Author Topic: Selling via e-mail (Read 5318 times)

Freezingpictures · « **on:** October 02, 2006, 10:54 »

Just have a question, is it legal if people contact you via a microstocksite to send them sample photos via e-mail, and then sell them to them, without involving the microstocksite? Probably it is somewhere written down on the stocksites if it is not leagal, but I do not have the time to go through them right now.. I just received an e-mail from a guy on StockXpert to send him samples.. Maybe someone knows..

Greg Boiarsky · « **Reply #1 on:** October 02, 2006, 11:04 »

It may not be illegal (I don't really know). BUT, it is unethical. You have a contractual agreement with a micro to sell your images through them. If you let the micro host your image, but sell it privately, you are cheating that company of its rightfully earned commission.

Also, many of these sales inquiries are scams. Sometimes, the photographer simply loses control of an image or two. But sometimes the photographer gets caught up in a money-laundering scam.

I'd be careful about these inquiries.

Quote from: Freezingpictures on October 02, 2006, 10:54

Just have a question, is it legal if people contact you via a microstocksite to send them sample photos via e-mail, and then sell them to them, without involving the microstocksite? Probably it is somewhere written down on the stocksites if it is not leagal, but I do not have the time to go through them right now.. I just received an e-mail from a guy on StockXpert to send him samples.. Maybe someone knows..

CJPhoto · « **Reply #2 on:** October 02, 2006, 11:39 »

Since you have a niche of pinguins (I think) they might be genuine, if that is what they are asking for. If you have the photos on SP then you should sell via there (ethically at least).

If you are selling other images you have withheld from StockXpert, then that is a different matter.

I assume tehy want to pay more that $5. I wouldn't be bothered with private sales unless they were paying good $$$.

What did they actually ask for?

Freezingpictures · « **Reply #3 on:** October 02, 2006, 17:52 »

Thanks guys! It started that this person found an image from me on StockXpert which he wanted to download, but the resolution was to small for his purpose. It is about a card catlogue of a library. I told him, I only have a close up from it in higher resolution. So he wanted samples.. But probably he couldn't find them on StockXpert so I guess I will just refer him to it. I guess it was a genuine request, however he can get the image he asked for via StockXpert with less effort for me and being save on ethical

. No penguins this time

eendicott · « **Reply #4 on:** October 02, 2006, 19:41 »

I would be very skeptical about this.

The reason I would be skeptical is when StockXPert first started out, there were site mails going around asking for images. Photographer sent a sample and that was it - image was used without consent.

Let me ask this rhetorical question...if the image is available for sale, and it isn't big enough, then why wouldn't a designer download it at the largest size available and upsize it in Photoshop or through the use of Genuine Fractals?

I would contact StockXpert directly and let them know this is going on - it may be a scam.

Quevaal · « **Reply #5 on:** October 02, 2006, 21:02 »

Ethically, there's no problem at all. You have the same photos at StockXpert, iStock etc. etc. so you're not married to any site. And even exclusives at iStock have the right to sell their photos privately.

As for the sample itself, just place a fat watermark on it. If he's interested you can send the image after he's paid.

Meanwhile, you can also upload the pic at StockXpert. If they accept it, then he can download it. If they don't, then what's it to them if you sell it privately by mail?

phildate · « **Reply #6 on:** October 02, 2006, 22:29 »

I get email requests all the time, from designers/buyers who have seen my work on various microstock sites. It is not difficult to find email addresses via site profiles or by googling my name and finding my private website. Requests vary from designers asking for a particular model in a particular outfit, exclusive deals, super-big images upsized using Genuine Fractals etc...

I have no qualms about dealing with clients privately. Like Quevaal said, we are not married to any site and as long as the dialogue is not going on via sitemail, we are not infringing any T&Cs of any site.