Final Settlement of Creditor Claims
All properly filed creditor claims received by 20 February 2017 have now been assessed by the Trustees of VX Gateway Inc., in dissolution (“VX Gateway”) and an advisory email has been issued to all registered claimants.
Claimants advised of a settlement payment must reply to the email with all the proper requested information, including the signed Banking Instructions Form, before Wednesday 8 March 2017. Payments will be processed by Friday 10 March 2017 for claimants who submit compliant documents by the due date. Non-compliant submissions will delay or prevent processing of payment.
Other than normal expenses of administration, VX Gateway owes no other money to anyone other than the registered claimants as of this date.
The unusual transactional behavior by myadvertisingpays.com (“MAP”) in August 2016 (a 90% drop in sales from the prior month) caused all of the processors to cease making payments to VX Gateway after 8 September 2016. As a service provider and by the terms of its contract with MAP, VX Gateway owes nothing to MAP unless and until it receives payment from the processors.
Accordingly, a number of remittance payments from MAP's VXLOOP account to customer VXLOOP accounts have been cancelled and reversed as MAP's VXLOOP account has insufficient cleared balance to fund the payments. People who seek payment of the balance in their account at MAP should contact Mike Deese, CEO and Director of MAP or MAP's law firm Hart David directly.
VX Gateway is attempting to recover additional sums owed to it by MAP in the form of legal damages through the lawsuit it has, upon advice of Panama legal counsel, filed in Panama against MAP and against Michael Deese individually who personally guaranteed payment of VX Gateway's fees.
There is also a large receivable owed to VX Gateway by GPN Data. GPN Data has withheld payment. When and if money is received from GPN Data, VX Gateway will then pass through whatever share is then due to each of the respective entities or parties.
In January of this year, VX Gateway challenged MAP's outrageous and false claims made in the lawsuit filed in US District Court in Houston, on its website, and repeated publicly elsewhere, by proposing that MAP join in commissioning an independent audit by a Big 4 accounting firm. MAP was advised that the audit would determine how much, if any, money is actually unaccounted for, and identify exactly who is holding any such funds. Not surprisingly, MAP refused repeated offers to agree to the audit.
Accordingly, VX Gateway has now, completely upon its own volition and at its expense initially, arranged with a Big 4 accounting firm for the independent audit to begin immediately. We shall soon all know the falsity of MAP's lawsuit and who is holding any unaccounted for funds.
VX Gateway in dissolution prepared this statement based on the information available to it, including information derived from public sources that have not been independently verified. No representation or warranty, express or implied, is provided in relation to the fairness, accuracy, correctness, completeness or reliability of the information, opinions or conclusions expressed herein. The financial information included in this presentation is preliminary, unaudited and subject to revision upon completion of the Company's closing and audit processes, as well as independent third party audits. This presentation is not a legal opinion, but general discussion, not intended to deal with or disclose particulars of any specific issue, legal, business, or otherwise. All applicable statutes and regulations control.
Claim Period Now Closed
The period for registering a claim against VX Gateway Inc. in dissolution (hereinafter referred to as “VX Gateway” or “company”) has now closed. The Trustees will review all registered claims and communicate with the claimants over the next two months to confirm the settlement amount and verify bank account details.
Only people who have a balance in their VX Gateway account are eligible creditors of VX Gateway.
People who seek payment of the balance in their account at myadvertisingpays.com (“MAP”)should contact Mike Deese, CEO and Director of MAP or MAP’s law firm Hart David directly.
VX sues MAP
VX Gateway Inc. in dissolution has, upon advice of counsel filed a lawsuit against myadvertisingpays.com in the courts of Panama seeking total damages of US $14,481,922.00.
The lawsuit seeks recovery of the fees in the amount of US $5,878,706.00 due to VX Gateway for its services under the contract with MAP. All such fees were personally guaranteed by Michael Deese, also a Defendant in the lawsuit.
The lawsuit also seeks US $8,603,216.00 as damages for the loss of fees that would have been earned by VX Gateway had the contract not been breached by MAP and business as usual continued.
