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Author Topic: Fotolia D-Day (Deactivation Day) - May,1  (Read 305683 times)

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« Reply #150 on: April 28, 2014, 16:29 »
0
Fotolia answer my email:


"We respect your decision to opt out of Dollar Photo Club and will begin to process your request immediately. Please allow several days for the changes to take place. Should you change your mind in the future, please let us know.

Kind Regards,

Fotolia CS USA"


« Reply #151 on: April 28, 2014, 16:43 »
+3
Hi All,

I can tell you with 100% confidence that the Fotolia team cares very much for the photographers and respects your opinions and feedback.  Your concerns about being in Dollar Photo Club have been heard and Ive been told that soon an option for contributors to choose will be made available to all Fotolia contributors. In the meantime if you do not want your images sold through Dollar Photo Club send your request via a Fotolia customer support  ticket and you will be manually removed.

A couple of points of interest.  Contrary to what has been posted earlier in this thread, every dollar spent by a Dollar Photo Club member goes towards a download.  Every image downloaded at DPC is paid to the artist through Fotolia immediately.  Monthly members pay $10 per month and receive 10 downloads.  Annual members pay $99 and receive 99 downloads.  Each of those downloads pay a commission to the contributing artist. 
 
Something you may not have considered is that the Dollar Photo Club membership actually is more beneficial to the contributors than traditional subscriptions.  In a traditional subscription if the sub expires, unused downloads also expire. As a result, no commission is paid.  At Dollar Photo Club, even after a member cancels their subscription they can use their unused downloads. As a result, a higher percentage of money spent goes to the photographer. 

Another misconception is the license.  The license sold via Dollar Photo Club is a Standard license.  Members that need Extended licenses are referred to Fotolia to purchase them.  Soon an Extended License will be made available to Dollar Photo Club members at rates similar to those at Fotolia.
 
The simple truth of the matter is this.  The only way for Fotolia and/or Dollar Photo Club to be successful is for the contributors to be successful.  Regardless of what has been written in msg, the interests of FT and of the contributors are aligned.  The goal for all parties involved is to drive sales.  Dollar Photo Club has already proven to be successful and has resulted in many sales paid out to contributors.  The site will continue to grow and to push sales in a positive direction for all of us. 

-Mat Hayward

I have to say I'm really disappointed that this post from Mat was marked down so many times it has been made 'invisible'. Mat's only trying to help us here by clarifying the issues and I appreciate his efforts in doing so.

Let's not 'shoot the messenger' so to speak just because we disagree with FT's somewhat desperate new policies.

I agree. I mentioned something along these lines earlier. Honestly Matt is doing us a favor by communicating with FT and cycling it back down to us.

« Reply #152 on: April 28, 2014, 16:44 »
+3
The use of the phrase "disruptive offering" means exactly what it says. Having lost out to SS they are now, quite literally, trying to destroy microstock itself.

Jon Orringer has variously used the term disruptive and / or talked and blogged about disruption. (ETA: as his goal). It's an old silicon valley term which is about promoting your business (or stock price more importantly) by destroying otherwise viable existing business models. It's the business equivalent of scorched earth.
« Last Edit: April 28, 2014, 16:47 by bunhill »

« Reply #153 on: April 28, 2014, 16:48 »
+7
Hi All,

I can tell you with 100% confidence that the Fotolia team cares very much for the photographers and respects your opinions and feedback.  Your concerns about being in Dollar Photo Club have been heard and Ive been told that soon an option for contributors to choose will be made available to all Fotolia contributors. In the meantime if you do not want your images sold through Dollar Photo Club send your request via a Fotolia customer support  ticket and you will be manually removed.

A couple of points of interest.  Contrary to what has been posted earlier in this thread, every dollar spent by a Dollar Photo Club member goes towards a download.  Every image downloaded at DPC is paid to the artist through Fotolia immediately.  Monthly members pay $10 per month and receive 10 downloads.  Annual members pay $99 and receive 99 downloads.  Each of those downloads pay a commission to the contributing artist. 
 
Something you may not have considered is that the Dollar Photo Club membership actually is more beneficial to the contributors than traditional subscriptions.  In a traditional subscription if the sub expires, unused downloads also expire. As a result, no commission is paid.  At Dollar Photo Club, even after a member cancels their subscription they can use their unused downloads. As a result, a higher percentage of money spent goes to the photographer. 

Another misconception is the license.  The license sold via Dollar Photo Club is a Standard license.  Members that need Extended licenses are referred to Fotolia to purchase them.  Soon an Extended License will be made available to Dollar Photo Club members at rates similar to those at Fotolia.
 
