SmugMug substantially increases Pro prices

[IAMAMRA]

Where have said this is OK? I made a post at DGRIN about this, they acknowledged it was wrong and bug, and have fixed the problem.
http://www.dgrin.com/showthread.php?t=226057



Your point is moot about SM since the problem has been fixed in regards to being able to buy cards from protected galleries.

If you also notice in the screenshot it was taken as someone logged in. I can go in and buy prints from my smugmug website if I am logged in. I cannot if I am not logged in. I cannot buy prints or cards from Joves website.

Try it yourself. If you can then I am wrong and apologize.

I was logged in to my account not his, and i shouldn't have been able to buy the cards regardless if I am logged in to my account.

 

[ArtScott]

rds from protected galleries.

If you also notice in the screenshot it was taken as someone logged in. I can go in and buy prints from my smugmug website if I am logged in. I cannot if I am not logged in. I cannot buy prints or cards from Joves website.

Try it yourself. If you can then I am wrong and apologize.

Yes they FINALLY FIXED IT....IN THE MEAN TIME...how many images were printed copied and resold elsewhere as someone elses work.....you can't say...NEITHER CAN SMUGMUG....this type of glitch or bug just shows they really lack in QC & QA... ....and it shows the lack of caring on their part for our security... ... ... the security of our property is not of the utmost importance to them......and I have been there since 2005 ... ...
Now as to the screenshot showing that the purchaser was logged in...YEP IAMAMRA was logged in...but not logged in JOVES acct...IAMAMRA was logged into HIS own acct and was buying from JOVES acct.....so sorry but your wrong.....no one should beable to buy from anyones acct if the printing has been disable...and it was....a glitch ... ... a bug.....if no one had screamed about it it would never have been fixed and the money would just keep coming in for SM......

but it is fixed now that there were lots of noise made of it...glad it is over....and I have unlisted my Most POP GAllery...and I had it from day one set to NO PRINTING, but since I find a min. of 20 images, of mine, a week on other sites, I know there are cards printed off of my work, but cannot prove it cause SM doesn't supposedly have a way to track this....which is pure bull...they know every time any image is printed thru there system and whose gallery it comes from.....but now it is fixed.......and we should all give great praise to the great smugmug, right, for fixing this little glitch....???

 

[jonh68]

I was logged in to my account not his, and i shouldn't have been able to buy the cards regardless if I am logged in to my account.

You can't anymore.

 

[jonh68]

Yes they FINALLY FIXED IT....IN THE MEAN TIME...how many images were printed copied and resold elsewhere as someone elses work.....you can't say...NEITHER CAN SMUGMUG....this type of glitch or bug just shows they really lack in QC & QA... ....and it shows the lack of caring on their part for our security... ... ... the security of our property is not of the utmost importance to them......and I have been there since 2005 ... ...
Now as to the screenshot showing that the purchaser was logged in...YEP IAMAMRA was logged in...but not logged in JOVES acct...IAMAMRA was logged into HIS own acct and was buying from JOVES acct.....so sorry but your wrong.....no one should beable to buy from anyones acct if the printing has been disable...and it was....a glitch ... ... a bug.....if no one had screamed about it it would never have been fixed and the money would just keep coming in for SM......

but it is fixed now that there were lots of noise made of it...glad it is over....and I have unlisted my Most POP GAllery...and I had it from day one set to NO PRINTING, but since I find a min. of 20 images, of mine, a week on other sites, I know there are cards printed off of my work, but cannot prove it cause SM doesn't supposedly have a way to track this....which is pure bull...they know every time any image is printed thru there system and whose gallery it comes from.....but now it is fixed.......and we should all give great praise to the great smugmug, right, for fixing this little glitch....???

Art, I have problems with smugmug. They fixed a problem we complained about. If it was a malicious act, then I agree with you. I don't think it was malicious. I found it was limited to the Most Popular galleries, reported it, and they fixed it a day later.

The other problems about not tracking orders, arrogant attitude, raised prices, and other things are reasons why I downgraded and went to zen for main site. I sympathize with your other issues, but this thing about printing cards without our approval has been fixed. Good luck with your other complaints.

 

[ArtScott]

Art, I have problems with smugmug. They fixed a problem we complained about. If it was a malicious act, then I agree with you. I don't think it was malicious. I found it was limited to the Most Popular galleries, reported it, and they fixed it a day later.

