The Raping Of Artist's on DA...UPDATED!

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The Raping Of Artist's on DA...

UPDATE for clarification!
What I write below is NOT about artist's ability to sell their work on DA and is totally 100% irrelevant to what I am saying. What I write about and what it is I am saying is that when one orders their OWN work as a print, they are charged a significant fee in doing so UNLESS they have a premium prints account. Ask yourself this question, and you be the judge. Would you rather go directly to the source to order your own work or pay a huge markup for that same exact image on DA? It all arrives in the same box, from the same exact lab, with the same exact image. THAT is what I am talking about.
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Sigh, in fact, a big sigh if anything. I am sad, I am frustrated, and I am downright angry too. This doesn't even concern me really, but I know it concerns some of you, and so, here I am, making my voice heard once again, to spread the word and to make YOU my watchers, aware.

  Recently in my email I received an email from DA stating that there were changes coming to the print program. It affects those of you who do not have a prints account subscription but have been allowed until recently, to purchase your work at a discounted cost. This was supposed to be one of the perks of paying for a print subscription. I really didn't given any second thought at the time, just kinda glanced off my 1/2 awake brain when I read it. That is until I managed to wander over to the News section tonight and saw an article written entitled "Important Prints Account Update" and I started reading and then I started reading what people were saying in the comments how they think it is ridicules that as the artist's who produced the work, that they should have to pay a higher rate.

  Now I have never given any thought about any of this before, as far as what non-print subscriber account holders pay, so I decided to do a lil investigative journalism....and what you may read below may shock you, may outrage you, and may piss you off....I warn you.

How This Journal Got It's Name--- I decided to check out what people pay who actually don't have a prints account. That info is located here "What are the base prices on prints and other products?" Now I know for a fact, that DA uses EZprints.com for all it's printing and sales...which is no shocker, many websites use them, including flickr and smugmug. However what I found out seriously outraged me and I feel it is because of this that DA is not doing right by the artist's on this site! Disgusted and upset, I started writing when I found out the info below....

The Big Ass Breakdown! (Or Please DA do tell us!)--- As artist's on this site and as members of this, many who pay to be members here, I think you owe it to yourself and to your members, HOWCOME you are jacking the prices up so high on them. How high is high? Let's examine it. Warning folks-get your Boots, the shit from here out gets DEEP!

As I linked to above, this is the price HERE  people on DA pay when they do NOT have a prints subscription. Now tell me DA WHY should someone pay a jacked up rate for their own image when they can simply go to ezprints.com and get the so called discounted rate themselves?!?!? Yes YOU heard right folks!

So let us examine this pricing structure for the exact SAME print coming from the EXACT same Lab, one being sent through DA, the other you sending directly to ezprints.com:

3.5x5 Glossy-- DA, $1.00  EZprints, 19¢
5x7 Glossy --- DA, $2.85   EZprints, 65¢
12x18 Lustre--- DA, $29.99 EZprints $12.12

And on and on it goes....... You can see EZprints Pricing Here

This is disturbing.--- Artist's on this site are supposed to be able to trust YOU, deviantART, and not fee like they are being taken advantage of. If anything, you have just showed us otherwise. This is NO way to treat your members, your paying members, and the people who call this place 'home'. I truly feel bad and sorry for those of you who have gone through this. It certainly is not and ANYTHING BUT FAIR to you all.

The only thing I can tell you is make your voice heard on this, write it in your journal, be proactive, and maybe some good will come out of it. If you all are looking to sell your work, and also BUY IT at COST, then I highly suggest you check out RedBubble.com where BS like this does not happen!

Sad, angry, disgusted, and horrified.....
---John



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