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TheLandOfDustin
Participating Frequently
November 6, 2016
Question

[Locked] Creative Cloud in Canadian Dollars | Taking Steps to Fight Adobe

  • November 6, 2016
  • 13 replies
  • 12438 views

To all of my fellow Canadian Creative Cloud users, I'd like to start a new discussion about our struggle to get change and action from Adobe to allow a Canadian Dollar option when purchasing or renewing Creative Cloud subscriptions.

 

As of you know well by now, Adobe charges Canadians in USD for CC subscriptions. This is clearly unfair, especially when the Canadian dollar is so low next to the US dollar. This has been the trend now for several years and this makes purchasing or renewing CC an expensive and ever-changing cost each year. Of course Adobe has no control over currency exchange rates, but what Adobe does have the power to do is offer their products in Canadian dollars.

 

The reason is very clear as to why they don't offer a CAD option. Someone would have to pay the exchange. They would clearly loose money on those subscriptions if they offered Canadians the advertised rate in our currency. They pass that cost onto us. So, instead Adobe will give vague excuses like "we don't have offices in Canada" or "The Canadian government won't let us". This is all corporate talk BS. Think about how many American-based companies that offer e-commerce in the local currency of the customer regardless of the country they live in. Adobe could do the same, but choose not to.

 

 

It is important to bring this up: In a world where any online users have access to illegally obtain any piece of software they want, some still choose to buy their software. But, when faced with the dilemma of choosing between a massive rich corporation nickel-and-diming users to get every penny out of them, or, doing a Google search for torrents, the problem becomes worse. I believe that many Canadians would rather buy their software the honest way, but it is becoming more hard to support Adobe. I've actually never been so appalled by the lack of reasoning or customer service before by any company. Ever.

 

I want people to continue to call, chat support, or message Adobe on social media and voice your discontent with their decisions. Feel free to share what customer service agents tell you - compare notes. I want to do everything I can to escalate our claim and try my damned hardest to get a hold of an actual human being who I can actually send an email to or call to get some real answers. I will not back down, nor should you. This is worth the fight - it is abundantly clear that Adobe has shown no respect to it's Canadian customers.

 

Let's stand together and tell Adobe to start respecting it's Canadian customers.

This topic has been closed for replies.

13 replies

Participant
November 6, 2019

I am willing to run an office in Canada for Adobe, to handle all the payments in Canadian dollars, for the 4% the average credit card takes in currency fees. I will be willing to even hedge the currency for Adobe if they need that.

Regards

Participating Frequently
September 13, 2019

2019 UPDATE: I would like to post an update on this issue, but Adobe's new forum is marking my post as spam. For a complete history of my interactions with Adobe on this issue, please visit: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/rant-adobe-why-cant-canadians-pay-canadian-dollars-products-karst/?trackingId=o47crTdOczoNTKgXFhqYJw%3D%3D

Participant
April 3, 2020

Hi Michael,


I love all the hard work you have put behind this.

I'm a new subscriber and SHOCKED to see we're being charged HST in USD. How does that make any sense? Are they remitting CRA the HST at the USD CAD exchange rate of that day?

This is a brutal hit.. Do I claim the Income Tax Credit on the HST at the 13% of the charge on my credit card? The fact that they charge HST should make them register their system for CAD. I didn't calculate for this exchange issue every month when I subscribed. I have plenty of other options out there and chose Adobe due to the name. Now I know their not the most honest company 

Participating Frequently
April 3, 2020

Thank you @manneredfinance for your feedback. Keep in mind that as the Canadian Dollar weakens against the US Dollar in the age of COVID-19, Adobe is now raking it in on its Canadian customers. Adobe may not have changed their rates for US customers, but Canadian customers are paying progressively more each month than they initially signed up for. Again, through no fault of our own and purely due to Adobe’s arrogance, laziness and refusal to allow us to pay using our own currency.

 

As of today (April 3, 2020), Adobe is advertising a promotional rate of US$39.99/mo for Creative Cloud (all apps) which apparently ends today. They’ve raised their promotional rate from the fall when it was only US$29.99/mo. For Canadians, that’s now CA$63.91/mo (13% HST incl.) for the promotional rate. The regularly advertised rate is US$52.99/mo — or CA$84.69/mo (13% HST incl.) for those of us in Canada.

 

Your best bet, *IF YOU MUST* pay for Creative Cloud for your business, is to pay for the full year in advance and demand promotional pricing in lieu of how Adobe is behaving. At least you only suffer the currency conversion once a year instead of twelve times a year.

