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Author Topic: Fine Art America - cancel premium membership  (Read 17849 times)

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ShadySue

  • There is a crack in everything
« Reply #25 on: June 11, 2021, 07:49 »
0
I notice that the visitors I get on FAA seem to come from a small number of cities in the US and China.
Aren't these search bots?


« Reply #26 on: June 11, 2021, 08:04 »
0
Thanks sue, that explains it.

« Reply #27 on: June 11, 2021, 11:12 »
+2
I notice that the visitors I get on FAA seem to come from a small number of cities in the US and China.

Their diisplay of 'visits' doesn't filter spiders and search bots, so that traffic is 95% of what you see.

« Reply #28 on: June 11, 2021, 14:26 »
+1
I've been there since 2012 and while I still sell a few, it's never turned into much.  The site is now  flooded with images from big sellers like Getty and Conde Nast and the search is a hopeless mess.  They've also earned an F rating from the BBB.

actually the Search functions are horrible in pretty much all the major PODs.

no surprise for their bad BBB rating, it was a fly by night company from the beginning and not much has changed.

« Reply #29 on: June 12, 2021, 08:51 »
0
I've been there since 2012 and while I still sell a few, it's never turned into much.  The site is now  flooded with images from big sellers like Getty and Conde Nast and the search is a hopeless mess.  They've also earned an F rating from the BBB.

actually the Search functions are horrible in pretty much all the major PODs.

no surprise for their bad BBB rating, it was a fly by night company from the beginning and not much has changed.

Agree. They had a chance to become a great POD site. 

« Reply #30 on: June 13, 2021, 19:40 »
+1
I've been there since 2012 and while I still sell a few, it's never turned into much.  The site is now  flooded with images from big sellers like Getty and Conde Nast and the search is a hopeless mess.  They've also earned an F rating from the BBB.

actually the Search functions are horrible in pretty much all the major PODs.

no surprise for their bad BBB rating, it was a fly by night company from the beginning and not much has changed.

hardly worth even considering the BBB - aquick google search:

https://www.trustpilot.com/review/bbb.org

"Anyone who trusts the BBB to recommend a business needs to be aware that this organization (i.e. nonprofit and is not taxed) uses its past (very past) reputation to allow companies to purchase their A+ ratings through "membership" fees. Example: LaserShip currently has an A+ on BBB.org despite 1026 complaints in the past three years. In fact, BBB.org currently has a message at the top of their LaserShip page indicating that "due to the high volume of complaints received for this business, BBB publishes 1 out of every 10 complaints handled through our conciliation process."

https://www.quora.com/Can-Better-Business-Bureau-BBB-ratings-be-trusted

" investigators were able to get accreditation and an A- grade for a fake, totally nonexistent business after paying a $425 fee to the local BBB."

"the organizations mission isnt to have your back. From top to bottom, the BBB is funded by the annual dues paid by businesses it anoints with accreditation, which allows the companies to put those iconic BBB stamps of approval on their storefronts and websites. This fact raises obvious questions about an inherent conflict of interest: The organizations customers are businesses, not taxpayers or consumers. How can the BBB serve as an honest broker"?

"A 2011 New York Times article pointed out examples of BBB complaints being closedor not even registereddespite the fact that customers werent remotely happy with the behavior of the business at hand. When a complaint is deemed closed by the BBB, a consumer can elect for the BBBs mediation services. But those services must be paid for by the consumer, resulting in a situation that, say, a customer must pay $70 in order to get $39 back on computer software that didnt work as promised. This scenario works out well for businesses, which can maintain their good BBB grades and see their annual dues as money well spent:"

https://clark.com/consumer-issues-id-theft/can-you-trust-the-better-business-bureau/

In 2011, William Mitchell, the CEO of the Los Angeles chapter of the BBB resigned in the wake of a pay-for-play scandal in which local businesses including some fake ones created by critics received good ratings after paying for membership.