The other problems about not tracking orders, arrogant attitude, raised prices, and other things are reasons why I downgraded and went to zen for main site. I sympathize with your other issues, but this thing about printing cards without our approval has been fixed. Good luck with your other complaints.

Are you actually taking credit for them getting notified and fixing this tiny little glitch.......you gotta be kidding.....if their QA nd QC had done their job correctly in the 1st place this would have never happened.....sorry copyright infringements are not a tiny little glitch or bug....but you have your opinion and a lot us have a much different one....but it is over now....the damage is already done...........

I really won't have any more problems come dec 15....I will no longer be there except as a power user probably..using my site to notify anyone looking for me where I have gone and why.....i already had to go into my site and move galleries around to break links to posted images on DGRIN, when I found out anyone can also right click and grab images there.....I don't post images any longer...i do not use the FB app any longer due to security reasons.........

Hope this thread gets back on topic.....

 

[jonh68]

Art, I don't take copyright infringement lightly. There is nothing here that shows SM did this maliciously or on purpose.

If it makes you feel better to take this out on me, then so be it.

 

[JohnR]

Just downgraded to Power user on SM since the Pro aspect doesn't fit me anymore.

 

[Joves]

Yes they FINALLY FIXED IT....IN THE MEAN TIME...how many images were printed copied and resold elsewhere as someone elses work.....you can't say...NEITHER CAN SMUGMUG....this type of glitch or bug just shows they really lack in QC & QA... ....and it shows the lack of caring on their part for our security... ... ... the security of our property is not of the utmost importance to them......and I have been there since 2005 ... ...
Now as to the screenshot showing that the purchaser was logged in...YEP IAMAMRA was logged in...but not logged in JOVES acct...IAMAMRA was logged into HIS own acct and was buying from JOVES acct.....so sorry but your wrong.....no one should beable to buy from anyones acct if the printing has been disable...and it was....a glitch ... ... a bug.....if no one had screamed about it it would never have been fixed and the money would just keep coming in for SM......

but it is fixed now that there were lots of noise made of it...glad it is over....and I have unlisted my Most POP GAllery...and I had it from day one set to NO PRINTING, but since I find a min. of 20 images, of mine, a week on other sites, I know there are cards printed off of my work, but cannot prove it cause SM doesn't supposedly have a way to track this....which is pure bull...they know every time any image is printed thru there system and whose gallery it comes from.....but now it is fixed.......and we should all give great praise to the great smugmug, right, for fixing this little glitch....???

Well see this is my problem. On the lower tiers say I had opted in, or not taken any action, or not been logged into my account for a long time. Then I would have not known about the new changes. In this case SM if I did not specifically opt out would sell prints from mine, or anyone elses gallery, and not even told us, not sought permission. This is where the problem is SM made a feature that allows them to print customers photos to anyone. Now they made it I understand the intention so your friends and family could order prints of your work inexpensively, I am not saying the did this with any form of malice. But the problem is they never ask you if it is okay to print for so&so, so how do they confirm you want that person having a photo?
Better yet they could have made it where in order for anyone to be able to print your photos you could assign a password. It is a quick and easy way to both secure the customers photos, and to make sure that only people you know can get them printed.
This garbage where anyone can request a photo is the problem. If they would do as I just suggested above, then problem solved, and quite easily I might add. They already have the allowing people to access your site by password, it is just a matter of adding printing to that safe guard. The problem is SM will not listen to it either because, a) it was not their idea, or b) they are actually selling a lot of prints this way, I am hoping b is not the reason.
And exactly how many lower tier customers do they have? This gives you a good idea of the potential income stream for they and the labs.

 

[Clix Pix]

Feeling a bit sad right now, having just terminated/closed my Smugmug account.... It was time, though, and something which I had considered a year or so ago but just hadn't implemented. The account held many of my older images but in reality I have been using Zenfolio over the past little while, I think three or more years, finding it much more convenient in several key ways. The Smugmug account was more-or-less just sitting there, going fallow anyway. This year's drastic fee increase really propelled me into action (as I can see it has many others as well -- I daresay SM has really bloody well shot themselves in the foot, something which they will come to regret after it is too late). Once my images were shifted over to Zenfolio -- a surprisingly painless procedure -- and once I had reviewed everything again just to be sure, well, then, that was it, I clicked the "close account" button......

