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Author Topic: Images available on Thinkstock even after opting out  (Read 16470 times)

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« on: October 28, 2010, 08:45 »
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I noticed that even after opting out 3 times from the PP that the system continued to mark me as in the program. I posted in their forums and was told it was a glitch. However, looking at thinkstock's website I came across this...

http://www.thinkstockphotos.com/search/#boy%20superhero%20blond/f=PIHV

The isolated boy with the blue cape are all my images. Really not happy about there decision to put all images on thinkstock regardless of our opting out.


lisafx

« Reply #1 on: October 28, 2010, 08:57 »
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Something is definitely up with TS.  People who have opted in months ago still don't have images on the site, and, if your situation is widespread, apparently those who opted out can't get their images removed.  

Have you tried contacting Contributor Relations directly? 

« Reply #2 on: October 28, 2010, 09:23 »
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According to customer relations I have to write down all of the image numbers individually and email them to contributor relations if I want the images manually pulled down. Otherwise, they will be left up until they get around to fixing the port.

« Reply #3 on: October 28, 2010, 09:31 »
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OMG!!!!!!!!!

After being told that I would have to write down all the numbers I complained about how I was supposed to find the images. I was told to search for my name and they would come up. I searched for my name and nothing appeared. I searched for keywords I often use and found several images. I called contributors relations back and got a different girl. She told me they could just put in to have my entire portfolio removed from Thinkstock but it will take 5 to 7 days.

Now I have to wait a week to see if they can manage to do this!

« Reply #4 on: October 28, 2010, 10:56 »
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I noticed that even after opting out 3 times from the PP that the system continued to mark me as in the program. I posted in their forums and was told it was a glitch. However, looking at thinkstock's website I came across this...

http://www.thinkstockphotos.com/search/#boy%20superhero%20blond/f=PIHV

The isolated boy with the blue cape are all my images. Really not happy about there decision to put all images on thinkstock regardless of our opting out.


Maybe you need to give them a DMCA notice  :)

Dook

« Reply #5 on: October 28, 2010, 11:22 »
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I opted out months ago, I wrote the complete list of pictures' numbers to support, but my pictures are still at TS. They are making me some money in the meantime. :)

« Reply #6 on: October 28, 2010, 11:58 »
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Go to your My Uploads page, there is a Partner Program link. Click that. You should be able to opt in/opt out any images there. But then again, that might be "broken" too.

« Reply #7 on: October 28, 2010, 12:06 »
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I deleted EVERYTHING from Stockxpert a long ago and thought this might be the trick, as obviously opting out at StockXpert didn't work for me. So I was shocked to see that my images are still for sale at TS. $12 for October it says at StockXpert, that's $12 I never asked for and don't want.

I'm writing them an e-mail and if they're not doing anything about it this time, I'll send them a DMCA notice and see if that works :)

What a mess...

lisafx

« Reply #8 on: October 28, 2010, 15:32 »
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Good lord. 

Cathy, you must be really happy you had your stuff removed back when you did.  Before the entire process melted down. 

« Reply #9 on: October 28, 2010, 15:36 »
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Good lord.  

Cathy, you must be really happy you had your stuff removed back when you did.  Before the entire process melted down.  

Yeah, I guess I was one of a few lucky ones. I remember that Thomas has been asking that his photos be removed since just about day one of the announcement that Getty bought StockXpert and how that whole "transition" was going to work. It's all really sad, that's just about all I can say.

« Reply #10 on: October 28, 2010, 15:46 »
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OMG!!!!!!!!!

After being told that I would have to write down all the numbers I complained about how I was supposed to find the images. I was told to search for my name and they would come up. I searched for my name and nothing appeared. I searched for keywords I often use and found several images. I called contributors relations back and got a different girl. She told me they could just put in to have my entire portfolio removed from Thinkstock but it will take 5 to 7 days.

Now I have to wait a week to see if they can manage to do this!

If I enter your name (in double quotes) I get 673 images - is that right?

How they expect you to provide a list of 673 numbers though is beyond me.  I've opted out of the PP too, it pays next to nothing, but I don't really expect my images to be removed in the near future as it's clear they've deemed that actually providing any kind of contributor service is "unsustainable".

