We're listing about 65 distributors right now. Early on we did remove listings from distributors who didn't want to pay. Usually they would call back the next day to make a deal. Sometimes it took longer. From what they tell me now, we're providing a good return on investment.
It's not really a business about the nuts and bolts, it's about the big orders that their customers can bring in if they decide to produce the product they're hacking on on a larger scale.
As Sam says, one of the best parts of Octopart is that it has so many distributors, especially the ones you've never heard of. So when Digikey and Mouser are sold out of what you need, you can find it somewhere else.
It's not like Octopart is going to remove their listing if they don't pay up, that would hurt them more than the companies.
What am I missing?