Uncle Pete

  • Great Place by a Great Lake - My Home Port
« Reply #31 on: June 14, 2021, 06:33 »
+1

hardly worth even considering the BBB - aquick google search:

https://www.trustpilot.com/review/bbb.org


Now there's true irony. Coming from Trustpilot who openly takes pay to improve ratings.  :) They also allow paid accounts to challenge anything negative which usually means, it's removed. The verification for negative reviews and complaints, takes documentation and matching identity verification, yet positive reviews, need nothing.

https://reviewersopinions.wordpress.com/2016/06/10/can-trustpilot-com-be-trusted/#:~:text=com%E2%80%99%20Be%20Trusted%3F%20In%20a%20word%20%E2%80%98No%21%E2%80%99%20and,the%20site%20to%20enhance%20their%20credibility%20and%20SEO.

TP ranks FAA, 84% positive with four stars. 2,000 reviews  ??? BBB ranks them 1 star with only 20 reviews. Seems kind of odd.

Just for fun, SS - BBB 45 reviews one star, 224 complaints. SS on TP, 1,405 reviews, 94% negative.  ;D

« Reply #32 on: June 14, 2021, 11:30 »
0
BBB may be a wash, who cares I guess.

But customers having been posting angrily in the FAA forum, saying they get no response from CS. Some have been contacting the photographers and artists directly which is a real PITA as we have no more leverage than the buyers.

Uncle Pete

  • Great Place by a Great Lake - My Home Port
« Reply #33 on: June 15, 2021, 10:34 »
+1
BBB may be a wash, who cares I guess.

But customers having been posting angrily in the FAA forum, saying they get no response from CS. Some have been contacting the photographers and artists directly which is a real PITA as we have no more leverage than the buyers.

True we have no more standing than a buyer, probably less. So much like some of the agencies that have no timely or active support and generally ignore us. Hopefully some buyer contacting me directly means making a sale, not trying to resolve a production complaint? I took some time to read the complaints on BBB and Trustpilot. Slow shipping, quality issues, non-delivery. Keep in mind, FAA does nothing, they just farm out this work to production places.

Complaints from sellers were also interesting. Where FAA canceled an order because the image wasn't high enough quality. The artist was upset because they lost a sale.

I'd also say that sometimes from reading the forums, I think support gets bombed with questions and complaints that are irrelevant, incessant and take time away from real issues that someone else might have. I mean, you have probably read some of the complaints here, where someone says, "I wrote six times yesterday and no one answered me yet!"  ;D

Some complaints, are off issue and insulting. This leads the support section at some places to become "deaf" to real issues and serious questions.

But beyond all that, no I'm not defending FAA at all. Writing about illegal use or stolen images, gets no answer, and writing on the forum gets the thread closed with a note to stop or have the seller account closed. They just don't want to know, so they can be free from prosecution as an accomplice. Blind Eye defense, they didn't know, they didn't see it, so they aren't responsible for misuse or stolen art, celebrity likeness is protected, not on FAA. DMCA is weak and useless.

Did anyone answer the OP. Login > Behind The Scenes > Close Account - really isn't not that complicated or tricky?



Or as I suggested way back, click Premium Features and remove the credit card! https://fineartamerica.com/controlpanel/premiumfeatures.html


« Reply #34 on: June 15, 2021, 16:52 »
0
unfortunately quitting premium basically means you're not going to sell any of the few images you're allowed for free - might as well just leave

for me it's another passive income -- if i make > the premium fee i'll stay

« Reply #35 on: June 15, 2021, 21:20 »
0
unfortunately quitting premium basically means you're not going to sell any of the few images you're allowed for free - might as well just leave

for me it's another passive income -- if i make > the premium fee i'll stay

Is it possible to get back the $ 30 for the Premium subscription by selling something there?
I only have 25 images there, i'm there since october 2021 and i have earned $11.5 .

marthamarks

« Reply #36 on: June 15, 2021, 21:24 »
+2
I notice that the visitors I get on FAA seem to come from a small number of cities in the US and China.

Exactly right. Amazingly, it's always the same cities.

I managed to get out of FAA when my credit card was compromised and cancelled and the company sent me a new one. Happy day!

« Reply #37 on: June 16, 2021, 06:12 »
+1
They just don't want to know, so they can be free from prosecution as an accomplice. Blind Eye defense, they didn't know, they didn't see it, so they aren't responsible for misuse or stolen art, celebrity likeness is protected, not on FAA. DMCA is weak and useless.

