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Microstock Photography Forum - General => General Stock Discussion => Topic started by: daveh900 on March 24, 2021, 14:08
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Discovered a bunch of my work available for sale at CarStickers.com - and they also offer the ability to search Shutterstock and have a sticker printed of any Shutterstock vector.
Decided to test it out. Ordered a sticker of one of my works that they offer and one from Shutterstock that never sells.
Just got the confirmation that my order has shipped, and guess what... no indication of any sale of either file on Shutterstock.
https://www.carstickers.com/shutterstock/search/ (https://www.carstickers.com/shutterstock/search/)
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That's interesting. Please make a follow up if it appears as a sale in the next 60 days. If not we could be in front of a fraud maybe huge if it is common of other reselling parties that sell Shutterstock or Istock images......At one point there will be a huge lawsuit with planetary fines. It's a matter of time and that a bunch of large producers go ahead with a solid case and strong evidences like the one you mention.
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Surely the thing to do is ask Shutterstock rather than trying to guess. The site looks legit but it seems no one here knows.
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Discovered a bunch of my work available for sale at CarStickers.com - and they also offer the ability to search Shutterstock and have a sticker printed of any Shutterstock vector.
Decided to test it out. Ordered a sticker of one of my works that they offer and one from Shutterstock that never sells.
Just got the confirmation that my order has shipped, and guess what... no indication of any sale of either file on Shutterstock.
https://www.carstickers.com/shutterstock/search/ (https://www.carstickers.com/shutterstock/search/)
Good going. I've asked the same before. Someone buy something and see what happens. I hope you get some answers.
On another site, I licensed one of my images, which then makes a product available on Etsy. Supposedly when the product sells, and every time it sells, I get billed $1.59 for a SS download, but I make a profit from selling the item. I wanted to see how much SS pays us. I can imagine the split between the API agent and SS might be 50-50 and that means SS gets 80c and I should get 20% or 16 cents. (hypothetical) But it should also be logged as Single or OD?
Anyway, nice going on your purchase. At least you get something and can verify that we are getting paid from these products. Like the posters and wall art, we never know if something is licensed, but our work is still used to market the site, and they don't have to pay anything, until a sale is made.
So far I see no Editorial which has been the usual for SS partners. This one looks like illustrations and vectors only, no photos. "powered by Shutterstock"
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Affiliate sales can take some time to show up in your account. By "some time", I mean up to 90 days.
I think they are an affiliate, because the images all have the artist's name on them.
Shutterstock probably has every intention of paying you... eventually.
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I also found some of my work on this website in September last year. I contacted shutterstock (I disabled my portfolio in may 2020) and after many pointless e-mails finally at the end of January 2021 I got the reply from shutterstock, saying carstickers is not their partner site:
"We would also like to inform you that www.carstickers.com (http://www.carstickers.com) is not an affiliates/partners of Shutterstock."
In the meantime I tried contacting carstickers website, with no reply at all, so I filed a DMCA notice to their host company (copyright@amazon.com). That worked, and they took it down in a week or so. I advice you try the same (fill out the takedown notice and send it to amazon).
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I also found some of my work on this website in September last year. I contacted shutterstock (I disabled my portfolio in may 2020) and after many pointless e-mails finally at the end of January 2021 I got the reply from shutterstock, saying carstickers is not their partner site:
"We would also like to inform you that [url=http://www.carstickers.com]www.carstickers.com[/url] ([url]http://www.carstickers.com[/url]) is not an affiliates/partners of Shutterstock."
In the meantime I tried contacting carstickers website, with no reply at all, so I filed a DMCA notice to their host company (copyright@amazon.com). That worked, and they took it down in a week or so. I advice you try the same (fill out the takedown notice and send it to amazon).
Amazing! And I found some of mine there. Thanks
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I also found some of my work on this website in September last year. I contacted shutterstock (I disabled my portfolio in may 2020) and after many pointless e-mails finally at the end of January 2021 I got the reply from shutterstock, saying carstickers is not their partner site:
"We would also like to inform you that [url=http://www.carstickers.com]www.carstickers.com[/url] ([url]http://www.carstickers.com[/url]) is not an affiliates/partners of Shutterstock."
In the meantime I tried contacting carstickers website, with no reply at all, so I filed a DMCA notice to their host company (copyright@amazon.com). That worked, and they took it down in a week or so. I advice you try the same (fill out the takedown notice and send it to amazon).
Well, sh*t: wouldn't you think SS might sort that out.
(How do carstickers get the files without SS watermarks? Oh, all right, they bought them via subs and SS don't want to upset a buyer? ::) ::) ::) Hell mend'em. Both.
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I also found some of my work on this website in September last year. I contacted shutterstock (I disabled my portfolio in may 2020) and after many pointless e-mails finally at the end of January 2021 I got the reply from shutterstock, saying carstickers is not their partner site:
"We would also like to inform you that [url=http://www.carstickers.com]www.carstickers.com[/url] ([url]http://www.carstickers.com[/url]) is not an affiliates/partners of Shutterstock."
