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Author Topic: Buyers Bailing on Istock  (Read 387856 times)

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helix7

« Reply #50 on: September 09, 2010, 16:53 »
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Look mate, you're hardly a big seller on IS. For a lot of people it's their entire source of income, start chasing buyers away and people are not happy. Duh!

They made the choice to go all-in with one source of income. I'm not going to remain supportive of a company like istock just to keep a few exclusives happy.


lisafx

« Reply #51 on: September 09, 2010, 16:54 »
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Looks like threats of driving buyers away from istock to better paying sites have upset some folks.  That's a good thing.    

Vlad is the first, but definitely not the last to try and derail our attempts to respond to this situation by trolling up the forum threads and dragging us off topic.  

This thread makes a lot more sense and is much more on topic now I've put him on ignore :)

lisafx

« Reply #52 on: September 09, 2010, 16:56 »
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I remember advicing Lisa some years ago, not to put all her eggs in the IS bag - I bet she glad about that today?

I don't know who you are, but if you were one of the folks who gave me that excellent advice about staying diversified, THANK YOU.  I am indeed glad!

« Reply #53 on: September 09, 2010, 16:57 »
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Quote
If I chose to redirect my clients and my network to other sites, that MY desition.

Oh, I bet you're another big seller!

"vlad_the_imp",

Do what you have to do, we'll do what we have to do.

« Reply #54 on: September 09, 2010, 16:58 »
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This thread makes a lot more sense and is much more on topic now I've put him on ignore :)

Indeed.  You're a wise woman, Lisa.  I spent tens of seconds working on a reply before I reached the same conclusion.

lisafx

« Reply #55 on: September 09, 2010, 17:49 »
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I have had decent sales today at a couple of sites that are usually dead in the water - Canstock and Crestock.  And my Fotolia sales are up by about 50% over what they usually are on a weekday. 

It's probably way too soon to see a noticeable difference from customers moving, but it did seem unusual.  Anyone else experiencing the same? 

« Reply #56 on: September 09, 2010, 17:50 »
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I have had decent sales today at a couple of sites that are usually dead in the water - Canstock and Crestock.  And my Fotolia sales are up by about 50% over what they usually are on a weekday. 

It's probably way too soon to see a noticeable difference from customers moving, but it did seem unusual.  Anyone else experiencing the same? 

I just see a very good performance at 123RF

« Reply #57 on: September 09, 2010, 19:00 »
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Me too , especially on 123RF , 3x usual last 2 days  ;D

« Reply #58 on: September 09, 2010, 19:07 »
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Evidently the istock inspectors formed a union or started a boycott or something ... I seem to have a lot of files piled up in the queue.

Not sure but I think maybe this company did the business equivalent of shouting, "Hey watch me step on this rake!"

ap

« Reply #59 on: September 09, 2010, 19:19 »
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so, there is really no point to not uploading as a protest strategy.

« Reply #60 on: September 09, 2010, 19:34 »
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so, there is really no point to not uploading as a protest strategy.

Why do you say that?  I'm not disagreeing necessarily.  But I'd expect that sort of protest to take a lot of people over a lot of weeks to get anyone's attention at all.  Heck, my upload slots don't open up again for another 24 hours.

ap

« Reply #61 on: September 09, 2010, 19:40 »
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Why do you say that?  

it seems the reviewers are on strike indefinitely. it doesn't matter whether you upload or not. i still have files from the first of the month.
« Last Edit: September 09, 2010, 19:42 by ap »

« Reply #62 on: September 09, 2010, 20:00 »
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Why do you say that?  

it seems the reviewers are on strike indefinitely. it doesn't matter whether you upload or not. i still have files from the first of the month.

That may just be the US holiday this past weekend.  I have a batch from last Friday that's waiting for review, but everything else is caught up.

« Reply #63 on: September 09, 2010, 20:20 »
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Maybe the reviewers are on strike too?  Aren't they all exclusives?  Think they are happy>?

« Reply #64 on: September 09, 2010, 20:36 »
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Not Having internet or cable for almost 3 days and look what i missed!  I will be notifying my designer friends to go elsewhere with their stock dollars. IStock's decision is completely asinine.

TheSmilingAssassin

    This user is banned.
« Reply #65 on: September 09, 2010, 21:58 »
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Ive been reading about the IS debacle and see a lot of people allowing their emotions to get the better of them.  Istock has been on a downward slide for months now and everyone should have expected this to happen.  Probably not so soon but it was definitely on the cards.  Istock has made one bad decision after another and their last attempt at improving their website has probably blown their budget causing the big Kahunas at the top to kick ass, forcing them to reduce costs.  Of course the quickest way to do this is to reduce commissions.

I see people have stopped uploading and are pulling (or talking about pulling) their portfolios.  Istock is worried about their bottom line so I advise contributors to do the same.  For those earning a living, dont let your emotions drive you to make a bad decision.  Instead make this a slow and steady process.  Set up your position on other viable sites and slowly reduce your portfolio on IS.  Dont do anything hasty that will you hurt you.

