Author Topic: Pond5 (allegedly) now wants ID specifically for SFX sales? (Read 5437 times)

skitchy · « **on:** December 09, 2015, 14:34 »

I just wanted to check if anyone else got this email? Alongside video I also sell some original sound effects on Pond5. A few months ago I went through their retroactive ID upload verification hoops and it was fine. Today I get an email asking me to email(!) them a copy of my passport again, specifically to verify my identity as a creator of sound effects(?).
Seems weird so I thought I'd ask around.

Tror · « **Reply #1 on:** December 09, 2015, 17:03 »

I would not worry about that. You never know what happened in the background. Agencies like Pond deal on a daily basis with a load of legal cases and they just might have gotten more careful due to some - to you unrelated - event. Just send it and done. You only would have to worry if you did some shady things like uploading others peoples stuff or incorporating other elements etc.

Personally I never got a mail like this from them.

weathernewsonline · « **Reply #2 on:** December 09, 2015, 20:55 »

For a correct answer I would email support at Pond directly. Maybe in that email copy/paste in the text of the email you got, just to be 100% sure before you go sending your ID off somewhere. And send that email after you've dumped your cache/cookies etc and open up a browser or email client and then send. This is probably legit as there is talk on the P5 forums and an admin responded but always to be double sure go right to the source.

I've recently gotten some amazing phishing scam emails, one was for Gmail and one was from a bank, the bank was interesting since I don't have an account there but hey someone could have signed me up, it asked for info I simply didn't have, the Gmail one....well it smelled a bit and sure enough.

Email Pond5 support directly just to be sure.

Freedom · « **Reply #3 on:** December 09, 2015, 22:25 »

Actually I received a similar request from an audio curator a while ago when I first submitted audio. Just send a message to support directly and they should be able to tell you how to meet their requirements. It's not that complicated.

trek · « **Reply #4 on:** December 09, 2015, 22:32 »

I recently got a request for a W-9 even though the Pond5 account tax section shows the W-9 I upload in January being on file.... Could be phishing... or could be a mass email to everybody. Did anyone else get a W-9 request last week?

Eco · « **Reply #5 on:** December 10, 2015, 00:27 »

I received the same request 3 months ago and submitted all the documentation and my status as "verified" was received. The next month I received the same request and had to contact them and explain that I have already submitted all documentation. They apologized for the confusion and my status as "verified" re-instated. Now, yesterday, I received the request again with a note that my SFX files are temporarily removed and not available for sale. This is not funny. They really need to sort out their problems.

KnowYourOnions · « **Reply #6 on:** December 10, 2015, 03:25 »

Quote from: Eco on December 10, 2015, 00:27

I received the same request 3 months ago and submitted all the documentation and my status as "verified" was received. The next month I received the same request and had to contact them and explain that I have already submitted all documentation. They apologized for the confusion and my status as "verified" re-instated. Now, yesterday, I received the request again with a note that my SFX files are temporarily removed and not available for sale. This is not funny. They really need to sort out their problems.

Ha, in 20 years time, maybe! ...cos in their first 10 years they obviously were not able to establish the basics!

sharpshot · « **Reply #7 on:** January 04, 2016, 15:09 »

Quote from: skitchy on December 09, 2015, 14:34

I just wanted to check if anyone else got this email? Alongside video I also sell some original sound effects on Pond5. A few months ago I went through their retroactive ID upload verification hoops and it was fine. Today I get an email asking me to email(!) them a copy of my passport again, specifically to verify my identity as a creator of sound effects(?).
Seems weird so I thought I'd ask around.

Same thing happened to me. I only have 2 sound clips, so told them to delete them if they couldn't accept my recent account verification. Still don't get why someone that has verified their account by sending the required ID and sells video and stills has to go through the verification again? First time Pond5 have annoyed me.