Author Topic: DT Review Madness (Read 13837 times)

Nikovsk · « **on:** August 16, 2014, 08:54 »

I'm quite shocked by DT today. I had 70 files pending in the queue, uploaded daily in small batches. So instead of reviewing batch by batch once a day, they decided to simply reject everything (100%!) all at once for being "similar". Just for comparison, I had a 95%+ approval in SS with those images. While some may indeed be similar, also completely different subjects were smashed all together.

Does anyone else experienced this today?
Is this their new policy to reduce the review times?

cuppacoffee · « **Reply #1 on:** August 16, 2014, 09:09 »

They're going under or you are not getting sales there? There is a difference. For every, "I'm not getting sales on _________ " (fill in the blank of the agency), there is a "I'm having my best month ever". After being here a few years I’m finding the BME/WME threads useless. For everyone saying they are doing better there is someone saying they are doing worse. Those simply saying I’m having my BME cannot be taken seriously without data and links to their ports to support their claims.

There are too many variables in the generic posts from those making more or less each month. If you have, for example, 200 images total you can’t extract any logical data that will apply to the masses, it is only relevant to your situation. If you are making more money with the same number of images then that is worth mentioning. If you are adding 100s of images each month a comparison is useless because there is no common data. The few who take the time to post mathematical info make the most sense.

Year over year comparisons are a better way to compare numbers and relevance of your photo subjects but only if you compare the same images. If you change direction in what you shoot the numbers will change, good or bad. If you really want to know how you are doing extract data from the same images you had 6 or more months ago (not the number but the same exact image ids), and run the numbers month to month.

I know, I should just not read the posts about sales. That’s what I find myself doing lately but it’s like a train wreck. I just can’t look away and it’s getting annoying. Sheer volume of images available to buyers from many, many more contributors is changing the game on all sites on all levels. Compete or go under, it's not easy.

Monty-m-gue · « **Reply #2 on:** August 16, 2014, 09:15 »

Yep, they're not going under. You're just getting an ever increasingly smaller piece of the pie - just like the rest of us. The agencies, I suspect, are doing just fine, thank you very much...

Nikovsk · « **Reply #3 on:** August 16, 2014, 09:18 »

Ok but back to the topic, I would appreciate some feedback if they reviewed all your pending files today and if yes how was the acceptance rate. Cause if it's still normal for everybody this was personal.

disorderly · « **Reply #4 on:** August 16, 2014, 09:50 »

I've had few rejections lately from DT, and even similars (same model in different poses) have been approved. Year over year I'm up 25%; not awful, although still in an unimpressive 6th place.

I'm tired with unsubstantiated claims like Nikovsk's "I'm glad they're going under." They aren't, at least as far as I can tell. Other sites are doing better for me, but I see no indication that DT's sales have fallen apart or that their profitability is in jeopardy. If someone else has real data, I'd like to see it. Otherwise it's just nonsense posing as fact.

Nikovsk · « **Reply #5 on:** August 16, 2014, 09:58 »

I edited out the irrelevant part of the topic that everybody is posting about.

I'm not sure people understood it correctly.

You know when you upload a batch, they say "120 hours to be reviewed".
So I had many small batches, so let's say 15h, 30h, 65h, 80h, 95h, 110h, 120h left for review.

Well they skipped all that and rejected every image all at once. That never happened before.

cuppacoffee · « **Reply #6 on:** August 16, 2014, 11:28 »

Sorry, I didn't mean to make my reply personal and hope that it wasn't taken that way. I was venting about all the posts lately complaining about sales. DT has "glitches" now and then and the only way to find out if you run across something as odd as what you ran into is to ask support. If that hasn't worked in the past you can leave a note on one of the admin's images, that sometimes helps speed up a question. Last night I uploaded an image and then decided to delete it from the pending area and my total images already online count went down one. This morning it is back to the proper number. They have server problems now and then, it's been better lately so why not try asking someone there.

