Author Topic: Have shutterstock done the dirty on us with their affiliate scheme? (Read 10310 times)

microstockinsider · « **on:** December 04, 2012, 21:00 »

Seems that shutterstock have done an istockphoto on us by closing their current affiliate program and making everyone signup with a new one:

http://affiliate.shutterstock.com/pdfs/new_affiliate_platform.pdf

Various things annoy me about this:

- seems the new program only pays for purchases but not for earnings by referred programers. looks like 'lifetime earnings' from the old system end at the end of the year - so if you are like me and earn from photographer you referred that will all disappear (it seems - not sure on that?) http://affiliate.shutterstock.com/faq.mhtml still mentions that but I fear it's out of date?

- you have to signup again, they already have all your data but its you that has to jump through all the hoops to re-apply wait for approval etc.

- payment only via EFT if you are outside US, and ACH inside?

After getting my fingers burnt with istocks change that took a fairly modest amount of earnings down to zero over night I'm certainly not planning on changing existing buyer targeted links with shutterstock over to their new outsourced program, DT or FT seem like a much more stable better bet(!). I might test on one site but the others will go elsewhere.

I did write the email below to my contact at shutterstock, but it seems "they're not working there any more"...

===========

Hi Matt

can you let me know a little more about shutterstock motives regarding moving their affiliate program?

having signed up for a couple of affiliate accounts following our discussions last year I'm really not looking forward to moving my existing shutterstock links to new links via this outsourced platform you are migrating to. It seems like a lot of unnecessary work, and I'm hoping you can explain the reasons why this is happening?

it's not rocket science to forward current affiliate links somewhere, nor can it be that hard for you to migrate the data you already have to the new platform transparently? surely? why is it up to me to signup again, wait for sites to be re-approved, modify the code on my site etc?

I can't think of a single time in nearly 15 years of online marketing experience where a website has gone down this road
and it's not ended up with the eventual closure of the affiliate program, moving it elsewhere again or moving it back in house.

Can you also clarify if the payouts for existing referred photographers will end (clearly they are not part of the new program
going forward) but there was a lifetime payout of 3 cents on referred photographers' sales. Is this included in the "Any referrals from the legacy platform are considered invalid after December 31, 2012."

thanks in advance

steve

===========

gostwyck · « **Reply #1 on:** December 04, 2012, 21:22 »

You could always try earning money by submitting your own content. It works for me. I've no sympathy at all for parasites that just try to syphon off income from content providers or their agencies.

click_click · « **Reply #2 on:** December 04, 2012, 21:40 »

Quote from: gostwyck on December 04, 2012, 21:22

You could always try earning money by submitting your own content. It works for me. I've no sympathy at all for parasites that just try to syphon off income from content providers or their agencies.

With all due respect, it's SS that offers this scheme and it's not the affiliates' "fault" that they use what's being offered by our agent.

I've never heard about contributors being upset with SS because of their affiliate program. Apparently it's a big issue...?

Jo Ann Snover · « **Reply #3 on:** December 04, 2012, 21:45 »

Not a big issue, but I don't use it and don't much care about it one way or the other

THP Creative · « **Reply #4 on:** December 04, 2012, 22:28 »

thanks for the info, but it seems this only affects the .affiliate accounts, not contributors who happen to sign up new referrals, as this is done via a different site essentially, the submit.shutterstock site.

So this doesn't seem to affect most of us, just those who don't contribute at all and want to do purely affiliate marketing.

Unless I'm reading it wrong.

click_click · « **Reply #5 on:** December 04, 2012, 22:39 »

Quote from: Microstock Man on December 04, 2012, 22:28

thanks for the info, but it seems this only affects the .affiliate accounts, not contributors who happen to sign up new referrals, as this is done via a different site essentially, the submit.shutterstock site.

So this doesn't seem to affect most of us, just those who don't contribute at all and want to do purely affiliate marketing. ...

That's how I understood it as well.

THP Creative · « **Reply #6 on:** December 04, 2012, 22:59 »

Can appreciate if thats a pain for you though microstockinsider, changing links would be a nightmare.

microstockinsider · « **Reply #7 on:** December 04, 2012, 23:06 »

Quote from: Microstock Man on December 04, 2012, 22:28

thanks for the info, but it seems this only affects the .affiliate accounts, not contributors who happen to sign up new referrals, as this is done via a different site essentially, the submit.shutterstock site.

So this doesn't seem to affect most of us, just those who don't contribute at all and want to do purely affiliate marketing.

Unless I'm reading it wrong.

Ahhhh.... now I'm a little clearer, my contributor account that has lot of referred photographers does indeed have no reference to changes.

By the way you can log into the control panel at affiliate.shutterstock.com with the same credentials (via the legacy login link - or at least I can) I see common earnings totals in both subsites (there's nothing extra to see in the affiliate site - its the same information in the submit.shutterstock.com control panel)

my other accounts that ive checked don't show common data when I log into submit and affiliate panels using the same credentials - only in the affiliate panel has earnings (this fan-dangled arrangement of accounts was created at the recommendation of their now ex referral marketing manager, not my idea).