Legal counsel in Panama has advised that venue for the lawsuit is proper in Panama as required by the contract that existed between VX Gateway and MAP.
VX Gateway in dissolution prepared this statement based on the information available to it, including information derived from public sources that have not been independently verified. No representation or warranty, express or implied, is provided in relation to the fairness, accuracy, correctness, completeness or reliability of the information, opinions or conclusions expressed herein. The financial information included in this presentation is preliminary, unaudited and subject to revision upon completion of the Company's closing and audit processes, as well as independent third party audits. This presentation is not a legal opinion, but general discussion, not intended to deal with or disclose particulars of any specific issue, legal, business, or otherwise. All applicable statutes and regulations control.
DISPUTE WITH myadvertisingpays.com (“MAP”)
VX Gateway Inc. in dissolution (hereinafter referred to as “VX Gateway” or “company”) has contended since the lawsuit was first filed by myadvertisingpays.com (“MAP”) that it is a specious claim, that is to say, it is a made-up fantasy. VX Gateway does not know the reason underlying the filing or perpetuation of the false claim.
There has been speculation that perhaps MAP has something to hide and is using the lawsuit to “buy time”. Questions were raised as to the need to mask internal financial problems during the launch of The Advert Platform (“TAP”). Questions were also raised about Mike Deese overpaying himself and about the reported transfer of eight million dollars to an offshore bank account facilitated by MAP’s attorney Jonathan Herpy of the Hart David law firm.
There has also been speculation that there is some active collusion between MAP and GPN Data. GPN Data is the party that has withheld payment, MAP is the party claiming payment. How is it that they are working together and the issue remains unresolved?
We express no opinion on those issues.
The amount being withheld by GPN Data is in the order of USD 14 million, as detailed in the Executive Summary by Trustees now on public record in case No. 4:16-CV-0354 in the US District Court for the Southern District of Texas Houston Division.
All other funds due to MAP from monies actually received from GPN Data have been paid to MAP in the normal course of business. The $14 million dollars is not a debt of VX Gateway; as a service provider and by the terms of its contract with MAP, VX Gateway owes nothing to the merchant, here MAP, unless and until it receives payment from the processor, GPN Data. When and if received from GPN Data all amounts payable to MAP from the dissolution will be paid.
There is not and never has been $60 million dollars missing or unpaid. Why MAP is making such a false claim is unknown. Perhaps this is the amount that MAP owes its customers? We express no opinion on this issue.
VX Gateway is a payment gateway service provider, and is paid only for its services. It has nothing else to gain or lose except its fees. Once money is received by VX Gateway from the processors it is paid out via automated software, net of VX Gateway’s fees, to the merchant, here MAP.
Accordingly, since the lawsuit was first filed, VX Gateway has suggested that an audit be done and that the records of Visa and MasterCard be obtained. SEE Trustee Update of 2 January 2017 (below).
In an effort to set the facts straight, VX Gateway offered, in an in person meeting with MAP attorney Matthew Vogler in Panama on 21 January 2017 and in follow-up correspondence, to equally share the cost of having an audit of all transactions done by a neutral third party such as one of the Big 4 accounting firms.
Nothing can be hidden in such an audit. The truth will come out. Every dollar will be traced from MAP through the gateway to the processor where then paid out or withheld and every dollar paid by the processor traced back through the gateway to MAP or related parties. The audit will tell us all exactly how much money is really involved and who received or is holding the money.
Refusal to agree to such an audit might suggest that MAP or a related party does indeed have something to hide. Again, we express no opinion.
To date MAP has failed to reply to this offer. To date MAP continues to work with GPN Data. Draw your own conclusion.
Because MAP has failed to cooperate in getting the audit as described, VX Gateway has received advice from its legal counsel that it may pursue the audit and charge the entire cost to MAP as an offset to any monies that may in the future be received from the processors.
Regardless of MAP’s failure to cooperate, VX Gateway will proceed in getting the audit done as described. Once done VX Gateway intends to be bound by the audit.
