December 14, 2025

How Affivalue | BetMaximus withheld €16,250 and disappeared after ownership change

Hey everyone! GipsyMBA here.

We’d love to end the year with some good news — but instead, we’re facing yet another case marked SCAM.

This is a classic story: an affiliate partner negotiates traffic, gets players, agrees on payments, and then disappears with the money, passing “responsibility” around in a loop.

We’re publishing the full case — with screenshots, dates, and quotes — so other teams can avoid similar situations.

1. The Start: July 2025 — Agreements, Terms & Test

In early July 2025, Affivalue (brands Bet Maximus, Betmate, etc.) contacted our team through their manager, Mihnea @mihnea_affivalue.

We agree on the following terms:

  • GEO: UK
  • Model: PPC
  • CPA: 650 € / FTD
  • Test cap: 20 FTD, with potential scale
Test cap is fully paid
Direct quote from the advertiser confirming payment of the full test cap. The only exceptions: fraud, duplicates, chargebacks, blocked/self-excluded.

Everything is clear, standard, and straightforward.

We asked several times whether the test cap would be fully paid for.

The answer was always the same:

Test cap would be paid – deductions only on blocked accounts.

All right. We start.

2. Traffic starts flowing. Results are strong. Cap increased to 50

From July 7–10, 2025, traffic performs better than forecast.

We ask to increase the cap.

They first offer +10 to the original 20.

We say it’s not enough.

We request 50 total.

Mihnea confirms:

Okay, we can do 50.

Work continues smoothly. The brand is satisfied.

3. August 2025 — Time for payment… and suddenly: -30% deductions

In early August, we request reconciliation.

Mihnea replies:

Your total commission: 10 400 EUR.

We recalculate:

22 FTD × €650 = €14,300.

We ask where the missing €3,900 went.

He replies:

30% chargebacks / closed / self-excluded.

30%? On UK PPC traffic? On a test cap?

We write directly:

  • the maximum acceptable cut is 3.5%
  • 30% is impossible
  • this was not part of the agreed terms
  • the test cap must be fully paid for

Mihnea answers:

This is standard compliance. We cannot pay for closed/self-excluded accounts.

First red flag.

We still try to resolve things constructively.

4. We offer a compromise: max 2 FTD cut. Asking for management review

We propose:

  • Deduct no more than 2 FTD
  • Pay the rest as originally agreed

Mihnea promises to pass this to management.

A few days later:

Management can approve 11 050 EUR.

Still far from the real amount.

5. Pressure, negotiations, and finally — verbal agreement on €12,350

We raise the issue again:

— Either 100% of test cap (as agreed)

— Or a technical cut of max 5%.

After a couple of days of silence:

Best we can do: 12 350 EUR (minus 3 FTD)

We agree — a compromise to get something paid.

Mihnea confirms:

  • July + August = €12,350
  • €650 for one valid August FTD
  • Total: €13,000

We issue invoice #2409_147011.

Company: GLADIATOR HOLDING N.V.

Mihnea confirms:

This invoice is very important. Management is aware.

6. September 2025 — more traffic, total balance reaches €16,250

We continue scaling.

For September:

  • additional €3,250
  • total approved balance: €16,250

Mihnea writes himself:

Your total winnings with all commissions approved are 16 250.00 EUR.

Important:

This amount appears in the Affilka balance — officially recorded on the platform.

7. First attempt to stall: offer to pay… €5,000

When payment time comes, Mihnea suddenly writes:

Management can pay 5 000 EUR immediately, rest next month.

And also:

We are still monitoring your traffic quality.

Traffic?

That is already validated?

Approved in Affilka?

Confirmed in writing?

With cuts agreed and final numbers fixed?

We answer:

— No. We agreed on €13,000 for July–August. — You pay in full. — Then we continue working.

Mihnea agrees to speak with management.

Management never appears.

8. Notification of ownership change

On November 14, 2025, Mihnea writes:

Brands are sold. I’m leaving the company. New owner will take over.

Crucial details:

  • he transfers the case to the new owner
  • highlights the importance of invoice #2409_147011
  • confirms the debt

His words:

All data was transferred.

9. New Owner (UpScale Affiliates): “We know nothing. Talk to the previous owners.”

We’re introduced to the new manager.

A classic loop begins.

We:

— There is a €16,250 debt. It's in the account, confirmed, and invoiced.

UpScale:

— Those are old invoices.

— The previous owner must pay.

We:

— The previous owner said they transferred everything.

— The Affilka balance is with you, not with them.

— You accepted the system, stats, and players.

— Which means the obligations as well.

UpScale:

— We have no information.

— Contact the previous owners.

The circle closes.

10. Trying to move the issue to a call

To finalise the situation, we request a call:

  • pick a slot
  • schedule for December 3, 2025, 11:00 GMT+2
  • get a Zoom link

On December 3:

two cancellations in a row.

On December 4:

we message again.

No reply.

11. Final fact

As of the publication date:

Affivalue / BetMaximus / UpScale Affiliates are withholding:

€16,250 in confirmed commissions

which:

  • are visible in the Affilka balance
  • are confirmed in writing
  • are tied to an issued invoice
  • were promised for payment
  • were part of the agreed test cap

The previous owner shifted responsibility to the new one.

The new owner refuses to take it — despite:

  • taking over the account,
  • taking over the stats,
  • taking over the players,
  • but conveniently not taking over the debt.

12. Why are we publishing this case

We don’t create scandals. We don’t threaten anyone.

We always resolve issues through dialogue.

But when a partner:

  • receives traffic,
  • confirms commission,
  • signs an invoice,
  • promises payment for two months,
  • disappears,
  • transfers ownership,
  • and the new owner continues to work under the same brand name but “refuses responsibility”

this is no longer a negotiation issue — it is a matter of reputation.

And it is our duty to warn others.

After the last conversations, we learned we are not the only ones affected by Affivalue / Bet Maximus / UpScale Affiliates.

We ask you to share this case across chats, teams, and communities. We genuinely don’t want anyone else to end up in the same situation.