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Image used by the Times but not appearing in sales and not paid for one year!


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Further to my 6-month wait for a Daily Mail sale, a sale showed up this morning, again for the Mail that was published on June 2 2013.

 

Worth waiting 8 months for another $6, eh?

Ditto. June 13th.

Along with the usual dozens of ripoffs, of course, and it won't clear till March.

Never mind NS, I'd like to opt out of the Mail. $3.23 net my Aunt Fanny.

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A quick sum.

10% of sales by value, 25% by volume, average $27 as against $64, highest $27. lowest $6 but with one at $56.

Probably worth staying but only just.

I do wonder when the scheme comes up for renegotiation as James said he would in Ask Alamy last autumn.

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I've given up totally submitting to any news feeds anywhere. I simply don't agree with waiting so long to be paid. I don't like the wool being pulled over my eyes and that's exactly what they are up to. Hoping you'll just forget about it and hope that you're submitting that much work that you'll let a few slip. It really sticks in my throat. 

 

I've noticed more and more newspapers touting a pay per view online service. I suspect the second you stopped paying that you'd be out on your ear. Some would say "That's the nature of the beast" However, I just don't agree with it and it's an old system that needs to die a quick death. 

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  • 2 weeks later...

Hi all. Firstly many thanks to all of you who have contributed to this forum over the past few weeks. FINALLY, after more than a year of trying, hassling, telephoning, and emailing, I have today had appear on my sales record the image used by the Times. A sale at $145.47. It just goes to show that perseverance - no doubt by both photographer and Alamy staff has finally paid off. But what a mission! Well done to all at Alamy for not giving up on this one. It does seem though that in this day and age, that Alamy could well do with reviewing and updating its online purchasing system. The fact that if I want to get an electronic copy of the Times today, I will have to pay up front £1    -   All done there and then and paid for electronically, simple and effective. Lessons to be learned here perhaps?

 

Regards and thanks again to all.

 

Lindsay

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Good news (forgive the pun), Lindsay.  It's good to know that Alamy make the effort to follow these up for payment (eventually!).

 

I think that new systems for payment and enforcing time limits for receiving payment of invoices is something that is really long overdue.  The newspapers took a long time to be brave enough to move to subscription services (something that is still a work in progress), for fear of loss of business.  Doubtless image agencies such as Alamy are nervous about over-pressurising clients for the same reason?  Once someone is brave enough to start the ball rolling, the rest will doubtless follow...or am I dreaming again?

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It is the Alamy/Times/News International arrangement which seems to be the big problem - I self-marketed an image of a butterfly all round to UK nationals when a story was current about the state of the butterfly world. It was used four times - The Times received it on 26th November, 2013 used it on 27th November, sent me a remittance advice three weeks later (16th December, 2013) and the money appeared by bank transfer into my account the same day.

 

This has been the pattern of all self-marketed images used in both the Times and The Sun during the past year - three weeks......all items are paid by self-billing and include VAT.

 

I am convinced that the Alamy system needs a damned good shake up - - and while they are at it perhaps the promised look at the Scheming Newspapers Arrangements could actually be activated ........

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This tread reminded me of a FTSE company called Independant Energy Holdings Plc that went bust after billing issues.  Luckily for Alamy, they are selling an intangible product which they only pay out once they themselves get paid.

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For more than five months expect the sale of one of my photo (August 2013) to appear in my report. 

 

I asked the staff several times ALAMY clarification. 
The responses were different, but no sollution is found

 

I report below the last two:

 

January 2014:

"Currently there’s a delay in invoicing (...) uses as we’re awaiting usage confirmation report from the customer. Our Billing team is trying to resolve this as early as possible.".

---

December 2013:

"We can see the sale is in our system and it should appear in your account within a month."

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My query goes back to January 2013 when I visited a supermarket and whilst waiting at the checkout noticed one of my images being used in the shop.

 

I didn't recall the sale, but on looking back I found that Alamy had sold AXCRDJ for a wall print: the details were image size A1 (594mm x 841mm) starting 15th October 2008 and ending 15th January 2009 for which they invoiced by Alamy for $335.34.

 

I supplied Alamy with full details of the initial sale, plus a lo-res image of the picture still on display. My initial mail to Alamy was on 23/1/2013, and I followed up with emails on  21st February...30th May...21st June...27th September and 16th October' A couple of which were sent to Alan Capel to see if he could speed things up. Sadly he couldn't and just like Linsdey, I'm still waiting.

 

And wondering... if they paid $335.34 for three months, how much would the invoice for FOUR YEARS be?

 

At this point I should mention that for fifteen years I ran an image library in Dublin, and I know the difficulties chasing clients, but as the director who liaisoned with photographers it was my job to follow up unauthorised usages. We issued an invoice, and chased payment vigorously, even if it meant taking the client to court. So, if a relatively small company with 6 employees can do it, why can't a large company like Alamy?

 

I like to ask management...according to the forum home page you "read all posts", do you really? Because I can't see a single post from Alamy on the issue. And in view of the many posts to this thread, it would seem that you are not only losing the trust of photographers, but you're also losing substantial revenue for them - and Alamy. Something that in these straitened times beggers belief.

 

In view of the hard work we put in supplying images, we need and deserve answers...

 

George

 

PS...there another image of mine AD70PK was used at a half page size in the Irish times last September. Despite writing still no response.

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