EKWB und ein finanzielles Desaster mit Ansage: Nicht bezahlte Rechnungen, ausgenutzte Mitarbeiter und genervte Gläubiger wie ich

I want to make one thing perfectly clear: I am neither a judge, nor do I have the right to write on behalf of others or to pre-judge a company. However, as I am also among those affected and find the way EKWB handles its payment obligations to be downright shabby and arrogant, Stephen Burke from Gamers Nexus has done the work for me with his 36-minute video, which I have linked below and highly recommend to everyone. There’s almost nothing more to add to that.

Well, maybe there is. I can fully confirm the arguments made by Stephen, as I have known many of the mostly anonymously mentioned colleagues and companies for years, and we often talk enough with each other. But I also want to use my case to supplement the protection of those affected by disclosing chronologically and with the help of my case what was not said and the kind of communication one faces as a company dealing with payment demands. Since I will probably never see my money again (a Slovenian debt collector has already warned me about the pointless costs), I really don’t care much about a potentially even more stubborn reaction from EKWB. This is simply about principle. But of course, I’m also open to being corrected. Otherwise, the debt collection will proceed.

As we will see, the repertoire of excuses and delay tactics is as broad as it is mercilessly effective. Companies like EKWB that don’t want to pay bide their time and test the patience of their creditors by displaying an elegant potpourri of creativity and audacity. In this cynical game, it’s often forgotten that behind every unpaid bill are people whose own bills and obligations are just as urgent. The irony is that many of these delinquent payers would not tolerate delays if the roles were reversed. And the fleet of EKWB’s lawyers is really quick when, for example, they aggressively demand payment from former employees for public pleas for help.

Contracts? What contracts?

Since I reject overwhelming and annoying advertising, I market my site with its banners myself and decide which company with which product and which link will be visible at all. This benefits the readers and in return offers the advertisers more attention. Part of this approach is that I do not limit the number of impressions or clicks as is common in the industry, but rather offer it as a sort of flat rate over a defined total period with at least quarterly payments in advance. This creates planning security for both sides, as I only limit the number of advertising clients to keep visibility high. And I do this at a fair price, including real-time reporting.

I had a 1-year contract with EKWB from Q2 2023 to including Q1 2024, and it was one of the most annoying and time-consuming business relationships to date. The first three payments were made with significant delays, and although the payment methods and targets were clearly defined and also shown on the invoices, I had to repeatedly demand the payments. For those who can’t understand: the noble art of chasing money is a laborious, often underestimated discipline that has evolved over centuries. And when the delinquent payer runs out of ideas, he quickly changes the rules creatively, in this case for Q1 2024, and buys himself some more time:

The next level of satisfaction is reached when it comes to following up. Anyone who has had the pleasure of receiving the same response to their reminders multiple times a day can appreciate the subtle art of repetition. Email correspondence with companies like EKWB can also be seen as a form of social interaction. Moreover, it is a constant reminder that while hope dies last, liquidity often precedes it. It’s a life lesson that shapes character.

I have also decided to let this contract expire on time and deliberately not to negotiate an extension, because the stress with this company was simply too much for me and there are plenty of other interested parties. But one does not simply terminate a contract with a company like EKWB, no, one gets disposed of. That much time must be taken at least. This suits me well, as someone else who is honest and pays on time is now placed in this advertising space. Interestingly, EKWB has confirmed in writing the fulfillment of the contract for the unpaid Q1, even though they know they will not or cannot pay.

Well then, welcome to the waiting loop. I’ll spare us the details of the remaining communication attempts here, except for the last message, which, however, is also already two weeks old:

EKWB, although they likely knew as early as January or February 2024 that they would not be able to pay the bills, continued to utilize services until the end of Q1. I am specifically referring to a mid-seven-figure(!) number of impressions in Q1 and a substantial four-figure number of clicks directly into the EKWB webshop! And no one can tell me that this did not generate direct or indirect sales. Not paying for this is simply brazen.

I’ve heard from colleagues that EKWB has also failed to pay many of them, or has done so very untimely, especially since January 2024. However, most still seem to hope that the business relationship will continue and that things will return to normal. From my long time in the industry and relevant experiences, I know that unpaid taxes, outstanding wages, and unremitted social benefits always come first (or should) and that customers like me are then left empty-handed.

You can handle payment difficulties differently and ask for understanding, postponement, or a discount. But if the overall structure has already imploded, there’s little chance of salvaging anything, especially since one would need to have proper integrity to take such steps. At least the smaller creditors like me, whose outstanding amounts are “only” in the four or five figures and who only started to complain in 2024, will definitely be thrown over the cliff, as there is hardly an adequate and quickly mobilizable mass available to resolve the liquidity crunch.

Will I ever see my money? Doubtful. Will I enter into any contracts with EKWB again? Unlikely. Will we still test products? I’ll leave that to the reviewers to justify the price and quality to the readers as they see fit. For my part, however, I’m out as long as there’s no payment and apology.

An invitation to Computex at booth N0003

Speaking of contracts: Computex is the go-to event for presentations and networking every year. Stephen mentioned a six-figure sum that the booth was supposed to have cost. I would estimate the costs to be slightly lower, since the booth previously rented by the Korean cloud provider Innodep is tiny and on a very unattractive outer side, but regardless. It would be better and more honest if EKWB finally settled its outstanding debts instead of burning more money. But I’m on site and will perhaps attempt some debt collection on camera. And with a bit of bad luck, I will certainly not be the only one.

Here is the video from Gamers Nexus for everyone interested in all the further details. Enjoy the 36 minutes: