RIDICULOUS PAYMENT RATES

[Robbie Shaw]

I have just sold three photos, of which were sold on Alamy for $0.83, meaning i get a whole 9 cents.  Not only that the use is in perpetuity !   Has anyone else been a victim of what I can only say is to me fraud.  I reckon both photos will be used for a calendar.  I have been in touch with Alamy who gave me this 'reason' - 

New customers that we don’t interact with invariably come to the site, search, price and license images and pay the shop front prices.

 

Customers we actively go after, contact us about specific needs or key customers with large spends and image requirements may negotiate on price; which always starts with our shop front pricing. In this case, the customer was allowed a discount as they had licenced a large number of images.

 

If you wish to terminate your account, we can start the termination process for you.

 

I am seriously considering cancelling my  Alamy contract.  Anyone else had this experience please.

[John Mitchell]

6 hours ago, geogphotos said:

 

I always think of Getty and Shutterstock as the Walmarts of stock - I had thought that Alamy was not in the same category, not as ruthless, more supportive etc.

 

Anyway, that is what Alamy used to say about itself. I suppose they no longer feel the need to play that game. Now it's more 'my way or the highway'. 

 

I guess we were being somewhat naive. Profitability always ends up being the top priority. I'm a big fan of the non-profit business model. My other part-time gig (not related to photography) is with a non-profit society. They have done remarkably well over the years, employing a permanent staff and providing excellent services and support. I actually feel good about being associated with them.

[Bryan]

4 hours ago, John Mitchell said:

. Personally, it will never work for me. I never wanted to be a picture-taking machine churning out thousands of images and earning as little as ten cents a pop. It probably has a lot to do with age. At 72, I no longer give a you-know-what.

 

Me too, photography has gone onto the back burner of late. I don't make any trips specifically for the purpose, but if I see an opportunity while out and about, I'll take a shot or two. 

[Stokie]

Had a new low for me - a $0.21 sale netting me $0.08!!!!

 

John.

[Sultanpepa]

5 minutes ago, Stokie said:

Had a new low for me - a $0.21 sale netting me $0.08!!!!

 

John.

 

How can Alamy even try to justify that? 😠

[meanderingemu]

16 minutes ago, Sultanpepa said:

 

How can Alamy even try to justify that? 😠

 

 

actually,  how can Alamy not even try to justify that?  we have seen these for almost one year now and not once has Alamy even deemed it proper in their relationship with contributors to even engage with us about them, except to say that for 6% of the images then needed to keep an extra 3 cents to survive.  

[Sultanpepa]

6 hours ago, meanderingemu said:

 

 

actually,  how can Alamy not even try to justify that?  we have seen these for almost one year now and not once has Alamy even deemed it proper in their relationship with contributors to even engage with us about them, except to say that for 6% of the images then needed to keep an extra 3 cents to survive.  

 

Suggestion. How about any license under $10 there's no commission taken, Alamy?

Edited September 15, 2021 by Sultanpepa

[geogphotos]

1 hour ago, Sultanpepa said:

 

Suggestion. How about any license under $10 there's no commission, Alamy?

 

Careful, Alamy might not take that the way you meant it.... 🙃

[Phil]

On 06/09/2021 at 07:43, Robbie Shaw said:

 Alamy who gave me this 'reason' - 

 

Customers we actively go after, contact us about specific needs or key customers with large spends and image requirements may negotiate on price; which always starts with our shop front pricing. In this case, the customer was allowed a discount as they had licenced a large number of images.

 

 

Anyone have basis to know the approximate typical quantities of images Alamy mentions to get the big discounts?  Are we talking 10s 100s 1000s of images?

Edited September 15, 2021 by Phil

[Alamy]

Hi all, 

 

The stock industry is very competitive and we do have to compete with our competitors or we risk loosing customers, and therefore sales. In order to do this we have to offer discounts, but also image packs. We aren't the only company to offer image packs, and our average licence fee has maintained over the last few years.

 

Our sales teams work extremely hard to negotiate on deals with all forms of customers and always try to get the best market value possible for each license. 

 

Thanks, 

Alamy

[Sultanpepa]

1 hour ago, Alamy said:

Hi all, 

 

The stock industry is very competitive and we do have to compete with our competitors or we risk loosing customers, and therefore sales. In order to do this we have to offer discounts, but also image packs. We aren't the only company to offer image packs, and our average licence fee has maintained over the last few years.

 

Our sales teams work extremely hard to negotiate on deals with all forms of customers and always try to get the best market value possible for each license. 