The simple truth of the matter is this.  The only way for Fotolia and/or Dollar Photo Club to be successful is for the contributors to be successful.  Regardless of what has been written in msg, the interests of FT and of the contributors are aligned.  The goal for all parties involved is to drive sales.  Dollar Photo Club has already proven to be successful and has resulted in many sales paid out to contributors.  The site will continue to grow and to push sales in a positive direction for all of us. 

-Mat Hayward

I have to say I'm really disappointed that this post from Mat was marked down so many times it has been made 'invisible'. Mat's only trying to help us here by clarifying the issues and I appreciate his efforts in doing so.

Let's not 'shoot the messenger' so to speak just because we disagree with FT's somewhat desperate new policies.

I agree. I mentioned something along these lines earlier. Honestly Matt is doing us a favor by communicating with FT and cycling it back down to us.

But why is fotolia not communicating directly with us?

« Reply #154 on: April 28, 2014, 16:54 »
0
The dollarclub, the mini abo whats next, fotolia?

« Reply #155 on: April 28, 2014, 17:11 »
+22
Matt's comments on this have not been consistent, starting out by saying this was an API partner not Fotolia. I think it's unclear whether he!s just a contributor or a spokesperson. He should get a badge if he's official.

Ron

« Reply #156 on: April 28, 2014, 17:16 »
+12
Matt's comments on this have not been consistent, starting out by saying this was an API partner not Fotolia. I think it's unclear whether he!s just a contributor or a spokesperson. He should get a badge if he's official.
There has been a lot of inconsistencies and plain incorrect information. So I dont understand why people defend his comments as they have been contradicting from the start even when proof was provided, we were told we were wrong.

As for the badge, yes, he should be identified as Fotolia employee.

« Reply #157 on: April 28, 2014, 17:46 »
+11
Notice also that FT deleted the original DPC thread in their own forum a couple days after locking it.


« Reply #158 on: April 28, 2014, 18:06 »
+9
Matt's comments on this have not been consistent, starting out by saying this was an API partner not Fotolia. I think it's unclear whether he!s just a contributor or a spokesperson. He should get a badge if he's official.

Well I just got an email from Mat that seems to contradict his protestations for all these years that he isn't an employee of FT.

Hi,
 
Just wanted to let you know that Ive received your message requesting to opt out of Dollar Photo Club.  Ive started the process for you.  Please allow several days for the process to complete and be sure to let us know if you change your mind.

Mat Hayward
Senior Customer Service Agent USA

ShadySue

  • There is a crack in everything
« Reply #159 on: April 28, 2014, 18:12 »
+3
Interesting that a Customer Service Agent would be working on contributor requests.

« Reply #160 on: April 28, 2014, 18:35 »
+9
Hi All,

I can tell you with 100% confidence that the Fotolia team cares very much for the photographers and respects your opinions and feedback. 

-Mat Hayward

I didn't notice much about that. You don't even care about to inform us about changes. Is it so difficult to send E-Mail to the photographers? Nobody cared about our opinion about opt out for subscriptions. It was similar story as now: Fotolia promised 20% more downloads.  :o  Bad joke guys.


Fotolia probably does care about their content producers, they would be incredibly foolish not to, but I suspect (with 100% confidence...) that they are MORE interested in making a nice balance sheet for KKR.

One of the reasons we see FT "falling off a cliff" (a description I heard from someone at microstockexpo) is the fact that they continue to not only effectively cut royalties to contributors they also took a huge gouge out of referral marketeers - ultimately cutting revenue by at least 70%, in a single movement they effectively wiped out a huge volume of links, apps and such referral advertising that was promoting FT.

This has become almost a carbon copy of istock a few years ago, as investment money gets involved too much stuff starts getting chipped away and nobody who is managing the mine realizes what's happening until the roof falls in.

I suspect they are whittling away at all their expenses, if it follows the istock pattern infrastructure problems/downtime/broken site features might be the next issues to surface.

marthamarks

« Reply #161 on: April 28, 2014, 19:21 »
0
But why is fotolia not communicating directly with us?

Well... yeah! That's what I've been wondering too.

And I wondered the same thing back in January when I TWICE wrote to Fotolia asking to have my portfolio removed. Only after I started bitching on this forum about FT's lack of responsiveneess did I hear from Mat that my wish was about to be fulfilled.

I thought: Great, but couldn't FT bring itself to communicate that information directly to me?