In the meantime I tried contacting carstickers website, with no reply at all, so I filed a DMCA notice to their host company (copyright@amazon.com). That worked, and they took it down in a week or so. I advice you try the same (fill out the takedown notice and send it to amazon).
Well, sh*t: wouldn't you think SS might sort that out.
(How do carstickers get the files without SS watermarks? Oh, all right, they bought them via subs and SS don't want to upset a buyer? ::) ::) ::) Hell mend'em. Both.
Go back to the OP and I'll confirm from mine as well. The image that I found first on carstickers.com has never had a download.
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I also found some of my work on this website in September last year. I contacted shutterstock (I disabled my portfolio in may 2020) and after many pointless e-mails finally at the end of January 2021 I got the reply from shutterstock, saying carstickers is not their partner site:
"We would also like to inform you that [url=http://www.carstickers.com]www.carstickers.com[/url] ([url]http://www.carstickers.com[/url]) is not an affiliates/partners of Shutterstock."
In the meantime I tried contacting carstickers website, with no reply at all, so I filed a DMCA notice to their host company (copyright@amazon.com). That worked, and they took it down in a week or so. I advice you try the same (fill out the takedown notice and send it to amazon).
Well, sh*t: wouldn't you think SS might sort that out.
(How do carstickers get the files without SS watermarks? Oh, all right, they bought them via subs and SS don't want to upset a buyer? ::) ::) ::) Hell mend'em. Both.
Go back to the OP and I'll confirm from mine as well. The image that I found first on carstickers.com has never had a download.
Oh sorry, you're right, I had read that and forgot.
So - how are they getting the files without SS watermarks? Have they developeed some sort of automated SS wm remover? (Hypothetical question).
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I also found some of my work on this website in September last year. I contacted shutterstock (I disabled my portfolio in may 2020) and after many pointless e-mails finally at the end of January 2021 I got the reply from shutterstock, saying carstickers is not their partner site:
"We would also like to inform you that [url=http://www.carstickers.com]www.carstickers.com[/url] ([url]http://www.carstickers.com[/url]) is not an affiliates/partners of Shutterstock."
In the meantime I tried contacting carstickers website, with no reply at all, so I filed a DMCA notice to their host company (copyright@amazon.com). That worked, and they took it down in a week or so. I advice you try the same (fill out the takedown notice and send it to amazon).
Well, sh*t: wouldn't you think SS might sort that out.
(How do carstickers get the files without SS watermarks? Oh, all right, they bought them via subs and SS don't want to upset a buyer? ::) ::) ::) Hell mend'em. Both.
Go back to the OP and I'll confirm from mine as well. The image that I found first on carstickers.com has never had a download.
Oh sorry, you're right, I had read that and forgot.
So - how are they getting the files without SS watermarks? Have they developeed some sort of automated SS wm remover? (Hypothetical question).
LOL steal them, just like everyone else? ;)
I find it odd that they use the SS IDs and openly say "search Shutterstock" which I can only imagine SS would shut down very fast. There's something wrong about the whole thing and how it's presented. They claim to be in business since 2000? I don't see anything saying they are licensed partners of SS either.
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"We would also like to inform you that [url=http://www.carstickers.com]www.carstickers.com[/url] ([url]http://www.carstickers.com[/url]) is not an affiliates/partners of Shutterstock."
If that's true, I'm surprised that Shutterstock seems to have no problem with them openly using the company name to sell stickers.
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"We would also like to inform you that [url=http://www.carstickers.com]www.carstickers.com[/url] ([url]http://www.carstickers.com[/url]) is not an affiliates/partners of Shutterstock."
If that's true, I'm surprised that Shutterstock seems to have no problem with them openly using the company name to sell stickers.
That is what they have told me. If you PM me your e-mail, I can forward you the whole conversation with SS. Now I read it again, and at one point carstickers replied that they are partners with shutterstock, but shutterstock thinks/says they are not.
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"We would also like to inform you that [url=http://www.carstickers.com]www.carstickers.com[/url] ([url]http://www.carstickers.com[/url]) is not an affiliates/partners of Shutterstock."
If that's true, I'm surprised that Shutterstock seems to have no problem with them openly using the company name to sell stickers.
That is what they have told me. If you PM me your e-mail, I can forward you the whole conversation with SS. Now I read it again, and at one point carstickers replied that they are partners with shutterstock, but shutterstock thinks/says they are not.
Just because SS doesn't know, doesn't mean I'd doubt you. :)
Maybe they aren't partners but they have a contract of some sort, to get a big discount for OD. In which case they aren't actually a partner...
The part about your images still there, after disabling your account, means the same is likely to be happening to others. Nice catch.
I'm still interested in finding out how much we get IF someone prints one of our images on a sticker. IF we do get paid by SS for the use?
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Dear Jim,
Carstickers is an API partner. When someone purchases a sticker from them, you will get a royalty.
Kind Regards,
Lynne
IP Team, Shutterstock
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Discovered a bunch of my work available for sale at CarStickers.com - and they also offer the ability to search Shutterstock and have a sticker printed of any Shutterstock vector.
