many have been talking about the low earnings and traffic there. There was also the issue with the AdSense ads, which is certainly not helping the traffic and earnings at all. I hope they consider lowering the payment threshold at least. Many have requested this but no news on that yet as far as I know.

shiela32 wrote on February 23, 2015, 8:56 PM
Good to read about your successful redemption. I'll just focus on two sites (here and HubPages) and see how far will I go.

FreyaYuki replied to shiela32 on February 24, 2015, 9:03 AM
Thanks. I'm also writing on HubPages though I'm new there so only have a few hubs published at the moment.

Coffee wrote on February 24, 2015, 9:19 AM
Well done on getting your redemption from them. I should imagine a lot of people will be doing this too.

FreyaYuki replied to Coffee on February 25, 2015, 5:32 PM
Thanks. I do hope that others who haven't been paid and yet have done nothing wrong can also get their payments with the help of the BBB. If more people speak up and let their voices be heard, then maybe something favorable can happen for everyone.

cheri wrote on March 2, 2015, 7:14 AM
This is good news! I have 7 redemption unpaid which started on September. Is there any chance I can get paid for all those 7 missing redemptions? There is no harm in trying.

FreyaYuki replied to cheri on March 2, 2015, 10:32 AM
Yes, there's a good chance that you might get your payments if you try filing a complaint with the BBB. Just follow all the instructions, fill out the form completely and provide as much detail as possible. You won't lose anything by trying because it's free and your location doesn't matter to the BBB either. Good luck. Hope you can get your payments soon 😃.

AdGoggleKo wrote on March 13, 2015, 3:08 AM
I have 4 unpaid totaling $100+ , 3 x $25+ and 1x $50+ but I did not follow up. I am an overly generous person. LOL

FreyaYuki replied to AdGoggleKo on March 13, 2015, 12:23 PM
That's a lot of money though. If you want a chance to get it, maybe you can try filing a complaint with the BBB? It is free to do this and you won't really lose anything by doing so. Good luck with whatever you decide to do 😃.

Elren wrote on March 25, 2015, 6:01 AM
You are so lucky! I also made a complaint to BBB but Bubblews never responded. There goes my hard-earned money...down to the drain. :(

FreyaYuki replied to Elren on March 25, 2015, 8:36 AM
They are supposed to respond. It just takes a while for them to do so. Did you receive any emails from the BBB? They will forward any response that they get from Bubblews to you and then they'll send you a link to the page where your complaint form is located and you can reply from there. Have you tried to follow up regarding your complaint?

*Notes:
- Image is by FirmBee (Public Domain) from Pixabay
- This was previously published on Persona Paper on February 22, 2015, 2:08 AM

The Real Issue Between Google AdSense Ads And Bubblews

So, I wrote this post about noticing that there were no Google AdSense ads on Bubblews and wondering what was going on and what was happening. I just logged back in to Bubblews a little while ago and I see that the CEO just posted a new article, which is good so that the members can be updated and can know what's going on, etc, etc.

At the end of that article, the CEO explained what was going on with Google AdSense and why ads weren't being displayed on Bubblews. Apparently, this is not permanent, which is, naturally, a good thing.

According to that post by the CEO, Google AdSense said that they wanted Bubblews to "make it more obvious that advertisements in the homepage grid are ads, not site content". Bubblews stressed (in that post by the CEO) that their AdSense account is "not in violation" and that the ads "will be back soon".

I don't always go to the Bubblews homepage. In fact, I'm rarely ever there, but I've noticed exactly what Google AdSense is talking about. If you scroll down the page of the Bubblews homepage, you can see some of the articles posted by the members. But, alongside that, you can also see square ads and square tags.

These tags are in boxes with an image with the word (whatever the tag is) displayed on top of it. For example, you can see +Entertainment or +Science or something. If you click on these tag boxes, you get taken to the page where some (I say some because a lot of the tags are empty and- eh, that's a story for another time) of the posts that use that tag are listed.

These square or tag boxes can look pretty similar to the square AdSense ads that are also in boxes. So, it's no wonder that Google wants the site to fix this because some might accidentally click on the ads without meaning or wanting to because they thought it was part of the site content or something.

Well, it's good to know that Bubblews is working on this since ads are important for the site to make revenue. I hope they can fix this as soon as possible since this certainly won't motivate or encourage people to write there if they know they won't be earning anything without the ads. What do you think about all this?

Here are some of the comments from this article, back when it used to be posted elsewhere:

AliCanary wrote on February 20, 2015, 10:50 AM
The earnings there are lower than the ones here, and this site is much more fair and trustworthy. I prefer it here.

FreyaYuki replied to AliCanary on February 22, 2015, 2:13 AM
Yeah, the earnings and traffic there are really low right now. At least here on Persona Paper you can actually see your bank page move. There, it's at a complete and total standstill.

GemstonePink wrote on February 20, 2015, 11:35 AM
If the change enhances the earnings, then I am all for it. I am not sure if the site will survive much longer.

FreyaYuki replied to GemstonePink on February 22, 2015, 2:19 AM
Both traffic and earnings are really slow there right now unfortunately. The bank page is barely moving so it's quiet demotivating and discouraging. Certainly not feeling inspired to post there right now specially not with the AdSense ads currently a no-show.

They say they're working on fixing the issues and complying with Google's rules, terms and policies and I hope they can get that sorted out right away because it would be doubly more difficult to earn without the ads from AdSense.

