sales @ iStock, Customer Service, Forum. ZONK.

[a1bercik]

Hi,

Last week I noticed that a number of my sales is valued much below the credit's price. OK, I can understand that bigger customers can get 20-30% off the credits' price. But finally I found 2 sales where 1 credit was valued below $.5... Not big deals, but tried to 'clarify' the situation.
What I have learnt: No response from the Customer Service - after a week my ticket is still open, no clear message from the Service via phone, topic moved from the forum to 'help' section.

What's going on?
Who can check their policies and prove that this missing part from my/our royalties is really a discount for the customer? If these bonuses are a 'science-fiction' what is the next step? I signed contributors agreement but did not agree to be robbed and cheated.

Pav

[sjlocke]

Credits can be sold as low as around $.50.

[a1bercik]

10000   $10,000.00   $1.00
20000   $19,000.00   $0.95
30000   $28,500.00   $0.95

Could you be more specific, please?

[cclapper]

10000   $10,000.00   $1.00
20000   $19,000.00   $0.95
30000   $28,500.00   $0.95

Could you be more specific, please?

I don't think anyone will be able to be too much more specific because everything at istock is based on smoke and mirrors. Contributors, as far as they are concerned, have NO RIGHT to know exactly where and how much money they are actually making. Like it or go somewhere else. That's their general attitude. Mine too, so I chose to go somewhere else and sell my images, since I don't like it. 

[jsnover]

Take a look at this thread and the one it links to. You'll see that iStock gives bigger discounts than those you can buy on the site - customers have to call to get it. It's pretty wretched, but it's been around a while - as has just ignoring or foot dragging on answering customer service tickets. I'm not the only one that has just had tickets disappear, unanswered - there are problems with that aspect of their site operations too.

[RacePhoto]

Credits can be sold as low as around $.50.

I thought this was amusing: download of a newish file on IS.

Yes a "pay as you go" download, not a sub, at less than ThinkStock Sub and less than IS Sub prices. Oh wow, I'm going to celebrate that one. 

Thursday October 27, 2011, 03:36 AM    XSmall    Regular    0.23

I thought I was immune to this and only got reasonable downloads. Now I'm forced to join the mimi-micro payment club. 

[a1bercik]

http://www.istockphoto.com/forum_messages.php?threadid=336305&page=1

"some very old credits floating about from 2004" <- official statement made by kelvinjay, which makes the issue 7-yo, and this silly explanation about %% off.
I guess someone from the management (do they have a management?) will kill the thread. It is to risky to inform contributors about (un)official discounts.

And, I really like this one: "there are several reasons why you may be paid less". What, rains in Scotland?

Pav

[sjlocke]

No one will kill it.  Thus comes up all the time.  You're not the first person.

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