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Author Topic: FOTOLIA - NOW PAYING LESS THAN 16% !!!!!!  (Read 42602 times)

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« Reply #75 on: February 04, 2010, 17:09 »
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Yes, I think I get what your saying, Donding. The only problem seems to be the difference in currencies which wouldn't really matter that much because you could calculate the difference between Euros or Pounds and Dollars and add it to whatever you'd transfer via paypal. It seems you're desparate to get out of there. I'd be happy to help you get your money (the alternative being fotolia gets 100 % of your earnings). The only thing is that I'm not with paypal but with moneybookers. PM me if you like.


« Reply #76 on: February 04, 2010, 17:12 »
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But wouldn't it be more helpful if THE CHAD graced us with an audience, or another of the management team at Fotolia, to engage in discussion on what are clearly serious concerns?

Absolutely!  You're right, some coherent response from Fotolia admin is way overdue. 

I just doubt Mat's the guy for that.  Most likely he doesn't know any more about this one than the rest of us. 

isnt standard procedure for this type of situation

put out statement / press release saying "sorry, we are working on it, just give us a little bit of time."
let things calm and cool down (lots of people wander off quickly)
put out another statement saying "how hard business is / tough market / recession etc, we really value the customers etc (or contributors), and we are working to fix it, here is an (ambigous) solution with lots of spin and buzz words that commits nothing and has loose timeframes...  

sorry cynical day today...

« Reply #77 on: February 04, 2010, 17:14 »
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isnt standard procedure for this type of situation

put out statement / press release saying "sorry, we are working on it, just give us a little bit of time."
let things calm and cool down (lots of people wander off quickly)
put out another statement saying "how hard business is / tough market / recession etc, we really value the customers etc (or contributors), and we are working to fix it, here is an (ambigous) solution with lots of spin and buzz words that commits nothing and has loose timeframes...  

sorry cynical day today...

Or just hope that the whole thing just blows over or is overcome by other news...

« Reply #78 on: February 04, 2010, 17:16 »
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isnt standard procedure for this type of situation

put out statement / press release saying "sorry, we are working on it, just give us a little bit of time."
let things calm and cool down (lots of people wander off quickly)
put out another statement saying "how hard business is / tough market / recession etc, we really value the customers etc (or contributors), and we are working to fix it, here is an (ambigous) solution with lots of spin and buzz words that commits nothing and has loose timeframes...  

sorry cynical day today...

Or just hope that the whole thing just blows over or is overcome by other news...


They might have done that just once to often. That strategy won't work forever.

« Reply #79 on: February 04, 2010, 17:17 »
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Or just hope that the whole thing just blows over or is overcome by other news...


It won't __ because we won't let it will we?

« Reply #80 on: February 04, 2010, 17:36 »
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If you all think a little out the box (so to speak) you will see what Im getting at with this one.

And would think that Fotolia have every possable angle covered !!

Yes, that's really very funny, isn't it?

« Reply #81 on: February 04, 2010, 18:17 »
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Or just hope that the whole thing just blows over or is overcome by other news...


It won't __ because we won't let it will we?

I, for one, hope that FT will rectify the situation in an acceptable manner (and soon).

I think that it is extremely unfair of them to raise costs to the customer without passing the appropriate share to their contributors.

« Reply #82 on: February 04, 2010, 19:14 »
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Ok what i was saying was this and now I know it wouldnt work thats fine (dont whant to be involved in any fruad case !!)

I can buy credits yeah, so I pay 2000 for 3200 credits @ 0.63, they go into my credit balance so I cash them in as a contributor @ 0.75 ........ 400 instant Profit
I know this wouldnt work but it does give you an idea of how much we are getting scewed for !!

For your info Baldricks
« Last Edit: February 04, 2010, 19:17 by warren0909 »

lisafx

« Reply #83 on: February 04, 2010, 19:39 »
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Personally, I would be hesitant to start pulling images from Fotolia before they have issued an official response to the questions and concerns. 

We would all like an answer about this yesterday, but as Phil pointed out, it usually takes time for the agencies to formulate a response.  And if past situations are any indication, Fotolia may yet have a solution that will satisfy most contributors. 

We might want to wait for the official word before cutting off our noses to spite our faces, is all I am saying.

OM

« Reply #84 on: February 04, 2010, 19:54 »
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Ok what i was saying was this and now I know it wouldnt work thats fine (dont whant to be involved in any fruad case !!)

I can buy credits yeah, so I pay 2000 for 3200 credits @ 0.63, they go into my credit balance so I cash them in as a contributor @ 0.75 ........ 400 instant Profit
I know this wouldnt work but it does give you an idea of how much we are getting scewed for !!

