I deleted some 800 shots there about a year ago, couldnt get on with it. In looking at the site now, it seems as if theres been lots of improvements, they seem to have better reviewers then earlier, etc, the site seems more user-friendly, etc.
Has there been improvement?  anybody?

Reviews no longer take a month, that is a plus.

Since reviews happen faster, you are less likely to get a month worth of uploads all rejected for the same thing in one review, that is a plus.

I haven't been hit by Attilla the reviewer since the faster reviews, that is a plus.

Sales are up slightly from last year, that is a plus.


I only have to redo the captcha each time I try to access my stats (assuming it has been over an hour or 2 since I last looked at the site) instead of having to re-login and redo the captcha, that is a small plus.

They are still planning on going with an RC scheme and thus dropping most contributor's commission percent. That is a big minus.

Unfortunately the last one seems to be the biggie. They do assure us that sales are going to pick up but they better do it soon or I won't be keeping my 50% next year.

Thanks mate!  at least the pluses seems to outweigh the minuses.

Double post 

Sales have been reasonable, but not spectacular.

I haven't uploaded there since they announced their plans for 2013. I'd happily resume uploading if they scrap that larceny and stick with their current payout system (or improve it!).

If my monthly payouts are reasonable after the royalty slashing I might keep my portfolio there, but I see no reason to encourage a greedy middle-tier player by uploading more. If royalties drop too much - and I mean monthly payout, not percentage - then I'll pull my portfolio.

If I hadn't already established a part of my portfolio there, I don't think I'd start now.

Quote from: jsnover on May 28, 2012, 10:45

Sales have been reasonable, but not spectacular.

I haven't uploaded there since they announced their plans for 2013. I'd happily resume uploading if they scrap that larceny and stick with their current payout system (or improve it!).

If my monthly payouts are reasonable after the royalty slashing I might keep my portfolio there, but I see no reason to encourage a greedy middle-tier player by uploading more. If royalties drop too much - and I mean monthly payout, not percentage - then I'll pull my portfolio.

If I hadn't already established a part of my portfolio there, I don't think I'd start now.

beside the very low royalties % for the 100MB sales I believe thats a little unfair sure they have pulled their royalties down and sales haven�t increased at least in the way they told us BUT I really think that they are being a lot more fair (in terms of royalties %) than IS, FT, DT and perhaps SS.. that said I don�t think I need to say that I don�t agree with the cuts too

50% of next to nothing is worse than 15% of decently priced images. I can get more for an XS at DT (and level 3 is enough;) than for the largest sized Dl at 123RF. That sums it up pretty well I think

I've already stopped submitting to them in my case 6 of those agencies don't even account for 10% of my earningz, so I don't really care. They're mostly a constant hassle too

beside the very low royalties % for the 100MB sales I believe thats a little unfair sure they have pulled their royalties down and sales haven�t increased at least in the way they told us BUT I really think that they are being a lot more fair (in terms of royalties %) than IS, FT, DT and perhaps SS.. that said I don�t think I need to say that I don�t agree with the cuts too

Besides the 100MB sales (which is enough reason alone to leave them - in my opinion), there was also the fact that they lied to their contributors to get them to upload before the new year, promising them that if they reach certain thresholds they'll keep the 50%.  Then later they scapped that promise and decided to bring in the RC system slashing most contributors royalties.  Have you forgotten that, Luis?  Apart from even that, there's the heavy discounting, IF in fact they're really discounting.  Looking at a sample of some of my earnings for just the large size, the royalties all vary.  

At $1.07 per credit, a large size image costs the buyer $3.21.  At 50% commission, I should receive $1.61 for each.  This is what I've received along with the commission %.  Not even one 50% commission as promised and these figures are likely to fall next year after the commission cuts.

Apart from that little scam, they have the lowest prices in the industry.  They can afford to because they're based in Hong Kong.  They'd be driving prices down across the industry.  

So that's how they've made it to where they are now - through blatant lies, empty promises, deceit and because of their location.  I don't trust them one bit.  They're crooked and don't even hide the fact but who knows what they ARE hiding.  Piracy is rife there, so who knows what they're doing with our images.  I'm going to be happy to ditch them.
   

Besides the 100MB sales (which is enough reason alone to leave them - in my opinion), there was also the fact that they lied to their contributors to get them to upload before the new year, promising them that if they reach certain thresholds they'll keep the 50%.  Then later they scapped that promise and decided to bring in the RC system slashing most contributors royalties.

It could have been a lie, however I believe that they genuinely planned to keep the royalties at 50% for most existing contributors ie. those which met the threshold, which wasn't set very high. I just think that they came up with another plan afterwards, which obviously will give them more. In my books, whether it was actually a lie or just a change of policy, it reflected very badly on them, particularly as they went from one plan to another within just a few weeks. I've always got the impression that they're a bit disorganised or understaffed. I won't go into detail, but it's just the impression I get from any communication with them. I think one of the prime reasons for getting rid of their forum was because they couldn't cope with it.