LeaPea2417 wrote on February 20, 2015, 11:48 AM
They may be trying to fix the problem, but I just feel like it is another nail in the coffin for that site.

FreyaYuki replied to LeaPea2417 on February 22, 2015, 2:22 AM
Yeah, it would be really bad if there were no ads there as traffic and earnings are low enough as it is and the bank page is barely moving. I hope that they can get this issue sorted out right away and that their AdSense account doesn't get banned or something. It's good that at least Google gave them the chance to fix things. I've heard stories of people whose accounts got banned.

scheng1 wrote on February 20, 2015, 10:16 PM
Bubblews can overcome the problem by using text ads instead of image ads for homepage.

FreyaYuki replied to scheng1 on February 22, 2015, 2:29 AM
That might work if they don't put those ads in boxes like they do with the posts and tags. The masonry grid layout they're using for the homepage makes everything blend in and look the same so it seems like the ads are part of the content of the site like the tags and posts which are all in boxes. I do hope they are able to fix this as soon as possible for the benefit of everyone there.

GayleStorm wrote on February 21, 2015, 3:30 PM
I don't have an AdSense account. That's a can of worms I've yet to open; I just don't understand it.

FreyaYuki replied to GayleStorm on February 22, 2015, 2:43 AM
I don't have one yet either. But I'm hoping to be able to get one. Google has strict rules about this though and you need lots of content.

shiela32 wrote on February 24, 2015, 2:27 AM
Google is strict in terms of Ads placement. Bubblews is too cautious about this - although I'm no longer a member over there.

FreyaYuki replied to shiela32 on February 24, 2015, 8:46 AM
Yes, I heard Google was very strict in implementing their rules when it comes to AdSense and I've heard stories of people whose accounts have gotten banned for one reason or another so people with AdSense accounts are really careful about following the rules, etc. It looks like Bubblews is still working on the ad issue. I do hope they get it sorted out soon.

cheri wrote on March 2, 2015, 7:30 AM
This a very informative one. I have no idea about how these things work.

*Notes:
- Image is by GraphBerry (CC:BY-SA) from deviantArt
- This was previously published on Persona Paper on February 20, 2015, 9:43 AM

Bubblews News: No Ads. Is That True? What's Going On?

So, I haven't been to Bubblews in a while. Aside from being too busy with lots of other stuff, wasn't really feeling inspired/motivated/encouraged to write there 'cause you-know-why (low traffic, low earnings, non-moving bank page, eh, you get the point 😃).

Anyway, so it was only just now that I got to log back in to that site. Looks like there isn't anything new from the admin. At least, I didn't see any new articles on the CEO's profile page. Looks like nothing much has changed either in terms of traffic and earnings. The bank page is, sadly and unfortunately, still at a complete standstill :-(.

Anyway, I came across this article that said that there were no more Google AdSense ads on Bubblews. Sure enough, the article in question didn't have any ads. There were Viglink affiliate links though. But there were no ads anywhere.

I refreshed the page but still didn't see any ads though the Viglink links were still there. I checked another article on Bubblews, but it was the same thing - no ads anywhere. Anyone know anything about this? Wonder what's going on?

Now, admittedly, I didn't check every single post there (no time), but the few that I've checked didn't have any ads, so, well, don't really know what's going on, or if there's an issue or something. What do you think? Have you been there lately?

Here are some of the comments from this article, back when it used to be posted elsewhere:

erikalui wrote on February 19, 2015, 1:26 PM
Bubblews today deleted my account as last week I had complained with BBB about non-payment from Bubblews. They found it easier to delete my account. LOL

FreyaYuki replied to erikalui on February 19, 2015, 2:27 PM
What did you put in the BBB complaint form? Did Bubblews respond to the complaint via the BBB? I also filed a complaint (and I got a response from them), but my account on Bubblews is still there. You can continue trying to pursue your complaint with the BBB and tell them what happened and how your account was deleted for no reason.

If your account had just been deleted, Google may still have a cache of it (your articles and profile page), so you can add a link/s to that in your complaint form with the BBB to prove that you are a member of the site and your account was deleted for no reason that you can think of.

SoundNFury wrote on February 19, 2015, 1:50 PM
That's interesting. I was on there checking up on stuff yesterday, but didn't notice anything unusual. I'll have another look.

FreyaYuki replied to SoundNFury on February 19, 2015, 2:31 PM
I only noticed it when I saw the article that mentioned that there were no ads. I didn't see ads on their post even after refreshing the page and I didn't see ads on the other posts that I looked at so I wondered what was going on. I also noted that there's no new update or news from the CEO. Things seem very quiet there at the moment. So, I wonder if anyone knows anything or something since I haven't been there in a while.

MaeLou wrote on February 19, 2015, 1:56 PM
I just checked and I see ads there, maybe it was a "glitch" on their part. They are famous for those so called glitches.

FreyaYuki replied to MaeLou on February 19, 2015, 2:36 PM
Ah, I see. Maybe it was just a glitch that only happened for a short time? I did refresh the page on the article that I read there but the ads still didn't show up. And I noted that they didn't show up even on the other articles that I looked at. Or maybe this is browser-specific or something? Who knows? The CEO and staff there seems to have gone quiet as I didn't see any new updates when I looked at their profile pages so I wondered what was new and what was going on over there.

