Creative agency GetCraft questioned over failure to pay influencers including Bong Qiuqiu and Chrysan Lee

Creative agency GetCraft questioned over failure to pay influencers including Bong Qiuqiu and Chrysan Lee
Influencers Bong Qiuqiu (left) and Chrysan Lee were two of several affected by GetCraft's failure to compensate creators.
PHOTO: Instagram/Bong Qiuqiu, Instagram/Chrysan Lee

SINGAPORE - When local blogger Ang Chiew Ting agreed to work with creative agency GetCraft to create content for a beverage brand in July 2022, she did not know that the Indonesia-headquartered company had not been paying some influencers for their work. 

The 36-year-old, who is better known by her online moniker Bong Qiuqiu, told The Straits Times: "When my assistant was in talks with GetCraft for this project, we were not aware that many content creators were owed money, some as far as back as 2021."

After a few revisions, she posted her deliverables on Instagram in October 2022.

Her team then sent GetCraft an invoice, but did not hear from the agency. 

"We started chasing them for payment only from January this year," Ms Ang said, adding that GetCraft often took very long to respond to her queries. 

To date, she still has not received the four-figure payment for her work. 

GetCraft positions itself as a "premium creative directory" that connects companies with vetted content creators and media providers for their marketing needs.

According to Crunchbase, which provides business information about private and public companies, GetCraft was founded in Jakarta in 2014. 

In 2016, it was incorporated in Singapore with a registered address at Frasers Tower, according to Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority records. Its global Instagram account was last updated in 2021. 

In August, Ms Ang's plight came to light when she responded to an Instagram post by Ms Chrysan Lee, another affected influencer with more than 100,000 followers. 

On Aug 17, Ms Lee posted a video in which she detailed her frustrations with an agency that had ghosted her and failed to pay her. 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by Chrysan Lee (@chrysanlee)

She did not name the company initially out of legal concerns, but many other influencers soon called out GetCraft as the agency in question in their comments. 

Speaking to ST, Ms Lee said she was surprised to learn that many other content creators and creative agencies in Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines are in the same predicament.

The 27-year-old said she started working with GetCraft on various projects in 2021, for which she was paid even though the payments were not always on time. 

The problem started in September 2022, when the company stopped processing her invoices. 

"Throughout the process of me chasing for updates, I was passed from one employee to another because it seemed they were all busy leaving the company," she said.

Ms Lee added that one of GetCraft's co-founders also blocked her on WhatsApp. 

"As representatives of both the clients and creators, it is very irresponsible and completely unprofessional of GetCraft to abuse the trust we had in them by delaying and withholding payments, let alone ignoring the creators completely without providing any form of explanation," said Ms Lee. 

A former employee of GetCraft who spoke to ST on condition of anonymity said that based on his estimates, the company owed content creators from Malaysia and Singapore at least a six-figure sum. 

GetCraft's British chief executive Patrick Searle, who is also a majority shareholder, told ST that his company had paused operations in Singapore, Malaysia and the Philippines after a third-party investor with a controlling ownership stake in GetCraft "ran into financial issues onshoring their money into Singapore".

But he emphasised that the investors have made clear to him that "they would honour and complete the investment". 

They also "guaranteed they will complete the final transfer of money by late September 2023 - something which we will instantly use to pay all the creators we owe money to", he added.

"Given the ongoing uncertainty at the beginning of the second quarter of 2023, we decided to pause our operations… which in turn has led to worsening (and) missed communications with these creators regarding the updated payment timeline - something that I deeply apologise for and am trying to fix as we speak," he said. 

One affected production house is exploring legal action against GetCraft. 

"Money woes started in early 2022," said Blackbird Productions director Keshav Sishta.

He said his company was first engaged by GetCraft in 2019 to create videos, animations and photography for the latter's clients. Blackbird would pay the technical crew first before billing GetCraft for their work. 

