Instant Downloads Not Keeping Chosen Royalty

[jennifer22]

I created this product a few minutes ago. I chose a 97% royalty, but it is sticking at the default 92.89%. I've actually noticed this on several products, but I assumed those would eventually update. I literally just created this product, though, so something's wrong here.

I find the default $11 cost far too low. I don't want to lose money when people choose this over a physical banner.

https://www.zazzle.com/construction_happy_birthday_with_age_boy_poster-256925893739037050

[Pádraig]

Hi @jennifer22,

I'm sorry to hear you're experiencing an issue here. It can take up to 24 hours for royalty changes to take effect. Can you confirm when you last tried to modify the royalty rate?

Pádraig.

[jennifer22]

This one did eventually update a day later, but this doesn't make sense, as this was a brand-new product. Wouldn't the chosen digital royalty take effect immediately?

On a related note, I know this one has been pending a 97% royalty for at least several days (and I even sold it at the default royalty yesterday, even though I had previously requested the higher royalty): 

https://www.zazzle.com/cute_car_toy_pattern_boy_teal_baby_shower_invitation-256627607436920819

[Mark]

Hi @jennifer22,

Sorry for the delay here. I have passed this info onto the team now and I will let you know once I hear back.

[klstock]

This is happening to me....even ones I had initially set at a higher rate, reverted to the default 92.89%. When I try to enter the royalty rate that I want, it does not stick.  I check it the next day, and still at the default. About every 3rd one lets me change it and it sticks - seems to be no rhyme or reason to it. I have had to remove the ones the ones I had enabled for digital download that won't let me change the royalty - zero chance I am selling them at the low rate. I hope this gets fixed soon. 

[ColsCreations]

I enabled one card for Instant Download just as a test and had this same Known Issue of the chosen royalty not sticking. However I found that though the default 92.89 it reverted to was reflected in the price on the product page, when I added it to my cart, the cart showed the price according to the royalty I had actually chosen. I posted about it here

community.zazzle.com/t5/technical-issues/glitch-with-pricing-on-instant-downloads 

Also I should add, when I checked the next day, my chosen royalty was showing in the back-end and on the product page so it fixed itself.

[klstock]

Well, that is strange! But until I can see and verify on my end that it is keeping the royalty rate I enter, I won't have those enabled for download. Hopefully it is fixed soon.

[Mark]

Thank you for flagging here, @klstock. I will let you know once I hear back from the team.

[klstock]

I checked again today, and it is still reverting to the 92.89%. I have a bunch of invites I would like to make available for digital download but won't do that until I can see it is keeping my chosen royalty. I have a handful of ones I made available awhile back that have the correct royalty rate but any I have tried to do since then will not keep the royalty rate I enter. I have had 2 different digital sales just today so would like to make my other invites available for digital download as soon as this is fixed. 

[klstock]

Since writing my earlier post today, I have found that it will change the royalty - but it doesn't show right away. So it will look like it didn't take, but if I wait about 5 minutes and check again it will show it. Some though didn't take the first time so I tried again and then it did take on the 2nd or 3rd attempt.  

[SapphireDesigns]

I'm bumping this as I just experienced a similar issue today.  All of my items that are available for download are set at the default 92.89 EXCEPT one graduation invitation that has brought me (probably) most of my earnings over the years... so I bumped that royalty up to 94% (not a huge difference, I know, but I wanted to see how it did).  A digital copy sold today - and NOT ONLY was it not at my 94% - but 92.2% - which is even less than the default.   I went to my product and verified my royalty is in fact set at 94% - and I did this long ago, so it's locked in (it's not waiting for the 20th to update).   I'm already having issues with so many things... products not grouping despite multiple requests, product views and sales being WAY down compared to past years (I'm assuming because of the new cover photo products taking priority) and now the digital downloads will likely be taking a good bit of commission and I can't even get the royalty I'm requesting.  

Is there any update on this issue or an explanation as to why it's happening?  I'm extremely tempted to remove my digital options until I can understand what I'll be receiving for my work.

[Mark]

Hi all,

We do not have an update with this issue just yet. I will get back to you as soon as we do. Thanks for your patience.

[john]

4 months later and the problem has not been fixed. I had a similar problem. Created NEW products with them all set at 60% royalty. When I checked on them a few days later, zazzle changed them all to 94.315%. It makes no sense why zazzle would do that. I deleted every product and shut down that store. Why would a seller spend days creating products only to have zazzle ignore the pricing!

[Shakenbake]

Is there any movement on this issue? I'm still having products sold for less than my intended amount and I know there won't be any backpay for that, so I'd love to know when this will resolve! I don't want to remove my digital products and lose traction, but this is ongoing and really is a problem. 

[SapphireDesigns]

I would also like to add to this - the fact that it seems the instant download option is also being offered at promotional / sale prices which I don't agree should be an option.  I think it should be a fixed price that doesn't go on sale or qualify for a promotional code.  For example... if I sell a digital product at its standard price of $11.95 with a 92.9% royalty rate - I receive about $10.54.  If that product comes through a 3rd party referral, I'm down to $7.08 in earnings.   I just received an order a few days ago where the price the customer paid was $5.98.  I received $4.16.   Not happy about this.  We're all smart shoppers.  We know to wait for sales & promotions before we purchase something if we want to save money.  If that option is available for instant downloads, we won't be making much.  Especially after a 3rd party referral.  Just my thoughts.

[Shakenbake]

I agree and have brought this up as well in another post that I cant remember where i posted it lol. Digital downloads need to be excluded from the coupon codes, period. They should just be a fixed rate and the carve out for being over 15% should not apply either because how is that fair when they have to be 92+%?? 

The 15% affiliate/referral share is fine of course. 

But 50% off coupons, or any coupon really, that has us selling our designs for pennies benefits neither us nor Zazzle, and is really disheartening. 

[john]

I have the same problem. I listed new products at 60%. But after a couple of days when I checked them. Zazzle had changed them all to 94.315%. These are new listings, not products that I have edited. I just deleted 3 days of work. Zazzle has really messed this downlods up. I am not listing any more products and waiting until the 20th to see if they update the percentages.

[john]

I added a lot of existing prints as downloads at the beginning of the month. Zazzle ignored what I wanted as a royality for them and listed them at 94.315 %. So I went back and changed 100's of products to the new royalty that I wanted. I waited until the 20th of the month to see if they changed. It is now the 25th, and none of them have been changed to the royalty I wanted. They are ALL still at 94.315 %. Why can't zazzle fix this?