GCU Forum - NEW - Earnings Modifications Effective 7/01/13

_183235 GCU Newbies artist Posts: 8	Re: NEW - Earnings Modifications Effective 7/01/13 Reply #60 - Jul 6^th, 2013, 10:53am I haven't closed my store yet because I'm not sure how I will get paid for recent sales? What happens to those funds after I close my account?? Thanks.
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Catinka_133492

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Posts: 143

Re: NEW - Earnings Modifications Effective 7/01/13
Reply #61 - Jul 6^th, 2013, 11:21am

Quote from _183235 on Jul 6^th, 2013, 10:53am:

I haven't closed my store yet because I'm not sure how I will get paid for recent sales? What happens to those funds after I close my account?? Thanks.

That is my question too. I hardly even dare ask it. Having read on another thread, someone reported having 200(?) cards removed for not meeting guidelines, though they had been the artist's best sellers, I am afraid of having such a thing happen out of the blue.

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Doreen_137017

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Posts: 5328

Re: NEW - Earnings Modifications Effective 7/01/13
Reply #62 - Jul 6^th, 2013, 12:00pm

Quote from Catinka_133492 on Jul 6^th, 2013, 11:21am:

Quote from _183235 on Jul 6^th, 2013, 10:53am:

I haven't closed my store yet because I'm not sure how I will get paid for recent sales? What happens to those funds after I close my account?? Thanks.

That is my question too. I hardly even dare ask it. Having read on another thread, someone reported having 200(?) cards removed for not meeting guidelines, though they had been the artist's best sellers, I am afraid of having such a thing happen out of the blue.

Artists have closed their stores for a variety of reasons over the years and I doubt that process has changed. I believe when you close you are paid for outstanding royalties within 30-days or so and of course GCU DOES NOT continue to use your images ... good grief they have a strict policy against we artists using material we don't have the right to use, they would never do such a thing.

As far as the cards being removed from stores 'out of the blue' ... GCU made the announcement in January of 2012, over a year and 1/2 ago, that we should be cleaning our stores of cards which do not meet the submission guidelines. That teams would be going through and weeding out cards which fail to meet those guidelines. 1-1/2 years notice IS HARDLY OUT OF THE BLUE.

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Stacia_208183

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Posts: 822

Re: NEW - Earnings Modifications Effective 7/01/13
Reply #63 - Jul 6^th, 2013, 7:09pm

My understanding is no, they cannot, unless an order is already in process. Admin will probably chime in at the start of the week with the official answer.

Quote from Cara_131386 on Jul 6^th, 2013, 10:27am:

If some of us should decide to close shop and I am still thinking on this...If and when we delete our cards and shop do our original designs get deleted out of your database too? In other words can you continue to use our graphics?

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Ed_138263

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Posts: 81

Re: NEW - Earnings Modifications Effective 7/01/13
Reply #64 - Jul 6^th, 2013, 7:43pm

Quote from Cara_131386 on Jul 6^th, 2013, 10:27am:

If some of us should decide to close shop and I am still thinking on this...If and when we delete our cards and shop do our original designs get deleted out of your database too? In other words can you continue to use our graphics?

Cara, no, they can not continue to use our graphics. What I would do, is delete all of your images first, then close the store.

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Chrissy_135289

GCU Newbies
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Posts: 13

Re: NEW - Earnings Modifications Effective 7/01/13
Reply #65 - Jul 7^th, 2013, 9:49am

Quote from Cara_131386 on Jul 6^th, 2013, 10:27am:

If some of us should decide to close shop and I am still thinking on this...If and when we delete our cards and shop do our original designs get deleted out of your database too? In other words can you continue to use our graphics?

This is the 2nd time I've had a shop with GCU. The first time I did not have many designs up and I closed the shop in 2008. While my shop appeared closed, some of my cards apparently were still available for sale on other sites (BigDates?) and a few weeks later a friend of mine actually bought a card. He called me up to tell me it was a great print!! I was shocked and confused, so I asked where he got it and he showed me his order receipt. After I saw the card listed online, I emailed GCU to complain, they apologized and took it down.

How many sold during those few weeks? Only one that I know of.

It took about a month (if I remember correctly) but I DID get a check for the royalties (from that sale) from GCU. I would not have known about it had the person who bought my card not known or contacted me, so to me this experience did raise a concern.