Mr Sishta added that his company has not been paid for several projects since 2022, and is owed between $8,000 and $10,000. 

In response to ST queries, lawyer Amolat Singh said the affected parties can consider suing GetCraft in Singapore, or filing a claim at the Small Claims Tribunal, which has a claim limit of $20,000. 

But he said the legal option may not be ideal, as "it is like throwing good money after bad money". 

"The unpaid parties would still have to consider if the company has assets in Singapore to satisfy their claims and to realise the fruits of the judgment," said Mr Singh.

Ms Lee, the influencer who took to social media to expose the case, said content creators like her cannot do much other than being persistent in chasing for payment.

"Even if it is possible to take legal action against such agencies, it is unlikely for an independent creator to go through a legal process without suffering a financial loss," she said. 

Others, like Ms Ang, "who felt very taken advantage of", have learnt to protect themselves after this episode. 

Now, she asks for an upfront payment - at least 50 per cent of the agreed compensation - before she starts working on any projects. 

ALSO READ: 'We deserve what we're paid': TikTok influencers justify earnings, say content creation is hard

This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission required for reproduction.

homepage

trending

trending
    Video-taking ban at J-rock band My First Story's debut Singapore show results in superb concert experience
    $3b money laundering case: MinLaw acts against 4 law firms and 1 lawyer over seized properties
    Man arrested for slashing ex-girlfriend's neck with knife at Malaysian university
    Indonesia rescues 11 who swam for hours to survive boat capsize
    'Thousands' of Singaporeans shopping in JB driving up food, rental prices: Johor chief minister
    'Exceeding acceptable thresholds': World Aquatics event at Sentosa postponed over poor water quality
    We drive the new BYD Sealion 6 across Malaysia and (try to) answer your questions
    'My grandma and mum's recipe': Li Nanxing collaborates with Nan Yang Dao for hae bee hiam dishes
    Japan launches government body to address concerns over foreigners
    1 taken to hospital, 60 evacuated in Toa Payoh HDB flat fire
    Malaysian watch brand pays tribute to king of fruits with durian-inspired timepiece
    Medical practitioners must record Kpod cases, seize vapes: MOH, HSA

Singapore

Singapore
    • Joss paper burning allegedly sparks corridor fire in Chai Chee; 7 received medical aid
    • Man lodges police report after $400 of printed SG60 vouchers used by stranger
    • Fatal crash at Geylang pasar malam: Driver, passenger arrested
    • PCF holds family day event to celebrate SG60, sets new Singapore record
    • 'I worry for my kids': Loan sharks harass woman with funeral wreaths after friend allegedly uses her details
    • 18 years' jail for woman who hacked adoptive father to death after tussle over Sengkang flat
    • Up 4.3%: Singapore's economy grew in Q2 despite US tariff fears
    • Thousands turn up in Punggol for 3rd anniversary of Jack Neo's walking group Pa Pa Zao
    • Organised crime groups pushing drug-laced vapes in Asia including Singapore: UN
    • I lost my daughter to Kpod addiction: Father of 19-year-old shares heartbreak and lessons

Entertainment

Entertainment
    • 'Wow, who is this girl?' Pierre Png and Cynthia Koh recall first time they met at water park as teens
    • 'How long can I continue to sing for?' JJ Lin diagnosed with heart condition in 2024
    • 'It feels like a dream': F4 reunite for first time in over 10 years during Mayday concert finale
    • 'I was so excited I wanted to cry': Fans spend up to $50k in auction to experience a day with Jackson Wang
    • Richard Gadd reveals why an entire episode of Baby Reindeer was dropped
    • Gaza documentary shown on BBC breached accuracy guideline, review finds
    • Gina Rodriguez is pregnant
    • Michael Jackson's daughter Paris 'concerned' about payments made by his estate