Porcospino wrote on February 19, 2015, 3:17 PM
I just visited Bubblews and there wasn't a single ad. I don't know what happened, but the ads have disappeared (?)

FreyaYuki replied to Porcospino on February 20, 2015, 9:47 AM
The CEO just posted an article about this. Apparently, they stopped displaying AdSense ads for now because Google said it wasn't all that obvious that the ads were different from the site content. They said they're working on fixing this and I do hope they get it sorted out soon since the members there won't be earning much if no ads are being displayed on their content.

UK_Writer wrote on February 19, 2015, 4:36 PM
You'll probably find the company had a Google Adsense account and didn't understand that either, so got banned. They've so far shown so little understanding of so many things that'd not surprise me....

FreyaYuki replied to UK_Writer on February 20, 2015, 9:56 AM
According to the latest post by the CEO, their AdSense account isn't "in violation" and that the ads "will be back soon". From that same article, they said that Google told them that they should make it more obvious that the ads on the site homepage are ads and not part of the site content, which makes sense since the ads are in square boxes and the posts and the tags are in square boxes too so they all look pretty similar.

UK_Writer replied to FreyaYuki on February 20, 2015, 10:14 AM
Hahaha, in violation...so they WERE banned. N00bs. Google are hot on how you make the ads look on a page.

FreyaYuki replied to UK_Writer on February 22, 2015, 2:52 AM
Oh. Do you really think that they've been banned? I've never had an AdSense account yet, so I don't really know, but the explanation the CEO gave in the latest article he posted seemed believable since the ads on their site homepage really did blend in with the site content since everything was in the masonry grid layout.

But I think some were surprised their account hasn't been banned since there were lots of stories of people whose AdSense accounts have gotten banned for seemingly no reason. I heard Google was really strict about the ads too, so those with AdSense accounts are always careful about following all of the rules since you can get banned for life and appealing for account reinstatement might not always work.

It would be very bad if they lose their AdSense account as traffic and earnings are low enough as it is. They did say they were working on fixing this / sorting this out, but now I have to wonder how long this might take?

AliCanary wrote on February 19, 2015, 5:31 PM
I guess Google got fed up with all the bad reports about them--people are complaining all over the web, and the big G probably doesn't want to be associated with them.

FreyaYuki replied to AliCanary on February 20, 2015, 10:00 AM
According to the latest post by the CEO, Google just told them that they should make it more obvious that the ads on their site homepage are ads and are not part of the site content. So they said that they're working on fixing this up.

I wonder if Google knows about what's been going on though - as in the human people there and not just some automated machine or robot or something since it seems like Google automates pretty much everything and people can't really get a hold of their customer service/support, can they?

AliCanary replied to FreyaYuki on February 20, 2015, 11:30 AM
I've actually spoken with Google customer service--I've caught people plagiarizing my work and posting it on their blogs, and I contacted them about it. Twice they deleted the offender's blog altogether, and the last time the person rewrote what she stole, so I guess they warned her. They did respond to me, as well.

FreyaYuki replied to AliCanary on February 21, 2015, 2:39 PM
This is good to know and hear about as I really appreciate good customer service. I'm glad that Google seems to appreciate it as well. Many times, some just ignore you when you try contact a company or something or they send you some automated response that doesn't help you.

GemstonePink wrote on February 19, 2015, 6:09 PM
I did stop by there today and I, too, saw no ads. Arvind did write a post, but once again, it was vague.

FreyaYuki replied to GemstonePink on February 20, 2015, 10:03 AM
I just saw that post. Yeah, most of it, again, didn't really say much. The last part was where they added the info about what was going on with AdSense though. At least that part was pretty clear - Google just wants them to make it more obvious that the ads on their homepage are ads and not part of the site content. And at least they made it clear that their account hasn't been banned and that the ads will be back soon so people won't have to wonder and speculate about this.

inertia4 wrote on February 19, 2015, 6:34 PM
FreyaYuki The non ads there right now are not a glitch. I read an article from Arivnd himself. They were told by Google that the ads were blending in with the home page and looked like content not ads. So they are working out a way to have the ads stand out more. Thats what we were told anyway. I believe that, since Adsense sucks mostly. They might pay a site but they are way too picky. I once had an Adsense account, but google said I abused it. How I don't know. I never clicked any links, nothing. But they banned me. So they are not worth it as far as I am concerned. But, as long as they are paying the sites we work with, then okay.

nbaquero wrote on February 20, 2015, 7:35 AM
FreyaYuki I did read the same, apparently is a temporary thing and is being resolved between Google and them. Not too sure that is the real case, you know.

FreyaYuki replied to nbaquero on February 20, 2015, 10:21 AM
Thanks for the info. I just saw that post. I think that's really what happened because the ads on the homepage are in square boxes and the Bubblews tags and Bubblews posts are also in square boxes so they all look pretty similar. Some might end up clicking on the ads thinking they're part of the site content especially since they're beside the content itself and the placement seems random.

FreyaYuki replied to inertia4 on February 20, 2015, 10:12 AM
Thanks for the info. I just saw that post by the CEO. I think AdSense has a point on this one since, on the Bubblews homepage, everything is in boxes - the posts, the tags and the ads. This is what you call the masonry grid layout. So, when you scroll down the page, it's possible that some people may end up clicking on ads without meaning or wanting to because they thought the square ads were part of the site content (the tags or the posts).