Nikovsk · « **Reply #7 on:** August 16, 2014, 11:38 »

It's alright Coffee, I didn't take it personally. I contacted DT, let's see what they answer. But I'm probably dropping them anyway to focus on the Top 3. The return is not there for a port of my size and I think I'll produce more if I don't get distracted with the low earners.

Pixart · « **Reply #8 on:** August 16, 2014, 12:25 »

Quote from: Nikovsk on August 16, 2014, 09:58

I edited out the irrelevant part of the topic that everybody is posting about.

I'm not sure people understood it correctly.

You know when you upload a batch, they say "120 hours to be reviewed".
So I had many small batches, so let's say 15h, 30h, 65h, 80h, 95h, 110h, 120h left for review.

Well they skipped all that and rejected every image all at once. That never happened before.

To answer your question - nope, I've never seen them act this way (review so many dates at once). Maybe ask in the DT forums. And WERE they similar?

Goofy · « **Reply #9 on:** August 16, 2014, 12:49 »

I will let the numbers speak for themself-

Online:   Refused:   Acceptance ratio:   Downloads:   Earnings:   Referral Earnings:   Database Exposure:   Messages:
Sales   Revenue   RPD
Aug 13   99   3   97.10%   0   31   $27.83   $0.90   $0.00   0.01%   0
Sep 13   104   2   98.10%   0   30   $20.04   $0.67   $0.00   0.01%   0
Oct 13   113   2   98.30%   0   44   $33.57   $0.76   $0.00   0.01%   0
Nov 13   126   5   96.20%   0   48   $54.57   $1.14   $0.00   0.01%   0
Dec 13   59   6   90.80%   0   57   $51.16   $0.90   $0.00   0.01%   0
Jan 14   53   1   98.10%   0   66   $46.23   $0.70   $0.00   0.01%   0
Feb 14   80   0   100.00%   0   54   $72.31   $1.34   $0.00   0.01%   0
Mar 14   65   0   100.00%   0   50   $30.45   $0.61   $0.00   0.01%   0
Apr 14   50   10   83.30%   0   49   $43.07   $0.88   $0.00   0.01%   0
May 14   65   4   94.20%   0   43   $52.53   $1.22   $0.00   0.01%   0
Jun 14   150   1   99.30%   0   58   $75.29   $1.30   $0.00   0.01%   0
Jul 14   175   3   98.30%   0   38   $36.31   $0.96   $0.00   0.01%   0
Aug 14   49   0   100.00%   0   27   $31.61   $1.17   $0.00   0.01%   0
Average   91.38   2.85   83.2%   0   46   $44.23   $0.97   $0.00   0.01%   0

Nikovsk · « **Reply #10 on:** August 16, 2014, 13:22 »

Quote from: Pixart on August 16, 2014, 12:25

Quote from: Nikovsk on August 16, 2014, 09:58
I edited out the irrelevant part of the topic that everybody is posting about.

I'm not sure people understood it correctly.

You know when you upload a batch, they say "120 hours to be reviewed".
So I had many small batches, so let's say 15h, 30h, 65h, 80h, 95h, 110h, 120h left for review.

Well they skipped all that and rejected every image all at once. That never happened before.
To answer your question - nope, I've never seen them act this way (review so many dates at once). Maybe ask in the DT forums. And WERE they similar?

Thanks. Some images could be consider similar for DT, but certainly not ALL of them. There were many different subjects. SS, CS, BS accepted them all. FT accepted some. I think it has to be a bug - problem is my acceptance rate crashed, don't know if they use it for search placement.

etudiante_rapide · « **Reply #11 on:** August 16, 2014, 13:29 »

Quote from: Nikovsk on August 16, 2014, 13:22

SS, CS, BS accepted them all.

SS accepted them all
Hmmmm, so ss finally fired atilla the 100% rejection warlord n dreamstime is now where the slaughter is, huh?

my condolences Nikovsk

Goofy · « **Reply #12 on:** August 16, 2014, 13:35 »

Quote from: etudiante_rapide on August 16, 2014, 13:29

Quote from: Nikovsk on August 16, 2014, 13:22
SS, CS, BS accepted them all.

