I admit my sales are up from previous year(s).  Almost double actually - but double of not-worth-the-effort still isn't much.  I'm trying hard not to get all riled up about this and just leave quietly.  A paycut plus full rez subs for 25 cents?  Screw that.  I don't need them and they obviously don't need me either.

We all are unhappy about the cut, but in working with them for 2 years now I will not call them unprofessional (they might have dealt better with the calculator situation - the need for that should have been pre-evident when announcing the basis of the scheme). Further, at nr. 6 on our list of best sellers I will not call them small either.

I am going to fall in the 40% bracket (a 20% reduction), which is going to hurt my income as they are my 2nd best seller. I can just hope that they drop their ratios to reduce the impact of the scheme, seeing that they could not keep their end of the bargain of increasing our sales with nearly as much as they indicated. That move, in my opinion, will redeem a lot of respect of their loyal contributors. If increases in sales in 2013 justify it, then they can up the scales to what they wanted it to be at the start of the year. Much better than the grandfathering concept in my opinion.

How about that Alex? Does that not sound fair (Quid pro quo)?

We all are unhappy about the cut, but in working with them for 2 years now I will not call them unprofessional (they might have dealt better with the calculator situation - the need for that should have been pre-evident when announcing the basis of the scheme). Further, at nr. 6 on our list of best sellers I will not call them small either.

I am going to fall in the 40% bracket (a 20% reduction), which is going to hurt my income as they are my 2nd best seller. I can just hope that they drop their ratios to reduce the impact of the scheme, seeing that they could not keep their end of the bargain of increasing our sales with nearly as much as they indicated. That move, in my opinion, will redeem a lot of respect of their loyal contributors. If increases in sales in 2013 justify it, then they can up the scales to what they wanted it to be at the start of the year. Much better than the grandfathering concept in my opinion.

How about that Alex? Does that not sound fair (Quid pro quo)?

That would be a move in the right direction but I can't help feeling the damage is already done.  We should of been able to see how many credits we needed for 2012 on 1st January 2012.  It's a shambles now and as they're a low earning site, there's no incentive to upload.  They really need to scrap this until 2014 or until they have sales on a par with the big 4 sites.  As that's not going to happen, I'll keep hoping their buyers go to other sites.  GLStockImages is doing quite well, paying 52% commission.

I'm 34 credits away from level 5!!!

In the spirit of Christmas, this is to the (traditional) tune of 'O little Town of Bethlehem'

Oh little keen photo-o-gra-a-pher
How lovely is your work
You have produced a lot too-oo date
To earn you could not shirk

Yet in the coming months and years
The agencies will make
It harder for you to provide
As they increase their 'take'

How silently, how silently
Will you withdraw your wares?
Will you slink off into the night
Avoiding glares and stares?

Or will you shout so all can hear
Your fury and your fears
And will you send your future work
To those with listening ears?

I was a keen photo-o-gra-a-pher
When I started this game
My will to shoot dies day by day
As royalty cuts bring shame

Bu-ut there are still a few good folks
Who treat me with respect
So I will stick with those alone
And off the rest can feck.

I'll be negotiating a little something that would help with the RC levels with the management.

That's all I'm willing to divulge at the moment. I know it's hard to wish me good luck, but I really need some luck to bring your case forward.

Thank you,

Alex.

Show them the earnings rating table here.  Just look how well the site that hasn't cut commissions is doing.  The sites that have cut commissions aren't doing well, for non-exclusives.  If your management team want to make 123RF more profitable, commission cuts are very likely to do the opposite.  It's likely to hit 123RF much harder, as it isn't a top tier site and it's easy for contributors to leave or stop uploading new images.  Many contributors are also buyers or know buyers and word spreads that some sites are much better to use than others.

I think any site that scrapped commission cuts and promised to keep their commissions as they are for the foreseeable future would see a big boost in their profits.  If it was 123RF, we would want to see them up with Shutterstock.  We would recommend buyers went to your site instead of telling them to go elsewhere.  Instead of removing links to your site, we would be making lots of them.  All the evidence I can see suggests that's the way to make more money.  This is the perfect time to do it because it appears that istock, DT and FT are all falling back and haven't realized that demotivating their suppliers isn't a good strategy.

I'm sure you've seen how unpopular the commission cuts you announced almost a year in advanced went down.  I can't see how that's helped 123RF this year.  I bet I'm not the only on who's stopped uploading and has encouraged buyers to look elsewhere.  The actions of individuals don't make much difference but when lots of us do the same thing, it looks like it does.

So it should be a no-brainer if you explain that to your management and I do wish you luck but if it falls on deaf ears, I don't think 123RF has a good future.

To those contributors gloating that they will still receive 50% - just remember that this stunt enables 123rf to move the goalposts whenever they want (witness the rigging of results at IS).

I sincerely hope that with this initiative 123rf are cutting their own throats.

Two posts were removed.  Obviously, by looking at this thread, it is OK to be critical to 123RF or other agencies but a certain level of professionalism is required.  Coarse language and black humor are not welcome.

Alex certainly does not have to participate in this thread, we should show a little respect when he does - even if we are disagreeing strongly.

It's a two way street isn't it?  Telling contributors that they will go ahead and drop their commissions and then saying Merry Christmas in the same post is very disrespectful, is it not?  Personally, I find them disgusting and would like to let them know that I have as much (or as little) respect for them as they do for us.

Just because they're owners or employees of a microstock site does not mean they should come here and insult people.  A little bit of tact goes a long way.  If they want to treat people like dirt, they should expect the favor to be returned. 

13 credits to the next lvl..... 

All and all considered (123RF's business decision included), I will not be happy, but will be much more comfortable, if the scale is adjusted by moving all targets one level lower (thus your current level +1).

I will wish Alex as person a nice Christmas in any event (irrespective of the feedback), because that is who I am. I will wish his business a prosperous new year if they can come to this type agreement, because that will show me who they are.

To those contributors gloating that they will still receive 50% - just remember that this stunt enables 123rf to move the goalposts whenever they want (witness the rigging of results at IS).

I sincerely hope that with this initiative 123rf are cutting their own throats.

Sorry if I was one of the ones percieved as gloating as it was far from it.  I have been hit so hard by changes at other sites that it was just a relief that I probably won't be affected much by this one.  I don't agree with any cuts but at least their levels are fairly easily obtainable if you take stock at all seriously.