Even without the DMCA they would be useless, as a european how could i justify the investment of suing somebody in another continent for stealing a photo worth a 20-30$ print ?

« Reply #38 on: June 16, 2021, 07:07 »
+3
Agree. They had a chance to become a great POD site.

They should have evolved into a curated fine-art POD but opted to become another generic no-frills "all you can eat" POD with no selection, no curation, no customer support, it's just a small company trying the milk their customers like anybody else, no difference from all the other awful generic PODs apart for the "fineart" in their name.

The one and only reason to use FAA is if for whatever reason you niche is selling well over there.

Uncle Pete

  • Great Place by a Great Lake - My Home Port
« Reply #39 on: June 16, 2021, 09:43 »
+1
unfortunately quitting premium basically means you're not going to sell any of the few images you're allowed for free - might as well just leave

for me it's another passive income -- if i make > the premium fee i'll stay

Seems to be the case that free sells little or nothing. I had two sales in the years that I had a free 25. I changed to pay and made more than the $30 in the first three months. That means I'll go another year, as long as I do better than breaking even. Yes, if I make the premium fee, I stay, if not, any year I don't, I'll leave.

Is it possible to get back the $ 30 for the Premium subscription by selling something there?
I only have 25 images there, i'm there since october 2021 and i have earned $11.5 .

Yes it's possible and I could do more work, but I've become busy with other things for the next four months. My experience was the same as yours, free 25, a couple of sales after years.

I can't say anything more than possible, I mean I can't say probable? I don't know if the search placement improved, or if I just had many more images? And even with that, I have 283 images now, before I got distracted and stopped uploading.  :P Coasting and I know I have many more images to upload, that have some potential. Funny thing is, the last sale, came from an image I used for an example in a contest on FAA and wasn't even in my collection. Someone PMed and said they wanted to buy it. OK I'll take that sale?

My opinion and I think many others, is, the free 25 is not likely to do well. By the way, I have made some Pixels sales, but nothing exciting. For example, I sold a single greeting card and made $1.04, and someone bought a "sticker" which made me 54c, which hardly creates any joy or excitement. But oh well, it's another dollar?

Prints earn me about $20 a sale. I just raised that to $25 and instead of by size, I went for, how much do I make on a sale. So everything up to 11x17, for example, I make $25. Larger I make $30. I don't see the size as very relevant to the commission? I don't want to be too low, because buyers will make things, no matter what, if they want it. Price is not important. I also don't want to drive someone away because I have some overly optimistic high value on my work.

Shooting for a fair middle that will get sales and make me happy. $25 is that point for prints.

« Reply #40 on: June 16, 2021, 17:36 »
+2
Shooting for a fair middle that will get sales and make me happy. $25 is that point for prints.

There's nothing to be afraid or scared in asking a fair price, FineArt is supposed to be a luxury item after all, it's not microstock.



Uncle Pete

  • Great Place by a Great Lake - My Home Port
« Reply #41 on: June 19, 2021, 10:13 »
0
Shooting for a fair middle that will get sales and make me happy. $25 is that point for prints.

There's nothing to be afraid or scared in asking a fair price, FineArt is supposed to be a luxury item after all, it's not microstock.

$25 commission is my fair price for allowing someone to own a print of one of my photos, as I determined it?  8)  A little more if they print larger.

I should really set all prints at $30 and up, so one sale, covers my whole years subscription? Hey, there's a plan?

« Reply #42 on: June 19, 2021, 11:43 »
+1
$25 commission is my fair price for allowing someone to own a print of one of my photos, as I determined it?  8)  A little more if they print larger.

I should really set all prints at $30 and up, so one sale, covers my whole years subscription? Hey, there's a plan?

It's up to you to fairly and honestly price your works, nobody else can or should tell you otherwise.

The low-price leaders are the dropshippers, you can't beat them and it's not even worth it to compete with them.

« Reply #43 on: June 19, 2021, 19:02 »
+1
$25 commission is my fair price for allowing someone to own a print of one of my photos, as I determined it?  8)  A little more if they print larger.

I should really set all prints at $30 and up, so one sale, covers my whole years subscription? Hey, there's a plan?

It's up to you to fairly and honestly price your works, nobody else can or should tell you otherwise.