Decided to test it out. Ordered a sticker of one of my works that they offer and one from Shutterstock that never sells.
Just got the confirmation that my order has shipped, and guess what... no indication of any sale of either file on Shutterstock.
https://www.carstickers.com/shutterstock/search/ (https://www.carstickers.com/shutterstock/search/)
Now waiting to see what you get paid and when. 8) (https://i.postimg.cc/vH8kYX5Y/popcorn.gif)
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Dear Jim,
Carstickers is an API partner. When someone purchases a sticker from them, you will get a royalty.
Kind Regards,
Lynne
IP Team, Shutterstock
Wow. So they now admit carstickers being a partner. And I had to wait like half a year for them to tell me they are not partners. Just when I was thinking SS can not be shittier than this. I am pretty mad now - apparently they just lied to me, so they could keep the royalties. I wonder how anyone still trusts this crappy company.
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Dear Jim,
Carstickers is an API partner. When someone purchases a sticker from them, you will get a royalty.
Kind Regards,
Lynne
IP Team, Shutterstock
Wow. So they now admit carstickers being a partner. And I had to wait like half a year for them to tell me they are not partners. Just when I was thinking SS can not be shittier than this. I am pretty mad now - apparently they just lied to me, so they could keep the royalties. I wonder how anyone still trusts this crappy company.
How many downloads did you get that you aren't paid for?
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Discovered a bunch of my work available for sale at CarStickers.com - and they also offer the ability to search Shutterstock and have a sticker printed of any Shutterstock vector.
Decided to test it out. Ordered a sticker of one of my works that they offer and one from Shutterstock that never sells.
Just got the confirmation that my order has shipped, and guess what... no indication of any sale of either file on Shutterstock.
https://www.carstickers.com/shutterstock/search/ (https://www.carstickers.com/shutterstock/search/)
Now waiting to see what you get paid and when. 8) (https://i.postimg.cc/vH8kYX5Y/popcorn.gif)
10 cents ::)
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Discovered a bunch of my work available for sale at CarStickers.com - and they also offer the ability to search Shutterstock and have a sticker printed of any Shutterstock vector.
Decided to test it out. Ordered a sticker of one of my works that they offer and one from Shutterstock that never sells.
Just got the confirmation that my order has shipped, and guess what... no indication of any sale of either file on Shutterstock.
https://www.carstickers.com/shutterstock/search/ (https://www.carstickers.com/shutterstock/search/)
Now waiting to see what you get paid and when. 8) (https://i.postimg.cc/vH8kYX5Y/popcorn.gif)
10 cents ::)
I suspect that all these partners are paying the minimum price per image and we are in the 10c pay for that, all the way across the line. What shows as the 750 subscription would logically be "any API partner" as well.
But since daveh900 took the time, we'll know for sure.
I have linked to mine on Printify, which will probably cost me money, but I'd like to see what we get for those too. I'd have to make an Etsy sale, which is not likely. To explain, I pick any available image from SS and put it on a product. When the product sells, the SS artist gets paid, and I pay a fee of $1.59 for the image use. I figure, SS takes a cut and Printify takes a cut and we get our dime?
I created items for sale, that are using my never sold images, so when I get a sale, I can see what it is. I didn't really need to do that, as any sale will be reported by Etsy and Printify and will show on SS. But if I use some images that sells at random on SS, I won't know for sure what I get and when.
Buy my face mask and we'll all know? ;)
https://www.etsy.com/your/shops/HodagMediaGraphics/tools/listings/stats:true/940299926 (https://www.etsy.com/your/shops/HodagMediaGraphics/tools/listings/stats:true/940299926)
(https://i.postimg.cc/m2D7x1S5/rr-mask.png)
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FOLLOW UP:
Sorry for the delay, I have been traveling.
Response from Shutterstock:
Hi David,
Thank you for your patience. CarStickers.com is our official API partner and they have full access to search and license of royalty-free images/vectors available on Shutterstock.com via our API Partner Program. The reason you did not see the payout straightaway, is because our API partners are invoiced on a monthly basis. In this case, any assets licensed in March will be invoiced in April and as soon as CarStickers processes the payment, you will see your payout come through.
Regards,
Chad
IP Team
Shutterstock, Inc.
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I will follow up when I see the sale hit my account.
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Dear Jim,
Carstickers is an API partner. When someone purchases a sticker from them, you will get a royalty.
Kind Regards,
Lynne
IP Team, Shutterstock
Wow. So they now admit carstickers being a partner. And I had to wait like half a year for them to tell me they are not partners. Just when I was thinking SS can not be shittier than this. I am pretty mad now - apparently they just lied to me, so they could keep the royalties. I wonder how anyone still trusts this crappy company.
How many downloads did you get that you aren't paid for?
There is no way to check, so I don't know. My works were there for more than half a year after I disabled sales on Shutterstock.
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FOLLOW UP:
The sales finally hit my account today.
My commission on the two stickers that I ordered was $.37 each (I am level 4).
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FOLLOW UP:
The sales finally hit my account today.
My commission on the two stickers that I ordered was $.37 each (I am level 4).
Great to know. OD, SO or Sub?