Author Topic: Fotolia changes Credit price in Europe (Read 23866 times)

dirkr · « **on:** December 01, 2008, 10:35 »

... to 1 € per credit (was 0,83 € before).
That is an increase of roughly 20%.
It was about time that there are some good news from FT after the recent changes (subs, ranking...).

Thanks for that nice christmas present

Don't know about any changes for other currencies though...

leaf · « **Reply #1 on:** December 01, 2008, 10:49 »

it looks like it is still $1.00/credit.

So it looks like those who managed to register on the european site are getting 1.26357 X more than those on the american site.

MicrostockExp · « **Reply #2 on:** December 01, 2008, 10:53 »

Only 5 % more in UK

one credit is £ 0.6 now

gunnar3000 · « **Reply #3 on:** December 01, 2008, 10:53 »

hey, I noticed the same. 1 € per credit in germany. I love such news

madelaide · « **Reply #4 on:** December 01, 2008, 17:54 »

And I'm stuck to the USA site.

Regfards,
Adelaide

CofkoCof · « **Reply #5 on:** December 01, 2008, 18:01 »

Quote from: madelaide on December 01, 2008, 17:54

And I'm stuck to the USA site.

Yeah, me too.

AVAVA · « **Reply #6 on:** December 02, 2008, 00:46 »

I think it is probably easier for them to track and pay this way but I think everyone should be paid the same no matter where they live. I might not feel that way if I lived in Europe.

AVAVA

khwi · « **Reply #7 on:** December 02, 2008, 03:17 »

how can i change to europe site?

leaf · « **Reply #8 on:** December 02, 2008, 03:38 »

there is a thread about switching to the european site here.... apparently it is not possible
http://www.microstockgroup.com/index.php?topic=5612.0

fotorob · « **Reply #9 on:** December 02, 2008, 04:45 »

@Idambies:

What was a credit worth before in the UK?

Thanks, Robert

MicrostockExp · « **Reply #10 on:** December 02, 2008, 04:55 »

Hey Rob,
It was £ 0.57

andresr · « **Reply #11 on:** December 02, 2008, 06:11 »

Ridiculous:

European photographers: 0.83 to 1 current xchange rate= 0.78 (didn't even reach fotolias previsous xchange rate)
Uk photographers: 0.57 to 0.60 - current xchange rate 0.67 (despite the "increase" we are still losing money on the xchange rate)
SO to summarize, Europe went up 20% and we went up 4% ....... when the pound has fallen a lot faster than the Euro against the dollar.

Not happy about this at all

peolsen · « **Reply #12 on:** December 02, 2008, 07:29 »

Ach. This is just pants. Really, how difficult can it be to keep the credits on a fairly similar level? The difference between £ and € for me is approx 33 cents, which adds up quite quickly...

madelaide · « **Reply #13 on:** December 04, 2008, 15:48 »

Quote from: andresr on December 02, 2008, 06:11

Ridiculous:

Andres,

I noticed you toned down in your complaint about this in FT forum. Were your maths wrong or did you see something that you had missed before?

Regards,
Adelaide

msv · « **Reply #14 on:** December 04, 2008, 17:00 »

Argh! I'm stuck too to the US site

Konstantin Sutyagin · « **Reply #15 on:** December 05, 2008, 15:46 »

I am surprised that so few people are interested in this topic. The way the payments are handled now is really unfair!

I live in US but most of my Fotolia sales come from European customers. They pay Fotolia Euros for credits.
1 Euro = 1.3 U.S. dollars.
I get 37% as a silver level contributor.
Why do I and many other silver contributors get 37c from European sales if Fotolia gets $1.30 for one credit?

I think everyone should be paid a fair percent of earnings regardless of the currency.

Here is the link to the thread at Fotolia: http://www.fotolia.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=14917&p=1

takestock · « **Reply #16 on:** December 05, 2008, 16:05 »

Quote from: CofkoCof on December 01, 2008, 18:01

Quote from: madelaide on December 01, 2008, 17:54
And I'm stuck to the USA site.
Yeah, me too.

Me as well $:-\$ I don't see why contributors can't be in their own zones or why we can't change.

borg · « **Reply #17 on:** December 05, 2008, 16:32 »

Is there a way to migrate to the EU Fotolia!?

At first I didn't know that we can choose

...

Dreamframer · « **Reply #18 on:** December 05, 2008, 16:50 »

I am stuck into US zone as well...