SS accepted them all
Hmmmm, so ss finally fired atilla the 100% rejection warlord n dreamstime is now where the slaughter is, huh? my condolences Nikovsk

Maybe he jumped ship and works for DT now

Nikovsk · « **Reply #13 on:** August 16, 2014, 13:43 »

Quote from: etudiante_rapide on August 16, 2014, 13:29

Quote from: Nikovsk on August 16, 2014, 13:22
SS, CS, BS accepted them all.

SS accepted them all
Hmmmm, so ss finally fired atilla the 100% rejection warlord n dreamstime is now where the slaughter is, huh? my condolences Nikovsk

Have you read the topic? They jumped queue lines and rejected 100% it's probably a bug.
Anyway too many posts already, will come back when I have a reply from them.

Goofy · « **Reply #14 on:** August 16, 2014, 13:50 »

A bug implies that they use AI software over human reviews?

etudiante_rapide · « **Reply #15 on:** August 16, 2014, 13:57 »

Quote from: Goofy on August 16, 2014, 13:50

A bug implies that they use AI software over human reviews?

argghhh, mad robot, bad robot !!!

heywoody · « **Reply #16 on:** August 16, 2014, 16:26 »

Quote from: etudiante_rapide on August 16, 2014, 13:29

Quote from: Nikovsk on August 16, 2014, 13:22
SS, CS, BS accepted them all.

SS accepted them all
Hmmmm, so ss finally fired atilla the 100% rejection warlord n dreamstime is now where the slaughter is, huh? my condolences Nikovsk

Haven't had a reject there since Feb '13 so no slaughter I think

Julied83 · « **Reply #17 on:** August 17, 2014, 11:22 »

I have any rejection, but review time is very very long !!!

cascoly · « **Reply #18 on:** August 17, 2014, 13:35 »

since their submission requires manually adding categories, I've built up quite a backlog of images waiting for submission. at any time recently I've had about 100+ images waiting for approval - overall their reviews have been better than average, esp'ly for editorial

now if only they could find a way to actually SELL what they've accepted...

etudiante_rapide · « **Reply #19 on:** August 17, 2014, 14:54 »

Quote from: cascoly on August 17, 2014, 13:35

since their submission requires manually adding categories, I've built up quite a backlog of images waiting for submission. at any time recently I've had about 100+ images waiting for approval - overall their reviews have been better than average, esp'ly for editorial

now if only they could find a way to actually SELL what they've accepted...

now cascoly, u hit on the one thing i like of sleepytime. ie. editorials.
the approval of editorials is like immediately when u hit that timely-material button.
but sadly, the sales r not there 2 encourage u 2 keep uploading.

honestly, if sleepytime becomes fully editorial, they could grab a niche.
their commercial stuff r comatose anyway, so maybe we see
editorial-dreamstime in 2015, as a niche market.

but i am still in slumber, so excuse me for "dreaming"

Tryingmybest · « **Reply #20 on:** August 19, 2014, 10:05 »

Stagger your submissions, sending new ones after each group of approval. Make sure you group them so "similars" are not easily perceived.

Quote from: Nikovsk on August 16, 2014, 08:54

I'm quite shocked by DT today. I had 70 files pending in the queue, uploaded daily in small batches. So instead of reviewing batch by batch once a day, they decided to simply reject everything (100%!) all at once for being "similar". Just for comparison, I had a 95%+ approval in SS with those images. While some may indeed be similar, also completely different subjects were smashed all together.

Does anyone else experienced this today?
Is this their new policy to reduce the review times?

Nikovsk · « **Reply #21 on:** August 19, 2014, 11:19 »

I know their similars policy and I agree with it, but skipping the queue to reject 7 whole batches for the same reason is ridiculous. I only received a generic answer from them so I'm putting Sleepytime to sleep, and also BS/CS.

