Dear all,

I am a contributor of SS since Mar 2010 in Hong Kong (far away from US). Nice to meet you all.

I want to ask you guys advise for an issue which is quite urgent and serious, my shutterstock account is suspended due to the reasons of resubmitted the rejected images, and I had been receiving warning (1 warning only) My shutterstock account has been disabled and sales , upload are all unavailable to do so.

I have explained to them in the replied my situation. Actually, I didn't resubmit a lot, just reading their comments and choose 3-4 out of 10 to resubmit again and some may even submit after several months. Last batch has 42 photos but nearly 35 of them are new photos! I know it is my fault I must say in this issue but after emailing them , I am afraid they will suspend my account a long time.

Do you know how will they process this issue?? I am eager to know that as it is my main stock income website.
Do I have to call them directly? Or give them more email? Fax? How will they process my case? I need it so bad.

I believe that after this suspension I won't resubmit anymore in shutterstock.

Any one knows what can I do?!! Any people knows someone facing the same problem before?!

Call them and explain! resubmitting to SS, is not a good idea. Their editors are by far the best within Micro-stock and there is almost always a reason for rejections.

You said it was your best earnings site, you don't have to get into specifics, but I'd just like to know what ballpark you're in, at least what level, if it's possible. I wonder if they do it to all of the members that resubmit after warnings or do those higher earnings members get more leniency. Because I got 2 warnings and no suspension about 6 months ago, but I was at about 250$/month and getting very close to 36c level. I can't help myself by thinking I'd get suspended if I didn't even earn enough for a monthly payment (100$). Because it was also like that with inspections at least at IS, they were giving me a lot of hard time in the first months, but when I started getting some sells and moving toward bronze they eased up significantly and I got most of my stuff accepted, I'd say at least a third of those would be rejected and I never ever sent borderline stuff in the first months like I do now.

You said it was your best earnings site, you don't have to get into specifics, but I'd just like to know what ballpark you're in, at least what level, if it's possible. I wonder if they do it to all of the members that resubmit after warnings or do those higher earnings members get more leniency. Because I got 2 warnings and no suspension about 6 months ago, but I was at about 250$/month and getting very close to 36c level. I can't help myself by thinking I'd get suspended if I didn't even earn enough for a monthly payment (100$). Because it was also like that with inspections at least at IS, they were giving me a lot of hard time in the first months, but when I started getting some sells and moving toward bronze they eased up significantly and I got most of my stuff accepted, I'd say at least a third of those would be rejected and I never ever sent borderline stuff in the first months like I do now.

Wut, I am quite similar to you, I earn nearly 300$/mth and raise every single month...I received one warning only but not two, I don't know why they suspend my account without giving me another warning, I MUST NOT resubmit anymore if I got the 2nd warning for sure.
I am now thinking what I can do to reactivate my account, actually many of my images goes to the top page of sales but I know if they suspend for some time, the situation may change a lot...

I need this site for my household, I feel very bad now...

What I can do is to explain to them and give them a call?!

seriously, i hope guys in shutterstock are reading this. Not everyone is badass that want to resubmit to ruin up your site. There is a lot of way to control quality of images..like alamy or limit uploads based on rejections rate.

it cause a lot of miserable things in my life, when i am not sure if suspension means termination of account forever or 1 month, 2 month, 3 months? and i am not sure is that means i lost all the remaining earnings in shutterstock and even bigstock? i am not sure whether i can reapply as contributors, and start to earn from $0.25.. even i had reached $0.36

I have moved on with other things, but I always feel like i had done something so evil and shameful that my money is deserved to be gone and suspended, and when i asked what should i do, i get mocked by other contributors, and i should not tell more about it and i may really get warned.

there is a lot of way to control quality of image banks, but in this way, it actually make someone life difficult.