Konstantin Sutyagin · « **Reply #19 on:** December 05, 2008, 17:04 »

Migrating to another zone doesn't solve the problem. All submitters must be paid a fair percentage of what their pictures were sold for. If a picture was sold for 1 Euro pay us 37% (or whatever the submitters percent is) of that amount, not 37 USA cents.

Perrush · « **Reply #20 on:** December 05, 2008, 17:20 »

wait a minute. I'm at the UK site and I get £0.60 / credit which is $0.88 or €0.69

Do you mean others get $1 or €1 per credit ?

Konstantin Sutyagin · « **Reply #21 on:** December 05, 2008, 17:29 »

Quote from: Perrush on December 05, 2008, 17:20

wait a minute. I'm at the UK site and I get £0.60 / credit which is $0.88 or €0.69

Do you mean others get $1 or €1 per credit ?

Yes, being in US I get $1 per credit.

LostOne · « **Reply #22 on:** December 05, 2008, 20:23 »

It's funny to see Andres Rodrigues apologizing in that topic. Why would he do that?

madelaide · « **Reply #23 on:** December 05, 2008, 20:48 »

Konstantin,

I think we should get the percentage over whatever currency the image is sold. Unfortunately it has always been like this, it only seems worse now - it seems they decided to use round figures.

I believe FT considers that on average, they pay the same to contributors, the problem being that the average between 80 and 120 is 100. Let's say, contributor A is in USA, contributor B is in Europe, both receing 35%; each sell 100 credits, distributed among USA and Europe buyers. Statistically, it is likely that both A and B sell to both US$ and € zones - 50 credits in each currency, let's say. So FT received US$50+€50 for those 100 credits, either for A's or B's sales, US$100+€100 total, and they have to pay 35% of it, or US$35+€35. A receives US$35 and B receives €35 - FT didn't get anything extra, only the distribution of earnings is not equal between A and B, even though they earned FT the same.

The math above implies that roughly the credits sold in each currency is more or less proportional to the sales per member's country of origin. That is, if FT sells 50% in euros, 10% in pounds and 40% in dollars, they also pay 50% of commissions to euro sites members, 10% to UK site members and 40% to USA site members. If this is true however, we can not know.

Regards,
Adelaide

OM · « **Reply #24 on:** December 07, 2008, 20:54 »

Quote from: msv on December 04, 2008, 17:00

Argh! I'm stuck too to the US site

I'm stuck on the UK site which is worse since the dollar went up dramatically against the GBpound.
Worse still, I live in the Euro currency area and I have to convert my (hard-earned) pennies into Euros.
The way it works is that buyers always pay in their local currency units and the contributor gets paid in the units of currency according to the site on which they are registered. So, if I were on FTeu and a UK buyer buys my image, they pay in GBP (60 pence X no. of credits) but FT would have to pay me in Euro. If my image is exclusive, I get 50 euro cents X no. of credits which is around 43 pence. That doesn't leave much profit for FT. If it's the other way around and the buyer is in Euroland, FT gets 1 euro X no. of credits and I get 30 pence or 35 euro cents X no.of credits. FT makes 65 euro cents which is a lot better for them but worse for me.

Keep all contributors on FTuk or FTcom and sell as much as you can in Euroland, is the way to maximise profits. Contributors who signed up on Fr or De and get paid in Euro's are lucky!

Perrush · « **Reply #25 on:** December 13, 2008, 05:06 »

Quote

Keep all contributors on FTuk or FTcom and sell as much as you can in Euroland, is the way to maximise profits. Contributors who signed up on Fr or De and get paid in Euro's are lucky!

that's want they are doing and they don't plan to change that according to a reply from one of the moderators.

Quote

As for an update, I don't have any information to offer and I'm really not sure if there will be any forthcoming or not. If there is, I will definitely post it. As Greg mentioned, he has brought this up many times in the past and there never has been a definitive answer. I don't know if there is one or not and I don't want to speculate.

Sorry,

Mat

Fyletto · « **Reply #26 on:** December 13, 2008, 05:30 »

Ok, guys. I perfectly understand each of you, I am UK zone prisoner as well... But only few of you were able to express your ideas on Fotolia...The thread is small there. I suggest: help us there! Only people contributing to this topic on Fotolia forum are the same ones from the beginning. If we want the change, they have to see masses. Look at ranking, subscription threads there... They have at least hundreds of replys by various people... So please, support us there as well... Big thanks to Andresr for his replies there!!! If even one of the biggest fish does not agree with Fotolia policy, it helps so much to our matter...