Technically that must make them in breach of contract, and guilty of using your (and for that matter my) images illegally.  Anyone know a good lawyer?
« Last Edit: October 28, 2010, 15:52 by Gannet77 »

« Reply #11 on: October 28, 2010, 16:21 »
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EVERYTHING needs fix at Istock. Total SHAME and disrespect with loyal contributors and buyers.

« Reply #12 on: November 02, 2010, 10:27 »
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My images are also in photos.com and TS although I have opted them out 2 months back.

Am I right with the thinking that I may be losing more DLs/income since my images are available in partner sites? I recently (since 3 weeks) became exclusive and although I had a very good month the DL numbers are minimally above the numbers of base contribution period. I am a bit disappointed.

« Reply #13 on: November 03, 2010, 08:40 »
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None of the PP links work correctly. The only way to have images removed is to get a hold of customer service and convince them to do it. And yes they expected me to list out 600+ numbers in an email so that they could remove them. This number is interesting because I only have 500 ish images still on IS, so when you delete an image from IS it dosen't automatically mean that they stop selling it on TS.

RacePhoto

« Reply #14 on: November 04, 2010, 00:51 »
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None of the PP links work correctly. The only way to have images removed is to get a hold of customer service and convince them to do it. And yes they expected me to list out 600+ numbers in an email so that they could remove them. This number is interesting because I only have 500 ish images still on IS, so when you delete an image from IS it dosen't automatically mean that they stop selling it on TS.

Are you also Forgiss (Dreamstime) and Sean Nel (Photoshelter)?

Kind of like two errors in one.

I only see one image with isolated boys with blue cape. Are they cleaning up, or am I missing something? It's a StockXpert image.
« Last Edit: November 04, 2010, 01:10 by RacePhoto »

ShadySue

  • There is a crack in everything
« Reply #15 on: November 04, 2010, 03:42 »
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None of the PP links work correctly. The only way to have images removed is to get a hold of customer service and convince them to do it. And yes they expected me to list out 600+ numbers in an email so that they could remove them. This number is interesting because I only have 500 ish images still on IS, so when you delete an image from IS it dosen't automatically mean that they stop selling it on TS.
This is just total BS. They clearly don't want to deactivate your images. I had quite a few (in the hundreds) images in there right at the start, and took them out again when they actively solicited subscribers from their existing iStock customers. A support ticket and I was out in two weeks.
If they could do it then, without being given the numbers individually, they can do it now.

« Reply #16 on: November 04, 2010, 07:52 »
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None of the PP links work correctly. The only way to have images removed is to get a hold of customer service and convince them to do it. And yes they expected me to list out 600+ numbers in an email so that they could remove them. This number is interesting because I only have 500 ish images still on IS, so when you delete an image from IS it dosen't automatically mean that they stop selling it on TS.
This is just total BS. They clearly don't want to deactivate your images. I had quite a few (in the hundreds) images in there right at the start, and took them out again when they actively solicited subscribers from their existing iStock customers. A support ticket and I was out in two weeks.
If they could do it then, without being given the numbers individually, they can do it now.

Of course they can do it, they could do it back then and they can do it now. I just don't think they want to. But I do remember my images appeared on Thinkstock at day 1 and I had been opted out of PP for months. My images never should have been there in the first place. It took me posting nasty threads in the forum and daily emails to support to get them removed. I think I remember it took a week or two for them to come down, which was total BS.

lisafx

« Reply #17 on: November 04, 2010, 08:07 »
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What's so ridiculous about all this (okay - one MORE ridiculous thing), is that people who want their images on TS have been waiting literally months to get their images transferred and it hasn't happened. 

Where's the logic in keeping some pictures hostage on the site when their owners want them removed, and preventing willing contributors from having their pictures transferred to the site?? 

Makes me think it's some sort of SNAFU rather than deliberate. 

« Reply #18 on: November 04, 2010, 08:13 »
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Makes me think it's some sort of SNAFU rather than deliberate. 

"Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity." - That seems to be IS's mission statement lately  ;D

lisafx

« Reply #19 on: November 04, 2010, 08:26 »
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"Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity." - That seems to be IS's mission statement lately  ;D

LOL!  :D

« Reply #20 on: November 04, 2010, 08:37 »
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Makes me think it's some sort of SNAFU rather than deliberate. 

"Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity." - That seems to be IS's mission statement lately  ;D

I think you are both right.

« Reply #21 on: November 04, 2010, 09:08 »
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Race - checking the site today, it appears that my images  have finally been removed. The images you referenced were not mine. Mine were isolated.

RacePhoto

« Reply #22 on: November 05, 2010, 00:32 »
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Race - checking the site today, it appears that my images  have finally been removed. The images you referenced were not mine. Mine were isolated.

Thanks for giving an old man a break. I was trying to figure out how the only two blue cape images were two different people.  ;D

I can mention it here because I asked and they gave a lame answer. I have duplicates from IS PP and StockXpert, both for sale on ThinkStock. When I asked how to remove them , they said I should give them the numbers and they would take care of it.

Sure thing, double exposure, more results and more people seeing my images twice, and I'm supposed to tell them? LOL  :D

There might be worse, but this had to be the worst transition of material and content anywhere! People who wanted out, are included, People who wanted in, are excluded, people who had images on both site were supposed to be screened, and the duplicates are rampant. Contributors were left in the dark and given vague confusing answers to any questions.

I'll give them a pass on payments, because financially, things need to be wrapped up and confirmed, before you send out cash to someone. Come on, you had images on a site for two years, you claim payment and want it to come in under a week. If it wasn't there for all that time, why do people all of a sudden get upset and demand payment,. Sounds like accusations and complaining, just for the benefit of complaining.

traveler1116

« Reply #23 on: November 05, 2010, 11:18 »
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Deleted because IS sent out the wrong reply to my question.
« Last Edit: November 05, 2010, 11:35 by traveler1116 »

traveler1116

« Reply #24 on: November 05, 2010, 11:29 »
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Dammit I just checked thinkstock and the images I opted out months ago are still on there.
« Last Edit: November 05, 2010, 11:36 by traveler1116 »

RacePhoto

« Reply #25 on: November 06, 2010, 23:21 »
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Dammit I just checked thinkstock and the images I opted out months ago are still on there.

Wait, I have an idea. Tell them you want your pictures to be selling on ThinkStock and maybe they will disappear?  ;D  Seemed to work for people who wanted to get into the new program.

lagereek

« Reply #26 on: November 07, 2010, 01:08 »
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Its pretty bad actually!  but I still cant help thinking:  what on earth made some of you guys join this place in the first place????  its nothing and will never be anything.

RacePhoto

« Reply #27 on: November 07, 2010, 01:24 »
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Its pretty bad actually!  but I still cant help thinking:  what on earth made some of you guys join this place in the first place????  its nothing and will never be anything.

Who joined in the first place? They are trying to get out! It was an automatic migration from StockXpert over to ThinkStock. People had to close their account on StockXpert after removing all images and request a final payment. It wasn't rocket science. That was February.

And the additional change that took IS partner program from everywhere else and put it all on ThinkStock. But people who opted out from the start had their images moved over, or at least if they had things on Photos.com, they couldn't get their stuff off of ThinkStock. Then the IS snafu with the opt in button being stuck on. What a total mess.

Keep in mind the other part, that some people are trying to get in and they still haven't had their portfolio migrated.

I'm in, and making sales, so I have nothing to complain about. But I never "joined" anything. I was either transferred or migrated. You can't join ThinkStock. There's no direct submission to ThinkStock either, it has to come from a legacy StockXpert account (some people never passed the IS admissions test, remember?) or people on IS had to have the PP box checked.

lagereek

« Reply #28 on: November 07, 2010, 01:33 »
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Its pretty bad actually!  but I still cant help thinking:  what on earth made some of you guys join this place in the first place????  its nothing and will never be anything.

Who joined in the first place? They are trying to get out! It was an automatic migration from StockXpert over to ThinkStock. People had to close their account on StockXpert after removing all images and request a final payment. It wasn't rocket science. That was February.

And the additional change that took IS partner program from everywhere else and put it all on ThinkStock. But people who opted out from the start had their images moved over, or at least if they had things on Photos.com, they couldn't get their stuff off of ThinkStock. Then the IS snafu with the opt in button being stuck on. What a total mess.