Rinderart · « **Reply #22 on:** August 27, 2014, 19:58 »

Did you use similar keywords.? thats what alerts them.

dpimborough · « **Reply #23 on:** October 09, 2014, 11:05 »

Yup they are getting more picky with DOF and composition rejections

Well sod em they don't make enough moeny to worry about them at all

etudiante_rapide · « **Reply #24 on:** October 09, 2014, 14:25 »

Quote from: Teddy the Cat on October 09, 2014, 11:05

Yup they are getting more picky with DOF and composition rejections

Well sod em they don't make enough moeny to worry about them at all

they have been off my priority list for months now. but i like to see them ~~wake up~~ resurrected
if possible, as after all there is only them left among the old agencies that used to be competitive.
was there a change of ownership? usually the big guy there is always coming in here whenever someone says anything about the agency. now he is almost invisible, like elvis

i ask before the CR team of carmen,etc are not there either anymore, and sales plunged after they went nuts on similars and introduced fb like.
maybe this strict review is a sign they r getting serious once again.
i hope so, as they have too in coma too long.
p.s.
their review time is lengthy too. go figure. u think that no one is uploading there anymore since they comatose-d. wake up , dude!!!

dpimborough · « **Reply #25 on:** October 09, 2014, 16:35 »

And another thing these agencies need to remember they are doling out less than 50 cents in subs commisions.

They ain't paying for high art!!

DallasP · « **Reply #26 on:** October 09, 2014, 16:40 »

I don't think I've had a rejection from dt for a long time

fritz · « **Reply #27 on:** October 09, 2014, 16:42 »

Drop them couple of years ago! I see no point to upload and 90% to be rejected (similar policy)?

Mantis · « **Reply #28 on:** October 09, 2014, 19:14 »

I stopped even trying to do similar submissions and my acceptance rate is almost 100% now. Interestingly, as my acceptance rate slowly goes up my sales reciprocate and slowly go down.

lephotography · « **Reply #29 on:** November 11, 2014, 23:07 »

I know everyone hates whiners... but....I have been on DT since 2006. I don't know what is wrong with reviewing lately but if you have the same model ( in different clothing doing different poses) more than 2-3 times they reject for similarities. I got rejected very beautiful images of waterfalls and lakes and mountains in colorado because "this is well covered already". I got several rejected for that reason.. so I went on DT boards saying please make it public what you have too many of so I am not wasting my time trying to get a great shot on something that has no chance of being uploaded.. They closed the thread and erased my comment. My husband told me they would do that before I left the comment because it is negative.
He got a reject for his image being so good that he needs to upload more images in a group like that image. Who has ever heard of that reject? I hate getting rejects saying I have too many of that subject when I only uploaded 2-3. Really?
I also asked if their reviewers had quality control and were checked on for improvement because obviously some reviewers do not like anything religious.. those images always get rejects no matter what they are... If it is a good image.. accept it right? Ive had things rejected... reloaded it.. . it was accepted.. for it to sell in a matter of a few days. None of their reviewers are trained the same to look for and what not to reject. I was a reviewer for about 4 years for a couple of microstock companies and I know how it works.
Just had to vent.... sorry

PixelBytes · « **Reply #30 on:** November 12, 2014, 00:30 »

Quote from: lephotography on November 11, 2014, 23:07

I know everyone hates whiners... but....I have been on DT since 2006. I don't know what is wrong with reviewing lately but if you have the same model ( in different clothing doing different poses) more than 2-3 times they reject for similarities. I got rejected very beautiful images of waterfalls and lakes and mountains in colorado because "this is well covered already". I got several rejected for that reason.. so I went on DT boards saying please make it public what you have too many of so I am not wasting my time trying to get a great shot on something that has no chance of being uploaded.. They closed the thread and erased my comment. My husband told me they would do that before I left the comment because it is negative.
He got a reject for his image being so good that he needs to upload more images in a group like that image. Who has ever heard of that reject? I hate getting rejects saying I have too many of that subject when I only uploaded 2-3. Really?
I also asked if their reviewers had quality control and were checked on for improvement because obviously some reviewers do not like anything religious.. those images always get rejects no matter what they are... If it is a good image.. accept it right? Ive had things rejected... reloaded it.. . it was accepted.. for it to sell in a matter of a few days. None of their reviewers are trained the same to look for and what not to reject. I was a reviewer for about 4 years for a couple of microstock companies and I know how it works.
Just had to vent.... sorry

Sounds like something is up with reviewers there for sure. Just noticed a thread on DT where somebody had a batch rejected for same model releases that they been using for years.