Many people apparently have claims against MAP; not all of those people have claims against VX Gateway. Only people who have a balance in their VX Gateway account are eligible creditors of VX Gateway and are encouraged to file a proper claim in the dissolution before 21 February 2017.
People who seek payment of the balance in their account at myadvertisingpays.com should contact Mike Deese, CEO and Director of MAP or MAP’s law firm Hart David directly.
VX Gateway in dissolution prepared this statement based on the information available to it, including information derived from public sources that have not been independently verified. No representation or warranty, express or implied, is provided in relation to the fairness, accuracy, correctness, completeness or reliability of the information, opinions or conclusions expressed herein. The financial information included in this presentation is preliminary, unaudited and subject to revision upon completion of the Company's closing and audit processes, as well as independent third party audits. This presentation is not a legal opinion, but general discussion, not intended to deal with or disclose particulars of any specific issue, legal, business, or otherwise. All applicable statutes and regulations control.
DISPUTE WITH myadvertisingpays.com (“MAP”)
VX Gateway Inc. in dissolution (hereinafter referred to as “VX Gateway” or “company”) is required by applicable law to gather and collect funds due to it and to defend and protect the company’s assets for the benefit of creditors. The dissolution proceedings were filed by the company on 23 September 2016, as a direct result of unusual transactional behavior by myadvertisingpays.com (“MAP”) which caused all of the processors to withhold payments to VX. The filing of the dissolution was voluntary and pre-dates all other known claims or actions. A lawsuit, which the trustees believe to be a false claim and totally without merit has been filed by MAP against the company in the US District Court in Houston, Texas. MAP was seeking a temporary restraining order against the company, which was denied by the US District Court, and a hearing is set in March for the purpose of determining whether the Court has jurisdiction over the matter.
VX Gateway’s legal position is that under its contract with MAP, jurisdiction and venue is Panama and both parties agreed to resolve any dispute in Panama using International Arbitration. Litigating a lawsuit in the United States would, in the opinion of the trustees and the attorneys here in Panama, likely unnecessarily dissipate a substantial amount of money otherwise due claimants in the dissolution. Those claimants include VX Gateway customers, vendors, landlords, utilities, as well as MAP if in fact it is owed any money at all, and others.
There are numerous blogs online that have been reporting misinformation about the litigation and the claim. While many of the postings are MAP members understandably concerned about monies they have not received, it seems likely that much of the misinformation may actually be professional and amateur publicists speaking for the benefit of MAP and its baseless lawsuit.
The purpose of this posting is to address some of the statements and do so in an objective manner if possible.
First, MAP and VX Gateway are two separate and unrelated companies. There is no common ownership. The lawsuit in Houston is specious; it has no basis in fact. The amount claimed as “missing” is made up and not supported by the books and records.
Second, a forensic audit will disclose what if any monies are owed, and by whom. VX Gateway welcomes such audit. All credit card transactions are preserved in the records of Visa and MasterCard; nothing can be hidden in an audit.
Third, many of the blogs describe MAP as a “Ponzi scheme”. VX Gateway investigated the business carefully before accepting its processing and MAP did not, as then doing business, appear to be a Ponzi. Moreover, VX Gateway required, received, and relied upon a formal Legal Opinion Letter from MAP’s attorney, Jonathan Herpy, of the law firm of Hart & David, LLP attesting to the legality of the MAP’s business.
The business concept of MAP appears to be an “advertising arbitrage”, a way of exposing an advertiser’s media to more viewers. Many see it as an extremely creative concept that apparently worked well for a while at least with regard to attracting a large following.
Following the publicity attendant to the lawsuit we have heard from several observers that whether or not the business scheme truly benefits the advertisers seems questionable because the additional exposure sought by advertisers are in reality “hollow clicks”, that is people looking at the ads because they are paid to do so, not because they have actual interest in the product or service. One would think that over time fewer and fewer advertisers would utilize such a service. We have quite recently been told that there is also the issue of whether the MAP members have a viable long term device for creating income after expenses or if the payout scheme of MAP is weighted in such a manner that the business must eventually fail. Those concerns, however, are matters between MAP and its members.
