Major issue with Digital downloads :-(
TalkieT
Registered Users Posts: 491 Major grins
Sorry guys, I think I have discovered a major problem with digital downloads. I should state up front that this MAY be designed behaviour, and it may be well know, but I just had a customer order come through and I physically winced...
(For Smugmug's benefit, the order number was 324692)
A woman from the World Ultimate champs I photographed last year ordered a bunch of Digital Downloads... She ordered a mixture of high res (4mp), original and 1mp images.
My major concern was that the system allowed her to order and pay for an original sized image (I set pricing for personal use at $25) when the image resolution was only 880*1104 !
Surely the system should not allow purchases at higher resolutions (4mp and original) if the image in question is BELOW these thresholds.
Yes, I know there may be some allowance made for aspect ratio, but this irks me terribly.
For cultural reasons I don't believe that the user will complain, but if it was me I would be quite upset...
I realise that the user could have checked the image dimensions before ordering, but not everyone is that savvy.
PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE could we have some intelligence to prevent this sort of problem happening again?
Has this affected anyone else? Anyone else see how this could create quite ill feeling on the part of the buyer if they ordered a full size image, paid for full size and then got a 1mp image?
Oh, the image in question was:
http://www.nzsnaps.com/gallery/2155979/42/111858896#111858896
Regards
Neil Gardner
ps. For my part, I'm going to email her and apologise. I don't know what I could do since she appeared to order every photo of herself on my site... I'll probably send her original sized pics of all the one she ordered at lower sizes by way of apology - but I feel really bad about this.
(For Smugmug's benefit, the order number was 324692)
A woman from the World Ultimate champs I photographed last year ordered a bunch of Digital Downloads... She ordered a mixture of high res (4mp), original and 1mp images.
My major concern was that the system allowed her to order and pay for an original sized image (I set pricing for personal use at $25) when the image resolution was only 880*1104 !
Surely the system should not allow purchases at higher resolutions (4mp and original) if the image in question is BELOW these thresholds.
Yes, I know there may be some allowance made for aspect ratio, but this irks me terribly.
For cultural reasons I don't believe that the user will complain, but if it was me I would be quite upset...
I realise that the user could have checked the image dimensions before ordering, but not everyone is that savvy.
PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE could we have some intelligence to prevent this sort of problem happening again?
Has this affected anyone else? Anyone else see how this could create quite ill feeling on the part of the buyer if they ordered a full size image, paid for full size and then got a 1mp image?
Oh, the image in question was:
http://www.nzsnaps.com/gallery/2155979/42/111858896#111858896
Regards
Neil Gardner
ps. For my part, I'm going to email her and apologise. I don't know what I could do since she appeared to order every photo of herself on my site... I'll probably send her original sized pics of all the one she ordered at lower sizes by way of apology - but I feel really bad about this.
--
http://www.nzsnaps.com (talkiet.smugmug.com)
http://www.nzsnaps.com (talkiet.smugmug.com)
0
Comments
Hi, "original" means whatever YOU upload as your original size. It could be (in theory), 5px by 5px.
http://www.smugmug.com/prints/digital-downloads
I'm sorry that this caused you some problem.
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1) If (originalX * OriginalY) <4mp, then don't offer Original size images, and supply the 4mp download as the original image unmodified or resized.
2) If (originalX * originalY) <1mp, then don't offer Original or 4mp size images, and suplpy the 1mp download as the original image unmodified or resized.
Obviously the famous Smugmug guarantee only applies to the prints and physical products (as it should)... But I wonder if the reliance on the ease of reprinting has let the focus on customer satisfaction slip through the cracks for digital downloads?
If you can honestly say you don't see any problem with a customer being presented with three choices for a photo (1mp - $5, 4mp - $9 and original - $25), selecting original and then paying $25 for a 0.97MP download, then I'll accept I'm over-reacting and shush up :-)
Cheers - N.
ps. Dead serious about the famous Smugmug Guarantee... I love it and it utterly removes any concerns I have about customer dis-satisfaction for physical products!
http://www.nzsnaps.com (talkiet.smugmug.com)
We'll keep looking for alternatives, but for now, glad that you are sorted out, and yes, the guarantee covers all of this
Portfolio • Workshops • Facebook • Twitter
I just wanted to clarify, if the original image is < 1 mp, the customer is only presented with one choice to purchase: Original.
If 1 mp < original image < 4 mp, the customer is only presented with two choices to purchase: 1 mp and original.
Only if the original image is > 4 mp is the customer given all three choices, and only, of course if you allow all these choices in your pricing. I hope that helps!
If you go to the individual image pricing in your pro pricing tool, you'll see that there aren't any boxes to price 1 mp or 4 mp downloads for the image in question. We eliminate those options automatically for you and your customer.
-Anne
That's good to know, but it seems backwards to me. I think price should be based on size, not whether it is actually "original".
This would make more sense to me:
If the original image is < 1 mp, the customer should only presented with one choice to purchase: 1MP
If 1 MP < original image < 4 MP, the customer should only presented with two choices to purchase: 1 MP and 4MP.
With the current implemenation, if I want price based on size, I would have to find all "originals" that are < 1MP and between 1-4MP and adjust price.
Thanks,
Scott
scwalter.smugmug.com
Thanks for the clarification... I see what you're trying to get at, but as next poster points out, this makes big problems if for a large sporting gallery (for example) some images are highly cropped and others aren't.
It would be impossibly slow to reprice each image individually based on size which is what I would have to do to avoid this problem.
Is it possible to remove the "original" option completely, and only have 1mp and 4mp options available? (I tried to log in and check, but magic is happening :-)
I think if it's possible I'll have to remove the option for my customers to buy original sized images through smugmug and do that manually through paypal and email (and yes, that does mean some - not much I grant you - lost revenue for Smugmug). I just can't justify a $25 download being the same as the $5 download - it would be way to embarassing if a customer pulled me up on this.
Oh well... I'm looking forward to the new magic tonight :-)
Cheers - N
http://www.nzsnaps.com (talkiet.smugmug.com)
Portfolio • Workshops • Facebook • Twitter
My 2 cents (be it a little late), but this is what would make sense to me:
* If the original image is < 1 mp, the customer should only presented with one choice to purchase: original (at the price level of the 1 mp)
* If 1 MP < original image < 4 MP, the customer should only presented with two choices to purchase: 1 MP (at the price level of the 1 mp) and original (at the price level of the 4 mp)
* If the original image is > 4 mp, the customer should only presented with one choice to purchase: original (at the price level of the original)
Could this be an idea for digital download pricing?
www.marcoglasbergen.nl
Not saying its right or the best way, but is is what I do.
The file I upload pretty much have no PP done to them. Usually only some sharpening and a levels or curves tweak if necessary. These photos I am usually 80-90% satisfied with so I have a few day delat set so I have the ability to do some more PP fine tuning if necessary.
You have to remember that what you upload is what is purchased with digital downloads so you pretty much have to be satisfied with the images you upload. I NEVER sell original files - no real need unless the customer is planning on printing posters.
When dowloads are purchased I reveiw each and every one just like I do individual photo purchases - if I am not satisfied with the download image the customer purchased, I will make the changes and email a new copy to the customer (same size as purchased) and just explain to them that I wanted to make a few minor adjustements and make sure they are buying the best product I have available. Don't do this much, but have done it.
Just my $0.02
Michael