This is right strategy. It's important to scare contributors first. Now we're going to celebrate despite  the fact that majority of our images are cheaper.

Quote from: cobalt on July 25, 2013, 14:29
Now do the 3 sales have to be in a certain time frame?

if there is no bug I would say yes

Quote from: jm on July 25, 2013, 14:34
This is right strategy. It's important to scare contributors first. Now we're going to celebrate despite  the fact that majority of our images are cheaper.

its still a harsh measure even pricing our files from 1-6 once we need to have 3 sales every 6 month (if there is no bug)

Quote from: luissantos84 on July 24, 2013, 17:42

Quote from: marthamarks on July 24, 2013, 17:39
+1

I didn't get the message either. Reading this thread, I assumed I'm "too new" at FT to have any skin in this particular 6-months game and so wasn't advised. But  I don't think I've ever gotten a newsletter from them yet, so maybe I'm not signed up for that. Hmmmm.

I'm soooo very new at FT, just a few weeks, but I may pull out there along with others from this group. Too few images there and too few sales to worry about, so not much to lose by leaving. I'm feeling good about my new SYS site. :-)

https://us.fotolia.com/Member/Modify/Preferences

watch out for your EL prices, you are selling them for 10$

I don't have an option to change that in preferences. Unlike the way it used to be, I have to change that with every upload

Quote from: dbvirago on July 25, 2013, 14:43

Quote from: luissantos84 on July 24, 2013, 17:42

Quote from: marthamarks on July 24, 2013, 17:39
+1

I didn't get the message either. Reading this thread, I assumed I'm "too new" at FT to have any skin in this particular 6-months game and so wasn't advised. But  I don't think I've ever gotten a newsletter from them yet, so maybe I'm not signed up for that. Hmmmm.

I'm soooo very new at FT, just a few weeks, but I may pull out there along with others from this group. Too few images there and too few sales to worry about, so not much to lose by leaving. I'm feeling good about my new SYS site. :-)

https://us.fotolia.com/Member/Modify/Preferences

watch out for your EL prices, you are selling them for 10$

I don't have an option to change that in preferences. Unlike the way it used to be, I have to change that with every upload

I was talking about the newsletter

will delete - reupload work?
or I need just delete files fotolia doesn't know how to sell well

"Dear contributor,

We're really desperate and need to cut your income some more, so we can make more money. Please enjoy this complimentary, fresh jar of Vaseline."

Quote from: cobalt on July 25, 2013, 11:14
In the Fotolia forums I read that prices have changed to 1 - 6 credits instead of 1-3. Can anyone confirm that?

Thanks for bringing this up Jasmin.  I had noticed the same thing this morning when I was going over some of my recently sold files. 

It's an improvement over the 1-3 scheme, at least. 

I deleted 75% of my port yesterday evening. Maybe they got scared 

Quote from: lisafx on July 25, 2013, 18:18

Quote from: cobalt on July 25, 2013, 11:14
In the Fotolia forums I read that prices have changed to 1 - 6 credits instead of 1-3. Can anyone confirm that?

Thanks for bringing this up Jasmin.  I had noticed the same thing this morning when I was going over some of my recently sold files. 

It's an improvement over the 1-3 scheme, at least.

I had informed support as I had several images that were reduced in price even though  they sold within the past 6 months. The announcment states: images that haven't sold within 6 months will be reduced in price. etc.

The answer I received from support indicated that an image needs to be sold 3 Times within 6 months in order not to be reduced in price. (I knew it needed 3 sales to get back to minimal pricing (not the price you had previously set) after a reduction) - but I did not read their statement as meaning if an image does not sell three times within 6 months it will be reduced in price.

With the search engine as it is - and the market situation as it is (and the results research has shown) - I am pretty sure sooner or later 80%+ of the images will be locked in price at the 1-6 credits price range (and I am pretty sure if that does not go fast enough search engine tweaks will ensure that this applies to pretty much the whole FT collection sooner or later).  This is a step this specifically will target gold status contributors and higher, exclusive contributors as well as contributors who provided image exclusive content - for as long as they set the base price to their images at 2 and higher. They see the largest reductions in income on existing files.

My personal consequence from this is - no uploading to FT of any new images for the time being - and removing files who sell well elsewhere. Further steps to be considered. 

Already deleted 200 images, would have done more, but lack of time. In fact I cancelled 3 agencies yesterday with my whole port.

Quote from: Mellimage on July 26, 2013, 21:48
... an image needs to be sold 3 Times within 6 months in order not to be reduced in price. (I knew it needed 3 sales to get back to minimal pricing (not the price you had previously set) after a reduction) - but I did not read their statement as meaning if an image does not sell three times within 6 months it will be reduced in price.

With the search engine as it is - and the market situation as it is (and the results research has shown) - I am pretty sure sooner or later 80%+ of the images will be locked in price at the 1-6 credits price range (and I am pretty sure if that does not go fast enough search engine tweaks will ensure that this applies to pretty much the whole FT collection sooner or later).  This is a step this specifically will target gold status contributors and higher, exclusive contributors as well as contributors who provided image exclusive content - for as long as they set the base price to their images at 2 and higher. They see the largest reductions in income on existing files.

Seriously??!!!  That's a whole different ballgame.  You're right, only steady best sellers will sell 3 times in 6 months.  This will absolutely kill seasonal images and all but the highest selling images.  And it will decimate incomes. 