You might be right in that its just the affiliate.shutterstock.com ONLY accounts that are disappearing, those that show affiliate earnings via submit.shutterstock.com don't seem change.

ppdd · « **Reply #8 on:** December 05, 2012, 00:01 »

This is correct - referred photographers has nothing to do with the new system. The new system is only for referred buyers.

Matt has left the company - there's a new person in that position.

mtkang · « **Reply #9 on:** December 05, 2012, 02:01 »

does it mean all the referral earnings won't have impacts? only on buyers?

leaf · « **Reply #10 on:** December 05, 2012, 04:15 »

Quote from: Microstock Man on December 04, 2012, 22:28

thanks for the info, but it seems this only affects the .affiliate accounts, not contributors who happen to sign up new referrals, as this is done via a different site essentially, the submit.shutterstock site.

So this doesn't seem to affect most of us, just those who don't contribute at all and want to do purely affiliate marketing.

Unless I'm reading it wrong.

agreed, this paragraph makes it fairly clear about that... hopefully.

Quote

This migration only affects Shutterstock affiliates who use affiliate.shutterstock.com to access their account. If you are a Shutterstock ntributor using submit.shutterstock.com and feel you have received this message in error, please contact [email protected].

microstockinsider · « **Reply #11 on:** December 05, 2012, 20:43 »

agreed, this paragraph makes it fairly clear about that... hopefully.

Quote

This migration only affects Shutterstock affiliates who use affiliate.shutterstock.com to access their account. If you are a Shutterstock ntributor using submit.shutterstock.com and feel you have received this message in error, please contact [email protected].

[/quote]

It would be crystal clear if I'd not been logging into submit.shutterstock.com with those accounts, and one of those was one that I received an email about. (I clarify that - I only have one account where I contribute images, but several used for affiliate purposes as mentioned above). It would also be a little clearer if it were not the case that every contributor can log into affiliate.shutterstock.com if they want to.

To be fair, now I understand this a little more I think all I've done here is confuse a lot of people who won't be affected by this!

THP Creative · « **Reply #12 on:** December 05, 2012, 21:17 »

Quote from: microstockinsider on December 05, 2012, 20:43

agreed, this paragraph makes it fairly clear about that... hopefully.
Quote
This migration only affects Shutterstock affiliates who use affiliate.shutterstock.com to access their account. If you are a Shutterstock ntributor using submit.shutterstock.com and feel you have received this message in error, please contact [email protected].

It would be crystal clear if I'd not been logging into submit.shutterstock.com with those accounts, and one of those was one that I received an email about. (I clarify that - I only have one account where I contribute images, but several used for affiliate purposes as mentioned above). It would also be a little clearer if it were not the case that every contributor can log into affiliate.shutterstock.com if they want to.

To be fair, now I understand this a little more I think all I've done here is confuse a lot of people who won't be affected by this!
[/quote]

Ha, thats ok, thanks for bringing it to our attention anyway!

microstockinsider · « **Reply #13 on:** February 05, 2013, 17:05 »

Has anyone with a contributor account at shutterstock (most of you) received any affiliate income from a referred buyer since January 1st? (probably does not apply to most of you)

My referred buyer referral income has completely dried up at the turn of the new year - I was just wondering if anyone else has had the same?

Microbius · « **Reply #14 on:** February 06, 2013, 04:32 »

yeah I am getting my couple of cents per day trickle as usual

leaf · « **Reply #15 on:** February 06, 2013, 04:43 »

Quote from: Microbius on February 06, 2013, 04:32

yeah I am getting my couple of cents per day trickle as usual

That sounds like a buyer referral - are you sure those aren't photographer referrals? Buyer referrals usually come in large amounts as they purchase subscriptions.

I have never had reliable buyer referrals so I can't comment, sorry Steve.

Microbius · « **Reply #16 on:** February 06, 2013, 05:29 »

Oops sorry, misread the question, yes that is a buyer referral.

Poncke · « **Reply #17 on:** February 06, 2013, 14:28 »

I would have expected more sympathy for the people affected by this after the IS issues.

leaf · « **Reply #18 on:** February 06, 2013, 15:50 »

Quote from: Poncke on February 06, 2013, 14:28

I would have expected more sympathy for the people affected by this after the IS issues.

This thread is about something different. The recent changes (2 year max time) is being discussed in this thread
http://www.microstockgroup.com/shutterstock-com/changes-to-the-referral-program/

microstockinsider · « **Reply #19 on:** February 06, 2013, 18:49 »

Yep, my referred photographers earnings were still coming in correctly (presumably with a good big drop off when this 2 years things comes in)

but following months (years) of regular income from referred buyers through my contributor account with a few transactions a month, suddenly nothing for a suspiciously long time - was just on here looking for confirmation from someone who is in a position to say the same.

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Author Topic: Have shutterstock done the dirty on us with their affiliate scheme? (Read 10310 times)

microstockinsider

gostwyck

click_click

Jo Ann Snover

THP Creative

click_click

THP Creative

microstockinsider

ppdd

mtkang

leaf

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THP Creative

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Microbius

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Microbius

Poncke

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