MicrostockGroup

Agency Based Discussion => 123RF => Topic started by: Pixart on July 08, 2007, 13:05

Title: Your experience at 123rf?
Post by: Pixart on July 08, 2007, 13:05
A couple months back I set up an account and ftp'd a few to 123.  No data arrived, so I deleted the photos.

On June 25 and 26 I sent 6 (non-ftp).  Data was fine, so I completed them.  Still not reviewed yesterday.

Today, I have 4 pages of photos with no data.  They say they were submitted on July 7.  Yesterday.  I was barely on the computer yesterday, and certainly not on filezilla.

I go in, delete all those files.. can't find my 6 pending.  Back out and in and voila.  The 6 pending have returned.

What is going on?  How did does it normally take this long for review?

Is 123 worth the effort required? 
Title: Re: Your experience at 123rf?
Post by: fintastique on July 08, 2007, 13:26
Personally 123rf have medium sales but i continue to upload because for me its a rather hassle free process  no categories and reasonable IPTC reader and you can see if any ITPC details have been missed.

reviewing takes about 1-3 days depending on the time of the week, they tend to review all you have uploaded when first image hits the front of the queue (like the SS system), I think last week was a slow week for reviewing.

Maybe try a large batch then if still no joy maybe give up as the sales aren't great.
Title: Re: Your experience at 123rf?
Post by: a.k.a.-tom on July 08, 2007, 16:43
my experience with 123 has been frustrating at best.  Sales lag behind all 'established' sites  ( I don't count LO or NLS) with 3 in june, only 3 this month so far.  The downloads mentioned with the pictures doesn't match the downloads in the stats.  To this day, I can't figure out how much I made there.....somedays I sit forever and ever waiting to log on.... and I haven't uploaded there in a loooooooong time.... the reason is..... I got tired of waiting a looooooong time for review and posting.... I am not happy with 123.  As soon as I can get around to it.... I'll be pulling out.     8)-tom
Title: Re: Your experience at 123rf?
Post by: madelaide on July 08, 2007, 19:32
It is a slow site, but I make only about US$5 a month and uploads are absolutely easy with low rejections.  I don't upload often anymore, but I do upload something from time to time.

Regards,
Adelaide
Title: Re: Your experience at 123rf?
Post by: ptlee on July 08, 2007, 22:00
123RF is ok for me. Reviews are typically 1-3 days for me as well, via ftp upload. Submissions are quick and easy, and acceptance ratio good.

Sales are nothing spectacular. Already had a couple of payouts.

cheers.
Title: Re: Your experience at 123rf?
Post by: CJPhoto on July 09, 2007, 01:32
It is a middle of the road site for me but upload is very easy.  If IPTC works, hten all you have to do is FTP and then they will get reveiwed.  As such it takes very little effort and just a bit of bandwidth.
Title: Re: Your experience at 123rf?
Post by: hospitalera on July 09, 2007, 04:16
Doing very nicely for me, I upload regularly (because it is so easy) reached payout one time and expecting the next one soon  ;D SY
Title: Re: Your experience at 123rf?
Post by: Karimala on July 09, 2007, 07:53
A couple months back I set up an account and ftp'd a few to 123.  No data arrived, so I deleted the photos.

On June 25 and 26 I sent 6 (non-ftp).  Data was fine, so I completed them.  Still not reviewed yesterday.

Today, I have 4 pages of photos with no data.  They say they were submitted on July 7.  Yesterday.  I was barely on the computer yesterday, and certainly not on filezilla.

I go in, delete all those files.. can't find my 6 pending.  Back out and in and voila.  The 6 pending have returned.

What is going on?  How did does it normally take this long for review?

Is 123 worth the effort required? 


They are having some technical issues at the moment.  Might try reporting it on their forums or sending Alex at 123rf dot com an e-mail.
Title: Re: Your experience at 123rf?
Post by: ikostudio on July 09, 2007, 14:40
I like 123rf!

The new site has a great look... and i have reasonable sales.
My record was US150$ in one month but now my average is US60$.
So i have no complaints, and they really deserve a chance to grow up

Regards,
Erik

Sorry my English
Title: Re: Your experience at 123rf?
Post by: Stu99 on July 09, 2007, 14:45
I just added 250 images to 'test the water' at 123. I am interested to see how long the review time is and whether or not I'll get any sales.

Based on the results of this upload over the next month I will decide if I will be a regular contributor.
Title: Re: Your experience at 123rf?
Post by: a.k.a.-tom on July 09, 2007, 16:46
That's one of the crazy things in this biz.  One site will be the greatest for one photog and the pits for another,  the next site, they experience the opposite.  All part of the fun and mystery!! LOL  8)-tom
Title: Re: Your experience at 123rf?
Post by: Pixart on July 09, 2007, 17:11
Well, to answer my question, it seems that most people are on the happy side of 123.