I've heard many stories about AdSense and of people's accounts being banned. Sorry to hear about your experience with AdSense. Did you try to appeal their decision? Don't have an AdSense account yet but I heard that you can try to appeal if your account was disabled though there's no guarantee that you can get it reinstated. For an alternative to AdSense, you can try Chitika.

scheng1 wrote on February 20, 2015, 2:38 AM
I hope that Bubblews gets their Adsense back. I pity those writers who are still faithful.

FreyaYuki replied to scheng1 on February 20, 2015, 10:24 AM
I just read the latest post by the CEO. According to that article, Bubblews didn't lose their AdSense. They're just working on fixing the issue with the ads on their homepage. Apparently, Google said that they should make it more obvious that the ads on the homepage are ads and not site content.

allen0187 wrote on February 20, 2015, 9:00 PM
Currently on bubble ooze right now and indeed there are no ads available in the site. Could be the last straw before we see the site eventually close down.

FreyaYuki replied to allen0187 on February 22, 2015, 2:59 AM
Yes, there are still no AdSense ads there at the moment though there are Viglink affiliate links in some of the articles. The latest post / update by the CEO said they're working on fixing this issue since Google apparently told them the ads on their homepage blended too much with the rest of the site content. But, now, I have to wonder, if the only problem is with the site homepage, then how come there are also no ads on the post pages? I do hope they get this all sorted out soon.

allen0187 replied to FreyaYuki on February 22, 2015, 8:33 PM
Yeah, saw those links... words highlighted in blue. Apparently, if you purchase any item through those links, a percentage of the sale goes to bubble ooze.

FreyaYuki replied to allen0187 on February 23, 2015, 10:33 AM
Yes, though I don't know if the members of Bubblews share the revenue for any possible sales generated by those affiliate links.

Coffee wrote on February 24, 2015, 9:27 AM
It's such a shame as that site used to be so lively and buzzy.

FreyaYuki replied to Coffee on February 25, 2015, 5:27 PM
Yeah. Now, it seems that a lot of people have left. Traffic and earnings are really slow there right now as well so it can demotivate and discourage some from posting there since the bank page barely moves.

Coffee replied to FreyaYuki on February 26, 2015, 5:49 AM
I think mine has moved about 5c in a month, although I have only posted once over there in that time!

*Notes:
- Image is by FirmBee (Public Domain) from Pixabay
- This was previously published on Persona Paper on February 19, 2015, 12:59 PM

Tips On What To Write On Your BBB (Better Business Bureau) Complaint Form

Want to or planning to file a complaint to the Better Business Bureau? Here are some tips to help you out.

Important things to know first

• be honest and truthful
• you don't need to pay a single cent to file your complaint
• your location doesn't matter - the BBB doesn't care where you are, so feel free to ask them for help
• you need to give your real name and your home address - sorry, but they don't accept anonymous complaints. Your info should be secure because the site uses the https:// and they won't post any of your private info on their site
• do NOT threaten anyone or include profanities on your complaint or the BBB might not process it. Just try to be calm and write in a polite and civil manner even if you're feeling upset and angry

If you're filing a complaint to the BBB against Bubblews, here are some tips

First, it's best to give out the following info right away to speed up the process and so you won't be getting a follow-up response asking for the info. This is what happened to me so I advice you to just give the info already so you won't have to wait twice as long for the real response:

• your Bubblews username
• the email address you used to create your Bubblews account

The above are the info that they asked me for in their response, but I also suggest that you include the following (they didn't ask me for this, but I don't know if it's because I already listed it or because they don't need it, but better to give it just in case, right? Anyway, your info won't be posted in public, so no worries):

• your PayPal email address
• your Bubblews profile page link address

Tips on what to write on the form you have to fill out: You'll be asked to explain the situation and I suggest that you explain everything with as much detail as possible.

Just be honest and tell them exactly what happened. Invite them to look at your profile and articles on Bubblews, the comments you left, your site activity, etc just to prove to them that you really followed all of the rules and that you didn't do anything wrong and that you're not one of those spammers and cheaters that Bubblews is talking about and refusing to pay.

Here are some of the things that I included in the complaint that I filed (again, remember to be as honest and truthful as possible):

• tell them that you didn't plagiarize anything and that all of your content is yours and not stolen from somewhere
• tell them you didn't leave spammy comments on the site
• tell them you didn't randomly follow people but that you have no control over who follows you so you shouldn't be faulted if spammers and cheaters decided to follow you
• if you use pics in your posts, tell them that you only use the ones that are in the public domain or that have the creative commons license or that all the pics are yours
• tell them the exact amount that Bubblews owes you - give all the dates - when you redeemed, how much you redeemed, the expected payment date

The Bubblews Terms Of Service (TOS)

I also mentioned the Bubblews TOS in my complaint. Their latest TOS includes the "retroactive" clause and I quoted that in my complaint form, including the question that - if Bubblews says changes will not apply retroactively, then how come they applied this latest redemption change retroactively?

I also mentioned that there were others like me who didn't do anything wrong and yet didn't get paid so you can add this to your complaint form too to show that you're not the only one having problems and that something is going on here that needs to be looked into. That's all for now. If you need more help, feel free to ask 😃.

Here are some of the comments from this article, back when it used to be posted elsewhere:

amyk49 wrote on February 7, 2015, 10:58 AM
Thanks for the information. I just filed my complaint. I did leave out some things you mentioned, so I will be getting the follow up email, but that's okay.