Lifestyle

Lifestyle
    • Kaya toast, extra cute please: Breakfast-themed plushies with a local twist at Marina Square pop-up
    • Singapore coffee brand Alchemist debuts 2 outlets in Japan, marking first overseas venture
    • Now you can get Springleaf prata in a cup - with curry - from a vending machine
    • Orh Gao Taproom, popular bar by night and kopitiam by day in Serene Centre, to shutter
    • I thought childbirth was painful. Then I caught my baby's hand, foot and mouth disease
    • How a mother's warmth shapes a child's mental health, according to science
    • A first-time condo buyer's guide to evaluating property developers in Singapore
    • Things to do in Nagoya: A food lover's guide to Japan's underrated metropolis
    • Where $4m semi-Ds sit next to $40m GCBs: Touring First Avenue in Bukit Timah
    • This private chef served 9-course Malay fine dining from his HDB flat - and it blew me away

Digicult

Digicult
    • Slim, sleek, but slightly too short-lived: Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge review
    • World's best Dota 2 teams to compete for $1m prize pool in Singapore in November
    • 'Give a positive review': Hidden AI prompt found in academic paper by NUS researchers
    • 'Report 1 shop, another 10 appear': Hoyo Fest artists on copyright struggles
    • NTU penalises 3 students over use of AI tools; they dispute university's findings
    • Australia social media teen ban software trial organisers say the tech works
    • Disney, Universal sue image creator Midjourney for copyright infringement
    • Initiative by IMDA, AI Verify Foundation tests AI accuracy, trustworthiness in real-world scenarios
    • Under siege? Helldivers 2's latest city to be invaded by aliens could be spoof of Singapore
    • Honor 400 Series launches in Singapore with first free in-device AI image-to-video tool

Money

Money
    • US planes, cars and drinks on EU list for potential tariffs
    • China suffers $9.7b in losses from natural disasters in H1 2025
    • Best credit card promotions in Singapore (July 2025): Citibank, DBS, HSBC, UOB and more
    • Best bank offers in Singapore (July 2025): 50% cashback on public transit with Amex, win Business Class flights with HSBC and more
    • 9 best personal loans in Singapore with lowest interest rates (July 2025)
    • Temasek sees $45b rise in net portfolio value to record high of $434b amid global uncertainties
    • 'It's our grandfather's company, we won't sell', says Wong family as shareholders reject GE delisting bid
    • Japan, South Korea hit with 25% tariffs as Trump ramps up trade war in letters to leaders
    • Trump says alignment with BRICS' 'anti-American policies' to invite additional 10% tariffs
    • Regulators warned Air India Express about delay on Airbus engine fix, forging records

Latest

Latest
  • Daily roundup: World Aquatics event at Sentosa postponed over poor water quality — and other top stories today
  • Attacks against Palestinians intensify in occupied West Bank, says UN rights office
  • Taiwan's president to visit Paraguay in August
  • Trump says he is 'not done' with Putin, BBC reports
  • Australia and China call for more dialogue, cooperation at leaders' meeting
  • Magnitude 5.8 earthquake strikes Luzon, Philippines, GFZ says
  • Ukraine's Zelenskiy proposes PM Shmyhal as new defence minister
  • Global childhood vaccination shows slight improvement but challenges remain
  • Rescued crew of Greek ship sunk by Houthis taken to Saudi Arabia

In Case You Missed It

In Case You Missed It
  • Malaysian man strikes $4m lottery after betting on his, girlfriend's IC numbers for 3 years
  • Singaporean who defaulted on NS obligations used fake Malaysian passports at checkpoints over 800 times
  • JB mum forgets baby in car during shopping trip; cops, locksmith rescue infant
  • Lurid tale of China's cross-dressing 'red uncle' goes viral online
  • Climbers battle torrential waters after flash floods hit Mount Kinabalu; all 155 persons safe, says park
  • Jail for ex-auxiliary police officer who loaded 1 bullet and accidentally discharged revolver
  • Woman injured on SMRT bus after bottle thrown at vehicle shatters window
This website is best viewed using the latest versions of web browsers.