Participating Frequently
September 13, 2019

2019 UPDATE: According to my most recent correspondence with Adobe on September 4, 2019, adding support for the Canadian dollar to their online store has been pushed to 2020. While this is very frustrating, it is also not that surprising given Adobe’s history with this issue. As we draw near to 2020, this has been an ongoing issue for about 7 years now.

 

If this is important to you, I urge you to call Adobe today at 1-800-585-0774 and insist on 12 months of promotional pricing (US$29.99/month) in lieu of Adobe’s continued refusal to support the Canadian dollar. Your efforts could save you over 40% on Adobe Creative Cloud this year.

 

If you are still in the middle of your annual billing cycle, Adobe can start a new billing cycle at the promotional rate and refund you the difference still remaining on your previous billing cycle. There should be no penalties or extra fees. When you call Adobe, you may have to wait on hold or request a callback (it took Adobe 2h30m to call me back). Adobe reps may tell you that they can only offer 1-2 free months, but I was able to secure promotional pricing for 12 months on all apps (US$29.99/month, versus $52.99/month). If you pay all 12 months at once, then you will only have to suffer the currency exchange once, instead of every month.

 

Offering minimal discounts to unhappy customers is a standard tactic of most call centres. Keep pressing and escalating this issue. If the first rep you speak to isn’t cooperating, then insist to speak with their supervisor. If that doesn’t work, then call back and speak with someone else. It may take time, but your efforts could save you over 40% on Creative Cloud this year. Depending on where you live, that could mean an extra $400 in your pocket.

feather005
Participant
April 18, 2019

April 2019,

Upgraded to All Apps Account, then asked about CAD pricing.
"We don't have that option"

Can we start another online campaign, this is ridiculous. Who in billing can we email?
There is an office in Canada. How are they paying them? With USD? Are they paying CAD income tax? It doesn't make sense that you have a presence in another country but do not allow payments in their currency?

Not sure which government department this issue would fall under.

This is just frustrating.

tomg1220980
Participant
February 3, 2019

I am so offended by Adobe's new "rental" model that I continue to use my full CS6 suite and have not upgraded.

I started by buying CS2 and bought each upgrade till they moved to the rental model which is $330 Canadian per year just for Photoshop. 

Participant
April 26, 2018

Its almost unbelievable how un professional Adobe is with their response to this issue.  I like lightroom a lot but won't be held ransom for exchange rate fluctuations, so until they offer it in Canadian dollars, they won't get my money or my company's money.

Participant
March 14, 2018

The problem is Adobe has a monopoly and they know it.  They think they hold all the cards. I just sent a email to my gov't rep.

See if we can apply some extra pressure.

Participant
March 14, 2018

How can a business operating in Canada, taking HST, not accept CAD as legal tender? I don't think this would be legal in The USA.

Is there someone in government that should get involved? Who should be contacted?

djmakk
Participant
March 14, 2018

Your basically right, New Zealand and Australia did that and they have it priced in their currency. It would help if our government stepped in, but there is enough precedent from other US  companies operating in Canada that price in CDN currency that Adobe should just follow suite.

SteveBlacker
Participating Frequently
February 19, 2018

This has irked me for a long time.  When I started with CC it was about $50 CAD per month, give or take a few cents.  Now it's over $75 per month.  I use CC at work (they pay for it), but still have my own CC account for personal and freelance work on the side, which I pay for.  I finally had enough and cancelled my account.  It's daylight robbery.

Participating Frequently
October 13, 2017

I'm just as angry about this scam as all of you guys above.

What I don't understand though, is how can Adobe charge us HST on their product while also charging us in US dollars?

Any other online company (Amazon, etc) that charges HST also charges in CAD. I've never seen any other company collect Canadian taxes yet charge in American dollars. Surely this is the biggest scam of all.

I was under the impression if a company had a Canadian office, they had to charge HST. Seeing as Adobe has offices in Canada and are charging customers Canadian taxes, the "government won't let us" charge in USD doesn't hold up.

Participating Frequently
October 13, 2017

You're absolutely right @scrabbleship13.

Adobe has no excuse to be charging Canadians in a foreign currency when they have offices in Ottawa and they charge HST on their products. Don't even bother asking their customer support reps about it -- by phone or on discussion boards -- they'll just give you scripted answers that are full of lies. If you speak to anyone at Adobe, you need to escalate the issue past the frontline workers. There are countless other companies in the US (Apple, Microsoft, Netflix, Dropbox, etc.) who sell subscription-based services across the border and none of them behave the way Adobe does. Considering how long Adobe has been doing business in Canada and how integral their products are to the creative market, you'd think they would act with a little more professionalism and respect towards their own customers than they are now.

I've since lost all respect for Adobe as a business.