FreyaYuki replied to amyk49 on February 8, 2015, 3:46 PM
You're welcome. Good luck and I hope you get a favorable response too 😃.

GayleStorm wrote on February 7, 2015, 11:18 AM
That's some good information. I think Bubblers that have been wronged should definitely submit complaints. I feel like the only one who didn't loose a bunch of money after their big changes.

FreyaYuki replied to GayleStorm on February 8, 2015, 3:49 PM
Yes, I think that all the innocent people who didn't do anything wrong and yet still lost a lot of money should let their voices be heard. I hope they get their payments too.

arthurchappell wrote on February 7, 2015, 1:12 PM
Hope you get a good response to your complaint good luck

FreyaYuki replied to arthurchappell on February 8, 2015, 3:54 PM
Thank you 😃. I wrote about this in the post before this one. Yes, I did get a good response. I hope others who try this also get a favorable response.

Squidwhisperer wrote on February 7, 2015, 1:17 PM
Looks like BBB will be having to put out ads now for more staff... as the Bubblewsy flood-waters rise...

FreyaYuki replied to Squidwhisperer on February 8, 2015, 4:01 PM
LOL. I don't know how they managed it, but they've been very helpful.

AliCanary wrote on February 7, 2015, 1:27 PM
What a great idea for a post! This will be EXTREMELY helpful to people. I especially like the way you pointed out their TOS said changes would not be retroactive--great point!

FreyaYuki replied to AliCanary on February 8, 2015, 4:03 PM
Thanks. I hope it helps people and it encourages all those who lost money and yet didn't do anything wrong to also try and let their voice be heard. I wish them luck and hope they can get a favorable response too. Yes, I mentioned this part of the TOS in my BBB complaint.

trufflehunter wrote on February 7, 2015, 4:05 PM
Although I wasn't planning to file a complaint (and B did skip out on a few payments to me), this is a great tutorial. Thank you.

FreyaYuki replied to trufflehunter on February 8, 2015, 4:05 PM
You're welcome 😃. It's up to you on what to do, but it is free to file a complaint, location doesn't matter and you might get a favorable response too.

allen0187 wrote on February 7, 2015, 11:56 PM
Thank you very much for sharing this very informative post. You did mention that the BBB will act on complaints regarding the residence of the complainant, does this apply to international users such as myself?

FreyaYuki replied to allen0187 on February 8, 2015, 4:12 PM
You're welcome. I hope you get a favorable response too if you try this. Your location doesn't matter to the BBB. If you fill out the form, you will see a drop-down list asking you to input your location. At first glance, it seems like you can only choose from the USA states, but if you scroll down the list, you will see the rest of the countries of the world so just choose your country from that list.

allen0187 replied to FreyaYuki on February 8, 2015, 7:59 PM
Ok thanks! Worth the shot to get my cash. Plus, anything that I can do to inconvenience those people at bubble ooze would be worth it in my opinion.

FreyaYuki replied to allen0187 on February 22, 2015, 3:04 AM
You're welcome. Good luck and I hope you can get your payment too 😃. I did get my August 2014 redemption from Bubblews thanks to the BBB.

erikalui wrote on February 8, 2015, 3:26 PM
Thanks dear. I have just filed a complaint today and am hoping to get a positive response. Please wish me luck :)

FreyaYuki replied to erikalui on February 8, 2015, 4:14 PM
You're welcome. And I wish you lots of luck. I hope you get a favorable response too 😃.

seren3 wrote on February 8, 2015, 9:38 PM
I am sure this guide is helpful to many! Thanks for the information!

FreyaYuki replied to seren3 on February 18, 2015, 4:20 PM
You're welcome 😃. I hope the others can get their payments too.

*Notes:
- Image is by GraphBerry (CC:BY-SA) from deviantArt
- This was previously published on Persona Paper on February 7, 2015, 10:55 AM

How To Get Your Redemption Payment From Bubblews Via The Better Business Bureau (BBB)?

What happens after you file a complaint with the BBB (Better Business Bureau)? I don't know if anyone can recall, but I wrote an article here on Persona Paper about filing a complaint with the BBB or the Better Business Bureau against you-know-who (also known as Bubblews). I also wrote about the first response that I got from Bubblews courtesy of the BBB.

Giving Bubblews the info they want

After replying to that response and giving them the info they were asking for (I pretty much gave all the info now - the original email address I used to create a Bubblews account, my PayPal email, my Bubblews profile page URL link address, my Bubblews username, etc, so they will hopefully not have any more reason to stall or ask for additional info), I had to wait for quite a bit of time again before getting another response.

Very happy surprise from Bubblews and the BBB

This was the reply that I was waiting for though, so I didn't mind the long wait. Needless to say, I was very surprised about this. I almost couldn't believe it. I didn't think this would happen. I mean, of course I wanted this to happen, but, well, you know, there's always the doubt that, eh, nothing's going to happen, so why bother, right?

Bubblews Redemption

But, anyway, yes, I finally received my payment from Bubblews . There, let me highlight that for those who prefer to skim-read. The reply from Bubblews that the BBB sent to me was that they supposedly processed my redemption already. Again, the BBB asked me if the issue was resolved already, but I wasn't going to answer that question until I knew for sure.

The proof from PayPal

So the next thing I did was check my PayPal account. Yup, it was right there. Bubblews sent me an e-check on February 3, 2015, and it got cleared on February 5, 2015, so it's all there in my PayPal account now.