 

Thanks, 

Alamy

 

There's only one group that loose out with image packs. The contributor! Instead of cutting out the contributors share why don't you drive the prices up? Timber merchants have increased their prices 100%+ recently I bet their suppliers aren't taking cuts. I understand the supply and demand argument but you're driving down prices for news too. It seems everyone is allowed to make money bar the photographers. These customers that we risk loosing, would the average contributor actually notice if they left? The answer lies in an in perpetuity license for 9cents.

 

Edited September 15, 2021 by Sultanpepa

[Phil Crean]

1 hour ago, Alamy said:

Hi all, 

 

The stock industry is very competitive and we do have to compete with our competitors or we risk loosing customers, and therefore sales. In order to do this we have to offer discounts, but also image packs. We aren't the only company to offer image packs, and our average licence fee has maintained over the last few years.

 

Our sales teams work extremely hard to negotiate on deals with all forms of customers and always try to get the best market value possible for each license. 

 

Thanks, 

Alamy

As @Sultanpepa says... It's time to start driving prices up otherwise the stock industry will die.

If a client is not prepared to pay fair fees then just say NO!

 

Phil

[Sultanpepa]

4 hours ago, Sultanpepa said:

 

Suggestion. How about any license under $10 there's no commission taken, Alamy?

 

It surely can't be a contributor who gave me a red arrow for this unless it's the elusive turkey that also votes for Christmas. 🖕

 

[meanderingemu]

4 hours ago, Alamy said:

Hi all, 

 

The stock industry is very competitive and we do have to compete with our competitors or we risk loosing customers, and therefore sales. In order to do this we have to offer discounts, but also image packs. We aren't the only company to offer image packs, and our average licence fee has maintained over the last few years.

 

Our sales teams work extremely hard to negotiate on deals with all forms of customers and always try to get the best market value possible for each license. 

 

Thanks, 

Alamy

 

Thanks @Alamy, How are unused credits of image packs reallocated?  

Let's say client pays $100 for 10 images, but only uses 8, and are contributors earning calculated?  When is reconciliation done?  

Edited September 15, 2021 by meanderingemu

[meanderingemu]

4 hours ago, Alamy said:

Hi all, 

 

The stock industry is very competitive and we do have to compete with our competitors or we risk loosing customers, and therefore sales. In order to do this we have to offer discounts, but also image packs. We aren't the only company to offer image packs, and our average licence fee has maintained over the last few years.

 

Our sales teams work extremely hard to negotiate on deals with all forms of customers and always try to get the best market value possible for each license. 

 

Thanks, 

Alamy

 

 

But at some point isn't it better to just walk away from certain clients?  Doesn't it end up costing too much money to Alamy to have the "Sale team work extremely hard to negotiate on deals" where Alamy end contribution to revenue is as illustrated above 13 cents for a download?  

[Phil Crean]

3 hours ago, meanderingemu said:

 

 

But at some point isn't it better to just walk away from certain clients?  Doesn't it end up costing too much money to Alamy to have the "Sale team work extremely hard to negotiate on deals" where Alamy end contribution to revenue is as illustrated above 13 cents for a download?  

What I've been saying also!

Phil

[aphperspective]

The effort V reward I am afraid is making this less and less worthwhile.

[meanderingemu]

7 minutes ago, Phil Crean said:

What I've been saying also!

Phil

but there is the other component, which relates to my post before.  I has long been speculated from some of Alamy's competitors that there is also a significant revenue stream from the unused image in a package, and i wait for Alamy's input how that revenue is allocated to the contributors.   

To take the example, if someone bought a 10 image pack for $100, but only downloaded 8, they actually paid $12.50 per image downloaded, when does Alamy do the reconciliation, and credit back the contributors' account? 

 

 

[Phil Crean]

9 hours ago, meanderingemu said:

but there is the other component, which relates to my post before.  I has long been speculated from some of Alamy's competitors that there is also a significant revenue stream from the unused image in a package, and i wait for Alamy's input how that revenue is allocated to the contributors.   

To take the example, if someone bought a 10 image pack for $100, but only downloaded 8, they actually paid $12.50 per image downloaded, when does Alamy do the reconciliation, and credit back the contributors' account? 

 

 

Very good point! Any comment @Alamy

[M.Chapman]

It's very disherartnening to see how Alamy is devaluing its products. Shooting itself in the foot springs to mind.

 

Mark

[imageplotter]

Dear Alamy,

Shouldn´t these stock clients on bulk and discounted deals have to at least wait for images to be stock, though, not live news, too??

 

This morning, I have a sale logged on my sales history of a live news image from yesterday afternoon, Boris Johnson departing for PMQ´s. 

 

Value of the sale: (gross) $4.58 (of which I then get...less than $2! Yay. The travel card was around $15) I stood in cold, shady Downing Street for 6.5 hrs yesterday on my little step ladder, from and hour before PMQ departures, all through the cabinet re-shuffle which finally finished early evening. No loo, no food/drink, just standing there. Like all the other togs did, too, of course. 