OM · « **Reply #27 on:** December 13, 2008, 07:21 »

The thread there is actually quite long and yet it makes little difference. Almost certainly no response will be forthcoming over the Christmas/New Year period as anybody who is anyone will be 'away for the holidays'. Or, the ultimate sanction, the thread will just disappear. Just as a thread disappeared last week. That thread was about a plagiarist who had copied one or more of the better selling images at FT.
Looking at the copied image, it was obvious from the 'banding' (looked like posterization in PS) that something funny was going on. As soon as the question was posted, "How did this get past review?", the thread vanished.

Although we may have been led to believe that we (as contributors) take part in some sort of democratic process, we don't. FT decides. We either comply or vote with our feet. And very few can afford to vote.

madelaide · « **Reply #28 on:** December 13, 2008, 11:12 »

I don't think it will change anything, because there is no loss in FT's side, only contributor's side. Still, I post every now and then. Useless, possibly, but something I feel I have to do. Yes, I'm stubborn.

Regards,
Adelaide

jsnover · « **Reply #29 on:** December 13, 2008, 12:40 »

Quote from: Fyletto on December 13, 2008, 05:30

Ok, guys. I perfectly understand each of you, I am UK zone prisoner as well... But only few of you were able to express your ideas on Fotolia...The thread is small there. I suggest: help us there! Only people contributing to this topic on Fotolia forum are the same ones from the beginning. If we want the change, they have to see masses. Look at ranking, subscription threads there... They have at least hundreds of replys by various people... So please, support us there as well... Big thanks to Andresr for his replies there!!! If even one of the biggest fish does not agree with Fotolia policy, it helps so much to our matter...

I'm no longer a contributor at FT, but during my years there it was crystal clear that there was no tolerance for an open discussion of policies contributors were not happy with. At the beginning, all users could see forums on all the different geographies, and then FT shut that down to try and avoid contributors discussing problems freely. They delete threads at will, threaten people who discuss FT policies on outside forums and anyone who's been there a while knows that as they've seen it repeatedly.

There have been some minor successes in getting changes (over subscription commissions and the initial policy that subscriptions would not count towards rank, for example) but they have not come about via discussion on FT forums, but by action on the part of contributors.

You don't try to organize FT contributors unless you're aware that doing so may result in the closure of your account, but if you do, don't waste your time on the FT forums as it's not a place for any type of free discussion.

OM · « **Reply #30 on:** December 22, 2008, 20:21 »

Quote from: jsnover on December 13, 2008, 12:40

Quote from: Fyletto on December 13, 2008, 05:30
Ok, guys. I perfectly understand each of you, I am UK zone prisoner as well... But only few of you were able to express your ideas on Fotolia...The thread is small there. I suggest: help us there! Only people contributing to this topic on Fotolia forum are the same ones from the beginning. If we want the change, they have to see masses. Look at ranking, subscription threads there... They have at least hundreds of replys by various people... So please, support us there as well... Big thanks to Andresr for his replies there!!! If even one of the biggest fish does not agree with Fotolia policy, it helps so much to our matter...

I'm no longer a contributor at FT, but during my years there it was crystal clear that there was no tolerance for an open discussion of policies contributors were not happy with. At the beginning, all users could see forums on all the different geographies, and then FT shut that down to try and avoid contributors discussing problems freely. They delete threads at will, threaten people who discuss FT policies on outside forums and anyone who's been there a while knows that as they've seen it repeatedly.

There have been some minor successes in getting changes (over subscription commissions and the initial policy that subscriptions would not count towards rank, for example) but they have not come about via discussion on FT forums, but by action on the part of contributors.

You don't try to organize FT contributors unless you're aware that doing so may result in the closure of your account, but if you do, don't waste your time on the FT forums as it's not a place for any type of free discussion.

Interestingly, the FT forum thread on this subject has been allowed to bleed to death........move along now, nothing to see here except the euro is now worth 95 pence!

gustyx · « **Reply #31 on:** December 23, 2008, 09:54 »

Fotolia really sucks!

...till they introduced subscription downloads. Last 10 downloads there I've 6 subscription downloads for 0,31 credits for L or XL. That means 60% subscription DL and a loss of 10 credits (average) per 10 downloaded Picts. What a fake!!!

...so it seems to me not the credits problem is the really trouble, inspite it´s unfair – but the fraud is elsewere.

Think I'll cancell the account there or use it as my phototrash.