As a payment gateway VX Gateway provided a service of presenting credit card charges to one or more processors (different processors are often needed to handle transactions in different currencies or countries), after which each payment must be settled and when approved money credited/paid by the processor to the payment gateway. Those funds do not belong to the payment gateway except for its processing fees. After receipt of such funds from the processor the net amounts due are remitted or credited to the merchant, here MAP. The sheer volume of transactions requires software that virtually automates the entire payment process from start to finish. Every payee’s account is paid/credited automatically.
Critical to understanding the process, by contract and industry practice, the payment gateway, VX Gateway, has no debt and owes nothing to the merchant until it receives the payment from the processor, here GPN Data (hereinafter referred to as “GPN”). GPN has withheld payments due VX Gateway. As part of the dissolution process VX Gateway is, as stated above, pursuing an audit. When and if GPN eventually pays its lawful obligations such funds should be received in the dissolution. At such time, and only at such time, money payable to any party will be credited to the account of and become payable to any party due money from the respective transactions. In other words, at such time money owed to MAP, if any, will be paid.
We find it interesting that GPN, the party that owes the money but has thus far refused to pay, is now doing business directly with MAP which is claiming the money. If they can work together to take money from MAP’s members, cannot GPN pay VX Gateway the money VX Gateway is owed in order that we may pass through that part that will then be owed to MAP? From whatever amount it is then owed and paid MAP could then pay its members some or all of what it has withheld from them.
Make no mistake, any money that may become payable by VX Gateway to MAP, if any, is a part of the money GPN has withheld from paying to VX Gateway. We reiterate, by contract and industry practice no debt is incurred by VX Gateway until it is paid by the processor, here GPN Data.
It should be noted that Mike Deese signed a personal guarantee to make good any monies owed to VX Gateway when he applied for VX Gateway services.
VX Gateway’s position is that the actual amount in controversy in any legal proceeding in Panama can easily be determined by third party audit. Once done VX Gateway intends to be bound by the audit.
There would appear to be no good faith reason for MAP to oppose such a determination. At the instruction of Jonathan Herpy of Hart & David law firm, a total of USD 8 million, consisting of two (2) payments of USD 4 million each was paid to the law firm’s escrow account. Bearing in mind that VX Gateway itself will owe nothing until it is paid by GPN, one might ask first, as to money previously paid to MAP, where has the money gone?
Only Mike Deese and MAP’s attorney Jonathan Herpy and the Hart & David law firm can provide that answer. Second, as to such monies and monies as yet not received by VX Gateway from GPN, is there some collusion between MAP and GPN? We express no opinion on that issue.
Counsel in Panama has speculated that the lawsuit improperly filed in the US is likely a sham intended instead to draw attention away from MAP and its principals. If that is correct, one must wonder what are they trying to hide? Again, we express no opinion.
Legal counsel has advised that VX Gateway and others may pursue legal action against MAP and GPN and their respective spokesmen individually for slanderous and disparaging statements made by them claiming that monies have been stolen by VX Gateway or related parties. In fact, such actions may follow but the focus of VX Gateway is presently upon collecting monies as yet unpaid by GPN in order that it may be paid to the rightful recipients.
Many people apparently have claims against MAP; not all of those people have claims against VX Gateway. Those that may have a legitimate claim in the VX Gateway dissolution are encouraged to file a proper claim in the dissolution at the earliest possible time in strict accordance with procedure set forth on this website. Please note: Claims that are not submitted with the required Enhanced Know Your Customer documentation will be rejected and must be resubmitted.
VX Gateway in dissolution prepared this statement based on the information available to it, including information derived from public sources that have not been independently verified. No representation or warranty, express or implied, is provided in relation to the fairness, accuracy, correctness, completeness or reliability of the information, opinions or conclusions expressed herein. The financial information included in this presentation is preliminary, unaudited and subject to revision upon completion of the Company's closing and audit processes, as well as independent third party audits. This presentation is not a legal opinion, but general discussion, not intended to deal with or disclose particulars of any specific issue, legal, business, or otherwise. All applicable statutes and regulations control.
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