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Microstock Photography Forum - General => General Stock Discussion => Topic started by: Kngkyle on May 07, 2009, 10:22

Title: The best buyer ever?
Post by: Kngkyle on May 07, 2009, 10:22
I just noticed that someone keeps downloading 3 of my images over and over again every couple days. It is really starting to add up. I dunno what could be the cause of this though.

May 7th:
(http://skillersunited.com/kngkyle/20090507-111359.jpg)
April 27th:
(http://skillersunited.com/kngkyle/20090507-111551.jpg)
April 21st:
(http://skillersunited.com/kngkyle/20090507-111641.jpg)
April 9th:
(http://skillersunited.com/kngkyle/20090507-111750.jpg)
April 3rd:
(http://skillersunited.com/kngkyle/20090507-112156.jpg)

nearly $40.
interesting eh...
Title: Re: The best buyer ever?
Post by: Rackman on May 07, 2009, 10:27
That's a nice problem to have.

Hopefully it's not a glitch in the system.

Joe
Title: Re: The best buyer ever?
Post by: Shane on May 07, 2009, 10:30
i encounter this problem before..but the case that i heard, it was a fraud case..where someone uses a stolen credit card and make that purchase..hopefully its not the same..
Title: Re: The best buyer ever?
Post by: mantonino on May 07, 2009, 10:37
probly is.
Title: Re: The best buyer ever?
Post by: GeoPappas on May 07, 2009, 10:38
Hopefully you won't have your account closed because they think you are gaming the system.
Title: Re: The best buyer ever?
Post by: Shane on May 07, 2009, 10:42
yeap..they might do that since they think that you are just trying to earn from that..
Title: Re: The best buyer ever?
Post by: madelaide on May 07, 2009, 11:06
KK,

I'm curious, which site is that in which you can see who is the buyer?  I loved that feature in FT and regret it's gone.
Title: Re: The best buyer ever?
Post by: Kngkyle on May 07, 2009, 11:10
i encounter this problem before..but the case that i heard, it was a fraud case..where someone uses a stolen credit card and make that purchase..hopefully its not the same..

Well it's been happening for over a month now, surely they would have caught it and stopped it by now?
Title: Re: The best buyer ever?
Post by: epantha on May 07, 2009, 11:10
Oh no! I'm experiencing THE EXACT SAME SITUATION.
Three of my popular images have been downloaded several times a month in the same order with no search terms used at various sizes. I certainly don't mind the extra income but we probably should find out what is going on? I've been afraid to ask. :-X
Title: Re: The best buyer ever?
Post by: Kngkyle on May 07, 2009, 11:12
I've been afraid to ask. :-X

Yea I'm starting to wonder if posting this was a good idea.  :-X
Title: Re: The best buyer ever?
Post by: Shane on May 07, 2009, 11:15
i would suggest that you guys contact the site and confirm about it. i'm sure they have the service to check whether its a fraud or not.
Title: Re: The best buyer ever?
Post by: epantha on May 07, 2009, 11:18
OK, I sent them an inquiry at the site.
Just seems weird. If it was fraud you would only need to download them once.  :-\ Why would anyone keep downloading the same files over and over?
Title: Re: The best buyer ever?
Post by: Shane on May 07, 2009, 11:31
  :-\ Why would anyone keep downloading the same files over and over?

it's simple, photographers earn $$ from the downloads made..
Title: Re: The best buyer ever?
Post by: johngriffin on May 07, 2009, 11:33
definitely contact the site.  That is almost 100$ a case of fraud and that person is probably taking your images and uploading them as their own on other stock sites.  That is what one of the schemes is.  Scammer A refers himself as a buyer and we can call him Scammer B.  Scammer B uses a fake CC to buy your image so the scammer gets two things for the price of nothing. Scammer A gets the referral fee and Scammer B gets the digital download which they probably upload to other sites or add to CDs which they try to sell.  BE VERY WARY and ask the site what they do to protect against that problem.   These scammers use a real credit card with all the correct details (you can buy stolen credit card info on the internet).

You are doing more to hurt the value of your images by not reporting the suspicious activity to the agency bc they can work to deter, prevent or prosecute the image and credit card theif.  hope that helps from the perspective of a site owner.

They download the same file more than once bc they are probably doing something with their referral program and gaming the system.  BE CAREFUL

Also it would be great if DT made public any of the information of the Scammer so we can have a Wall of Shame of sorts and sort out these bad apples so it doesnt depress prices more in our industry
Title: Re: The best buyer ever?
Post by: batman on May 07, 2009, 11:44
Gut 2 c u Monsieur Griffin. What kept u ?

Also, further to what JG said, it would be a bummer to keep your mouth shut and then have a mother of grandest refund from your earnings. I think I would tell on the scammers earlier on, and get a small refund, than wait till it gets out of hand.

It hurts you, it hurts all of us.
Title: Re: The best buyer ever?
Post by: bittersweet on May 07, 2009, 12:27
Yes, it sounds like you definitely need to report it. Let us know how much you end up owing them in chargebacks.
Title: Re: The best buyer ever?
Post by: epantha on May 07, 2009, 12:45
This is really starting to make me feel physically ill. :-[
Title: Re: The best buyer ever?
Post by: Achilles on May 07, 2009, 13:07
No need to panic. Is often that people will download the same image for different usage, not knowing the regular license allows them both web and print. There is also the case when a company account may download the same image for various designers to use (the RF license is single seat), when the U-EL will not suit them.
We will investigate this, but there are plenty of cases when buyers act in a totally different way than we expect them to.
Title: Re: The best buyer ever?
Post by: epantha on May 07, 2009, 13:10
Thank you Achilles. I hope this all turns out well.