This was for the August 20, 2014 redemption that I asked the BBB for help with. PayPal did deduct a $2.68 fee amount from the total that I got, but, eh, I can let that go though it kind of bothers me. I'm still really happy that I finally got paid 😃.

Thanks to the BBB

I responded to the BBB, answering that, yes, my issue has been resolved. I thanked them for their help and added that I hoped that they and Bubblews could also pay all those who didn't get paid but didn't do anything wrong.

Speak up! Let your voice be heard! Exercise your rights!

With all that said, I strongly encourage you guys to consider filing a complaint to the BBB. I'm not saying that you'll get paid because I honestly don't know. This isn't up to me, but, based on my experience, there's a strong possibility that you'll get your money.

Filing a complaint is free and your location doesn't matter

Besides, it's free to file a complaint, and you don't have to be in the USA (United States of America, and, yes, I know you know what that means, but I just had to type it out. Sorry, Hetalia reference. LOL, and, really, I could have replaced that A with Alfred, but I won't 😃) to do this.

You can be anywhere in the world, and the BBB will still try to help you, so exercise your rights, speak up, and let your voice be heard. If you say nothing, how can anything happen?

Need help? Ask

If you need help with filling out the form, just ask. I did write a detailed tutorial about it (because this was what I was looking for way back when I wanted to file my own complaint to the BBB. I couldn't find anything of use though, so I had to figure things out myself), but you don't have to go there if you don't want to.

If you prefer, just go straight here: www. bbb. org/greater-san-francisco/business-reviews/internet-services/bubblews-in-san-francisco-ca-525234/file-a-complaint

I hope this helps someone and that all the innocent people out there who lost their redemptions will also get paid 😃.

Here are some of the comments from this article, back when it used to be posted elsewhere:

amyk49 wrote on February 7, 2015, 9:12 AM
Wow, that's really great news that they paid your missing August payment. Obviously, they would NEVER have paid it had you not made the complaint with the BBB. You have inspired me to file a complaint as well, because I have $53 that was never paid from August 2014. Thanks for posting!

FreyaYuki replied to amyk49 on February 8, 2015, 4:25 PM
You're welcome 😃. Yes, I didn't expect to get anything, but I thought I'd try anyway. I'm glad I tried and that the response I got was favorable. Good luck to you and I hope you get your payment too.

grandma20121 wrote on February 7, 2015, 9:47 AM
I can not believe it, I guess it did pay you to speak up about your missing payment, I wonder if more people spoke up and complained about there missing payments if they would be paid to?

FreyaYuki replied to grandma20121 on February 8, 2015, 4:36 PM
I couldn't believe it either until I checked my PayPal and saw the e-check there. I don't know if others will be paid too but I'm hoping that they will if they try speaking up too. If they try, there's a chance that they'll get a favorable response as opposed to simply doing nothing.

Anyway, what have they got to lose by trying? It's free and all it takes is a bit of time to fill out the form and explain the situation. The wait time is definitely longer than filling out the form.

LeaPea2417 wrote on February 7, 2015, 12:51 PM
That is very good that you complained in the proper way and finally got the payment. I hope more will get their missing payments.

FreyaYuki replied to LeaPea2417 on February 8, 2015, 4:38 PM
Yeah, I hope all those who did nothing wrong can also get their payments.

*Notes:
- This was previously published on Persona Paper on February 7, 2015, 8:57 AM
- Image is by GraphBerry (CC:BY-SA) from deviantArt

How The Better Business Bureau (BBB) Responded To Bubblews Complaints?

Also known as "An Answer From The BBB And Bubblews".

Well, don't get too excited. It's like a classic non-response actually. Naturally, that refers to the-site-that-shall-not-be-named (also known as Bubblews, but, you knew that already, didn't you?) 😃.

For those that don't know, BBB stands for the Better Business Bureau. You can go to their site to file a complaint against companies or businesses that may have wronged you. I wrote a tutorial here on how you can do that in case you want to file a complaint (not just for that site, but also for other sites or businesses that you may have a reason to complain about).

Anyway, so got a response from the BBB regarding the complaint I filed. They said they got a response from Bubblews and this is what their reply said:

"Thank you for your concerns; if you could please provide us with the following information.

User Name:
User email used to sign up at Bubblews."

The problem is that I already mentioned my username when I first filed the complaint. Admittedly, I didn't mention the email address that I used when I created an account there (though I did mention my PayPal email), but, honestly, I didn't think they'd need this info too. I mean, if they already have your username, they can use it to find all the other details associated with your account there, right?

Wouldn't that be listed on their database somewhere like a person's username would be associated with their email address, PayPal email, password, their profile page there, their articles there, etc?

Well, anyway, the BBB takes you to a page where they will ask if you accept the response from the business or not. You're supposed to select either the "yes" or "no" button and then explain your answer.

When I explained my choice, I included all the relevant details the site-that-shall-not-be-named asked for and even added my Bubblews profile link and PayPal email (again) for good measure in case they need it. Don't know yet what will happen though.

How 'bout you? Did you try this already? How did it go for you? If you have any questions, or if you need help with filing a complaint with the BBB, feel free to ask 😃.

(Side note: anyone know anything about the IC3 (Internet Crime Complaint Center)? Have you tried this with regards to you-know-who? How'd it go?)

