yep, pure semantics

yep, pure semantics

Maybe, but as sooner as we start thinking we are dealing with a Walmart mindset, the sooner we can plan on how to survive.

It's even worse. I suppose that Walmart's suppliers agree the price in advance and it's not changed unless both parties agree.
If it would be same - the only way how Wallmart's supplier could protect himself would be going fast to store, taking his products out of shelfs and running away.
But yes - they are definitely not agents.

So true - the word 'agency' is completely inappropriate.  They're just middlemen making a killing because of the way internet sales evolved.   They add very little value - despite all the hype about their marvelous search algorithms, it's us doing the keywording.  Ultimately almost the entire process - even a good part of the inspections - will be automated, and then it's just a mindless money machine.

I don't know what to call them.  Just 'stock photo companies' I guess.  But we ought to come up with some zingy term that expresses our frustration with the way they currently control the market and exploit creative producers.

It's even worse. I suppose that Walmart's suppliers agree the price in advance and it's not changed unless both parties agree.

I don't know about Walmart, but I do know that some major retailers I have dealt with in the past expect the supplier to provide the product in their warehouse and depending on the sales and sales volume they will adjust the price, and if it doesn't sell the supplier has to take it back.

It's even worse. I suppose that Walmart's suppliers agree the price in advance and it's not changed unless both parties agree.
If it would be same - the only way how Wallmart's supplier could protect himself would be going fast to store, taking his products out of shelfs and running away.
But yes - they are definitely not agents.

And the suppliers are paid on delivery for each and every product.

Quote from: lisafx on July 24, 2013, 13:48

Quote from: stockastic on July 24, 2013, 13:46

... we ought to come up with some zingy term that expresses our frustration with the way they currently control the market and exploit creative producers.

Parasites?

LOL Exploitative Greedy Blood * Parasites

I'd vote for that one

I see in multiple threads that people call the places that sell licences to our images, agencies.

I think we have to realize that they are not agents for us at all.  They don't care about us or our well being ( as an agent should) all they care about is their bottom line ( which is what a store should do)

They are on-line stores and we provide them with merchandise on a consignment basis.

They are the same as Walmart, and their goals and tactics are the same.

I have come to the conclusion you provide as well, but fact is THEY CALL THEMSELVES AGENCIES - thus I'd like them to act as such.

Correct, Walmart doesn't own all that stock. Some of it can be returned, but since that's a physical product and we are selling electrons, it's different in other ways. Microstock "agencies" own nothing (some have collections, if one wants to nit pick), it's all ours and on consignment. When they sell something, we get some spare change thrown at us. Their inventory is essentially the price of holding it on servers and marketing. Very little is nothing is purchased and stocked in advance.

I've been calling them parasites for years, fine if the rest here join in. 

Saw a show the other night about charities and fraud. The people were giving 20% to the homeless and the big objection was, it's less than minimum wage and the other 80% was going to the agency. Hmm, sound familiar? Usury is a nice word too, even if it's for interest, the percentage that the agencies keep, is objectionable.

The promises they made to get people interested have been altered. The growth and increases, for sales and work, are a lie. (they were rescinded) Referral commissions, were ended. The hope for continuing income may have been assumed by artists, but it's a fraud. And now that the companies have 24 million images, they really don't need the people who got them to where they are.

The inventory is so diluted that the wages and earnings to artists are divided into so many different people, that only a few at the top, make any return on their time and investment. Competition has exploded, so have buyers choices.

I don't know if they are stores, and they call themselves agencies. But in the end, they really do not represent us, as they pretended to do. They are only out for their own gain. Hey that's business... People start a business to make money. People shoot Micro to make money.

Both want to invest time and money on product and sell things and MAKE A PROFIT. Agencies are not charity organizations, set up for our benefit. We don't want to work for nothing? Only way I can enjoy Microstock is, because it's a hobby and I have three other income sources. Yet people are critical of me, because I'm not serious enough for their standards. How does "serious" when the agencies lie and use people, make 20% return better?

Does your blood type make a difference to a blood * leach? But people come to Microstock to willingly donate their Blood, Sweat and Tears. Then complain about pay and sales. It's not like the whole market is a secret, and the commission rates are confidential. Not like someone new can't read here and see, that sales are down and income also.

They might be stores, they might be agencies, they could be brokers. Doesn't matter arguing semantics of what to call something. Parasites covered it!

Quote from: jm on July 24, 2013, 11:56

It's even worse. I suppose that Walmart's suppliers agree the price in advance and it's not changed unless both parties agree.

I don't know about Walmart, but I do know that some major retailers I have dealt with in the past expect the supplier to provide the product in their warehouse and depending on the sales and sales volume they will adjust the price, and if it doesn't sell the supplier has to take it back.

BTW - I doubt that Walmart pays up front for merchandise.  The suppliers probably give them credit. Walmart probably tries to get the item off the shelf before they have to pay for it.

They are not leaches or parasites.

They are drug dealers: When first everyone get addicted they raise the price.