Keep in mind the other part, that some people are trying to get in and they still haven't had their portfolio migrated.

I'm in, and making sales, so I have nothing to complain about. But I never "joined" anything. I was either transferred or migrated. You can't join ThinkStock. There's no direct submission to ThinkStock either, it has to come from a legacy StockXpert account (some people never passed the IS admissions test, remember?) or people on IS had to have the PP box checked.

Oh sorry!  I didnt realize it was that way?  when I closed-up at StockXpert, I decided not to go with TS,  I thought that was a general option, either join or get out?

RacePhoto

« Reply #29 on: November 07, 2010, 01:36 »
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Oh sorry!  I didnt realize it was that way?  when I closed-up at StockXpert, I decided not to go with TS,  I thought that was a general option, either join or get out?

Except for those of us who actually wanted to be included, it sounds like you are one of the lucky ones who snuck out before they locked the doors, and started holding photos prisoner. :D

lagereek

« Reply #30 on: November 07, 2010, 02:09 »
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Oh sorry!  I didnt realize it was that way?  when I closed-up at StockXpert, I decided not to go with TS,  I thought that was a general option, either join or get out?

Except for those of us who actually wanted to be included, it sounds like you are one of the lucky ones who snuck out before they locked the doors, and started holding photos prisoner. :D

Well if thats what theyre doing, its totally unlawfull and I would seriouisly consider legal action if it drags on.

best.

« Reply #31 on: November 07, 2010, 04:36 »
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I sent an e-mail 10 days ago which was replied the next day. They said they would copy their "colleagues in Calgary", but have heard nothing from them since. Still waiting.

« Reply #32 on: November 07, 2010, 09:11 »
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Oh sorry!  I didnt realize it was that way?  when I closed-up at StockXpert, I decided not to go with TS,  I thought that was a general option, either join or get out?

Except for those of us who actually wanted to be included, it sounds like you are one of the lucky ones who snuck out before they locked the doors, and started holding photos prisoner. :D

That's not how I remembered it happened. I thought we had a box to tick/untick depending on whether we wanted our images transferred to TS or not. I chose not to and so they have never appeared on TS. Everyone who I know and trust made their own decision in this regard and they got their choice.

ShadySue

  • There is a crack in everything
« Reply #33 on: November 07, 2010, 09:27 »
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Oh sorry!  I didnt realize it was that way?  when I closed-up at StockXpert, I decided not to go with TS,  I thought that was a general option, either join or get out?

Except for those of us who actually wanted to be included, it sounds like you are one of the lucky ones who snuck out before they locked the doors, and started holding photos prisoner. :D

That's not how I remembered it happened. I thought we had a box to tick/untick depending on whether we wanted our images transferred to TS or not. I chose not to and so they have never appeared on TS. Everyone who I know and trust made their own decision in this regard and they got their choice.
Well, no admin is appearing on the forums to call those with complaints, either about having their files in when they want them out or vice versa, liars. You can bet your bottom dollar that if these complaints were untrue, a certain person would point this out.
There have been several well-documented problems with the TS implementation, and as it's not a priority (what is? - nothing that contributers are concerned about, that's for sure), the ten-day promise is not being upheld, even though I was lucky in this regard, probably deciding to opt out again soon enough that it was done timeously. That doesn't mean I don't see that there are serious concerns.

« Reply #34 on: November 07, 2010, 11:44 »
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Oh sorry!  I didnt realize it was that way?  when I closed-up at StockXpert, I decided not to go with TS,  I thought that was a general option, either join or get out?

Except for those of us who actually wanted to be included, it sounds like you are one of the lucky ones who snuck out before they locked the doors, and started holding photos prisoner. :D

That's not how I remembered it happened. I thought we had a box to tick/untick depending on whether we wanted our images transferred to TS or not. I chose not to and so they have never appeared on TS. Everyone who I know and trust made their own decision in this regard and they got their choice.