Here are some of the comments from this article, back when it used to be posted elsewhere:

SoundNFury wrote on January 20, 2015, 1:13 AM
I'm not sure how much money I didn't get from them that they owed me. It was either $20 or $80. But I see what they did to so many others, and since I can't trust them, I don't bother writing there anymore. I didn't file a formal complaint, though. But I slammed them on my blog. lol

FreyaYuki replied to SoundNFury on January 21, 2015, 12:28 PM
Have stopped posting so often there too and am in the process of moving my posts elsewhere. I've seen a lot of articles and blog posts of people who also shared their experiences with that site. So many people lost so much. Maybe those who lost hundreds of dollars might consider filing a complaint, and, hopefully, something favorable can come of it.

BarbRad wrote on January 20, 2015, 1:18 AM
I haven't filed a complaint. That's just one more demand on my time and although I could use the $19 in my bank, I'm not sure they wouldn't pay me if I ever get to $50, which I probably never will unless I decide to start writing there again.

FreyaYuki replied to BarbRad on January 21, 2015, 12:32 PM
Yeah, it did take me a bit of time to file the complaint since you need to explain the entire situation though it wasn't that long. It's really depressing to post there because the earnings are just so slow and the bank refuses to move. Have around 44 there though so am still trying to post every once in a while but am thinking it seems to be impossible to reach 50 and who knows if they're still paying? It's just so discouraging :-(.

BarbRad replied to FreyaYuki on January 21, 2015, 9:24 PM
Which is why I'd rather tsu. I enjoy it and I do see a few pennies added each day. I also see my Bank move here so I don't believe I'm wasting my time. On Bub I feel like I'm traveling on the Titanic with everyone else still there, waiting for what I believe is inevitable. This is one of the lifeboats I have gotten into.

FreyaYuki replied to BarbRad on January 23, 2015, 1:54 PM
It's great that Tsu is working out for you :-). I also like seeing the bank move here on Persona Paper even if sometimes, it can be a bit slow. It's way better than on that other site though where it really seems like the bank is at a stand still so it feels like it's pointless to even bother posting there.

LadyTrouble wrote on January 20, 2015, 2:07 AM
I got my money, but with about a $60.00 loss! They crapped me out of $60.00 but I am honestly not worried about it too much. I don't feel like going through the humble jumble for such a small amount in comparison to what I did get.

FreyaYuki replied to LadyTrouble on January 21, 2015, 12:39 PM
Congrats on getting your money :-). But sorry about your loss :-(. When did you redeem? Those who redeemed before the 11th of Nov 2014 lost their entire payment and, for some, that meant hundreds of dollars so, maybe those people might want to file complaints and see if maybe they can get a favorable response.

arthurchappell wrote on January 20, 2015, 3:34 AM
Sounds like the BBB are just following procedures - they may well act from sheer volume of complaints pouring in about Bubblews

FreyaYuki replied to arthurchappell on January 21, 2015, 12:48 PM
Yeah, hopefully, there will be favorable responses for those who have filed complaints. If a lot of people voice their opinions and express their complaints and concerns instead of remaining silent, then maybe changes can happen.

Hollyhocks100 wrote on January 20, 2015, 5:32 AM
I had almost $300 taken of me, but can't see the point in complaining, if the moneys not there they cannot pay it.

FreyaYuki replied to Hollyhocks100 on January 21, 2015, 12:52 PM
:-( $300 is a lot of money. Sorry to hear about this. It really frustrates me how so many people lost so much even though they were innocent and didn't do anything wrong. Have heard stories of people who lost hundreds of dollars. I don't know if anything favorable will come from filing a complaint but did so anyway since it is free and you lose nothing from doing so. It's worth a try and have heard of others who tried too. Maybe if a lot of people complain, something can be done.

MsBiz wrote on January 20, 2015, 7:46 AM
I got the exact same response. The funny thing is, the BBB even says not to put personal information on their website, so, no, I didn't accept their response. My inclination given their past behavior is that they'd just delete complaintants' accounts.

Squidwhisperer replied to MsBiz on January 20, 2015, 9:39 AM
I would think that's EXACTLY what they'd do, given that petty vengeance is an operating principle there.

FreyaYuki replied to MsBiz on January 21, 2015, 1:07 PM
Yeah, but, even though the BBB says not to put personal info, they also say that they will blot out this info if it is listed. When I looked at the complaints on BBB, I saw the site's response was to ask for the person's username so I already included mine and even my PayPal ad when I initially filed my complaint. So, I was surprised when I got this response (though I didn't include the original email I used when I signed up to the site). I didn't accept their response either.

This time, I included all the info I thought they might ask for including a link to my profile on that site. I was also concerned about account deletion and actually mentioned it on my complaint to the BBB. Am pleasantly surprised but glad that my account is still there (still have some posts that have yet to move). Sounds like the site gave the same response to all of us who complained. Hopefully, if many more people complain, something positive and favorable can come from it.

Gina145 replied to FreyaYuki on January 20, 2015, 7:57 PM
From what I've heard some people have been paid after complaining to the BBB. I hope I'll be one of them, but I'm not confident.

FreyaYuki replied to Squidwhisperer on January 21, 2015, 1:13 PM
Was worried / concerned about account deletion too and even mentioned it to the BBB but was pleasantly surprised that they haven't deleted accounts. Maybe it's because the BBB already has a record of the complaints? Who knows?

