Leaving Alamy - Unfair Contract and Selling of Photos Cheaply

[Axon82]

I am leaving Alamy after seven years because their contributor contract is fundamentally unfair.

It is unfair because Alamy have control over both the sale price of photos and the commission levels.  Before the new tiered commission structure was introduced I was happily selling about $250 per year.  After the new tiered commission structure was introduced I have noticed the price at which my photos sell has gone down, resulting in me next year falling into the 20% commission bracket.  It seems to me as though Alamy have deliberately targetted me as a seller who makes only just over $250,  by selling my photos more cheaply to drag me down into the 20% commission band and make more money for themselves.  I refuse to be in an 80/20 contract as it is fundamentally not a fair split.

I hope others in a similar situation will also stick to their principles and leave.

 

Edit: I could accept if they just had to sell my photos more cheaply.  What I cannot accept is them selling my photos more cheaply AND using it as an excuse to lower the commission.

Edited June 8 by Axon82
Amended title

[M.Chapman]

26 minutes ago, Axon82 said:

It seems to me as though Alamy have deliberately targetted me as a seller who makes only just over $250,  by selling my photos more cheaply to drag me down into the 20% commission band and make more money for themselves. 

I think that’s highly unlikely. I don’t believe Alamy vary their sale prices according to a contributor’s sales level. Customers who get the preferential prices expect the price they pay to depend purely on the licence terms/rights/image resolution they select and not be influenced by which contributor’s image they choose.

 

The unfortunate reality is that sale prices are going down across the board. We’re all suffering from this trend, irrespective of our commission level.

 

Mark

Edited June 8 by M.Chapman

[ReeRay]

Your images seem very flat and could do with more contrast/saturation. Maybe if you would attend to this and re-upload you would attract more sales thus elevating you above the $250 level.

 

Just a thought. It seems a shame to throw in the towel after the effort you have put in over 7 years.

 

Ray

[M.Chapman]

30 minutes ago, ReeRay said:

Just a thought. It seems a shame to throw in the towel after the effort you have put in over 7 years.

With just 526 images the risk of dropping to the bottom tier is significant. I’d be there too, if it wasn’t for my much larger portfolio.

 

Mark

[Sultanpepa]

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