It is still a good agency that i want to contribute, i hope they will update us people who get suspended with details. I will still tell people to contribute it, since i know it is the site that really sells, if there is a strict policy that want to stop people submitting bad images, i would like them to put in faq tell us how many warnings we will get, how long the suspension, blah blah and really warns us that the earnings will be confiscated if we violate their rules.

in the mean time, i hope i will still get back my account, and start to submit to shutterstock again.

i would like them to put in faq tell us how many warnings we will get, how long the suspension, blah blah and really warns us that the earnings will be confiscated if we violate their rules.

I do agree with that.  The consequences should be clear.  Perhaps if they were then less people would take this route.

All the same, no-one should need more than one warning to stop an activity that is not permitted.  I'm sure that, from the agency's point of view, blanket re-submitters who don't clearly state that they are re-submitting in the reviewer notes are wasting the agency's resources on unwanted images.  They have to pay the reviewers for their time, and they want that time to be spent productively building the collection they want, not wasted re-visiting things they have already dealt with.  

You can legitimately re-submit if you feel unfairly rejected by raising a support ticket.  There's no need to waste reviewers' time and agency resources in this way.

seriously, i hope guys in shutterstock are reading this. Not everyone is badass that want to resubmit to ruin up your site. There is a lot of way to control quality of images..like alamy or limit uploads based on rejections rate.

it cause a lot of miserable things in my life, when i am not sure if suspension means termination of account forever or 1 month, 2 month, 3 months? and i am not sure is that means i lost all the remaining earnings in shutterstock and even bigstock? i am not sure whether i can reapply as contributors, and start to earn from $0.25.. even i had reached $0.36

I have moved on with other things, but I always feel like i had done something so evil and shameful that my money is deserved to be gone and suspended, and when i asked what should i do, i get mocked by other contributors, and i should not tell more about it and i may really get warned.

there is a lot of way to control quality of image banks, but in this way, it actually make someone life difficult.

It is still a good agency that i want to contribute, i hope they will update us people who get suspended with details. I will still tell people to contribute it, since i know it is the site that really sells, if there is a strict policy that want to stop people submitting bad images, i would like them to put in faq tell us how many warnings we will get, how long the suspension, blah blah and really warns us that the earnings will be confiscated if we violate their rules.

in the mean time, i hope i will still get back my account, and start to submit to shutterstock again.

same with mtkang, I was not even in 0.36 club and I will reach very soon actually...I know it is my fault this time to overlook the first warning and I really know I need to apologize to them, in which I won't resubmit forever in ss unless they call me to do so. I understand my faults now. Thanks for all other' comments.

I don't want to ruin up my site by resubmittion as long as I do think I edit them to be good again so I resubmit to ss again, I have no bad mind in my mind...I don't have intention to let the reviewers' eyes turns tired. Most of my household earnings are from SS, this really makes my life goes worst...

Maybe I am too green in microstock, I joined last yr so I may not know the rule...so may not be able to understand "resubmission" cause such a big problem...I hope SS can help those who are under suspension and offer them one more chance to reactivate their site. The aim of SS is "Make money by your photos", it is my goal too.....now facing this situation and I am just too young to handle this difficulties....

@ kawing921

I don't know, they MAY be sympathetic to the fact that you are young and sound very sincere.   If they do allow you to resubmit and, as you say, you only re-submit images where you've carried out edits, it is very important to put a note in for the reviewer explaining that it is a resubmission and that you have improved the image in line with the rejection comments.

@mtkang

Five warnings?  I never heard or saw that myself.

I believe the issue is with people resubmitting the exact same image with no attempt whatsoever to improve it or respond to the rejection reason.

If you try to improve the image and resubmit it, just make sure you mention in the reviewer's box that you are resubmitting this image and have edited it in line with the original rejection reasons.

My experience has been that this honest and open approach reaps rewards and creates no problems.  Don't take my word for it though.  If you are in any doubt, write a support ticket and ask SS to tell you themselves.  That way, if you have any problem in the future, you will have proof of what you were told directly by the agency. 

