Inspiring

Answered

Adobe CC contracts are terrible!

Forum|Forum|7 years ago
April 4, 2018
5 replies
4499 views

I have resisted for years signing up for the Adobe Creative Cloud subscription because I intensely dislike the subscription model for software. However, I was all ready yesterday to sign up for the Photography subscription and then happened upon this in the terms:

Should you cancel after 14 days, you'll be charged 50% of your remaining contract obligation and your service will continue until the end of that month's billing period.

In other words, even though I selected a monthly payment, I am forced to sign a contract for a year that would penalize me if I cancelled my subscription whenever I wanted to. That was the last straw for me. I never clicked on the Agree button and immediately deleted the CC software from my computer.

I have been an Adobe customer since Photoshop 1.0. I will still continue to use Photoshop CS6 as long as I'm able to, but after that I will no longer be an Adobe customer. I've already replaced the other Adobe applications I was using with other softwares that are more affordable and don't come with ridiculous contracts that force you into paying a ransom to stop using it.

It's bad enough that Adobe has forced this unpopular subscription model on all its customers, but then to force us into a contract that's worse than a phone or cable company is shortsighted. At least phone and cable companies provide a discount if you sign up for a yearly contract, Adobe does no such thing but still expects you to pay a hefty penalty if you cancel.

I know I'm just one customer that Adobe can easily replace with a new one and they could care less. If Adobe comes to its senses before the end of life for Photoshop CS6 and ends this borderline scammy yearly contract, I may reconsider. Otherwise, this longtime Adobe customer is gone for good.

Creative Cloud

This topic has been closed for replies.

Correct answer John T Smith

There is difference between a monthly subscription, and an annual subscription with monthly payments

The same as a monthly apartment rental is not the same as an annual lease with monthly payments

SOME programs are available Monthly instead of Annual https://forums.adobe.com/thread/1926342

John T Smith

Community Expert

>if i want to update my imac my photoshop doesnt work

You are complaining in the wrong place... Adobe did nothing to make your program stop working, that is all on Apple for not maintaining backward compatibility when issuing a new operating system

>sneaky of adobe towards its clients, not even an email to warn you

Why should any software company warn you about Apple's practice of not maintaining backward compatibility?

You bought a program at a certain time for a certain operating system... it is not Adobe's fault that YOU made a change

ProDesignTools

Community Expert

Great point, @John T Smith. Photoshop CS6 came out in back in 2012. CS6 was built with 32-bit components, which was standard at the time.

Apple discontinued all support for 32-bit software on macOS with Catalina in 2019, so that CS6 will no longer run. That's certainly not Adobe's fault or doing.

SerenaPenny

Participant

I am really irritated with adobe right now. I have used photoshop since 2013 and i paid more than 200€ for a serial number only to find out that this year, if i want to update my imac my photoshop doesnt work!!! I am OBLIGATED to buy a subscription to use the new IOS system. I use it occasionally and frankly its really not worth the investment

SerenaPenny

Participant

So in a few words, i have to pay and i basically lost the money ive spent ... unless i de-upgrade, wow. Its sooooooo sneaky of adobe towards its clients, not even an email to warn you

S

sxg34

Participant

I am 100% in agreement. It is a shame for Adobe to use sleazy techniques to force customers into annual contracts and hefty penalties. I would never use them, ever.

J

JaimeFagan

Participant

Adobe’s subscription model has always caused controversy amongst designers – if you use more than one app in your job (which you almost certainly will), you’ll find yourself paying at least £603 per year to use the Creative Cloud package. If you don’t fancy paying it all at once, monthly instalments start at around £50/month (if you sign up for an annual contract).

Thanks-

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Abambo

Community Expert

JaimeFagan wrote
Adobe’s subscription model has always caused controversy amongst designers – if you use more than one app in your job (which you almost certainly will), you’ll find yourself paying at least £603 per year to use the Creative Cloud package.

Effectively 2 applications are cheaper by using single apps. Starting with the third application, it may be cheaper to take the all apps plan, which gives you access to all apps. Several combinations could give you different options, however.

Don't forget that at the time with perpetual licenses the license was not cheap at all. We've spend around 15.000€ to acquire 3 licenses of Creative suite (because we use more than 3 apps, the suites were cheaper than the single apps).

ABAMBO | Hard- and Software Engineer | Photographer

John T Smith

Correct answer

Community Expert

There is difference between a monthly subscription, and an annual subscription with monthly payments

The same as a monthly apartment rental is not the same as an annual lease with monthly payments

SOME programs are available Monthly instead of Annual https://forums.adobe.com/thread/1926342

TomHuAuthor

Inspiring

I know there's a difference, it doesn't matter, the cancellation fee is shady and ridiculous. That page you linked to says this:

Adobe offers a lower price to users who commit membership for a full year at a time

That is untrue. In the case of the Photography subscription, the yearly price ($119.88) is exactly the same as paying $9.99 each month. So there is no discount or benefit to pay for the whole year. But even if you opt to pay monthly, you're unknowingly signing up for a year-long contract. And that's not clear or obvious unless you read all the fine print, which thankfully I did. I imagine a lot of people get fooled into thinking because they chose a monthly payment, they have a month-to-month plan and can cancel at any time.

Adobe loses nothing if someone decides to cancel their subscription 6 months later. They've been paid for the time they used the service, yet Adobe still thinks it's okay to slap on cancellation penalty fees for ending the service even when paying monthly. It's unethical, sneaky and unwarranted.

John Waller

Community Expert

In the case of the Photography subscription, the yearly price ($119.88) is exactly the same as paying $9.99 each month. So there is no discount or benefit to pay for the whole year. But even if you opt to pay monthly, you're unknowingly signing up for a year-long contract.

I'm trying to understand how you are getting the impression that you are signing up unknowingly for a whole year.

The Photography Plan has only two options:

Annual Plan, paid monthly
Annual Plan, prepaid

There's no month to month option for the Photography Plan. You're asked to commit for 12 months, or pay a cancellation fee for early termination.

All other Plans have three options:

Annual Plan, paid monthly
Annual Plan, prepaid
Monthly plan

The options seem clear to me. How else would you word it?

That page you linked to says this:
Adobe offers a lower price to users who commit membership for a full year at a time
That is untrue.

You are comparing the Annual plan, paid monthly to the Annual plan, prepaid. No advantage there. True.

However, that FAQ is comparing the Monthly Plan (month-to-month) to the Annual Plan. Definitely lower per month to go annual. Does not apply to the Photography Plan since there's no Monthly plan available.

You can maintain your argument that the plans are misleading but, to me, they are worded correctly but have to be read carefully.

For what it's worth, I do think that Adobe is its own worst enemy in not making the cancellation fee clearer. That just breeds rage and mistrust with those who are stung by it. It should be loud and clear on the main Cloud plans page so no-one can say they did not know about it, not hidden in the terms and conditions. Big difference if you scream about it before signing up. At least then you can choose not to join in the first place.

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