The other thing everyone needs to remember is that this isnt necessarily an Istock problem.  This is a microstock problem.  You could remove your portfolio and dump it onto another site but the same thing will happen in the future.  The new site will grow, money will be invested, bad decisions will be made, budgets will be blown out and eventually theyll be forced to shaft the contributor.

The only solution to all of this is, as a few have pointed out, to educate the buyer.  Stop referring contributors and buyers to sites that make you the most revenue.  Instead, refer them to sites that give you both greater commission and a better deal for the buyer. 

The poll results on the left are biased and do nothing more than give power to the already greedy agents.  It's flawed because not everyone gets to vote for starters and because it's about sales volume rather than RPD.  This table should be scrapped and replaced with a table that displays the fairest pricing and commission structure for both buyers and contributors.  Buyers should be able to look at this table and it should immediately influence them on making a decision where to buy.  It should also influence contributors to upload to the site that gives them and the buyer the best deal and it should also influence the agents to strive to be at the top of the list.

This table could possibly be made into something like a widget that can be placed on everyones websites and blogs and is always kept up to date.  Facebook, Myspace, Twitter and all social networking sites should be used to educate the buyer.  Theres no point driving them to an agent that makes you more money if it doesnt give them the best price.  The majority of buyers dont care where they buy their images as long as its the cheapest alternative.  If they find the same image on two websites that are both cheap only then will the contributors commission influence their decision and this is what we need to play on.

So if it's going to hurt you and your family, leave your IS portfolios sit for a while, promote the fairer sites and the buyers will follow if we start promoting agents with the interests of the buyer at heart.  Even if its a new site with no buyers yet, just add your portfolios and at least give the buyer the option of buying them there.

As for Istock, there is no need to punish them.  Theyre already finished.  They cannot come out on top of this one.  Even if they reverse their decision, contributors and some buyers have already lost faith in them.  And this is the other thing, it is silly to be loyal to any agent.  These agents are supposed to have the buyers and the contributors best interest at heart but the world doesnt work that way.  Forget about loyalty.  Instead favour the agent thats the fairest at any given time and never become exclusive.  Doing that only gives the agent the power to screw you over you by locking you in. 

« Reply #66 on: September 09, 2010, 22:59 »
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Maybe the reviewers are on strike too?  Aren't they all exclusives?  Think they are happy>?

Maybe the review payments were reduced too?  ;D

« Reply #67 on: September 10, 2010, 00:04 »
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You make some good points pseudonymous

« Reply #68 on: September 10, 2010, 00:24 »
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pseudonymous, great post, thank you for your input and welcome. Denis

« Reply #69 on: September 10, 2010, 00:39 »
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You make some good points pseudonymous

very

« Reply #70 on: September 10, 2010, 03:31 »
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Sales all over my sites (FOT, DT, SS, Alamy) are going up, and up and up these past two days.

And to Lisa FX - we had a mail discution some years back about going exclusive or not, and I recommended you to take a look at the alternatives, such as Alamy, DT, SS etc. My nick on IS was Asist.

I was really glad to see when you started to diversify - it will keep you and our family on your feet, even though IS income will drop or disapear. In time IS will selfdsestruct, and we gain the loss on our other sites.

« Reply #71 on: September 10, 2010, 04:43 »
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I have had decent sales today at a couple of sites that are usually dead in the water - Canstock and Crestock.  And my Fotolia sales are up by about 50% over what they usually are on a weekday. 

It's probably way too soon to see a noticeable difference from customers moving, but it did seem unusual.  Anyone else experiencing the same? 

I experience the same for the last two days, but with iStockphoto  ::)
Might be the season.

« Reply #72 on: September 10, 2010, 04:49 »
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Sales all over my sites (FOT, DT, SS, Alamy) are going up, and up and up these past two days.

And to Lisa FX - we had a mail discution some years back about going exclusive or not, and I recommended you to take a look at the alternatives, such as Alamy, DT, SS etc. My nick on IS was Asist.

I was really glad to see when you started to diversify - it will keep you and our family on your feet, even though IS income will drop or disapear. In time IS will selfdsestruct, and we gain the loss on our other sites.

I'm seeing nothing anywhere that is not easily explained by old "ebb and flow". In fact on many sites I am doing worse than I would expect. I wouldn't expect to see anything happening at this stage though, it took months for the signs of possible buyer resistance to turn up in the sales pattern after the last price hike.

« Reply #73 on: September 10, 2010, 04:53 »
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I'm seeing nothing anywhere that is not easily explained by old "ebb and flow". In fact on many sites I am doing worse than I would expect. I wouldn't expect to see anything happening at this stage though, it took months for the signs of possible buyer resistance to turn up in the sales pattern after the last price hike.

Well - that what I see, but ofcourse, it too early to judge a long term effect, but I hear a lof of others reporting the same - but we will have to wait and see the long term effect of all this.

microstockphoto.co.uk

« Reply #74 on: September 10, 2010, 09:23 »
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My sales on all other sites are good indeed in these last few days.
But it's early for me to say if it's an effect of disillusionment or just September.
Let's hope you are right.
« Last Edit: September 10, 2010, 09:26 by microstockphoto.co.uk »


 

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