Fotolia really knows how to shoot themselves in the foot! Check another one off of the upload list.

Quote from: Mellimage on July 26, 2013, 21:48

The answer I received from support indicated that an image needs to be sold 3 Times within 6 months in order not to be reduced in price. (I knew it needed 3 sales to get back to minimal pricing (not the price you had previously set) after a reduction) - but I did not read their statement as meaning if an image does not sell three times within 6 months it will be reduced in price.

I wouldn't believe support has any clue on what's going on.
I am sure their system screws up those changes. I have just checked, I found two of my files, both of them have exactly one download, both of these downloads are newer than six months. One file has still the original pricing (1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 10), the other has reduced prices (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6).
No logic there...

At least the change they did to the amount of price reduction (not anymore giving out XXLs for 3 credits) makes it a little easier to take.
But certainly no new uploads from me.

I Was going to drop a few low selling agencies, like CanStockPhoto, DP, GL and PD. And only continue uploading to 123, FT and SS. But if this is the case at FT, it will drop my earnings, so its no longer worth my time there as well. So I guess I am down to 2 agencies then.

ANd for some reason it feels good. I just leave my portfolio generate the small change while I focus on SS and my own site for new content.

Quote from: Ron on July 26, 2013, 23:13
I Was going to drop a few low selling agencies, like CanStockPhoto, DP, GL and PD. And only continue uploading to 123, FT and SS. But if this is the case at FT, it will drop my earnings, so its no longer worth my time there as well. So I guess I am down to 2 agencies then.

ANd for some reason it feels good. I just leave my portfolio generate the small change while I focus on SS and my own site for new content.

+1 Symbiostock is the only way forward for most contributors

Is it possible that they want people to clean out their portfolios and delete files with lower sales volume?

How can you give them higher end exclusive files with these expectations? Or seasonal images?

This is just another way of lowering prices using indirect means
I will purge my port of all zero sale files

I always thought as a contributor my job was to produce the image and it was the agencies job to sell it, not give it away.

The microsites are telling us that they don't want those low selling, niche images, and they don't want a lot of similars.

We know what to do

So only ultra generic stuff will be supplied and all the agencies will look exactly the same...

Quote from: dirkr on July 26, 2013, 23:05

I wouldn't believe support has any clue on what's going on.
I am sure their system screws up those changes. I have just checked, I found two of my files, both of them have exactly one download, both of these downloads are newer than six months. One file has still the original pricing (1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 10), the other has reduced prices (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6).
No logic there...

At least the change they did to the amount of price reduction (not anymore giving out XXLs for 3 credits) makes it a little easier to take.
But certainly no new uploads from me.

I am not saying they are implementing this policy in a flawless matter. This is just what support indicated to me - which is in contrast to their own announcement. Their own announcement, how poorly ever it was distributed, does not indicate an amount of sales a file needs to keep its originally set price level. So I protested their decision not to reinstate those images that were reduced in pricing even though they sold at least once within the past 6 months.

In the end all of this is cosmetic operation, as it saves only a few files and if they wanna really lower more files in price they just need to tweak the search engine and these files move to the back of the search, never to be found, unless the artist does the marketing for the images him/ herself - precisely the job the agency is to do with the ammount of commission they receive from us.

This was my question

QuoteI understand its for old and new files, but you reduced the pricing on images that havent sold PRIOR to the announcement. You cant do that. The 6 month period needs to start from the day you announce the price cut. You cant just change the rules and then apply it to a period where a different TOS was uphold.

This is their reply

QuoteWe understand that you would prefer the clock to start from June 24. There are many images that have sat idle for 6+ months and we can not wait any longer. Fotolia may make any changes to it's Standard Pricing and Payment Policies at any time. We will be evaluating the feedback of this change over the coming weeks and months from contributors and customers. We will certainly pass on your concerns to our management team for review.

This is what I told them

QuoteHi team, thank you for your explanation. Please let your management also know that I will no longer contribute new images to fotolia until you treat us with respect and stop cutting our earnings.

I fully understand if agencies want to clear out old content that hasn't sold for years. Or hasn't had a sale in 18 months.

But 3 times every 6 months?

Doesn't this hurt their own revenue, especially on the seasonal images?

Anyway, I am on the lowest rank and not yet affected. I will continue to upload to Fotolia, but this means that I have to think much more carefully about the timing of files.

I guess the pressure from istock and the new half price policy is having a very drastic effect although it has only been marketed for 2 weeks.

Quote from: cobalt on July 27, 2013, 09:19
I fully understand if agencies want to clear out old content that hasn't sold for years. Or hasn't had a sale in 18 months.

But 3 times every 6 months?

Doesn't this hurt their own revenue, especially on the seasonal images?

Anyway, I am on the lowest rank and not yet affected. I will continue to upload to Fotolia, but this means that I have to think much more carefully about the timing of files.



I guess the pressure from istock and the new half price policy is having a very drastic effect although it has only been marketed for 2 weeks.

Well im going to help them clear out some of their content.

I still don't see how this makes them more money?  Lots of contributors leave, they tell buyers to go elsewhere.  Many of those that remain wont upload anymore.  I didn't use deposit photos much until now but this will give me more time to upload my portfolio to them.

Whoever came up with this stupid idea needs to be replaced by someone that can focus on selling more images.  It might be too late for them already.