Stop Feeding the Beast!

Matemir

New Member

« on: April 13, 2011, 09:32 »

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Highest rate in the industry - 85% comission
No protection at all against credit card fraud
Privacy intrusion - screenshot request for CG(as if they were providing us access to their books)
Very hard to upload process - with an ironic end "I love to upload to iStock!"
Impossible logic: commission rate is conditioned by the number of sales > number of sales is conditioned by the number of uploads - number of uploads is conditioned by iStock => comission rate is LIMITED by iStock!

For me it's enough. I decided to STOP UPLOADING = STOP FEEDING THE BEAST!

I know is hard to instantly shut down one's iStock account. There is a lot of work in it. But why should we continue? As long as one keeps uploading is simply feeding the beast. And the beast is asking more and more. Next step? 95%? Or what else? The managers are very creative people. The middle way to get out of it is to simply stop uploading to your iStock account. This way, your income will not drop down instantly and you will have the time to find other ways of selling your images.

Regards,
Dmitry


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rimglow

« Reply #1 on: April 13, 2011, 09:54 »

#link

Sorry, but it's hard to take your rant seriously when we don't know who you are. Provide a link to your iStock portfolio. As of now there is no way to even know if you are a real photographer, or just a troublemaker.


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cthoman

« Reply #2 on: April 13, 2011, 09:57 »

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It's been about 6 months since I uploaded, so you're preaching to the choir. Grin


« Last Edit: April 13, 2011, 10:01 by cthoman »	Ignore \| Logged

Lagereek

« Reply #3 on: April 13, 2011, 10:07 »

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Well Im somebody and I never thought I would hear myself say this but sadly I think the OP is right!


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stockastic

« Reply #4 on: April 13, 2011, 10:10 »

#link

We need to identify viable alternatives and feed THEM. Or are we down to just SS and DT?


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cclapper

Premium Member

« Reply #5 on: April 13, 2011, 10:12 »

#link

Quote from: cthoman on April 13, 2011, 09:57

It's been about 6 months since I uploaded, so you're preaching to the choir. Grin


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gaja

« Reply #6 on: April 13, 2011, 10:36 »

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I'm a nobody, and have disabled my people shots from IS, and not uploaded anything new in many months.


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ShadySue

Premium Member

« Reply #7 on: April 13, 2011, 10:42 »

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Quote from: Matemir on April 13, 2011, 09:32

I know is hard to instantly shut down one's iStock account.There is a lot of work in it.
Regards,
Dmitry

Apparently it's not difficult at all. You just write to Support and ask for your account to be closed and to receive any monies due to you. If your portfolio is quite small, you could even just delete your images manually if you don't want to wait until Support do it for you.


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cobalt

Premium Member

« Reply #8 on: April 13, 2011, 10:52 »

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I would like to see his istockportfolio as well. There are loads of 1 image trolls with opinions...


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cthoman

« Reply #9 on: April 13, 2011, 11:00 »

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Quote from: cobalt on April 13, 2011, 10:52

I would like to see his istockportfolio as well. There are loads of 1 image trolls with opinions...

I don't think it really matters. It's not like he claimed iStock eats babies. They seem to be fairly reasonable and commonly held opinions in this forum.


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alexmk

« Reply #10 on: April 13, 2011, 11:03 »

#link

Quote from: Matemir on April 13, 2011, 09:32

Highest rate in the industry - 85% comission
No protection at all against credit card fraud
Privacy intrusion - screenshot request for CG(as if they were providing us access to their books)
Very hard to upload process - with an ironic end "I love to upload to iStock!"
Impossible logic: commission rate is conditioned by the number of sales > number of sales is conditioned by the number of uploads - number of uploads is conditioned by iStock => comission rate is LIMITED by iStock!

What are the other ways of selling our images? What do you mean? According to me IS still has the best collection and that's why buyers are there. It won't last forever that's for sure but look at the other agencies.
Apart from SS the others are full of crap especially DT.


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sharpshot

« Reply #11 on: April 13, 2011, 11:25 »

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^^^Istock has as much junk as all the other sites. They also have at least a million great images missing, either because of their upload limits or their appalling commissions putting people off using them.

I stopped uploading as soon as they announced the commission cuts. It saves a lot of time not having to upload there and I really couldn't care less about the latest best match changes.