Squidwhisperer replied to FreyaYuki on January 20, 2015, 8:20 PM
Or you'll get your name marked down in Varmind 's Big Book of "People Who Challenged Me" for payback down the line, when Varmind does become the Emperor of the Internet...

FreyaYuki replied to Gina145 on January 21, 2015, 1:20 PM
I hope so too. Maybe if many more people complain and let their voices be heard instead of staying silent or passive, something positive and favorable can happen. Good luck to all of us.

Gina145 replied to Squidwhisperer on January 21, 2015, 4:39 AM
The day that happens I'll lose all faith in humanity :)

beachchair wrote on January 20, 2015, 11:43 AM
I am so over that site. At some point you just need to chalk it up to a bad memory and move on. It is just not worth the frustration any more. Best of luck to those still on that site.

FreyaYuki replied to beachchair on January 21, 2015, 1:36 PM
For people who lost a lot of money, it may not be easy to just let it go and move on especially if they got absolutely nothing at all for months of time and effort. If they want to complain and let their voices be heard, maybe something can come of it. Yeah, best of luck to everyone there. Some are still hoping to redeem and get their payments.

Gina145 wrote on January 20, 2015, 7:54 PM
I've got as far with them as you have. I'm really curious to see what happens next.

FreyaYuki replied to Gina145 on January 21, 2015, 1:38 PM
Am curious too. Hope we can all get a favorable response. Maybe if a lot of people voice their opinions and file a complaint, something can be done. Have you tried other methods of complaining? Heard suggestions about filing with the FTC and IC3 but don't have much info on these sites yet. Have you tried any of these?

Gina145 replied to FreyaYuki on January 21, 2015, 2:04 PM
No, the BBB is the first thing I've tried. I hadn't even heard about the others today and hopefully I won't need to find out more about them.

trufflehunter wrote on January 21, 2015, 12:46 AM
Sounds like they wrote you an automated reply. I heard of someone else complaining to BBB with no satisfactory response sigh.

FreyaYuki replied to trufflehunter on January 21, 2015, 1:45 PM
Yeah especially since I actually already listed my username with the initial complaint. Even listed my PayPal email though, admittedly, it wasn't the same email I used when I created an account there. When I responded, this time, I listed all the details they might need including my profile on that site. Hopefully, if many people complain and voice their opinions, there can be a favorable and satisfactory response.

Jezebella wrote on January 21, 2015, 3:03 AM
I have one more pending payment. I'm waiting to see if I get that before I do anything because I don't want them to not pay me out of spite.

FreyaYuki replied to Jezebella on January 21, 2015, 1:47 PM
Good luck. Hope you can get that payment soon. Heard of others who got paid but many had their redemptions slashed so they didn't get the full amount.

scheng1 wrote on January 23, 2015, 11:49 PM
This seems to be a great way to stall the payment matter.

FreyaYuki replied to scheng1 on January 24, 2015, 2:44 PM
They suddenly announced that they would no longer pay redemptions made before the 11th of November 2014. So many people got affected by this and many lost hundreds of dollars. Trying to file a complaint to the BBB might be able to help them. It's better than doing nothing and it is free to do this. Some have said that they've been successful when they tried this. Others have also suggested the FTC and the IC3. Maybe if a lot of people tried and let their voices be heard, something favorable can happen.

nbaquero wrote on January 25, 2015, 2:15 PM
FreyaYuki They used that trick often I am afraid. That is why my position is just to leave a Negative Review that eventually alert people about their obscure business practices. I have already written off my last redemption that I know they will never pay.

FreyaYuki replied to nbaquero on February 2, 2015, 2:08 PM
:-( Still hoping the BBB can at least do something about this. After all, there are so many people who lost so much and yet didn't do anything wrong. If everyone of these people speaks up and lets their voices be heard, maybe something can happen and something can change. Am also looking into other places that might be able to help (have heard about the FTC and IC3 though am still doing more research). I think it'd be hard for some to just let things go especially if they lost hundreds of dollars.

erikalui wrote on February 2, 2015, 8:10 AM
I sent Bubblews several emails asking them about my payment but I don't think they will again revive their old model and start paying their old members. IT's really sad as I lose over $124 :(

FreyaYuki replied to erikalui on February 2, 2015, 2:12 PM
Sorry to hear about this :-(. You can try filing a complaint or reporting them to the BBB. It's free and anyone can do it regardless of location; wrote a tutorial about this. You won't really lose anything by trying and if lots of people try, maybe something favorable can happen. It isn't fair for the site to just suddenly decide to not pay people particularly those who didn't do anything wrong.

bestwriter wrote on February 5, 2015, 1:05 AM
i had noticed BBs tactics months ago when they did not pay me but when I said that here many assumed I had violated rules. Violation and yours truly are poles apart not just here but also in the real world. And now whoever supported BB then have their tail tucked in and must be remembering what they said to me. (lol)

FreyaYuki replied to bestwriter on February 7, 2015, 9:33 AM
You can consider filing a complaint to the BBB to get your missing payments from Bubblews. The site said they won't pay everyone who redeemed before Nov 11, 2014 due to fraudulent activity even if not everyone there spammed or cheated the site so it isn't fair for the innocent people.

bestwriter replied to FreyaYuki on February 7, 2015, 6:13 PM
That is too much of a rigmarole. I take it as charity. (lol)

*Notes:
- This was previously published on Persona Paper on January 20, 2015, 1:08 AM
- Image is by kaboompics (Public Domain) from Pixabay