I just got mail from envato. They say they send out a mail each month prior to the payout date with information regarding earnings. This is also the mail that will make you realize that your item is on PlaceIt, so this can be 1 month delay.
Looks like my item was just recently put on PlaceIt. I’m eager to find out the results, so I am actually grateful for the chance.
I do however think that it is better to let the authors know when an item gets placed there, it is just more transparent.