Author Topic: Fotoarabia not paying up (Read 12963 times)

BaldricksTrousers · « **on:** May 13, 2017, 07:24 »

The relatively new Qatari agency, Fotoarabia, has still not processed my latest payout four months after I requested it. This is a violation of their own terms, which guarantee quick payment (within four weeks IIRC). They aren't responding to e-mails about it, either.
I had hoped they would be OK as they are part of a bigger organisation, but apparently not.
Anyway, that's a heads-up for the few who may have some files invested there.

amabu · « **Reply #1 on:** May 13, 2017, 09:41 »

They are not responding to "account termination" emails either...

BaldricksTrousers · « **Reply #2 on:** May 13, 2017, 10:53 »

I ought to go round and see them, see if their office is still open. It's a bit out of my way at the moment, though.

Jo Ann Snover · « **Reply #3 on:** May 13, 2017, 14:07 »

Their Facebook page has a post from April, as does their Twitter account, so they are still around in some form. Have you considered becoming a public nuisance in your request for money? Sometimes businesses behave better when their misdeeds are given a public airing. Waiting four months and asking via email with no reply seem to indicate that escalation is reasonable...

An article about the agency when it started (2008?) said that Generation Four Company LLC in Kuwait was behind it. Perhaps you can dig around locally and find the people behind it to try and ask them about getting paid?

Microstockphoto · « **Reply #4 on:** May 13, 2017, 14:44 »

i wonder why people never pick up the phone and just leave it at emails

Call us on (+974) 7702 1210 (9am-6pm AST)

BaldricksTrousers · « **Reply #5 on:** May 13, 2017, 15:28 »

Quote from: Microstockphoto on May 13, 2017, 14:44

i wonder why people never pick up the phone and just leave it at emails

Call us on (+974) 7702 1210 (9am-6pm AST)

I prefer e-mails that create a tangible record.

Microstockphoto · « **Reply #6 on:** May 13, 2017, 16:32 »

do you want to get paid or just keep a record of emails? i didnt say don't email, you can do both

cathyslife · « **Reply #7 on:** May 13, 2017, 16:56 »

If a business doesnt answer their emails, I wonder if they will even answer their phone. I am not much of a phone person, if a company provides an email address as part of their "contact us", then that's what i use. I also like the paper trail, especially if you have to keep contacting them, or need proof down the road.

Microstockphoto · « **Reply #8 on:** May 13, 2017, 23:34 »

what proof? that you sent an email? still no proof that they received or read them. and if you dont call them you never know if they will pick up or not. honestly dont get why you wouldnt call them. its a small effort with often big results. at least in my experience

BaldricksTrousers · « **Reply #9 on:** May 14, 2017, 05:59 »

I did try to call the bloke there I used to deal with when they came to me for advice on their launch but there was no reply. I will try to ring them.
As for not receiving my mails, the fact my account says there is a payout request pending from January does suggest that they should be aware of the issue.

BaldricksTrousers · « **Reply #10 on:** May 14, 2017, 06:25 »

Just rang their contact number and they said "err..... wrong number". Which it wasn't. So I guess that's that.

cathyslife · « **Reply #11 on:** May 14, 2017, 07:28 »

Quote from: Microstockphoto on May 13, 2017, 23:34

what proof? that you sent an email? still no proof that they received or read them. and if you dont call them you never know if they will pick up or not. honestly dont get why you wouldnt call them. its a small effort with often big results. at least in my experience

LOL.
So you call someone, they tell you what you want to hear. Not necessarily the truth. At least if you email and get a response, you have something to show for it. Unlike the he said, she said from a phone call. Or "wrong number", like Baldricks got.

Justanotherphotographer · « **Reply #12 on:** May 14, 2017, 09:23 »

Well they've just stolen the portfolios of everyone who uploaded to them I guess.

Microstockphoto · « **Reply #13 on:** May 14, 2017, 13:29 »

LOL cathy, you are so funny!!! so you dont call and just sit here moaning on a forum. i dont care what you do or dont, i think it cant hurt to call them. whatever.

ShadySue · « **Reply #14 on:** May 14, 2017, 16:19 »

Quote from: Microstockphoto on May 14, 2017, 13:29

LOL cathy, you are so funny!!! so you dont call and just sit here moaning on a forum. i dont care what you do or dont, i think it cant hurt to call them. whatever.

It can hurt if it's expensive to phone from country A to country B and you get an unhelpful, falsely helpful (empty promises) or lying result. Though I guess then you know where you stand.

cathyslife · « **Reply #15 on:** May 14, 2017, 16:52 »

Quote from: Microstockphoto on May 14, 2017, 13:29

LOL cathy, you are so funny!!! so you dont call and just sit here moaning on a forum. i dont care what you do or dont, i think it cant hurt to call them. whatever.

