To to make others aware I accidentally marked an image on Alamy as exclusive and they found out! Apparently they check every image.
The image hasn't sold but are charging me $150! So be carefull not to make the same mistake!
I just got hit with a $150 charge for an image from 2018(!) that was accidently marked exclusive. Will try to get it reversed, seems excessive.
The "editorial" and "exclusive" checkboxes are very close together, and it's easy to make a mistake. It's a real shame there's no room for error. They're really overreacting.
Quote from: Brasilnut on November 29, 2025, 16:45
I just got hit with a $150 charge for an image from 2018(!) that was accidently marked exclusive. Will try to get it reversed, seems excessive.
Good luck. I wrote, I fought, I appealed. The image, was exclusive, when I uploaded it. Inadvertently, when I joined WS I added it there. An image that was sitting, doing nothing on Alamy for about ten years. Many of these are from back when we could mark things exclusive, for protection. ANd possibly, marked in error?
It isn't editorial and it's just a wasp on a plant. I don't know why I would have marked it anything.
Good news. When I was begging and pleading, which did no good, they offered to adjust my entire collect, and switch them all to Non-exclusive, to save me the trouble and time. I did that.
There we are, and not alone. There were people on the Alamy forum, months ago, complaining about the same. Some of these, people had gone and marked off as non-exclusive. Alamy came back and said, the violation happened, before they changed them >:(
Good that you mentioned this and the warning that it's still going on. Anyone who thinks they might have made an error, needs to go check all their "Exclusive" images on Alamy. They have hired some research place, to find image use. The nasty part is, that costs them $50 for a report, or they claim. They are stabbing us with a stiff fine, for a small error.
It's sad that they are resorting to predatory business practices. Much has changed since they were sold.
imagine if they tried to sell your images instead of charging you for your images
So how do they bill, they reduct from earnings, make the balance negative?
Quote from: qunamax on December 11, 2025, 13:10
So how do they bill, they reduct from earnings, make the balance negative?
Correct
It happened to me at the start of that policy implementation on two images, although they only stole $50 for each image. After that I changed all my images to non-exclusive.
They could have deactivated or even deleted those images but since Alamy had just been bought by a media group, and the owner had the fame for being a greedy b@stard (according to many uk contributors) they saw there another shameless money grab opportunity.
Summing this to big cuts in commission payments, big drop in income and degrading general experience I basically stopped submitting there.
I got negative balance and the following sales paid my debt to that newly promoted to piece of garbage level agency.
I would stay far away from companies that do a lousy job of selling your pictures but charge you a hefty fine when you mistakingly marked something (probably way in the past) as being exclusive.
It looks like greedy people who don't know how to make money and go after contributors to get some cash to keep their business running.
A decent company, which is not in need for cash, would just send you a warning.
It will not take long for Alamy to falter and obliterate.
I check every month to make sure there are no mistakes.
In Alamy Image Manager, go to "Attributes" from the menu at the top, and at the very bottom of the menu that opens, you'll find "Exclusive Alamy". If you select that and an image appears, correct it immediately and disable the Exclusive Alamy feature in the settings.
Quote from: BT1976 on December 12, 2025, 13:45
I check every month to make sure there are no mistakes.
In Alamy Image Manager, go to "Attributes" from the menu at the top, and at the very bottom of the menu that opens, you'll find "Exclusive Alamy". If you select that and an image appears, correct it immediately and disable the Exclusive Alamy feature in the settings.
Have you ever found one that you didn't mark? I'm asking because there was no reason for me to do that, but I could have hit a wrong button. There are a few other people that have told me, they never marked anything exclusive and they think that Alamy did that. Considering mine was really old, maybe when Alamy did the transition from the old system, to the new?
Have you ever found one, or are you happy, just being careful
Quote from: Uncle Pete on December 12, 2025, 19:17
Quote from: BT1976 on December 12, 2025, 13:45
I check every month to make sure there are no mistakes.
In Alamy Image Manager, go to "Attributes" from the menu at the top, and at the very bottom of the menu that opens, you'll find "Exclusive Alamy". If you select that and an image appears, correct it immediately and disable the Exclusive Alamy feature in the settings.
Have you ever found one that you didn't mark? I'm asking because there was no reason for me to do that, but I could have hit a wrong button. There are a few other people that have told me, they never marked anything exclusive and they think that Alamy did that. Considering mine was really old, maybe when Alamy did the transition from the old system, to the new?
Have you ever found one, or are you happy, just being careful
I'm just checking to make sure. I haven't found any Alamy exclusive content so far. (I have 19,335 images).
I'm checking to make sure I don't accidentally select "Alamy Exclusive" when marking editorial content. (Sometimes I drink alcohol while working on the computer :) )
Quote from: BT1976 on December 14, 2025, 12:48
Quote from: Uncle Pete on December 12, 2025, 19:17
Quote from: BT1976 on December 12, 2025, 13:45
I check every month to make sure there are no mistakes.
In Alamy Image Manager, go to "Attributes" from the menu at the top, and at the very bottom of the menu that opens, you'll find "Exclusive Alamy". If you select that and an image appears, correct it immediately and disable the Exclusive Alamy feature in the settings.
Have you ever found one that you didn't mark? I'm asking because there was no reason for me to do that, but I could have hit a wrong button. There are a few other people that have told me, they never marked anything exclusive and they think that Alamy did that. Considering mine was really old, maybe when Alamy did the transition from the old system, to the new?
Have you ever found one, or are you happy, just being careful
I'm just checking to make sure. I haven't found any Alamy exclusive content so far. (I have 19,335 images).
I'm checking to make sure I don't accidentally select "Alamy Exclusive" when marking editorial content. (Sometimes I drink alcohol while working on the computer :) )
Yes to all of that. Last night, while I was watching the NFL, drinking Irish Whiskey with Ginger Ale, and I was getting kind of tired, I was also editing and uploading.