MicrostockGroup
Agency Based Discussion => Dreamstime.com => Topic started by: Kone on February 05, 2014, 20:14
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Hi All,
Last week DT sent me an email to inform me that they "removed" earnings from my account due to reasons that are beyond their control. They were very sorry because they had to refund their customer $9.32.
Possible refund reasons of course are (well known to everybody):
- Accidental download;
- Credit card fraud;
- Duplicate download;
- Incorrect size/format/license purchased;
- License update;
- Performance issues (misspellings in texts, quality);
So I went to see the file that is mentioned and to see when it was downloaded and refunded but nothing is there. This file has never been sold for this amount.
Then of course I ask for more details.
Their first email stated: Due to the high volume of daily transactions, we cannot provide additional clarification on the refund performed. Measures are always taken for the licenses to be withdrawn and images deleted. Any subsequent unlicensed usage is liable to legal action and penalties.
Second email:
"Nice" lady (don't want to point any fingers here) said:
"If the refund was requested immediately after the purchase, the system did not have time to update and the sale did not appear in your earnings. What you now see are previous sales, which are still valid in your account.
Once we issue a refund, the sale is immediately deleted from your account so it is very possible you did not even see this sale.
Hope this clarifies."
I don't think she has a clue how computers work, it must be registered somewhere.
My point here is transparency.
Microstock in general receives unreciprocated honesty from us, and we as suppliers have to rely on their good (bad) mood. I just feel like if they need some money they simply could send few hundred emails and bingo the money is there. We, as suppliers take everything they serve to us. Transparency in these cases is very important, I want to know what is going on with my files. We don't have any control over what is sold, and how it is sold. We just have to take it or leave it (by deleting our portfolios "if they allow us"). They should have a system where we can see who the buyer is because they know it but...
These are our files and they are just selling them for us. And in most cases I feel like we are not important in this business.
Kone
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Sad to say, but "microstock transparency" is an oxymoron. Sorry about yor refund. I know how frustrating that can be. That said, Dreamstime is better than most. At least you got an answer to your email from support, even if it wasn't what you wanted to hear.
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I completely get your frustration and what you want to see happen, but the current reality is that the agencies have no legal requirement to provide us with a full and detailed accounting and they don't.
All the blather about too many transactions is 100% rubbish. Computers are very good at tracking details - they just don't want to argue about refunds and figure the less information we have, the less argument they'll get.
I had tilted at this windmill while with iStock - who just ignored the requests to provide detailed, downloadable sales transaction data.
Bottom line is that you either trust them or you don't. If you don't, you remove your portfolio. The choices suck but agencies have become big enough that they don't care at all about contributors as long as they get a supply of files to sell.
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I have just got this email too, for 3 images that apparently I have never sold…
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Today i got the 3rd refund notification in a month. This is so annoying! Why does it only happen on DT? Never had anything like this on SS on 10 times more sales!
Obviously someone has my high res photo and i have nothing
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
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Today i got the 3rd refund notification in a month. This is so annoying! Why does it only happen on DT? Never had anything like this on SS on 10 times more sales!
Obviously someone has my high res photo and i have nothing
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I get lots of refunds on I stock too. Don't remember any on SS. Maybe because most are subs or part of credit packs and the buyer can just pick up another file without penalty?
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Today i got the 3rd refund notification in a month. This is so annoying! Why does it only happen on DT? Never had anything like this on SS on 10 times more sales!
Obviously someone has my high res photo and i have nothing
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I get lots of refunds on I stock too. Don't remember any on SS. Maybe because most are subs or part of credit packs and the buyer can just pick up another file without penalty?
Shutterstock has stated they will absorb any refund that is relatively small, but will have to pass on refunds for higher dollar sales. That was set up when the only options were subs and EL's. I've seen no indication of a change from them since adding ODD's and SOD's, but assume it's still in effect. What the cutoff is, dollar wise, is anyone's guess. Personally I've never had a refund on SS.
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Grrrr, 2 days after and another $10.93 refund! This is becoming ridiculous!
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