I contributed to IS and StockXpert. When the sale went through, if I was opted in at IS for partner programs, my images would automatically be included in TS. I was already opted out at IS, but my images WERE included on TS, automatically. I did not want them there, that's why I was opted out of partner programs. It took a lot of hounding to get them off of TS. Some people who opted out (gostwyck) actually never had images migrate over to TS. Some people who opted out (me) had their images go even though we didn't want them to. Some people (many others) want their images on TS, were opted in to partner programs, but can't get their images there.

But nothing about the whole program is working correctly and IS just doesn't seem to care one way or another if it does or doesn't.

lisafx

« Reply #35 on: November 07, 2010, 16:12 »
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That's not how I remembered it happened. I thought we had a box to tick/untick depending on whether we wanted our images transferred to TS or not. I chose not to and so they have never appeared on TS. Everyone who I know and trust made their own decision in this regard and they got their choice.

That's how it worked for me.  My stuff is STILL on StockXpert and I never closed my account, but I unchecked the box to have them transferred to the partner programs when Thinkstock became an issue,  and so they were removed from Photos.com and never put on Thinkstock. 

fotorob

  • Professional stock content producer
« Reply #36 on: November 08, 2010, 13:04 »
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I had the same problem, my images show up on Thinkstock even month after opting out.

So I sent this mail to customer support:

Quote
"Hello, I have found several of my images distributed over Thinkstock in the "Hemera" Collection. For example item number ___________ (Titel "_______________"). For these images I have opted out from Thinkstock at iStockphoto several month ago, but since they are not even in the "istockphoto" Collection I wonder how they got in the "Hemera" Collection. As far as I know I did not deliver these images to another Getty Images related agency. Please explain to me where the images came from. You can call me at _________________ Thanks a lot in advance, Robert"

This is the answer I received:

Quote
"Hi Robert,

Its taken a few days to figure out whats going on but heres the result:

The auto-mated connector between iStockphoto and the partner sites is still down. We have added this contributor's files to our weekly pull list, which is sent on Thursdays. It generally takes a couple of days for the images to actually be removed once the list is received on Getty's side.

So it looks like we have found your images and arranged to have them removed from Hemera.

Best wishes,"

So let's see if they really will disappear in a few days.

Bye, Robert

« Reply #37 on: November 08, 2010, 16:36 »
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I had made a list of files still present in partner sites. When they have replied my initial ticket I had sent them the list of image numbers. Today I have seen that the images are disappearing in other sites. After sending the list it took 4-5 days.

RacePhoto

« Reply #38 on: November 10, 2010, 04:26 »
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I had made a list of files still present in partner sites. When they have replied my initial ticket I had sent them the list of image numbers. Today I have seen that the images are disappearing in other sites. After sending the list it took 4-5 days.

Since you have written siteS and partner siteS twice, and all I know of is ThinkStock and I see my IS shots on Photos.com, are there more?

As far as files not getting into the ThinkStock collection, they had the three phases and by the time it was done, a couple of months ago, I think they were done reviewing and cross checking IS and StockXpert images for duplicates. That was the extent of it, for people who had images on both.

As I mocked before, some people with many photos on StockXpert never got accepted at IS, so they didn't have that problem with two accounts being merged. Their images went to ThinkStock first.

Last is people on IS who had opted out of the PP but there were some glitches in that where the boxes would stay checked, even when people had unchecked them. Software and coding problems, not that the agency was randomly placing images on the cheap-o site, for sale. That happened to some people, and of course with the forums being what they are, those people squawked. The other 50,000 contributors with no problems, we wouldn't hear from at all. Makes sense.

Personally I opted everything in and had no problems. It all went in, including some duplicates. When I asked about removing the duplicates, they told me to just go on StockXpert and delete them myself. Since I figure it's twice the exposure and their problem, not mine, I haven't gotten around to it. They have time to find images that sell on IS that suddenly are potentially a problem because of a car or famous person and they can delete those, I'll leave deleting dupes to them as well. :D

I know what caused them to sneak through by accident. I often submitted minimum size images to StockXpert for their under priced sub sales, and full size ti IS. If they compared images by some computer system that looked at file size, it would have ignored many of mine. That and different names for IS because of their keyword system, so I had different IPTC data, due to their CV requirements. Everything was brought about by their systems, not me.


 

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