« Last Edit: April 13, 2011, 11:26 by sharpshot »	Ignore \| Logged

Matemir

New Member

« Reply #12 on: April 13, 2011, 11:37 »

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Quote from: rimglow on April 13, 2011, 09:54

So, you need my portfolio to trust that iStock is holding 85%? Here you are:

http://www.istockphoto.com/search/portfolio/760174/#195a93f0

Do you trust now that iStock is taking 85%??? Or you still need another proof? I am pretty sure you are a trouble maker.


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Matemir

New Member

« Reply #13 on: April 13, 2011, 11:41 »

#link

Quote from: ShadySue on April 13, 2011, 10:42

Quote from: Matemir on April 13, 2011, 09:32

I know is hard to instantly shut down one's iStock account.There is a lot of work in it.
Regards,
Dmitry

What I really mean is that is hard to give up all you have done until recently, all the effort of shoot/edit/upload. I did not mean the effective process of deleting account.


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pancaketom

« Reply #14 on: April 13, 2011, 11:43 »

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I too stopped uploading when they announced the commission cuts. While it would be nice to believe that someday they will change back to being a reasonable business partner for us, I see no evidence of that at this time.


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Matemir

New Member

« Reply #15 on: April 13, 2011, 11:45 »

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Quote from: alexmk on April 13, 2011, 11:03

[... IS still has the best collection and that's why buyers are there. It won't last forever that's for sure but look at the other agencies.
Apart from Shutterstock the others are full of crap especially Dreamstime.

Are you an iStock employee, are you financially involved in iStock other than being a submitter? This kind of advertising is really crap. All I can understand is that iStock has a serious problem with Dreamstime.


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Matemir

New Member

« Reply #16 on: April 13, 2011, 11:50 »

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Quote from: cthoman on April 13, 2011, 09:57

It's been about 6 months since I uploaded, so you're preaching to the choir. Grin

Who's first? I have been banned from forum participation a few years ago(2006) simply for expressing my opinion regarding the screen shots. You can check yourself at : http://www.istockphoto.com/forum_messages.php?threadid=41246&page=1


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Risamay

« Reply #17 on: April 13, 2011, 12:02 »

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Quote from: cobalt on April 13, 2011, 10:52

There are loads of 1 image trolls with opinions...

That's a great statement, Cobalt. Thanks for the chuckle.

This gem would have gone on the old iStock Quotes thread, back in the day.


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LSD72

« Reply #18 on: April 13, 2011, 12:09 »

#link

Quote from: ShadySue on April 13, 2011, 10:42

Quote from: Matemir on April 13, 2011, 09:32

I know is hard to instantly shut down one's iStock account.There is a lot of work in it.
Regards,
Dmitry

Yup, contacted Supprt last Oct or Nov (maybe) to shut down and payout my account. That was one thing they did flawlessly.


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velocicarpo

« Reply #19 on: April 13, 2011, 12:19 »

#link

+1

Don`t sell on istock. Don`t buy on istock.

Quote from: Matemir on April 13, 2011, 09:32

Highest rate in the industry - 85% comission
No protection at all against credit card fraud
Privacy intrusion - screenshot request for CG(as if they were providing us access to their books)
Very hard to upload process - with an ironic end "I love to upload to iStock!"
Impossible logic: commission rate is conditioned by the number of sales > number of sales is conditioned by the number of uploads - number of uploads is conditioned by iStock => comission rate is LIMITED by iStock!


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Microbius

Premium Member

« Reply #20 on: April 13, 2011, 12:31 »

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No really sure what the calls to see his portfolio were about, it's not like he's making any claims about himself or his sales, just stating some basic facts about IStock and what he thinks should be done about them.


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rimglow

« Reply #21 on: April 13, 2011, 12:46 »

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Seeing a portfolio validates him (or her). It gives some creditability that we are not dealing with some 12 year old locked away in the basement trolling away.

I should have asked to please see a portfolio link. It would have been nicer.


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Matemir

New Member

« Reply #22 on: April 13, 2011, 13:03 »

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Quote from: rimglow on April 13, 2011, 12:46

Your argument is simply absurd as many iStock management arguments. 85% is a fact and one does not need a portfolio to validate this information unless he is 12 or less.


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ProArtwork

« Reply #23 on: April 13, 2011, 13:12 »

#link

Quote from: Matemir on April 13, 2011, 09:32

For me it's enough. I decided to STOP UPLOADING = STOP FEEDING THE BEAST!

I know is hard to instantly shut down one's iStock account. There is a lot of work in it.

You do have a choice!