Author Topic: 500px - Kelly Thompson strikes again (Read 61790 times)

jarih · « **Reply #25 on:** March 21, 2016, 13:05 »

Crazy opportunity for social media war against 500px

50% · « **Reply #26 on:** March 21, 2016, 13:05 »

Btw I feel really stupid now that I have paid for awesome...

kkthompson · « **Reply #27 on:** March 21, 2016, 13:10 »

Quote from: MichaelJayFoto on March 21, 2016, 12:05

Quote from: jjneff on March 21, 2016, 11:51
Getty has nothing to fear from 500px!

Did you ever think Getty has something to fear from 500px? It is partly funded by Visual China Group which has a long standing partnership with Getty Images that was just deepened by the Corbis deal.

Now a former Getty manager is hired by 500px to head the market.

Can't you guess already what the next exciting news will be? Let me write it for you:

"We are excited to announce a partnership with Getty Images that will allow more customers to see and buy your content. Of course you will still receive your usual 30% of the 20% Getty pays us. But you know what? We might drop the weekly upload limit, so you can give us your images faster than ever."

Sorry to disappoint, but no Getty deals on the horizon.

– Kelly

dpimborough · « **Reply #28 on:** March 21, 2016, 13:12 »

Quote from: kkthompson on March 21, 2016, 13:10

Quote from: MichaelJayFoto on March 21, 2016, 12:05
Quote from: jjneff on March 21, 2016, 11:51
Getty has nothing to fear from 500px!

Did you ever think Getty has something to fear from 500px? It is partly funded by Visual China Group which has a long standing partnership with Getty Images that was just deepened by the Corbis deal.

Now a former Getty manager is hired by 500px to head the market.

Can't you guess already what the next exciting news will be? Let me write it for you:

"We are excited to announce a partnership with Getty Images that will allow more customers to see and buy your content. Of course you will still receive your usual 30% of the 20% Getty pays us. But you know what? We might drop the weekly upload limit, so you can give us your images faster than ever."

Sorry to disappoint, but no Getty deals on the horizon.

– Kelly

But the Getty/iStock arrogant attitude toward contributors is still there in that one little reply isn't it.

PaulieWalnuts · « **Reply #29 on:** March 21, 2016, 13:13 »

Quote from: Ariene on March 21, 2016, 13:04

I think I'll focus even more on Alamy (50% share) now

No agency is immune to cuts. I like Alamy but they cut commissions to open a New York office. They all do it.

everest · « **Reply #30 on:** March 21, 2016, 13:14 »

All my 300+ images removed

Thanks 500px you made the decision easy.............

Ides · « **Reply #31 on:** March 21, 2016, 13:15 »

Quote from: Mantis on March 21, 2016, 12:05

To show my appreciation I am closing my account today.

First I will exclude 50% of my images that are unprotected by logotype. Then I will study the case of closing my account too. It's a joke, to say the least

Nikovsk · « **Reply #32 on:** March 21, 2016, 13:21 »

I was almost excited when I got my first sale a few weeks ago. Last time I tried these "new friendly markets" that barely sell anything. They set up the bait, then as soon as they have enough content they remove all incentives that brought us in the first place. Scammers just like PhotoArabia.

Ides · « **Reply #33 on:** March 21, 2016, 13:21 »

Quote from: Ariene on March 21, 2016, 13:04

I think I'll focus even more on Alamy (50% share) now

We should give positive point for those who value our work, so I always praise the Alamy, which is growing every year.

cobalt · « **Reply #34 on:** March 21, 2016, 13:31 »

I've been recommending them as an interesting fair trade marketplace to many people.

I really didn't see this coming.

People are looking for a longterm home, reliable, friendly communication.

I just paid for the awesome plan expecting a 70% royalty.

I'll write to their support to see if I can get a refund. No reason to pay if all I get is 30%.

Deyan Georgiev Photography · « **Reply #35 on:** March 21, 2016, 13:43 »

Very disappointing

cobalt · « **Reply #36 on:** March 21, 2016, 13:45 »

I've deleted some files, but will upload others.

30% is a completly different world. I have content for that as well, but I'll have to keep in mind that anything I try to build at 500px can be destroyed suddenly without giving me time to prepare.

The loss of trust, the abrupt communication, that is a really serious problem.

I am looking for a friendly and reliable work environment.

Not the endless drama and surprises of the istock titanic phase.

DC · « **Reply #37 on:** March 21, 2016, 13:45 »

Quote from: 50% on March 21, 2016, 13:05

Btw I feel really stupid now that I have paid for awesome...

I have a Plus account and just yesterday I was thinking of upgrading to Awesome. In fact, I wrote a list of things to do this week before I went to bed last night and on that list was 'upgrade to Awesome'.

Imagine my surprise when I got up this morning and had an email in my inbox basically giving me no choice but to cancel my Plus account.

For anyone else in a similar situation you can cancel your Plus/Awesome account. According their website if it is within 30 days you get a full discount otherwise it can be cancelled at any time and they will pay you back a prorated amount.

I must admit to being shocked by this. I'm not surprised by lowering our percentage, but I'm surprised they decided to burn it to the ground so fast and with just one decision.