I haven't been uploading there much myself due to low sales so can't complain about rejections, but at least you know you aren't the only one getting them.

lephotography · « **Reply #31 on:** December 05, 2014, 13:00 »

Dear Dreamstime reviewers, I too was a reviewer for several years and do know what it's like to review pictures all day long. I know you get tired and sometimes hangry. Please don't take it out on us submitting images. Similarities means images alike. Not that you have fall leaves on a tree an another in studio on white background. I'm really not sure how you felt about my fall leaves because I have two images not alike at all and are sellable.

lephotography · « **Reply #32 on:** December 05, 2014, 15:32 »

Did you know, maybe you've experienced it... If you go to Dreamstime forum and ask why something was rejected with out good reason, they will delete your post? Not sure how that is helping anyone if you can not ask anything about it....

cuppacoffee · « **Reply #33 on:** December 05, 2014, 18:55 »

Since day one there the rule is that no rejections can be asked about in the forums. It has always applied to everyone. Their answer is to contact support with the image ID and the reviewer will get back to you with more specifics. No one gets through with a request for rejection clarification. That's just the way they roll.

CatTheCat · « **Reply #34 on:** December 05, 2014, 23:44 »

They rejected images that are among my most popular on shutterstock, that sell 1-2 times everyday. Rejected for 'too niche'.
They deserve to fall.

suzbah · « **Reply #35 on:** January 06, 2015, 12:21 »

Quote

We're sorry to have rejected the whole of your recent batch, as the majority of it was either duplicates or close similars to images already online. We'd like to believe it was an upload mistake, that's why we cannot afford to allocate our reviewers' time to check the whole corrupted batch in detail. Before uploading your next series, make sure you are not abusing our upload policy. Please note this approach is considered database spamming and can lead to account suspension.

Yeah thats what i got today. My whole batch (about 35 images) was rejected with the same reason. There were a few similar ones but most of them were different subjects. I wont bother to upload next time, waste of time!

ruigsantos · « **Reply #36 on:** August 07, 2015, 05:24 »

Same here! LOTS of rejections mostly for the images being similar (even vaguely) to other images I have online. But that's not the only reason. Today I had this one too:

"For all nude images (body parts or whole) you must attach a model release + an official ID document of the model (ID card, passport, driver's license)."

The image they are rejecting is the classic "woman holding orange next to her thighs", it's model released and it's a closeup of her thighs and bottom and she's wearing a thong. They want an ID card for this?! Really?!

Microstockphoto · « **Reply #37 on:** August 07, 2015, 05:43 »

Quote from: ruigsantos on August 07, 2015, 05:24

Same here! LOTS of rejections mostly for the images being similar (even vaguely) to other images I have online. But that's not the only reason. Today I had this one too:

"For all nude images (body parts or whole) you must attach a model release + an official ID document of the model (ID card, passport, driver's license)."

The image they are rejecting is the classic "woman holding orange next to her thighs", it's model released and it's a closeup of her thighs and bottom and she's wearing a thong. They want an ID card for this?! Really?!

Agencies link all images of the same model by use of the MR. In the image you describe she might not be recognisable, but in other images of her you may have, where she is eating the orange for example, she will be recognisable. I guess they want to CYA and have an ID just to be sure.

(When I shoot the same model nude or in clothes I use 2 separate MRs. That way the nude photos of the same model remain kind of anonymous (I shoot nude from the neck down)).

ruigsantos · « **Reply #38 on:** August 07, 2015, 06:14 »

Quote from: Microstockphoto on August 07, 2015, 05:43

Agencies link all images of the same model by use of the MR. In the image you describe she might not be recognisable, but in other images of her you may have, where she is eating the orange for example, she will be recognisable. I guess they want to CYA and have an ID just to be sure.

This is a good point. I hadn't thought about that. Thanks for the input.

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Author Topic: DT Review Madness (Read 13837 times)

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