 

[crazy]

With 6 months left on my subscription, I'll see what develops and react accordingly. The question that keeps cropping up in my mind is what's to keep other providers from following suit?

 

[IAMAMRA]

Because many of them are already priced at smugmugs new price point(or similar).

 

[gnagel]

With 6 months left on my subscription, I'll see what develops and react accordingly. The question that keeps cropping up in my mind is what's to keep other providers from following suit?

With Zenfolio, I'm locked in at my original subscription price. For the premium account, I pay $100 annually rather than the $125 current price. I really should have locked into the $80 price point when they offered it a couple of years ago!

Glenn

 

[Lurker]

The question that keeps cropping up in my mind is what's to keep other providers from following suit?

You mean “raising their prices 100%?” Common sense keeps other providers from doing that. Most providers have their prices schemes set in such a way that it's economically feasible, I guess.

 

[DJ Dunzie]

I'm hating the fact I'm about to ask... but with Smugmug claiming storage costs a huge part of their decision to skyrocket pro pricing... and now a lot of people apparently about to or jumping ship (let's say to Zenfolio for argument's sake)... will Zenfolio feel overwhelmed with the influx and suddenly have to review their storage costs? Could we see ZF being caused to revisit their pricing, given that a significant competitor is now priced so much above them for similar services?

I guess time will tell. More than just the cost savings though, I'm really liking the easy control and customization and natural flow to Zenfolio!

 

[gnagel]

I'm hating the fact I'm about to ask... but with Smugmug claiming storage costs a huge part of their decision to skyrocket pro pricing... and now a lot of people apparently about to or jumping ship (let's say to Zenfolio for argument's sake)... will Zenfolio feel overwhelmed with the influx and suddenly have to review their storage costs? Could we see ZF being caused to revisit their pricing, given that a significant competitor is now priced so much above them for similar services?

I guess time will tell. More than just the cost savings though, I'm really liking the easy control and customization and natural flow to Zenfolio!

In my view, this whole thing is a bonanza for Zenfolio. Revenues will be on the rise while storage costs continue to fall over time.

Glenn

 

[jonh68]

I'm hating the fact I'm about to ask... but with Smugmug claiming storage costs a huge part of their decision to skyrocket pro pricing... and now a lot of people apparently about to or jumping ship (let's say to Zenfolio for argument's sake)... will Zenfolio feel overwhelmed with the influx and suddenly have to review their storage costs? Could we see ZF being caused to revisit their pricing, given that a significant competitor is now priced so much above them for similar services?

I guess time will tell. More than just the cost savings though, I'm really liking the easy control and customization and natural flow to Zenfolio!

I'm hoping Zenfolio has a better infrastructure than SM. Remember Zen also has a premium service as well as their basic pro level service which is something SM should have done. Someone wanting to make a profit on their photos at least has two choices of service with Zen.

 

[NewBert]

.....and now Smugmug is down (again). Can't get to my site.

This must be another one of their "improvements" that we've been waiting for.

 

[Joves]

I'm hating the fact I'm about to ask... but with Smugmug claiming storage costs a huge part of their decision to skyrocket pro pricing... and now a lot of people apparently about to or jumping ship (let's say to Zenfolio for argument's sake)... will Zenfolio feel overwhelmed with the influx and suddenly have to review their storage costs? Could we see ZF being caused to revisit their pricing, given that a significant competitor is now priced so much above them for similar services?

I guess time will tell. More than just the cost savings though, I'm really liking the easy control and customization and natural flow to Zenfolio!

The problem with that is storage is really cheap at this point. Actually I have heard different reasons floated around as well. I am one who left.
If anything Zen and some of the other providers will see who is jumping ship from from SM, and I believe will keep their prices more stable. For them they may have to increase storage, but then they will have the new revenues to do so. I think the SM will regret their decision with this. Other companies will learn from it. Once you blow your reputation it is hard to get it back.

 

[RKnecht]

.....and now Smugmug is down (again). Can't get to my site.

This must be another one of their "improvements" that we've been waiting for.

Smugmug was not down today. It appears that there was a problem with domain names with GoDaddy. I have been uploading images all day with no issues. Just got done a few minutes ago.

 

[IAMAMRA]

Godaddy was hacked