MicrostockGroup

Agency Based Discussion => Adobe Stock => Topic started by: somethingpretentious on May 22, 2014, 11:43

Title: Fotolia - all non EU contributors getting 30% less than EU contributors?
Post by: somethingpretentious on May 22, 2014, 11:43
I understand that some people get payed in Euro and others in Dollars on Fotolia and that there is no way of changing this.  Can someone with good grasp of this situation please explain it here? Is the conversion of Fotolia credit to Dollars the same as the conversion of Fotolia credit to Euro? If this is the case then contributors payed in Dollars are getting about 30% less than contributors payed in Dollars!

Is this really the case?

This is probably a good time to also educate fotolia contributors (including myself) about this subject, and I would be happy if you could help me out.
Title: Re: Fotolia - all non EU contributors getting 30% less than EU contributors?
Post by: Nikovsk on May 22, 2014, 11:46
Yes, I opened the account in the US site so I'm stuck with dollars forever.

But I suspect they promote contributors getting USD instead of EUR so they can pay less.
Title: Re: Fotolia - all non EU contributors getting 30% less than EU contributors?
Post by: somethingpretentious on May 22, 2014, 11:53
Yes, I opened the account in the US site so I'm stuck with dollars forever.

But I suspect they promote contributors getting USD instead of EUR so they can pay less.

is there any evidence of this? Either way this is hardly an argument to accept being payed less.
Title: Re: Fotolia - all non EU contributors getting 30% less than EU contributors?
Post by: Ron on May 22, 2014, 11:59
What do you mean evidence? It is what it is.

One credit is paid to you in the currency of your account. I have a US account 1 credit = 1 dollar.

If you have a Euro account 1 credit = 1 euro, etc.
Title: Re: Fotolia - all non EU contributors getting 30% less than EU contributors?
Post by: disorderly on May 22, 2014, 12:16
What do you mean evidence? It is what it is.

I believe he was referring to the second statement, that Fotolia biases its search toward dollar submitters as a way to reduce expenses.  I doubt they bother, I doubt they could do it well if they tried, and I'm sure no one can provide evidence otherwise.
Title: Re: Fotolia - all non EU contributors getting 30% less than EU contributors?
Post by: Ron on May 22, 2014, 12:23
OK, well they dont promote the accounts and they dont warn you. And the standard URL is the USA one. So people sign up on the US account organically.
Title: Re: Fotolia - all non EU contributors getting 30% less than EU contributors?
Post by: Nikovsk on May 22, 2014, 14:04
I honestly don't think they would miss a chance to pay less to contributors.

Just like they promote files from low level contributors... 30% is huge in terms of total revenue.

I have no evidence of course, it's just my theory.
Title: Re: Fotolia - all non EU contributors getting 30% less than EU contributors?
Post by: spike on May 22, 2014, 15:13
Is there any way to change this (mailing support) or does one need to delete an account and reupload everything?
Title: Re: Fotolia - all non EU contributors getting 30% less than EU contributors?
Post by: pancaketom on May 22, 2014, 16:41
Is there any way to change this (mailing support) or does one need to delete an account and reupload everything?

you are talking about FT here. Of course there isn't any way to change anything if it would benefit you.
Title: Re: Fotolia - all non EU contributors getting 30% less than EU contributors?
Post by: Maximilian on May 22, 2014, 16:47
SS Customers pay with € and Contributors earn $.
30% less for us (contributor).
I love it   :o
Title: Re: Fotolia - all non EU contributors getting 30% less than EU contributors?
Post by: Jo Ann Snover on May 22, 2014, 18:34
Read this (long) thread about this issue - from 2010, and it wasn't the first time the issue came up.

http://www.microstockgroup.com/fotolia-com/fotolia-now-paying-less-than-16-!!!!!!/ (http://www.microstockgroup.com/fotolia-com/fotolia-now-paying-less-than-16-!!!!!!/)

Fotolia's strongest market is Germany - Euro paying customers. To the extent that the sales are made to USD receiving contributors they make out like bandits

Edited to fix the URL - the automatic make-a-link doesn't handle the exclamations correctly :)
Title: Re: Fotolia - all non EU contributors getting 30% less than EU contributors?
Post by: spike on May 22, 2014, 18:59
Read this (long) thread about this issue - from 2010, and it wasn't the first time the issue came up.

[url]http://www.microstockgroup.com/fotolia-com/fotolia-now-paying-less-than-16-[/url] ([url]http://www.microstockgroup.com/fotolia-com/fotolia-now-paying-less-than-16-[/url])!!!!!!/

Fotolia's strongest market is Germany - Euro paying customers. To the extent that the sales are made to USD receiving contributors they make out like bandits

Link's dead to me.

And wow if they don't let you change your currency later. I'll write to support anyway and see if anything's changed.
Title: Re: Fotolia - all non EU contributors getting 30% less than EU contributors?
Post by: Jo Ann Snover on May 22, 2014, 19:41
Link's dead to me.

corrected
Title: Re: Fotolia - all non EU contributors getting 30% less than EU contributors?
Post by: luissantos84 on May 23, 2014, 01:32
I am included in this wonderful thing and YES I love it to bits!

and as usual agencies can't change these great features because they have some filthy clauses on their agreement contracts...
Title: Re: Fotolia - all non EU contributors getting 30% less than EU contributors?
Post by: Ploink on May 23, 2014, 02:10
One of the many reasons why we parted ways last year, Fotolia and I.
Title: Re: Fotolia - all non EU contributors getting 30% less than EU contributors?
Post by: Savo on May 23, 2014, 03:21
Take a look at http://www.microstockgroup.com/fotolia-com/how-we-are-underpaid-by-fotolia-because-of-the-zone-where-we-opened-our-account/ (http://www.microstockgroup.com/fotolia-com/how-we-are-underpaid-by-fotolia-because-of-the-zone-where-we-opened-our-account/)
Title: Re: Fotolia - all non EU contributors getting 30% less than EU contributors?
Post by: MxR on May 23, 2014, 05:27
Only good think of fotolia.

Europeans lost a lot of money with dollar exchange...

if fotolia web take a decision will be that all charge in dollars ... or worse Currency .... shhhhhh! shut up!!...!!
Title: Re: Fotolia - all non EU contributors getting 30% less than EU contributors?
Post by: fotorob on May 23, 2014, 07:05
Most agencies I know charge on their European sites (for example de.dreamstime.com or Shutterstock) Euro for credits, but still pay out the credit in USD.

Or maybe only if the language is set to a European language other than English, or maybe they track the Geo-Location via IP, but the conversion issue persists.

Edit: So if you want to see it the other way, Fotolia might be one of the few agencies that favors the European photographers regarding the Euro/Dollar-Gap.
Title: Re: Fotolia - all non EU contributors getting 30% less than EU contributors?
Post by: luissantos84 on May 23, 2014, 07:10
Most agencies I know charge on their European sites (for example de.dreamstime.com or Shutterstock) Euro for credits, but still pay out the credit in USD.

Or maybe only if the language is set to a European language other than English, or maybe they track the Geo-Location via IP, but the conversion issue persists.

Edit: So if you want to see it the other way, Fotolia might be one of the few agencies that favors the European photographers regarding the Euro/Dollar-Gap.

you must be getting EUR that is why ;)
Title: Re: Fotolia - all non EU contributors getting 30% less than EU contributors?
Post by: Maximilian on May 23, 2014, 07:21
my ss or is payout= earnings ($) x 0,69 = payout €  :'(

my FT payout = earnings €  ;D

so i dont cry about FT