I think I believe them that it comes down to specific retailers. My wife received her full payment (about $20) on the 15th. A few days later I received $75 of the $90 they owed me. When I e-mailed to complain they sent me a similar message to what you received.

Interestingly, the one specific store not to be paid on mine was Sears, which just posted higher than expected earnings for the quarter, maybe their failure to pay some suppliers is part of the reason why.

If I might ask, which specific companies failed to pay on your purchases?