For your info Baldricks

Gosh, I hope there are no Wall Street types reading your post Warren........they'll all want to join as a contributor and do what you describe.  :D
Nothing better than arbitrage for sitting on your bottom all day in front of a monitor and raking in the cash for no productive work!

Seriously though, i wonder if FT's raised rates for buyers will actually result in a loss of business if other competing sites appear cheaper than FT. Now that would be a double whammy for contributors.........less buyers due to a price hike and less commissions for contributors because FT has 'made it so' by order of the captain.

« Reply #85 on: February 04, 2010, 21:09 »
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Fotolia hasn't responded because they're gathering additional information - namely, whether the increase in revenue more than offsets any perceived losses from big-selling contributors pulling out. If it does, they'll have nothing to say other than to reiterate the policy - if you "contact support".   

If on the other hand they feel they're losing contributors they can't afford to lose, and/or the price increases are actually pulling revenue down, there might be some backing off from this crazy shell game of credits, percentages and exchange rates. 

A bunch of angry posts on a forum, somewhere on the internet, mean nothing.  It's just a matter of the bean-counters giving this latest shuffle a thumbs-up or thumbs-down.






donding

  • Think before you speak
« Reply #86 on: February 04, 2010, 22:43 »
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Fotolia hasn't responded because they're gathering additional information - namely, whether the increase in revenue more than offsets any perceived losses from big-selling contributors pulling out. If it does, they'll have nothing to say other than to reiterate the policy - if you "contact support".   

If on the other hand they feel they're losing contributors they can't afford to lose, and/or the price increases are actually pulling revenue down, there might be some backing off from this crazy shell game of credits, percentages and exchange rates. 

A bunch of angry posts on a forum, somewhere on the internet, mean nothing.  It's just a matter of the bean-counters giving this latest shuffle a thumbs-up or thumbs-down.






Well said...exactly my point also

« Reply #87 on: February 04, 2010, 23:52 »
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+ 1 Stockastic.

I'm trying to avoid repeating myself and boring everyone to death. (Many threads on this matter, I already posted a few times).

If more experienced photographers and people whom I trust decide to act on this matter in an organized way, please count me in.

@LisaFX,
thank you for being the only one of the big players, Emerald Rank, to step in on Fotolia's forums and show concern.
Your opinion cannot be ignored and you can make a lot of difference, for the good of all of us.
Thank you!

However not even someone like Lisa can do it all by herself.
I'm still waiting for more Golds, Emeralds and even the one Ruby to take a stand. The more of them, the merrier.
After all, they are the people who stand to lose/gain the most. It is in their very best interest to participate, much more so than in mine.

Looking forward for happier news from Fotolia,

« Reply #88 on: February 05, 2010, 07:01 »
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It would appear that the most expensive currency in which to buy images from Fotolia is in Euros. The smallest credit package there is for 21 credits at 24 which works out at 1.143 per credit. Converted into $US each credit costs about $1.60 at today's exchange rate.

If a European customer, using the above package, downloads an image from a base level (White) contributor who is paid in $US then that contributor will earn just 25c per credit expended. Instead of earning 25% of the sale that contributor will actually receive just 15.7% of the sale price. Shocking.

It doesn't get much better as you go up the rankings either. If you aspire to get to Yuri's level of Rubis you'll be expecting to earn 43% commission __ wrong. If you are paid in $US then, under the circumstances above, you'll be earning less than 27%.

You really need to get this translated into German - that's the market with most of FT's buyers and a fair chunk of sellers.

Ok, I tell you what is more annoying than this...
I am from the European Union.  But I am a long time member of Fotolia. When I started my account fotolia.com were the site where I could register myself in english. Noone ever asked or warned me about the other locations. And fotolia is refusing to move my account to the location where I am really located. You can quess why. So now I am in EU, but I am getting payed in USD. I pay that very special fotolia conversion rate and then when I cash out I need to convert the USD back to EUR. So believe me that 16% is not that bad at all!  
« Last Edit: February 05, 2010, 07:03 by NitorPhoto »

« Reply #89 on: February 05, 2010, 07:37 »
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It is now Day 5 since this issue started - and still no word!


« Reply #90 on: February 05, 2010, 08:33 »
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We all need to know this...

Always but always bigger prices will mean less sales, part of buyers  population  will search cheaper...

Without growing of contributors shares this have to  mean less earning for them....

So, what we can do!?

Nothin', take it or leave it....

But on "long distance", FT will feel changes...
This is "the law of connected containers" and double synergic adverse effects, fewer buyers and less contributors...

