MicrostockGroup
Agency Based Discussion => Dreamstime.com => Topic started by: amabu on December 11, 2014, 02:45
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12/10/2014 Level 0 1 Credit $0.12 extrasmall (RF)
Anybody seen something like that before or knows whatīs it about?
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12 cents ??? Time for a sad song.
http://youtu.be/bY4YVyKh--c (http://youtu.be/bY4YVyKh--c)
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I had a quick scroll back through recent pages of sales and all the 1 credit sales I have were 29 or 26 cents. They were running some 50% off subscription deals earlier this week (good through Dec 31st) - possibly it's that? I'd write to support and ask
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Tax-related.
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Sadly, you are all wrong. Itīs a CREDIT sale, not a subscription. And it has nothing to do with taxes either.
I got the following reply from support:
"It all depends of how much the client spent per credit. It is possible to have acquired credits at a discounted rate."
In this case the buyer apparently paid 49 cent per credit.
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I got a 13 cent credit sale today. I really try to support sites that treat us somewhat fairly. But here lately all I get are those crappy subs and only one or two of those a day. Now even the credit sales are starting to be crap. I'm thinking about putting DT in the mothball category where I only check my numbers about once a month to see if I am due for a payout.
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Lucky me - this morning I received one of those 12 cent royalties for a one credit sale! If you look at the page for designers, it says: "1 credit as low as $0.77" which clearly isn't correct as this buyer paid 48 cents a credit (25% royalties).
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By interposing a bogus currency called 'credits', with no fixed exchange rate, DT and others have created a system where they can sell our images for whatever they want. The published price or royalty schedules really don't mean anything anymore. We don't know what a buyer paid for an image, and we get whatever token payment the agency chooses to make.
Instead of openly discounting images, they can simply discount 'credits'. It's probably more complicated than they like, but it gives them total freedom to compete on price without technically violating any contributor agreements.
It's only for those 'big important customers' of course. And we'll make it up on volume.
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By interposing a bogus currency called 'credits', with no fixed exchange rate, DT and others have created a system where they can sell our images for whatever they want. The published price or royalty schedules really don't mean anything anymore. We don't know what a buyer paid for an image, and we get whatever token payment the agency chooses to make.
Instead of openly discounting images, they can simply discount 'credits'. It's probably more complicated than they like, but it gives them total freedom to compete on price without technically violating any contributor agreements.
It's only for those 'big important customers' of course. And we'll make it up on volume.
I don't recall ever hearing an agency NOT say this when they chop off the sack of our commissions. It's pure BS and I would far more respect an agency that says something more honest, like we want to rape your sheep, steel your women and send you to the poor house so I (my agency) can live in the lap of luxury.
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Funny thing is, if this would happen at FT or DP or IS there would be an outrage and an instant call for boycott... but this being DT - who are still considered a "fair" agency by many - nobody seems to care...
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i had one for 10c the other day, but that might be after tax
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By interposing a bogus currency called 'credits', with no fixed exchange rate, DT and others have created a system where they can sell our images for whatever they want. The published price or royalty schedules really don't mean anything anymore. We don't know what a buyer paid for an image, and we get whatever token payment the agency chooses to make.
Instead of openly discounting images, they can simply discount 'credits'. It's probably more complicated than they like, but it gives them total freedom to compete on price without technically violating any contributor agreements.
It's only for those 'big important customers' of course. And we'll make it up on volume.
When they get down to selling credits for 5c you get a penny.
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I seem to remember getting a Black Friday sales pitch from them, can't remember what it was exactly though.
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By interposing a bogus currency called 'credits', with no fixed exchange rate, DT and others have created a system where they can sell our images for whatever they want. The published price or royalty schedules really don't mean anything anymore. We don't know what a buyer paid for an image, and we get whatever token payment the agency chooses to make.
Instead of openly discounting images, they can simply discount 'credits'. It's probably more complicated than they like, but it gives them total freedom to compete on price without technically violating any contributor agreements.
It's only for those 'big important customers' of course. And we'll make it up on volume.
I have to admit, while it is nice to talk about high royalty rates, you are right that it doesn't mean much when the dollar value to you is calculated. While I have little idea what specific royalty Shutterstock pays me, at least I know how much I will get per sale. Dreamstime (and others) are all about posting maximum payout rates to contributors, and then selling customers on how low prices are! On their payout page, DT list the contributor royalty as $1.02 for this example of a level 1 credit sale, with a little * at the top and a note about these being maximums. I'd at least like to see them post minimums! Essentially they'd be within their legal rights to put on a penny sale and pay us nothing!
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By interposing a bogus currency called 'credits', with no fixed exchange rate, DT and others have created a system where they can sell our images for whatever they want. The published price or royalty schedules really don't mean anything anymore. We don't know what a buyer paid for an image, and we get whatever token payment the agency chooses to make.
Instead of openly discounting images, they can simply discount 'credits'. It's probably more complicated than they like, but it gives them total freedom to compete on price without technically violating any contributor agreements.
It's only for those 'big important customers' of course. And we'll make it up on volume.
I have to admit, while it is nice to talk about high royalty rates, you are right that it doesn't mean much when the dollar value to you is calculated. While I have little idea what specific royalty Shutterstock pays me, at least I know how much I will get per sale. Dreamstime (and others) are all about posting maximum payout rates to contributors, and then selling customers on how low prices are! On their payout page, DT list the contributor royalty as $1.02 for this example of a level 1 credit sale, with a little * at the top and a note about these being maximums. I'd at least like to see them post minimums! Essentially they'd be within their legal rights to put on a penny sale and pay us nothing!
They really should post the range or the minimums. In fact I am pretty sure I suggested they post the minimums - which they probably don't want to do - since they can be down near single digit cents per credit - not at the .08 or .07 bottom that IS has, but still pretty low.
Any time I get under .25 per credit I am annoyed and under .20 I feel cheated. I'd still rather credit sales though. Maybe the level 0 sales can stay subs...