Peter · « **Reply #32 on:** December 23, 2008, 10:37 »

You should cancel it. You are making difficult to buyers to find my images. I whish more of you cancel your accounts, and I sell better due to less competition.

photoshow · « **Reply #33 on:** December 23, 2008, 14:44 »

And the greed of Fotolia rises its head yet again. It is really quite amazing what people will let an agency get away with.

gustyx · « **Reply #34 on:** December 23, 2008, 19:40 »

@peter ...if you want really sell your picts for 0,31 Credits, fotolia is the right place for you. For me it isn´t – definitly not

Peter · « **Reply #35 on:** December 24, 2008, 02:20 »

I sell for 0,36 on SS. Thats about the same, isnt it?

Perrush · « **Reply #36 on:** December 24, 2008, 09:23 »

Quote from: Peter on December 24, 2008, 02:20

I sell for 0,36 on SS. Thats about the same, isnt it?

SS = $0.36

FT = 0.32 credits * £0.6 = £ 0.19 = $ 0.28

still a difference op $ 0.08 or more than 20% !!

Only IS does worse with their $0.19 subscription fee.

Europeans get 0.32 credits * €1 = 0.32€ = $0.44 that's $0.16 more than those from the UK. Do you realize that 0.16 of 0.28 is 57% !!!!! Those registered in the euro zone get 50% more than the UK or US zone, do you find this normal ?? It seems many do

madelaide · « **Reply #37 on:** December 24, 2008, 10:09 »

Quote from: Peter on December 24, 2008, 02:20

I sell for 0,36 on SS. Thats about the same, isnt it?

At least I have a choice of not selling subs by not being at SS. I have a choice of opting out at StockXpert and IS. DT and FT however don't give me a choice. It's all or nothing, even if I signed up before subs was implemented.

Regards,
Adelaide

Peter · « **Reply #38 on:** December 24, 2008, 11:11 »

of course FT give you a choice. You can opt out, if you are exclusive.

no, I dont find converison rates normal.

It should be:

1 credit = 1$ = 0.71Eur

and updated every 7 days as currecny fluctuate.

madelaide · « **Reply #39 on:** December 24, 2008, 13:55 »

Quote from: Peter on December 24, 2008, 11:11

of course FT give you a choice. You can opt out, if you are exclusive.

Do you consider this a fair enough deal? It's the least they could do. But they should have given any member a choice too - at least with the existing images, uploaded before subs.

Regards,
Adelaide

hali · « **Reply #40 on:** December 25, 2008, 11:53 »

Quote from: Peter on December 23, 2008, 10:37

You should cancel it. You are making difficult to buyers to find my images. I whish more of you cancel your accounts, and I sell better due to less competition.

lol peter, that's the christmas spirit !

to be fair to fotolia, one of my network told me she had her images rejected by a reviewer
even if they were all well-lit, and highly stock potential type images.
they were accepted by even istock. but she didn't complain. she accepted fotolia's (or at least, the reviewer's unjustified comments).
then to her surprised, last week, she received another email to say, "congratulations, your images have been selected". the same ones that the first reviewer rejected.

so maybe there is a bunch of unqualifed reviewers brought in for the christmas and end of year rush.
but the final decision still lies with the team lead or someone who check these newbies or temps and overrule their rejections if they make a human error.

hats off to fotolia . this is one site i will start uploading to in 2009.

p.s.
OFF TOPIC , i know, but i think we need some optimism here at this forum,
after so much negativity of late. what do you think?

dirkr · « **Reply #41 on:** December 26, 2008, 17:51 »

Quote from: Peter on December 24, 2008, 11:11

It should be:

1 credit = 1$ = 0.71Eur

No. It should be 1 credit = 1 Eur. Like it is.
And then they can convert to $ and Pound at the actual rate once a month or once a week or whatever (doesn't affect me, since I'm registered in FT Germany, but it would be fairer).

Perrush · « **Reply #42 on:** January 03, 2009, 12:50 »

imho the idea behind this move is the following.

Most contributors are at UK and US, But FT sells a lot in europe. So most buyers comes from .EU

Buyers pay in €, FT pays 33% commission in £ or $ ... twice a profit

OM · « **Reply #43 on:** January 04, 2009, 08:24 »

Bingo. Give the man a cuddly toy!

borg · « **Reply #44 on:** January 04, 2009, 13:24 »

We need, all together some kind of campaign on Fotolia to change this injustice...

OM · « **Reply #45 on:** February 15, 2009, 07:47 »

Quote from: borg on January 04, 2009, 13:24

We need, all together some kind of campaign on Fotolia to change this injustice...

By popular acclaim, one of the longest threads of FT has now been terminated by Mat the Mod.

It was obviously an embarrassment to the 'Powers That Be' so the order came down from on high to minion Mat........."Make an end to this revolting thread". Also sprach Zarathustra......Beam me up, Scottie........and it was made so!