« Reply #91 on: February 05, 2010, 08:52 »
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It took FT a few weeks to go back and review their policy of insisting people get an ITIN number to stop them withholding tax.  It might take a while for them to sort this current mess out.  I am confident they will have to do something.  Their reputation is already shaky with a lot of us and they wont have a business if they get this wrong and there is a mass exodus.

« Reply #92 on: February 05, 2010, 10:55 »
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It took FT a few weeks to go back and review their policy of insisting people get an ITIN number to stop them withholding tax.  It might take a while for them to sort this current mess out.  I am confident they will have to do something.  Their reputation is already shaky with a lot of us and they wont have a business if they get this wrong and there is a mass exodus.

Yep! Maybe they are risk court only because  this double credit lines, here is also a lot of lawyer contributors...

Several currencies with no exchange between (through prices), double credit lines, several prices for credits, variable  royalities percetages....
Oh my God, what a mess!!!

Can you imagine  some similar ideas in everyday business among men!?
Total mess and a lot of complaints ,demonstrations,strikes etc.

« Last Edit: February 05, 2010, 11:00 by borg »

« Reply #93 on: February 05, 2010, 11:03 »
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hi there!
FT need to change a lot of things but first they MUST start talking with respect with contributors!
Lack of communication, no explain when a thing changes, problem with account zones.. etc...! but in fact if you look into FT forum you will find that many photographers are thinking of exclusivity there, so maybe there is contributors and "contributors"..! don't know but I want badly that they became more involved with contributors issues and so on.. :)

« Reply #94 on: February 05, 2010, 13:55 »
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If you compare and contrast Fotolia's behaviour against that of IS, DT, SS, StockXpert, etc it really is quite sobering.

Starting with the unannounced changes to Ranking levels, at the end of Nov 08, this is actually the 4th lowering of our commissions in barely more than 13 months. That Ranking change, and in particular the way they implemented it, really heralded a sea-change in their attitude to the contributors. From that point onwards they've treated us like *.

In the same time period DT has lowered our commissions once, with plenty of notice, but also increased prices/levels significantly to mitigate it. IS has implemented one Canister change but again with plenty of notice and probably 80% of existing hard-working contributors will never feel any effect.

FT are the only agency where the transactions are not transparent (we have no way of knowing how much our images are actually sold for) and it is also the only agency where we are paid differing amounts depending on where we live __ by up to a whopping 40%. That's just grossly unfair and unjustifiable. How can they actually state that we earn XX% when quite clearly we don't __ other than of their own unique 'credit' system, the value of which is variable across the world and which they feel free to change at any time without notice, as now we know.

I'm sure many of us here prefer to remain independent contributors and wish to support the excellent agencies that give us a market for our work __ and I'd actually include Fotolia in that based on their record of growing the business.

However there's no way I'm going to accept the way things have developed at Fotolia so, unless we get clear transparency of sales/commisions and and fairness to all contributors, then I won't be supporting them any more. I just hope they make suitable changes before I make my move.

« Reply #95 on: June 01, 2010, 19:41 »
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So?

You would like to stay there and earn money under your terms? Interesting point of view!

I'd say they have all right to do what they want if they have content suppliers. Well, we are here on the main point.

YOU are content suppliers to Fotolia and YOU can ask for some answers ONLY if you are serious and show their management that you are not kidding.

HOW? I really don't now how all you can get along about anything!

Good luck with cents per download. I won't bother at all with Fotolia!

« Reply #96 on: June 02, 2010, 04:06 »
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I thought I posted this before but I guess not.  I made a calculation table on the blog to show how much we are actually getting piad for each sale.

http://blog.microstockgroup.com/fotolia-credits-and-commissions-whats-all-the-fuss-about/

« Reply #97 on: June 02, 2010, 05:36 »
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It's a shame that some of us live in Europe, but when we registered we couldn't choose the zone at Fotolia. So, I registered in US zone, and later I couldn't change it.

Wouldn't be logical for credits to be the same for all?

« Reply #98 on: June 02, 2010, 11:11 »
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I thought I posted this before but I guess not.  I made a calculation table on the blog to show how much we are actually getting piad for each sale.

http://blog.microstockgroup.com/fotolia-credits-and-commissions-whats-all-the-fuss-about/


For some reason this page did not load, could you double check?

« Reply #99 on: June 02, 2010, 11:41 »
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I thought I posted this before but I guess not.  I made a calculation table on the blog to show how much we are actually getting piad for each sale.

http://blog.microstockgroup.com/fotolia-credits-and-commissions-whats-all-the-fuss-about/


For some reason this page did not load, could you double check?

It does for me...


 

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