Chichikov · « **Reply #16 on:** May 15, 2017, 00:13 »

Quote from: ShadySue on May 14, 2017, 16:19

Quote from: Microstockphoto on May 14, 2017, 13:29
LOL cathy, you are so funny!!! so you dont call and just sit here moaning on a forum. i dont care what you do or dont, i think it cant hurt to call them. whatever.
It can hurt if it's expensive to phone from country A to country B and you get an unhelpful, falsely helpful (empty promises) or lying result. Though I guess then you know where you stand.

Using Skype to call a phone number in Qatar costs 39¢/min
Using Internetcalls it costs 11¢/min

Microstockphoto · « **Reply #17 on:** May 15, 2017, 15:58 »

cathy, insightful comment

sue, its a business expense, and if you cant afford a call to ask where your money is, you have bigger problems

and i think baldrick lives in the area so i doubt the cost would be high for him

anway, if the number is not connected, then it kind of starts to tell a story about this agency, avoid like the plague

cathyslife · « **Reply #18 on:** May 15, 2017, 17:14 »

Quote from: Microstockphoto on May 15, 2017, 15:58

cathy, insightful comment

sue, its a business expense, and if you cant afford a call to ask where your money is, you have bigger problems

and i think baldrick lives in the area so i doubt the cost would be high for him

anway, if the number is not connected, then it kind of starts to tell a story about this agency, avoid like the plague

BaldricksTrousers · « **Reply #19 on:** May 16, 2017, 12:48 »

Quote from: Justanotherphotographer on May 14, 2017, 09:23

Well they've just stolen the portfolios of everyone who uploaded to them I guess.

The "delete" file option seems to work pending deletion and I've changed all my titles and descriptions to "none", but I can't remove the existing keywords. (Turns out the bulk edit only does a page of 30 files at a time and deleting gets the files transferred to "hidden" rather than listed as deleted).

Justanotherphotographer · « **Reply #20 on:** May 16, 2017, 12:57 »

Quote from: BaldricksTrousers on May 16, 2017, 12:48

Quote from: Justanotherphotographer on May 14, 2017, 09:23
Well they've just stolen the portfolios of everyone who uploaded to them I guess.

The "delete" file option seems to work pending deletion and I've changed all my titles and descriptions to "none", but I can't remove the existing keywords.

I hope the files are actually removed. Sorry this has happened. What are your legal rights as someone with another nationality?

BaldricksTrousers · « **Reply #21 on:** May 16, 2017, 13:01 »

Quote from: Justanotherphotographer on May 16, 2017, 12:57

Quote from: BaldricksTrousers on May 16, 2017, 12:48
Quote from: Justanotherphotographer on May 14, 2017, 09:23
Well they've just stolen the portfolios of everyone who uploaded to them I guess.

The "delete" file option seems to work pending deletion and I've changed all my titles and descriptions to "none", but I can't remove the existing keywords.
I hope the files are actually removed. Sorry this has happened. What are your legal rights as someone with another nationality?

With something like this the costs of any effort to pursue it legally would be prohibitive. The files aree being "hidden" apparently.

BaldricksTrousers · « **Reply #22 on:** May 16, 2017, 13:26 »

I've had a better idea, I'm changing each description to: Deleted due to non-payment to photographer of commission. If they look at it they'll get the message, and if they activate the files again customer's will get the message.
in fairness, I think it's just flopped, I don't suspect any intention to steal files and I doubt if they are still selling (when I rang them, I might have been a customer but they said it was a wrong number without checking what I wanted).

stockastic · « **Reply #23 on:** May 16, 2017, 13:45 »

Why all the hoopla about calling on the phone? That's just more pointless hoop-jumping. It's the 21st century, this is a web based business. They either respond to email or they're scamming.

BaldricksTrousers · « **Reply #24 on:** May 16, 2017, 13:55 »

On the lighter side, I've just come across a Govt sign I photographed in Wakrah, near Doha. It said:

"WARNING Dangerous Swimming Area for: Children and those who cannot swim"

We have a few funny signs here.

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Author Topic: Fotoarabia not paying up (Read 12963 times)

BaldricksTrousers

amabu

BaldricksTrousers

Jo Ann Snover

Microstockphoto

BaldricksTrousers

Microstockphoto

cathyslife

Microstockphoto

BaldricksTrousers

BaldricksTrousers

cathyslife

Justanotherphotographer

Microstockphoto

ShadySue

cathyslife

Chichikov

Microstockphoto

cathyslife

BaldricksTrousers

Justanotherphotographer

BaldricksTrousers

BaldricksTrousers

stockastic

BaldricksTrousers

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