Konstantin Sutyagin · « **Reply #46 on:** February 15, 2009, 20:33 »

I have no words. No good words.

sugaangel · « **Reply #47 on:** February 16, 2009, 04:47 »

This is the answer that I get:

Thank you for your e-mail. Unfortunately it is not possible to change the currency zone. You would have to set up a new account and set the currency up again that way. The other thing, is that we cannot transfer pictures across, you would have to leave them on this username and re-upload. However it is possible to transfer credits between usernames.

Hope this helps, and apologies for any inconvenience caused by this.

gostwyck · « **Reply #48 on:** February 16, 2009, 11:14 »

Quote from: borg on January 04, 2009, 13:24

We need, all together some kind of campaign on Fotolia to change this injustice...

Personally I tend to regard the US $ as the 'default' currency being as all the other agencies that I'm with use it exclusively.

To give FT credit when I started submitting to them in March 2006 the exchange rate between the £ and the $ was 1.75 and the worth of a credit was 57p (exactly in line with the prevailing exchange rate).

Even though the exchange rate later rose to over 2 $'s to the £, if I remember correctly, FT did not modify their payout levels although it must have been costing them plenty.

The £ has recently plummeted against both the $ and the Euro but FT are still paying out at 60p per credit, an adjustment but much smaller than the actual movement in the exchange rates.

FT are also consistently demonstrating by far the most growth of any other agency, at least for me anyway. This month's earnings are projected to be 92% higher than Feb 08 (which itself was 95% higher than Feb 07). I'm at Gold level too so I haven't had the benefit of increasing my prices either.

I can put up with minor exchange rate issues for any agency that maintains that sort of growth in earnings. Over the last two years FT have gone from generating 9.5% of my earnings to 18.5% this month.

Peter · « **Reply #49 on:** February 16, 2009, 12:10 »

Quote

However it is possible to transfer credits between usernames.

transfered credits can not be cached out, they can only be used to buy images.

madelaide · « **Reply #50 on:** February 16, 2009, 16:47 »

I don't need to change FT site. I only want to be paid my 35% of whatever currency my images are sold. If I sell in EUR, I want 35% of that converted to USD.

Regards,
Adelaide

borg · « **Reply #51 on:** February 17, 2009, 08:21 »

I do not know whether this is what Fotolia doing is legally?

Danicek · « **Reply #52 on:** February 17, 2009, 09:13 »

They say the contributors cut is certain % (based on level). Unless I'm mistaken, this looks like they are not following their own rules.

madelaide · « **Reply #53 on:** February 17, 2009, 16:13 »

Quote from: borg on February 17, 2009, 08:21

I do not know whether this is what Fotolia doing is legally?

I guess it is, because in the site you are registered, the rules are being followed. In the USA site, 1 credit costs US$1, and they say they will pay you a % of the credits - they don't say they will pay according to the sales price. Of course, it isn't fair, but I don't think we can cay it is illegal.

Regards,
Adelaide

borg · « **Reply #54 on:** February 17, 2009, 16:45 »

Quote from: madelaide on February 17, 2009, 16:13

Quote from: borg on February 17, 2009, 08:21
I do not know whether this is what Fotolia doing is legally?

I guess it is, because in the site you are registered, the rules are being followed. In the USA site, 1 credit costs US$1, and they say they will pay you a % of the credits - they don't say they will pay according to the sales price. Of course, it isn't fair, but I don't think we can cay it is illegal.

Regards,
Adelaide

Yes.

I that case is better option for all costumers to buy pictures on FT USA because is cheaper,am I right?
1credit =1$ is better payment option than 1credit=1€
So FT USA should have more buyers...
If credit is different for buyers and contributors, then in that case would be illegal...

madelaide · « **Reply #55 on:** February 17, 2009, 17:10 »

I don't know if a buyer can choose a FT site, but yes, the USA one would currently be cheaper.

Given the terms in our contract with FT, there is nothing illegal.

- For every file sold, you will receive a royalty based on your ranking and exclusivity
- images sold in credits give contributors a royalty (%) of the prices, which are set in credits
- images sold in subs give contributors a number of credits
- 1 Credit = $ 1.00

source: http://us.fotolia.com/Info/Contributors

What is illegal in that?

Regards,
Adelaide

OM · « **Reply #56 on:** February 17, 2009, 20:49 »

Or, if you can rustle up a few clients in the Euro area whilst you are registered on UK.......you buy pics (from any contributor) at 60p per credit....deduct them from your sales account and sell them to the client for one euro per credit + search fees.

Gee, ain't capitalism great. LOL.