Stu99 let me know when you are reviewed and I will see if mine are stuck somewhere.  (in since the 25th and 26th).

It is the fact that those files that should be deleted from their database turned up as uploaded on July 7th that has me freaked out for the most part... they weren't there between the 25th and the 7th...
Title: Re: Your experience at 123rf?
Post by: Stu99 on July 09, 2007, 18:19
Yikes Pixart, sounds a little disconcerting!
I will let you know when my submissions get reviewed, hopefully this side of summer :-)
Title: Re: Your experience at 123rf?
Post by: sharpshot on July 10, 2007, 00:28
I just added 250 images to 'test the water' at 123. I am interested to see how long the review time is and whether or not I'll get any sales.

Based on the results of this upload over the next month I will decide if I will be a regular contributor.

I tried doing that and didn't get many sales but I uploaded the rest of my photos and the sales are better but still behind the other major sites.  Now I wish I had uploaded them all at the same time.  It is an easy site to upload to.
Title: Re: Your experience at 123rf?
Post by: Stu99 on July 10, 2007, 06:17
Thanks for the advice Sharpshot, you are right, a key factor on a slower sales site is the easiness of uploading.
Title: Re: Your experience at 123rf?
Post by: Stu99 on July 10, 2007, 06:35

Stu99 let me know when you are reviewed and I will see if mine are stuck somewhere.  (in since the 25th and 26th).

Pixart - my uploads have all just been reviewed, which took less than 30 hours. 216 approved out of 250 which is ok, and a new image has already sold which is encouraging.
Title: Re: Your experience at 123rf?
Post by: Stu99 on July 10, 2007, 06:42
lol - just checked the rejected images, and of course my best sellers are there for 'limited commercial value'.

In fact my No.1 and No.2 top sellers at SS were rejected, and four in my top 10!!

You got to love this industry (or lack of commercial judgement)!!!
Title: Re: Your experience at 123rf?
Post by: Pixart on July 10, 2007, 10:20
Okay.  Mine are still pending.  From the 25th and 26th.  What gives?
Title: Re: Your experience at 123rf?
Post by: ptlee on July 10, 2007, 10:57
Okay.  Mine are still pending.  From the 25th and 26th.  What gives?

Hmmm... beats me. Did you choose the 'property release' and 'model release' selection for each image? And how many have you submitted at a go?

Title: Re: Your experience at 123rf?
Post by: Pixart on July 10, 2007, 12:05
Yes, it looks like releases are attached properly.  I submitted 3 one day then 3 another.  Keywords arrived sending through their site, so I figured I would attempt larger batches by ftp again once those were evaluated.

I tried to post a question about it on the forum for a couple days, and could finally do it today.  Was getting a blank screen.

The only other thing I can think of is maybe my id didn't upload properly.  I can't find a spot to check on it though.

Maybe I should just start ftping tonight and see what happens.
Title: Re: Your experience at 123rf?
Post by: Stu99 on July 10, 2007, 12:14
I should have mentioned that I uploaded the ol'fashion basic way (10 at a time), maybe you should forget the FTP this time, at least until you have a better understanding of where the fault is.
Title: Re: Your experience at 123rf?
Post by: ptlee on July 10, 2007, 13:30
Nowadays I go via FTP. Recently in July, I uploaded 3 files with IPTC encoded in the files, and they were reviewed within a couple of days.

Previously i had similar problems with the review times, and I emailed their support. They responded after a day or so, and had my images in pending cleared. So they do respond.

Good luck.

cheers.
Title: Re: Your experience at 123rf?
Post by: dbvirago on July 10, 2007, 15:50
In the past they are either high up in the bottom tier or at the bottom of the 2nd tier. But for July, they are the only site that is currently showing an increase over June.

Title: Re: Your experience at 123rf?
Post by: fintastique on July 11, 2007, 06:23
Did anyone receive payment from their May's earnings at 123rf?

I thought they had reduced minimum payout to $50?
Title: Re: Your experience at 123rf?
Post by: hospitalera on July 11, 2007, 06:30
Yep, got paid, 15th of June for May, payout for me was >$50 and <$100 if that helps  ;) SY
Title: Re: Your experience at 123rf?
Post by: fintastique on July 11, 2007, 06:53
Thanks!