Quote from: luissantos84 on May 28, 2012, 10:54

beside the very low royalties % for the 100MB sales I believe thats a little unfair sure they have pulled their royalties down and sales haven�t increased at least in the way they told us BUT I really think that they are being a lot more fair (in terms of royalties %) than IS, FT, DT and perhaps SS.. that said I don�t think I need to say that I don�t agree with the cuts too

Besides the 100MB sales (which is enough reason alone to leave them - in my opinion), there was also the fact that they lied to their contributors to get them to upload before the new year, promising them that if they reach certain thresholds they'll keep the 50%.  Then later they scapped that promise and decided to bring in the RC system slashing most contributors royalties.  Have you forgotten that, Luis?  Apart from even that, there's the heavy discounting, IF in fact they're really discounting.  Looking at a sample of some of my earnings for just the large size, the royalties all vary.  

At $1.07 per credit, a large size image costs the buyer $3.21.  At 50% commission, I should receive $1.61 for each.  This is what I've received along with the commission %.  Not even one 50% commission as promised and these figures are likely to fall next year after the commission cuts.

Apart from that little scam, they have the lowest prices in the industry.  They can afford to because they're based in Hong Kong.  They'd be driving prices down across the industry.  

So that's how they've made it to where they are now - through blatant lies, empty promises, deceit and because of their location.  I don't trust them one bit.  They're crooked and don't even hide the fact but who knows what they ARE hiding.  Piracy is rife there, so who knows what they're doing with our images.  I'm going to be happy to ditch them.
   

I believe that most of those large sales have discount, like IS a buyer gets their own plan which will hurt or not us, I am not sure if I will keep the 50% but I cannot ditch an agency that does over 100$ per month, they don�t look as shady in my opinion, only the 100MB which is confusing

Quote from: grafix04 on May 28, 2012, 11:46

Besides the 100MB sales (which is enough reason alone to leave them - in my opinion), there was also the fact that they lied to their contributors to get them to upload before the new year, promising them that if they reach certain thresholds they'll keep the 50%.  Then later they scapped that promise and decided to bring in the RC system slashing most contributors royalties.

It could have been a lie, however I believe that they genuinely planned to keep the royalties at 50% for most existing contributors ie. those which met the threshold, which wasn't set very high. I just think that they came up with another plan afterwards, which obviously will give them more. In my books, whether it was actually a lie or just a change of policy, it reflected very badly on them, particularly as they went from one plan to another within just a few weeks. I've always got the impression that they're a bit disorganised or understaffed. I won't go into detail, but it's just the impression I get from any communication with them. I think one of the prime reasons for getting rid of their forum was because they couldn't cope with it.

There's nothing genuine about them.  They got rid of their forums not because they're disorganized and can't cope with it.  It's because they'd rather avoid questions about their commissions.  Every time anyone has questioned it, they avoid answering.  Contributors like Luis have been praising them for in here for years saying how fair they are because they give us 50%.  But they don't give us 50% and they hide that through this 'discounting'.  How can every sale be discounted?  Will people continue to brand them as fair when they realize they're earning 19% on some sales, 26% on others?  This is why they got rid of the forum.  They're the shadiest micro out there but they've been hiding it well.  The one good thing about this drop in commissions next year is that it forced people to do some calculations on their earnings to see what they're actually getting.  When they realize they're not earning 50% and that rates will fall next year, how many are going to stay or if they stay, how many are going to continue labeling them as fair?

Quote from: luissantos84 on May 28, 2012, 13:00

I believe that most of those large sales have discount, like IS a buyer gets their own plan which will hurt or not us, I am not sure if I will keep the 50% but I cannot ditch an agency that does over 100$ per month, they don�t look as shady in my opinion, only the 100MB which is confusing

What is confusing about the 100MB?  A buyer purchased a 100MB sized image from you.  If you had sold that yourself with 123rf's pricing, 150 credits @ $1.07/credit, you would pocket $160.50.  Selling that size through 123rf, you should receive $80.25 at 50%.  Instead you receive $11.58 at 7%.  Nothing confusing here.  It's a blatant rip off.
 
They don't look as shady to you because you don't want to see it.  You've drawn the line in the sand.  $100 a month.  As long as you keep earning that, you won't leave.  What message does this say to them?  They know that they can keep reducing your commission as long as you keep getting $100 every month.  You'll keep uploading more images and they'll probably sell more through heavier discounting but you won't earn much more.  I bet they can push the boundaries so that your earnings will drop to $90 a month and you'll chock it down to ebb and flow and put up with it.

my friend I agree 100% on everything you just said! second I am a fan of all agencies that keep increasing and are steady (at least in "my income") not only 123RF! third I only see them shady on this 100 MB which they "have explained" a while ago here in this forum, that said there's not much I can do beside upload and collect, I have tried many times with many agencies to change something around this industry, smaller ones that maybe will never get anywhere hear us other just keep on doing whatever they want! even after that I still believe 123RF is a nice agency with actually nice communication, for sure Alex will show up and explain us once more this license.. perhaps ending it too

after all this crap talk shall we stop doing stock and get a "real" job?

As well as sales plummeting at fotolia RPD is also plummeting.  123rf came very close to catching up after a couple of good months there. I never in my wildest dreams expected to see that day!!!!
RPDs for last month
123rf - 1.50$
fot - 99c
DT  3.50$

in order to maintain the same commission in future.. one needs to reach contributor level 5, that's 12 month credit total 5,000 - 19,999, what does it means does it mean I need to have a $5000 for 12 month total minimum?