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CB Photo Services Shutterstock 60 Broad St Fl 30, New York, NY, 10004, US
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Shutterstock

60 Broad St Fl 30, New York, NY, 10004, US
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10:42 am EDT
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Shutterstock - Shutterstock is a pyramidal scheme and mock of privacy policy

1. Shutterstock is a pyramidal scheme

The way it works is simple:
You make photograph/video-graph believe they can make a fortune selling their work online through this website. Thousands of amateurs, pro, semi-pro or anybody who believes in it send its pictures for review. Selection is made based on the mood of the day and the dubious competence of the reviewers.
Then the image/footage are online and shutterstock can claim it has millions of pictures online !
Comes the 1st sell: you get between 10 cents up to 10 $ for a picture you have worked on for hours (shooting, processing, photoshop, keywords, submission). Amateurs are happy to sell a bad holiday picture at this ridiculous price. shutterstock won't give you any money until you reach a certain amount (hundreds of $).
Smarter people understand the scam: 90 to 99% of "artists" are there to furnish the gallery. only a tiny minority (always the same) will make money in this pyramidal scheme.
Most of the contributors will sell few pictures, not enough to get a check, not enough to pay for all the cost incurred by their job/hobby anyway.
And you still have some people commenting happily on how they made 300 $ last year on shutterstock allowing others to become millionaires with their work.
Even the clients who buy cheap pictures for low aren't happy since they realise after a while that they can find even cheaper in another pyramidal scheme like i-stock and others.

2. A mock of privacy policy
Shutterstock displays a privacy policy on its website BUT it's onle there for the show. They scorn your rights, your privacy and your confidentiality. Once you have made the mistake to send information, to register, send in data and details, they won't let you remove it, access it, delete it contrary to what is written in their mock policy.
Not only they clearly abuse the current legislation but they abuse their users, clients and contributors.

They feign not to read or heed your mails, warnings and requests. The only way to deal with these people (and they are used about it), is the lawsuit.

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brunocfer
, BR
Mar 07, 2015 8:35 pm EST

Afte buying (and paying) for 5 pictures several months ago, i just got charged for another 5 images in the most hidden scam of auto-renewal i've ever seen. Stay clear from this one. Much better services and transparent billing options around.

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haymant
Bristol, GB
Apr 09, 2015 5:32 am EDT

Hi, it happened to me aswell.
Can i ask for refund?
Also, where to complain about it.
I am based in UK.

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1:53 pm EDT
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Shutterstock - Privacy violation

Please don't send any data, information and details to this "organisation". Having done so I regret it. I have sent my details and information in 2012.In 2013 I wanted my details and data to be removed from their systems. Their privacy policy pretends that you can do so but when you write to them to do so, they simply refuse to do it !
I actually ended-up emailing with one of their junior employee pretending that she couldn't do it because the law forbid them to so so. Also asking me to call her to discuss about it. She's based in new york and I live in europe ! She clearly takes people for idiots.
I then directly wrote to her management who ignored my requests. Instead the intern is answering back to me !
I am now in the process to escalate the whole issue to relevant U.S. authorities and the c-level executives of this very low company.
If you are a photograph or a picture buyer, flee this pitiful company. Your data are not safe with them. Contrary to what they pretend, you have no right to access, modify or delete your data afterwards.

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