I was in the $50-$100 bracket but no payments in the middle of June though they managed to paid me the previous month. i will send them a mail so they don't forget about me on the 14th of July
Title: Re: Your experience at 123rf?
Post by: sharpshot on July 11, 2007, 08:58
Perhaps you have to set your payout below $100 ?  I think I read that somewhere.
Title: Re: Your experience at 123rf?
Post by: Pixart on July 12, 2007, 10:26
Update, since I started this thread:  this morning my first 6 photos were pushed through.  Submitted June 25,26 - approved July 12.  I still think it's odd that Stu99 had his reviewed so quickly, but oh well... I'll submit most of my port and forget about it for a while.
Title: Re: Your experience at 123rf?
Post by: Stu99 on July 12, 2007, 11:03
I still think it's odd that Stu99 had his reviewed so quickly, but oh well... I'll submit most of my port and forget about it for a while.

Lol - sometimes it's just the way 'lady luck' works!

But, I wouldn't worry too much, sales are on the slow side of low.
Title: Re: Your experience at 123rf?
Post by: ozbandit on August 08, 2007, 23:46
I've put 100 images there back in May to test the waters and found the sales to be pretty slow, compared to sites like SS, iS or even Fotolia. However having spent the last few months getting my head around microstock, uploading and getting all my old images approved to the major sites I found myself looking to be represented on an extra site or two. I have had a few sales there over the past months but nothing great, to be fair I haven't had so many images there neither. Anyway I've now added 300 more taking me to just over 400 and will see how this goes.

I do love their interface and the upload process, which was the main reason why I decided to focus on 123rf over BigStock which really just irks me. I belive that it's best is to concentrate on a few sites and do it well, then to stretch yourself over 10+.  However in terms of reviews, interface, speed, 123rf would have to be one of my favorite microsites to date. Next I might look at either Albumo or LO...
Title: Re: Your experience at 123rf?
Post by: ptlee on August 09, 2007, 05:27
OK now, is this how 'lady luck' works?

My sales for 123RF has been very bad this month? Only one download in August so far? Weird.  ::)

Title: Re: Your experience at 123rf?
Post by: ozbandit on August 15, 2007, 01:59

Since I got serious about 123 in past two and a bit weeks my sales are definitely on the raise which is good to see, actually doing better then Dreamstime and Fotolia for me atm.
Title: Re: Your experience at 123rf?
Post by: dbvirago on August 15, 2007, 08:48
Yeah, they jumped to 2nd place in July, but have slipped back to their normal 6th in August.
Title: Re: Your experience at 123rf?
Post by: madelaide on August 15, 2007, 17:46
Slowing down for me.  July was the worst month there and so far this month I only had one sale for 40c.

Regards,
Adelaide
Title: Re: Your experience at 123rf?
Post by: nextrecord on August 15, 2007, 23:41
I was really surprised. It was a pretty middle-of-the-road site for me until last month. Suddenly the sales jumped up, and this month they jumped even further (making it my number 1 site!)! I'm small-scale in my portfolios so not sure what this proves. Pleased with the pattern, though!
Title: Re: Your experience at 123rf?
Post by: sharpshot on August 16, 2007, 02:02
This should be another best month for me.  Sales are not huge but have grown each month since I uploaded most of my portfolio in May.  Not bad considering other sites have slowed down during the summer.
Title: Re: Your experience at 123rf?
Post by: fintastique on August 16, 2007, 03:00
An average month at 123rf sales wise.

Did anyone get paid this month I thought they sent payments out on the 15th of the month??  >:(
Title: Re: Your experience at 123rf?
Post by: sharpshot on August 16, 2007, 03:17
I was paid this month.
Title: Re: Your experience at 123rf?
Post by: hospitalera on August 16, 2007, 03:29
So was I  ;D SY
Title: Re: Your experience at 123rf?
Post by: stokfoto on August 16, 2007, 09:18
I'd stop uplaoding to 123rf long ago but it sounds like they are doing fine,so I think I should  give it another go.
Title: Re: Your experience at 123rf?
Post by: nextrecord on August 16, 2007, 10:37
What's the magic number at 123rf for payout? Do they send payment automatically or do you have to request it? Thanks!
Title: Re: Your experience at 123rf?
Post by: fintastique on August 16, 2007, 15:06
It was $100 for paypal but now its $50

Supposedly its automatic on the 15th of the month but they have forgotten me twice now.

 >:(  >:(
Title: Re: Your experience at 123rf?
Post by: dbvirago on August 16, 2007, 15:10
Yeah, I spoke too soon. Today they jumped into 5th place with a bullet. I've had two payouts there . Both times I got the paypal deposit automatically on the 14th.
Title: Re: Your experience at 123rf?
Post by: fintastique on August 17, 2007, 02:23
It was $100 for paypal but now its $50

HOWEVER  :'(

You have to change the minimum payout amount yourself, payment may be automatic but that change isn't.

1 Log in

2 click on my account in the top right corner above the solid bar of colour

3 click on personal info under account information on left of screen

4 change you minimum payout amount.  ;D