MicrostockGroup

Agency Based Discussion => Sites that no longer exist => Albumo.com => Topic started by: Rozmaryna on December 11, 2008, 11:44

Title: Communicating with Albumo
Post by: Rozmaryna on December 11, 2008, 11:44
Hi, guys,

have any of you tried to contact Albumo lately?

I have decided to go exclusive with another microstock company and wish to cancel my account with Albumo (and have all my files deleted), so I have sent my request several times over the last two weeks using their site form (three different departments). It doesnīt seem to work though, because there have been no responses, no replies... Just big scary silence...

The last news in their "News" section is from June - they apologize for not answering emails due to some server problems. Itīs really strange...

Title: Re: Communicating with Albumo
Post by: jsnover on December 11, 2008, 12:10
Not lately, but back in August it took forever for me to get them to cancel my account. Look back at this thread for the details.

http://www.microstockgroup.com/index.php?topic=4994.0
Title: Re: Communicating with Albumo
Post by: Rozmaryna on December 11, 2008, 12:56
Excellent, thanks for the tip!

I will try to send a few more emails directly, and if they don't respond, I will try one of the more desperate strategies implied...


Title: Re: Communicating with Albumo
Post by: Karimala on December 11, 2008, 13:22
I sent multiple requests to remove my account for a month.  No response.  Nada.  Nothing.  So I did some desperate measures, like adding my DT referral link to my first 100 most popular images and writing an on-site blog post condemning Albumo for ignoring my requests.  It still took them another month to remove my portfolio! 

Worst company ever!
Title: Re: Communicating with Albumo
Post by: e-person on December 11, 2008, 16:40
I sent them about 30 e-mails without any visible effects.

I then replaced all my photo's titles, descriptions and keywords with the most offensive sentence directed to Albumo I could come up with, still no effect.

I must assume the site is either dead, or they don't mind doing what I told them to do in my offensive sentences.  ;D

Really, the most unprofessional people ever met on the Internet.
Title: Re: Communicating with Albumo
Post by: jsnover on December 11, 2008, 17:25
Offensive to them may not be the trick, I think it's directing people to your portfolio on other sites that may work better. At least, that's what worked for me after several tries at editing titles and descriptions of images that showed up prominently in searches.
Title: Re: Communicating with Albumo
Post by: RacePhoto on December 13, 2008, 18:39
Let me take you back to June 22nd.

Quote
I just got an invitation to join Albumo albumo.com, a new micro site.

Under one year and they started becoming invisible.  ;D

Here's the tricky part of the contract everyone signed (I accept) when they started uploading to this place.

Member also forfeits the right to remove submitted and approved for sale Content for 400 days since the date of initial upload.
Title: Re: Communicating with Albumo
Post by: jsnover on December 14, 2008, 12:30
Yes, but even when you were past the 400 days they still wouldn't delete your account - hence all that stuff about changing titles and descriptions to get their attention.

BTW, for anyone deleting 1 a day while waiting for them to do something, delete the most recent uploads first if you have anything that didn't meet the 400 day requirement.
Title: Re: Communicating with Albumo
Post by: e-person on December 14, 2008, 13:27
Yes, older first. Also, the old trick to delete more than one at a time has not been working for a while, now.
Title: Re: Communicating with Albumo
Post by: Rozmaryna on December 14, 2008, 16:20
BTW, for anyone deleting 1 a day while waiting for them to do something, delete the most recent uploads first if you have anything that didn't meet the 400 day requirement.

Good point, thanks :-)

I have also made a blog post with very open and quite angry complaints and critique. However, it seems they have not noticed yet :-)

Title: Re: Communicating with Albumo
Post by: Rozmaryna on December 18, 2008, 15:01
Update:

...Well, not really because there is nothing new. It seems the site is hibernating. I have replaced the titles and descriptions of all my 190 images there with a reference to DT - no reaction. My angry "no-communication" blog post is still up, another two angry contributors added their own posts - without any effect.