« Reply #162 on: April 28, 2014, 21:38 »
+2
Count me in

Kone

gillian vann

  • *Gillian*
« Reply #163 on: April 28, 2014, 22:29 »
+9

The site will continue to grow and to push sales in a positive direction for all of us. 




I am a contributor with a vested interest in overall sales growth.  Here are my FT portfolios: 

http://us.fotolia.com/p/19000

http://us.fotolia.com/p/200920505


seems to me he should have disclosed at that point he was also an employee.  that doesn't really help with the trust issue we all seem to be having with FT.

EmberMike

« Reply #164 on: April 28, 2014, 22:46 »
+5
I am a contributor with a vested interest in overall sales growth.  Here are my FT portfolios: 

http://us.fotolia.com/p/19000

http://us.fotolia.com/p/200920505


Are you employed by Fotolia?

« Reply #165 on: April 28, 2014, 22:49 »
+5
I am a contributor with a vested interest in overall sales growth.  Here are my FT portfolios: 

http://us.fotolia.com/p/19000

http://us.fotolia.com/p/200920505


Are you employed by Fotolia?


Yes Mat are you?

« Reply #166 on: April 29, 2014, 00:26 »
0
"""Hello Byman

We respect your decision to opt out of Dollar Photo Club and will begin to process your request immediately. Please allow several days for the changes to take place. Should you change your mind in the future, please let us know.

Kind Regards,

Fotolia CS USA"""""

It seems that it can close the port DPC.
Wait 2-3 days to see if I have something on DPC as they said.

Ron

« Reply #167 on: April 29, 2014, 02:17 »
+5
I am a contributor with a vested interest in overall sales growth.  Here are my FT portfolios: 

http://us.fotolia.com/p/19000

http://us.fotolia.com/p/200920505


Are you employed by Fotolia?
He's been a moderator at Fotolia for at least 2 years, and now he is also apparently senior customer service agent working at/for Fotolia. Maybe he is working as freelance and not on their employee payroll, but he certainly is working FOR them.

« Reply #168 on: April 29, 2014, 02:23 »
+2
But he is not an official fotolia speaker, so they have say nothing.

« Reply #169 on: April 29, 2014, 06:32 »
+8
FT have added the option to OPT OUT OF DPC. You can find it on the 'My Account' Page under 'Actions'. The 'default' value is 'OPT IN'. I have modified to change it to 'OPT OUT'.

Beppe Grillo

« Reply #170 on: April 29, 2014, 06:38 »
+2
FT have added the option to OPT OUT OF DPC. You can find it on the 'My Account' Page under 'Actions'. The 'default' value is 'OPT IN'. I have modified to change it to 'OPT OUT'.


You have been faster than me ;)


« Reply #171 on: April 29, 2014, 07:28 »
+8
FT have added the option to OPT OUT OF DPC. You can find it on the 'My Account' Page under 'Actions'. The 'default' value is 'OPT IN'. I have modified to change it to 'OPT OUT'.
Yeah, but it is not a fulfillment of petition conditions. Everyone is opted-in by default. And if you click on it, you get pop-up message with confirmation and attempt to persuade you not to opt-out: "If you remove your files from DPC (Dollar Photo Club) you will not earn any revenues from this new and fast growing website. If you later decide to sell your files on Dollar Photo Club, it may take up to two weeks for them to be added."
But if you'll click on it once more accidentally, you will automatically be opted-in again without any pop-up. Fotoliastyle..
Still no official announcement to contributors about this "revolutionary and profitable" product.
Meanwhile D-day is coming, 975 contributors have already signed the petition at boycottfotolia.org, which is now avaliable in English, French and Russian. Please support and share. Thank all of you for your participation and support!
And please let Mat alone, this thread is not about him, some people just have to do their job. ;)
« Last Edit: April 29, 2014, 07:39 by grumble »

« Reply #172 on: April 29, 2014, 08:02 »
+5
FT have added the option to OPT OUT OF DPC. You can find it on the 'My Account' Page under 'Actions'. The 'default' value is 'OPT IN'. I have modified to change it to 'OPT OUT'.

Thanks for pointing this out. Done.

Let's see how long it takes for my portfolio to be removed from the "wonderful opportunity to grow your revenue" (... whilst potentially destroying it everywhere else).

« Reply #173 on: April 29, 2014, 08:09 »
0
I have changed it to "opt out" too.

« Reply #174 on: April 29, 2014, 08:14 »
+2
Have just sent in my opt out request from the Dollar Photo club as well.

I agree that this kind of venture is only helping to accelerate the downward slide in microstock, both due to the low rate as well as liberal terms of use.  Most certainly do not want my port to be part of it ...


 

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