Lana · « **Reply #38 on:** March 21, 2016, 13:49 »

At least they didn't call it "exciting news"

Sean Locke Photography · « **Reply #39 on:** March 21, 2016, 13:51 »

"Since its launch in March 2014, the number of sales and clients have outperformed our projections"

I never can understand "we're wildly successful beyond our expectations" as a reason to cut royalties. You'd think that would already be providing them with more money than they were planning for.

DC · « **Reply #40 on:** March 21, 2016, 13:54 »

Well, now I actually have something good I can say about them. I got my refund just 1 hour after emailing support.

Now if only the support ticket I sent last week about pictures dating as far back as August not being reviewed would be answered.

Jo Ann Snover · « **Reply #41 on:** March 21, 2016, 13:59 »

Possibly worth making some noise in the 500px forum and on Twitter. Whether or not it changes their minds, they should get a black eye publicly for being so cavalier about their relationship with their suppliers

https://twitter.com/joannsnover/status/711989519671627777

https://twitter.com/joannsnover/status/711988696254275584

Jasmin started the 500px thread. My reply to her request for thoughts was:

"Very few printable thoughts

I will stop uploading here for the moment (everything I uploaded was tagged for the Marketplace; that was my reason for joining).

I find the huge cut in royalty rate unconscionable and the explanation threadbare. I am less concerned about the price changes, although I think they'd do better to make a bigger difference between *pricing* on exclusive/non-exclusive content.

As far as financing expansion out of royalty cuts, that's a pseudo explanation that dissolves on contact. When there aren't very many sales and you need funds to build the business, you don't generate funds for expansion through a bigger slice of the still-small pie.

The fact that I've heard just about all these tales before without them coming true at any agency, ever, makes it hard to imagine how 500px Marketplace will be the first to make it happen. There are agencies that have grown and become successful, but they haven't done it by picking the pockets of their suppliers.

I could have understood a message about pricing changes to build the business in the current market. But why would anyone continue to contribute content to an agency that takes months to review images, has few sales and has so little respect for its contributors that it delivers this massive royalty cut message with no meaningful details on what 500px Marketplace is prepared to do for us. It's all about what we can do for them...."

stockastic · « **Reply #42 on:** March 21, 2016, 14:00 »

Yeah that ends it. The "what you need to know" section could have been condensed to just "30%".

Ides · « **Reply #43 on:** March 21, 2016, 14:02 »

Quote from: Bauman on March 21, 2016, 12:48

3rd April, i will close my account.

I hope that 3rd April will be the "Closing Account Day" on 500px.

I just exclude 50% of my best images that I had put with no watermark protection. I was risking selling images without watermark, thinking on 70%. Now I'll probably delete the other 50% and maybe start putting images that are rejected by other macro and microstock. After the changes, I will think whether it is worth spending time with 500px.

KnowYourOnions · « **Reply #44 on:** March 21, 2016, 14:12 »

OK ... Alamy, u ready for big migration to your shores?

MichaelJayFoto · « **Reply #45 on:** March 21, 2016, 14:17 »

Quote from: kkthompson on March 21, 2016, 13:10

Sorry to disappoint, but no Getty deals on the horizon.

The horizon isn't the line between two rows in a spreadsheet.

stockastic · « **Reply #46 on:** March 21, 2016, 14:28 »

I can actually accept that the original 500px plan wasn't working, and investors came in and wanted a new plan. What I don't get is how this announcement could be part of a coherent plan.

Maybe if they'd combined it with announcements of a new marketing direction, automatic downsizing/watermarking of displayed images, hiring of a reviewing staff, a streamlined uploading process, and answers to a number of obvious questions we've been asking about where 500px is going and how it will work, it might have made some sense.

Instead, we see millions in venture capital come in, new management, months of silence and then a drum roll and: "our new plan is that you get a lot less".

noodle · « **Reply #47 on:** March 21, 2016, 14:35 »

talk about bad news coming out from left field
totally disappointed, and flabergasted with this news

going right now to delete my port - c ya 500px, hopefully enough self-respecting artists will take some kind of action and speak out LOUD and CLEAR

Jo Ann Snover · « **Reply #48 on:** March 21, 2016, 14:41 »

Quote from: 50% on March 21, 2016, 12:47

Quote from: cobalt on March 21, 2016, 11:57
Is Nuno still at 500px?

No he is not there anymore I'm sure he was responsible for the fair and contributor friendly rate of 70%

His LinkedIn page says he's back at Stocksy; left 500px in January

https://www.linkedin.com/in/silvanuno

Lizard · « **Reply #49 on:** March 21, 2016, 14:43 »

To: [email protected]

Regarding your latest changes...

I recently renewed my account and this change is highly influencing the reasons I decided to renew it.

So can you please refund my payment and put me on basic free account or point me out where to request that.

If you want to close my account thats ok also but I would like my sales earnings to be fully payed before that.

Thanks in advance.

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Author Topic: 500px - Kelly Thompson strikes again (Read 61790 times)

jarih

50%

kkthompson

dpimborough

PaulieWalnuts

everest

Ides

Nikovsk

Ides

cobalt

Deyan Georgiev Photography

cobalt

DC

Lana

Sean Locke Photography

DC

Jo Ann Snover

stockastic

Ides

KnowYourOnions

MichaelJayFoto

stockastic

noodle

Jo Ann Snover

Lizard

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