I wonder how long will it pay off to have the site running without any costs other than maintenance expenses (and hope it will be less than the six months - I really don't want to go there every single day for the next half a year just to delete images) - I cannot imagine any other reason why they would want to keep it up. Their reputation is worse than poor - it is so bad that they don't even post those optimistic "one-day-we-will-make-big-money" anywhere, because all those unhappy contributors would eat them alive...

If anybody knows how to leave the Albumo hell in any way other than deleting one image at a time, please share you knowledge because I bet there are many people out there who will be VERY HAPPY to know (including myself)...

Title: Re: Communicating with Albumo
Post by: RGebbiePhoto on December 18, 2008, 16:15
i replaced all of our titles, keywords, descriptions, notes, etc.

It was about 2 weeks before I tried to log in and my account was gone.  Be sure to use your DT referral link, or any referral link you prefer.

You might also want to send them an email and let them know what you did, so they can take immediate action on removing your spam :D

"I'm extremely dissatisfied with this site.  I have decided to close my account here, and as you are unresponsive with requests for closure, I have linked my entire account to a different stock site that has been a proven seller for me.  I wish you luck with your site, and hope I don't bring too many customers over to DT :)
Regards,
etc"

heheh  Worked for us :D
Title: Re: Communicating with Albumo
Post by: Rozmaryna on December 19, 2008, 05:13
Conclusion: Really!

My account has been deactivated, my blog posts deleted... I finally got what I wanted, though I wish I could agree with Albumo people in a bit more peaceful manner. It is sad that the only way to make them react is to cause trouble.
Title: Re: Communicating with Albumo
Post by: RolMat on January 16, 2009, 02:59
deleted.
Title: Re: Communicating with Albumo
Post by: UncleGene on January 17, 2009, 13:12
I've tried to update my profile (to add links to other sites), and got a very interesting message telling a lot about Albumo:

"* Passwords is not mismatch"

Title: Re: Communicating with Albumo
Post by: takestock on January 17, 2009, 14:55
Not lately, but back in August it took forever for me to get them to cancel my account. Look back at this thread for the details.

[url]http://www.microstockgroup.com/index.php?topic=4994.0[/url]
Same for me - no longer a member there.
Title: Re: Communicating with Albumo
Post by: sharpshot on January 26, 2009, 19:28
It looks like my account has been deleted at last.  Now who shall I dump next?  It gets depressing when nobody buys my photos :)
Title: Re: Communicating with Albumo
Post by: RolMat on January 27, 2009, 05:38
Deleted.
Title: Re: Communicating with Albumo
Post by: e-person on January 27, 2009, 07:38
Mine too, finally!  :D
Title: Re: Communicating with Albumo
Post by: Stu99 on January 27, 2009, 08:57
Finally my account has been closed, 8 months after my last email to them.

I am surprised that they didn't wait until I had spent a year deleting images and I only had a few images to go. This is probably the only way they get any smiles these days ;-/
Title: Re: Communicating with Albumo
Post by: Eco on January 27, 2009, 10:32
After months of trying everything in the book my account was also recently closed. What a relief.

If I think of all the time that I wasted on this site: deleting one image a day for months, sending them several requests every week asking them to close my account and eventually changing all my descriptions and keywords to direct potential buyers to Dreamstime. 

I think Leaf should consider another section on the right. Those of "Black listed agencies". Albumo should be a proud number one on that list. They deserve to go under and it is our moral obligation to warn everybody to stay away from them.
Title: Re: Communicating with Albumo
Post by: Stu99 on January 27, 2009, 10:57
After months of trying everything in the book my account was also recently closed. What a relief.

If I think of all the time that I wasted on this site: deleting one image a day for months, sending them several requests every week asking them to close my account and eventually changing all my descriptions and keywords to direct potential buyers to Dreamstime. 

I think Leaf should consider another section on the right. Those of "Black listed agencies". Albumo should be a proud number one on that list. They deserve to go under and it is our moral obligation to warn everybody to stay away from them.


Getting us to visit everyday to delete one image at a time probably doubled their site traffic. Also, I wouldn't want a lawsuit slapped on Leaf for creating a black list, but it is a good idea to have something to warn newbies :-)