Lower the commission 99designs takes from designers
The case is, 99Designs takes a HUGE commission from designers. For example, designers may get only $300 out of $495 fee that CH pays (in most simple case out of $295 fee the designer will get only $200). That's a 40% commission. Contest Holders should be informed about this also, at least.
Vitom
shared this idea
36 comments
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Anonymous
commented
Hi, I am a new contest holder on 99designs. I was shocked at how big a commision they take, 25% seems reasonable. 40% seems like robbery not to mention the fact they do not make this fact public to the contest holders. I only discovered it when publishing my contest to twitter it said the actual amount given to designers and then using a calculator I figured out their commision fee percentage. I am still trying to figure out if the commision varies depending on the package. I initially was going to choose a custom package but the woman from 99designs I was chatting with kept pushing me towards the gold package and told me she would just remove the exclusiveness from the contest so that I could get more designs but yet have the higher level of support from the gold package for the same price. Now I think the real reason she was pushing me towards the gold package is that the 99design fee % is higher on this package than the fee on the custom package.
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Anonymous
commented
what about logo store? 99designs take 60$ out of 90$, you only get 30$! it's wayyyy to big commision for themselves.
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smashingbug
commented
I think it is ok since their support is excellent and they are improving the sites everytime. The only thing is the contest holder needs to inform about it.
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k Madison Moore
commented
Just a few weeks ago I found out that one of the designers illegally used one of my photos of one of my original paintings for a book cover contest and it was the winner. It was on 99 Designs site since last August and I had no idea until a fan told me about this. The designer won $200. and 99 got $99 for this winner.
After contacting them they took it down immediately. Then I found out that they also sold the copyright of the cover with my work to the author that requested this project.
So, they take my copyright photo and sold it as a copyright!They have stated that they will supply the author with a new copyright and will also supply me with a copy of this and also the name of the designer. Yeah right....I am still waiting. They will not give me the $300. that won because of my cover and tell me I have to get it from the designer but they won't give me the designers name so they make this impossible. His screen name and the name he uses at 99 Designs is Daliborka, tells me nothing!
Watch out for these people, especially artists. They will steal your work and they think that is just ok. So they are making money off the backs of artists and don't care how they do it! Total rip offs!
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Jenneil
commented
If 99Designs were to take a more reasonable commission, more designers would participate - enough said...
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Alex
commented
99designs model is brilliant. Next time I am going out to eat I am going to ask each chef at the restaurant to provide me with their specialty dish, sample everything and only pay for the one I like! Pure genius! Why would anyone ever expect to be paid for the work they do? People should only be paid if they are best of the hundreds competing for my business!
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Anonymous
commented
this is what i don't like with 99designs.. they take a huge commissions and that's really unfair to every designer who work really hard just to win.
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KS
commented
I am designer myself and i want to tell you that It takes lots of money, time, patience and hardwork to run/host a site like 99designs, the designs we upload are stored in a server which actually 99designs pays the money/fees, so you should be thankful that there's a site called 99designs, i love 99designs.
Bye.
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Andre Arso commented
Nobody makes you to join any contest. While logged in, you see actual summs, that you would recieve from a client. Not enough — just pass the contest. You know, that you will get only $300 from the very begginning. Not $495. Not $200. Yes, CHs pays more, than we — designers — get. But they pay not only for the work of a winner, but for the verity. And that's what 99designs is about. Design-fastfood. Cheap and quick.
It's ok for me, that I get 60% as a winner. But maybe it would be more fair, if all the finalists share some 20% too. That would encourige us to try harder. In the end, you guys (99designs), would get your money anyway. And more happy users on both sides.
For now, it seems to me, that everything is done to please clients. But not designers. As a result — look at any contest — 80% of submited works is crap. I'm a designer for 12 years and I see it. I don't really need money, so I participate in a contest only when interested in a topic. But there are many young designers, who seem not to worry about solving client's problem, just following the brief, repeting parts of each others works just to get paid. But they would do it for a $50. Why bother? Take a 90% fee and be happy. You already have your crap-design army. And there are millions of busnesses, that don't really need more. -
dasafy
commented
No comment. 40% was something unsuspected.
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[Deleted]
commented
I'm not a bit surprised by this... I just joined and I wondered how it all pays out. It didn't seem right to me from the beginning.... here you have so many designers fighting over one job for a small payout ( hours upon hours of work!), the buyer sits there watching these great designs come to life for a small payout out of its pocket, and then to have 99design take a huge cut..... it's all wrong. I'm signing out of this BULL$#!!
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Solymonil
commented
Giancarlo, come on! Providing an opportunity by robbing you? It's taking more than half of your payment and saying "Well, we got you the job didn't we, you ow us everything! And for the rest of your life by working here, you'll get only half because, we run the business " Imagine that in real-life. Imagine it. Nobody would work. It's enough you pay taxes and bank commissions, this is a way too much. 5-10% commission is fair. Working on 99 is harder than working in a firm, that's for sure, and yet you earn less than you would by working there.
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Giancarlo
commented
Can I vote down?
They just provide a great oportunity, let them charge a good cut, they closed a sale for you, and you have to agree upon the prize money not the full price -
Anonymous
commented
BEST what they can do to be fair with designers is to put the finall price we get on contest page, now if i see contest for 300$ i can get only 60% of it.
If CH will pay 99d a 1000$ for design i'll see 700$ as award. -
ws
commented
Without the huge commission, how could they buy companies in Europe?
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Michael W.
commented
Hard enough becoming a winner. Could be 100+ entries later before someone wins a contest. All that time spent designing image after image and they lose a big part of the prize.
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Anonymous
commented
Totally agree, 99designs commission is to high, and I'm pretty sure that they aren't entirely clear with the Ch's about this.
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EST
commented
99Designs is already exploiting the hell out of artists here. The exorbitant cut just add insult to injury. I looked at one contest. The award $800 - your cut $375 - about 45%. They do nothing. I'm really developing a delicious deep burning hatred for 99Designs.
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J.A.
commented
Ridiculous commission, they one thing i'm not happy with about 99d.
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alexbilusic
commented
I don't have a problem with the 99d's commision. BUT it would help if you would raise the minimum contest prize for designers. $200 for a 14-day rounded contest is waaaay too low.