The low-price leaders are the dropshippers, you can't beat them and it's not even worth it to compete with them.

FAA is a drop shipper - the commissions mentioned are added to their rather high basic prices

« Reply #44 on: June 20, 2021, 01:15 »
0

yes it is easily worth the 25 dollar or whatever it is, even if you sell one print per year, it is worth it. i sell one print a month or so, but each sale earns me between $50-200

I've got about 1,000 photos there, I don't sell much (I don't promote my stuff it just sits and waits for something to happen). I got my first sale of the year there this week, for $80; last year I made $240 off two sales. 2019 about $400 and 2018 about  $600. Once the uploading's done it's money for old rope.

The question of how you should price your prints is contentious. Will low prices attract lots of buyers? Maybe, if you actively push your work, but it may also mean it isn't valued by buyers. In my case I reckon higher prices are good because if someone really likes something they will be willing to pay.

And I've never had anything returned. Some people upload rubbish and get sales cancelled because the quality is poor.

« Reply #45 on: June 22, 2021, 09:32 »
+2

I've got about 1,000 photos there, I don't sell much (I don't promote my stuff it just sits and waits for something to happen). I got my first sale of the year there this week, for $80; last year I made $240 off two sales. 2019 about $400 and 2018 about  $600. Once the uploading's done it's money for old rope.


BaldricksTrousers, you are lucky because you signed up in 2010.

Every so often I look at the recent sales page and I always see the same names every day: Dave Allen, Debra and Dave Vanderlaan, Thomas Zimmermann, David Patterson, Scott Norris, Larry Marshall ... all registered at least 10 years ago (2009-2010-2011 ...)

The search system favors those who make a lot of sales or old members.

Today there are many large galleries or stock agencies selling on FAA and new users are invisible. The only way to sell on the FAA is to have a very rare keyword or to do a lot of marketing outside the FAA.

Here are some numbers:

22 mil of artworks
12 mil photos

and

Getty Images 2,000,000 photos
Image Professionals 205.000 photos
Cavan Images 137,000 photos
1X 92.500 photos
EStock Photo Decor 190.000 photos
StockTrek Images 44,000 photos
Shutterstock 9,500 photos

For a new user it is impossible to get ahead of these in the search. Too big ! And the search for each keyword only shows the first 35 pages. About 2,500 results.

I would like to meet a photographer who has signed up in the last 3 years and sells well.

« Reply #46 on: June 22, 2021, 11:20 »
+1
Getty Images 2,000,000 photos
Image Professionals 205.000 photos
Cavan Images 137,000 photos
1X 92.500 photos
EStock Photo Decor 190.000 photos
StockTrek Images 44,000 photos
Shutterstock 9,500 photos

And these agencies for sure do not have to pay the yearly premium membership LOL

« Reply #47 on: June 22, 2021, 12:35 »
+2
For a new user it is impossible to get ahead of these in the search. Too big ! And the search for each keyword only shows the first 35 pages. About 2,500 results.

It's not a curated gallery and this is the obvious result.
In 2015 Flickr had already 4 billion images, good luck being found there in 2021.

I can't even imagine how many billion pics are on Instagram now.



« Reply #48 on: June 22, 2021, 14:44 »
0
Shooting for a fair middle that will get sales and make me happy. $25 is that point for prints.

There's nothing to be afraid or scared in asking a fair price, FineArt is supposed to be a luxury item after all, it's not microstock.

$25 commission is my fair price for allowing someone to own a print of one of my photos, as I determined it?  8)  A little more if they print larger.

I should really set all prints at $30 and up, so one sale, covers my whole years subscription? Hey, there's a plan?

With a Payoneer card it is possible to pay for premium subscription on Fine Art America?

« Reply #49 on: June 22, 2021, 17:07 »
+1

It's not a curated gallery and this is the obvious result.
In 2015 Flickr had already 4 billion images, good luck being found there in 2021.

I think it is important the diversity of results generated by search algorithm: bestselling mixed with new content. As in microstock.

Adobe Stock and Shutterstock do a good job in my opinion. While Depositphotos and Dreamstime reward the best-selling photos too much, while Istock perhaps the most recent ones.

FAA has been awarding the same photos for years. Always the same.


 

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