Thanks for posting that MP.  Where did you find it? 

5 is the relevant one:

"5. Submitting an image that has already been rejected without writing a note to the reviewer explaining why the image(s) is being resubmitted. Resubmitting an image without making the appropriate corrections."

the faq had updated, but somehow one can still find the old faq contents by google..i copy and paste here:

How many warnings do I get?

In most cases, you can recieve up to 5 warnings before you are penalized. After the 5th warning (or when so notified by Shutterstock), your account is reset to review/probation. This means that you will have to upload 10 new images, and that 7 of them have to be acceptable. If 7 of the 10 are not acceptable, you will have to wait 30 days before you can upload another batch of 10 for review.

@ kawing921

I don't know, they MAY be sympathetic to the fact that you are young and sound very sincere.   If they do allow you to resubmit and, as you say, you only re-submit images where you've carried out edits, it is very important to put a note in for the reviewer explaining that it is a resubmission and that you have improved the image in line with the rejection comments.

@mtkang

Five warnings?  I never heard or saw that myself.

the faq had updated, but somehow one can still find the old faq contents by google..i copy and paste here:

How many warnings do I get?

In most cases, you can recieve up to 5 warnings before you are penalized. After the 5th warning (or when so notified by Shutterstock), your account is reset to review/probation. This means that you will have to upload 10 new images, and that 7 of them have to be acceptable. If 7 of the 10 are not acceptable, you will have to wait 30 days before you can upload another batch of 10 for review.

So that's pretty clear then "5th warning (or when so notified by Shutterstock)". That's the best policy, if it was hard and fast you would get people gaming the system by constantly resubmitting knowing that they can get caught exactly 4 times before they need to lay off.

 

I was just typing "We made the same point with different emphasis" as you posted this most recent reply too  

Yes, as you say.  It's all very clear when you re-read the guidelines.  It was so long since I read them that I couldn't even FIND them!  

But still, all the important bits were lodged safely in my mind, so thankfully I've never fallen foul of any of their guidelines.  I'm just surprised at the number of people who visit MSG seemingly never having read them at all, or having done so simply ignore them.

Note to noobs:  Agencies don't spend days and weeks deciding on, drafting and finally writing guidelines just for fun.  They mean business.

Call them and explain! resubmitting to SS, is not a good idea. Their editors are by far the best within Micro-stock and there is almost always a reason for rejections.

This is the biggest, most inaccurate comment in MS history.  And coming from someone as good as you....unbelievable.

Quote from: lagereek on November 24, 2011, 01:19

Call them and explain! resubmitting to SS, is not a good idea. Their editors are by far the best within Micro-stock and there is almost always a reason for rejections.

This is the biggest, most inaccurate comment in MS history.  And coming from someone as good as you....unbelievable.

I guess we judge sites based solely on our own experiences. I know a good many submitters who resubmit routinely/frequently and they have been doing this for years without consequence. I also know just as many high end shooters who have had images rejected for no good reason and they would not agree with lagereek.  I know my own experience with reviews is inconsistent and all over the map; therefore I certainly would not agree that there is almost always a valid reason for rejections. I really think it boils down to who is reviewing your port and I suspect we either have assigned review groups or individuals based on the widely varying experiences of individual submitters.

Call them and explain! resubmitting to SS, is not a good idea. Their editors are by far the best within Micro-stock and there is almost always a reason for rejections.

Thanks for your idea, but it is useless to call them as their hotline is only for CUSTOMERS but not for submitters...
They leave your message but you will never get a reply...

I just wonder how do they do to catch images that were previously rejected months ago, it's some kind of software??

Image reviewers/inspectors with a photographic memory...

Patrick H.

How DO they know when an image was already rejected?

Not everyone is badass...

I'm a badass. Ask anyone. They'll tell you.  

I guess my policy has always been to not resubmit. If they don't want it, then so be it. It will go somewhere else.