Medium Ghosted Me Over My Money (And I’m Not Taking It Anymore)
Okay folks, if you’ve ever wondered if Medium secretly hates its writers, I’ve got the horror story to prove it. Prepare, because this gets messy.
I’m a writer like all of you, and definitely not clueless, I’ve read all the ‘FAQ’, help, etc.
So when I say I’ve jumped through every hoop Medium Support has thrown at me, I mean it. And guess what? They’re still ignoring me.
So, here’s the deal. I’m part of the Medium Partner Program (or at least I thought I was). For those not in the know, that basically means I should get paid for the articles people read. Simple enough, right? Wrong.
See, I made the mistake of once having multiple Stripe accounts (those things Medium uses to pay us). I closed my old Stripe ages ago because, well, duh, why have two?
Now, for reasons beyond my comprehension, Medium has decided all my hard-earned cash should vanish into the black hole of my old, defunct Stripe account.
Hitting a Brick Wall
Naturally, the first time this happened I thought, “Okay, honest mistake. Support will fix this.” Spoiler alert: NOPE.
After the initial panic, I reached out to Medium Support. I mean, I went above and beyond — explained the issue clearly, followed their instructions to the letter, and was sickeningly polite the whole time. I figured they’d just send my earnings to my current Stripe.
…Crickets.
Okay, maybe they were busy. I waited patiently (not really, but I tried). Still nothing. So, I followed up. And again. And again. That’s FOUR emails, guys.
Each time, basically the same response: a generic automated template that had absolutely nothing to do with my situation. It was like screaming into the void.
The Great Stripe Shuffle
Now, I’m not the type to give up easily, especially when it’s my money on the line. So, naturally, I took matters into my own hands.
I contacted Stripe directly, thinking they must be the source of the problem. Guess what? Stripe was super helpful. Turns out, there’s ZERO issue on their end. They even told me, and I quote, “It sounds like Medium needs to adjust something on their side and remove your old account.”
Great, just fantastic.
Armed with this knowledge, I went back to Medium Support, feeling slightly empowered. I mean, c’mon, I did the troubleshooting for them!
Surely, now they’d see the error of their ways, right?
Wrong again. Still no real answer. Not an answer at all besides the automatic message.
The Frustration Mounts
Let me paint a picture of my current state of mind, ok? Imagine someone slowly dangling your paycheck just beyond your reach. That frustrating, infuriating, powerless feeling? Yeah, I’m living it.
The worst part is, I like writing on Medium. I enjoy the community, the platform… But at this point, the principle of the thing is outweighing everything else.
Why should I devote my time and energy to a company that clearly doesn’t value its own writers?
It’s not just about the money anymore (though, let’s be real, that’s important). We are talking about the utter lack of respect, the ghosting, the feeling that I’m not an actual person with bills to pay but just some faceless content-generating machine.
The Final Straw
So, here’s the thing. I’m done. Yeah, you heard me. As of today, I’m putting my Medium writing on hold.
Look, I know this probably won’t make a dent in their grand scheme of things. I’m one writer in a sea of thousands. But this is my way of taking a stand, however small it is.
If I magically hear back from Medium and this whole mess gets sorted, then hey, maybe I’ll reconsider. But until then, I refuse to play their game any longer. My time and my writing are worth more than being ignored.
So, what about you guys? Have any of you experienced similar frustration with Medium support? Or am I just cursed? Share your stories below, let’s commiserate together.
Closing Thoughts
Look, I get that companies make mistakes sometimes. But Medium, if you’re reading this (which I doubt), you need to do better. Writers are the backbone of your platform.
Treat us with respect, and at the very least, have the decency to answer our emails when your system messes up.
As for my fellow writers, I hope my little rant here resonates. And honestly, if you’re considering the Medium Partner Program, proceed with caution.
It’s a great idea with terrible execution on the support end.
Don’t get me wrong, I’ve had positive experiences, too, but situations like this make me question if it’s worth the potential headache.
Before I go fully dark on Medium, let’s make some noise. If you’ve had similar issues, drop a comment below.
Maybe if enough of us speak up, they’ll start paying attention. Or, at the very least, we’ll know we’re not alone in the Medium Support wilderness.
Thanks for reading, and remember — your writing has value. Don’t let anyone, not even a giant platform, make you feel otherwise.