I'm NOT saying it wasn't an honest mistake on GCU's part that my cards were available after my shop closed. I am not saying it happens often, I'm just sharing my experience. The reason I reopened my shop a few months later was because receiving a royalty check for that sale made me feel I can still trust GCU. However, I would advise artists to use google within a few weeks and make sure the cards are down, instead of closing up shop and just forgetting about it like I did.

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Marie_134287 Senior Member artist Posts: 266	Re: NEW - Earnings Modifications Effective 7/01/13 Reply #66 - Jul 7^th, 2013, 10:41am Thanks for the heads up Chrissy. This is interesting.
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David_134612 Full Member artist Posts: 231	Re: NEW - Earnings Modifications Effective 7/01/13 Reply #67 - Jul 8^th, 2013, 6:17am its disturbing to hear that cards can still be sold by GCU after store and cards are deleted HOW CAN THIS HAPPEN? IF THEY DID IT ONCE THEY CAN DO IT AGAIN If you dropout search for your cards and verify GCU actually deleted it We no longer can trust them !
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KC_141411 GCU Administrator artist Posts: 610	Re: NEW - Earnings Modifications Effective 7/01/13 Reply #68 - Jul 8^th, 2013, 9:15am I can assure you all that your images are removed from all of our websites if you have chosen to close your store. We would not continue to sell one's image after their account has been closed.
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Mindy

GCU Administrator
Community Manager

Posts: 6537
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Re: NEW - Earnings Modifications Effective 7/01/13
Reply #69 - Jul 8^th, 2013, 2:01pm

Quote from _183235 on Jul 6^th, 2013, 10:53am:

I haven't closed my store yet because I'm not sure how I will get paid for recent sales? What happens to those funds after I close my account?? Thanks.

If you choose to close your store please use the Cancel My Account tool on your Administrative Settings page:
http://artist.greetingcarduniverse.com/community/cancel.asp

If you have outstanding, unpaid earnings you should send an email to Services @greetingcarduniverse.com (no spaces between Services and @) requesting your payout. Please include your artist / storefront id #.

Please note it can take up to 24 hours for your cards to be removed from all of our sites.

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Catinka_133492 Full Member artist Posts: 143	Re: NEW - Earnings Modifications Effective 7/01/13 Reply #70 - Jul 8^th, 2013, 5:08pm Thanks Mindy! That's very reassuring to know.
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Penny_134243 Gold Member artist Posts: 1337	Re: NEW - Earnings Modifications Effective 7/01/13 Reply #71 - Jul 9^th, 2013, 6:44am Hi, Mindy, I just noticed that the artist price for cards has been adjusted to compensate for the new commission structure. Thank you for doing that for us! Penny
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Trish_136241 Senior Member artist Posts: 440	Re: NEW - Earnings Modifications Effective 7/01/13 Reply #72 - Jul 9^th, 2013, 9:09am Yes Mindy, that is nice. I appreciate that too.
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Charlyn_193697

GCU Newbies

Posts: 41

Re: NEW - Earnings Modifications Effective 7/01/13
Reply #73 - Jul 9^th, 2013, 12:54pm

I agree, the problem is for all of us, there were no warning signs before and it makes everyone want to know the truthful answers as to WHY??? I think we all would like to know why and not hear " It will help us all in the long run", we want solid reasonable answers as to why :

Quote from Gail_137747 on Jul 5^th, 2013, 11:52am:

Seems like it was going so well. I wish we really knew the details of these drastic changes.

1. Is the company in financial trouble?
2. Has the company been sold?
3. Are these changes to make profits look good for a sale?
4. Is this a way of cutting artists?

Companies should value their employees, not punish them. Cutting commissions to 50% is punishment. I'm trying to see the positive side to this, but it's difficult. Perhaps management can inform, enlighten, and explain what is really going on. We artists would appreciate it.

I am just wanting to know the "real reasons" as to why, it would make things easier to deal with knowing the real reason for the card price increase and the decrease in artist commissions.

Charlyn

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Mindy GCU Administrator Community Manager Posts: 6537 Gender:	Re: NEW - Earnings Modifications Effective 7/01/13 Reply #74 - Jul 9^th, 2013, 7:03pm Please see related post here from Nasser: http://www.greetingcarduniverse.com/forum/yabb2/YaBB.pl?num=1373421546
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