 

The client - well, here´s where it gets funny. Great if the Parliamentary publications can buy a live news image at microstock prices. Because they have the budget to pay regular prices, but clearly don´t need to. Meanwhile my taxpayer´s money, paid from the measly less than $2 I get from this sale,  pays for Boris Johnson´s three highly paid personal photographers who were swarming round all day yesterday, as usual. That really makes my blood boil.

 

Usage: Editorial, 550 images UK Based Websites & The House, Parliamentary, Civil Service World & Holyrood Magazines.
Media: Magazine - print, digital and electronic
Start: 15 September 2021
End: 15 September 2026

[meanderingemu]

18 minutes ago, imageplotter said:

Dear Alamy,

Shouldn´t these stock clients on bulk and discounted deals have to at least wait for images to be stock, though, not live news, too??

 

This morning, I have a sale logged on my sales history of a live news image from yesterday afternoon, Boris Johnson departing for PMQ´s. 

 

Value of the sale: (gross) $4.58 (of which I then get...less than $2! Yay. The travel card was around $15) I stood in cold, shady Downing Street for 6.5 hrs yesterday on my little step ladder, from and hour before PMQ departures, all through the cabinet re-shuffle which finally finished early evening. No loo, no food/drink, just standing there. Like all the other togs did, too, of course. 

 

The client - well, here´s where it gets funny. Great if the Parliamentary publications can buy a live news image at microstock prices. Because they have the budget to pay regular prices, but clearly don´t need to. Meanwhile my taxpayer´s money, paid from the measly less than $2 I get from this sale,  pays for Boris Johnson´s three highly paid personal photographers who were swarming round all day yesterday, as usual. That really makes my blood boil.

 

Usage: Editorial, 550 images UK Based Websites & The House, Parliamentary, Civil Service World & Holyrood Magazines.
Media: Magazine - print, digital and electronic
Start: 15 September 2021
End: 15 September 2026

 

why can't i give this a "Thanks" for stating this  "up arrow" for agreeing "HaHa" for the general content and "Sad" for where we are being taken. 

[Lynchpics]

14 minutes ago, imageplotter said:

Dear Alamy,

Shouldn´t these stock clients on bulk and discounted deals have to at least wait for images to be stock, though, not live news, too??

 

If live news images are being sold to stock clients during the 'live news' period for a huge discount then what is the point of 'live news'? There is no incentive for us to go out and shoot live news anymore if the fees are to be brutally honest crap. Have Alamy staff taken a pay cut? Have the top management taken a pay cut? Does Alamy honestly think that contributors will continue to shoot live news when the rewards are so poor, perhaps that is what they want. I wonder do the big news agencies who sell via the Alamy live news feed get to experience the same low fees or do they have a special deal? 

[Ace]

23 hours ago, Alamy said:

Hi all, 

 

The stock industry is very competitive and we do have to compete with our competitors or we risk loosing customers, and therefore sales. In order to do this we have to offer discounts, but also image packs. We aren't the only company to offer image packs, and our average licence fee has maintained over the last few years.

 

Our sales teams work extremely hard to negotiate on deals with all forms of customers and always try to get the best market value possible for each license. 

 

Thanks, 

Alamy

Dear Alamy

 

I understand the statement you have made above.

 

However, would it please be possible to give a little more explanation into the sales that once went for $25 to now $1.50 ?

As suppliers to your business, I feel that at least an open explanation to how you see the future of stock for Alamy would be  interesting for us to understand.

 

I don't suggest an `open` message on this forum but an email to us. 

At least that way everyone involved with the business would feel part of the business.

 

Kind regards

 

Adrian 

PS. I have just received another $1.50 sale where I'd usually expect higher.

But I just don't know why ?

[Nodvandigtid]

23 hours ago, Alamy said:

Hi all, 

 

and our average licence fee has maintained over the last few years.

 

 

It may well have for PA/Alamy, but for most of the contributors you took 20% commission off, it hasn't.....

[Phil Crean]

On 15/09/2021 at 15:19, Alamy said:

Hi all, 

and our average licence fee has maintained over the last few years.

 

Our sales teams work extremely hard to negotiate on deals with all forms of customers and always try to get the best market value possible for each license. 

 

Thanks, 

Alamy

If average licence fees have been maintained how do you explain the fact that the majority of fees are lower?

 

The sales team may well be working very hard, but I know from experience that if a client wants a photo then they will pay a fair price, as on many occasions I have negotiated

with publishers and they have paid well over the low fees being negotiated by Alamy after making low bids and being told no...

Phil