So today I get a notice from IS:

"We regret to inform you that a refund has been issued for a purchase of your file #5688410:

client did not want this image.

Regards,
The iStockphoto Team"

Okay, it's only around five dollars, and certainly not the end if the world.
But the thing that bothers me is that the file was downloaded early in the morning and I did not get this notice until late in the afternoon.

Now how do I know that the client is not keeping the file and then asking for a refund?

If the file had been downloaded in error, and immediatly contacted IS, would I not have recieved a more timely message?

Maybe am being too suspicious, because my wife has a habit of buying five or six of the same garment in different colors and then returning all but one or two.

What's to stop a designer from doing something similar?

You can get that notice weeks or months later.  They are supposed to show a certificate of destruction that they removed the file from their system.

Funny since I got a similar email today but this one was "customer downloaded the wrong file"

Thanks for that info, Sean.
Does IS provide us with a copy of that certificate?

Quote from: sjlocke on December 02, 2009, 00:48
You can get that notice weeks or months later.  They are supposed to show a certificate of destruction that they removed the file from their system.

Just curious - how does one provide proof that they deleted it? And wouldn't it be easy to transfer it to another computer before deleting it?

Basically, you're screwed. The only guarantee is the honor system, and we all know how that works. Hopefully, people are honorable...

Quote from: cclapper on December 02, 2009, 13:10
The only guarantee is the honor system, and we all know how that works.

+1

I will never complain about photo stock agencies because...
- They are willing to do anything to protect our work   
- They respect us so much   
- They even pay us a commission... for our work.

Stock photography is all about selling photos to people who prefer to pay for it instead of stealing it.

If a buyer wants to get a photo for free and don't care about having a valid license for it, paying a license and then asking for a refund is definitively not the safest and most efficient way to proceed 

The same way, buyers could wonder whether they are purchasing a license from the actual copyright holder of a photo: they need to trust the photographer on that point as you need to trust the buyer here.

Quote from: cclapper on December 02, 2009, 13:10
Basically, you're screwed. The only guarantee is the honor system, and we all know how that works. Hopefully, people are honorable...

LOL.  Yes, the good old honor system.

I don't like these kinds of rejections either, but I assume that Istock keeps track of how many times a buyer does this.  Hopefully if the same customer asks for refunds often it will send up alarm bells. 

QuoteIf a buyer wants to get a photo for free and don't care about having a valid license for it, paying a license and then asking for a refund is definitively not the safest and most efficient way to proceed

Valid point, and I think for the most part, people are honorable. By the same token, I don't wear rose-colored glasses. There are always a few cheaters in the crowd. Just like cheater contributors, there are cheater buyers.

In the four years I have been contributing, I can count on one hand the number of times this has happened to me. I'll take those odds any day! (Hope I just didn't jinx it.) In a horrible economy, I think we can all expect things like this to happen more and more. But it's still stealing, and the bad economy is no excuse, though some are sure using it as one. Including big business. 

I had such a refund on an EL a while ago.  Very frustrating. 

Quote from: Norebbo on December 02, 2009, 03:10

Quote from: sjlocke on December 02, 2009, 00:48
You can get that notice weeks or months later.  They are supposed to show a certificate of destruction that they removed the file from their system.

Just curious - how does one provide proof that they deleted it? And wouldn't it be easy to transfer it to another computer before deleting it?

They sign the form, or whatever, scan it and upload it.  Or maybe there's an online agreement.

They don't have to ever really delete it if they don't want.  Of course it's the honor system.  iStockgestapo isn't going to raid your house.

Quote from: sjlocke on December 05, 2009, 00:36

Quote from: Norebbo on December 02, 2009, 03:10

Quote from: sjlocke on December 02, 2009, 00:48
You can get that notice weeks or months later.  They are supposed to show a certificate of destruction that they removed the file from their system.

Just curious - how does one provide proof that they deleted it? And wouldn't it be easy to transfer it to another computer before deleting it?

They sign the form, or whatever, scan it and upload it.  Or maybe there's an online agreement.

They don't have to ever really delete it if they don't want.  Of course it's the honor system.  iStockgestapo isn't going to raid your house.

Sweet 

I buy photos for my company projects on IS. There have been a few times I've downloaded a file I didn't need or ended up finding a better one so download that one too. It never occurred to me to try to get a refund, I just keep the extra files. If its only a few bucks, who cares?

Quote from: epantha on December 05, 2009, 12:29
I buy photos for my company projects on IS. There have been a few times I've downloaded a file I didn't need or ended up finding a better one so download that one too. It never occurred to me to try to get a refund, I just keep the extra files. If its only a few bucks, who cares?

Same here, though it has occured to me, but I figured I'd just hold it in my library for use in another project. I'm not going to purchase a useless image in the first place, and if it's less than 20 bucks out of my pocket, it is not worth my time and energy to pursue getting a refund.

I returned a file once, but it was just an exchange for a larger size. So, there wasn't any certificate of destruction. I don't know what their policy is, but I assume if you were frequently returning files they might refuse to refund your money.

Second time in a week! This is getting old real fast   

"We regret to inform you that a refund has been issued for a purchase of your file #5688410:

Client could not use this for their project.  Sorry.

Regards,
The iStockphoto Team"

Maybe companies are cracking down on designers...making them return any photos they didn't use for a project.

Quote from: cclapper on December 08, 2009, 22:13
Maybe companies are cracking down on designers...making them return any photos they didn't use for a project.

Possibly. 
But as before this was purchased in a rather large size and refunded the same day it was purchased.

In the past it has seemed that designers purchase smaller files for mock-ups and then if the image is approved by the client, the larger size is purchased.

Weird, this latest phenomenon.

Quote from: nosaya on December 08, 2009, 22:09
Second time in a week! This is getting old real fast   

"We regret to inform you that a refund has been issued for a purchase of your file #5688410:

Client could not use this for their project.  Sorry.

Regards,
The iStockphoto Team"

That is ridiculous!  Why didn't the client used a comp image first? 

If Istockphoto agrees to make a refund for such a reason, it should not be deducted from the photographer's earnings. 

Or maybe a designer saw this thread and realized it was an option.