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LarryLB
Known Participant
April 26, 2017
Question

Adobe stock photo fraud

  • April 26, 2017
  • 3 replies
  • 2028 views

I always buy Adobe stock photos to use for concepts and finished art for my clients. I design Key Art (movie posters and DVD cover art) and for the last couple of years I must have bought over a hundred photos at $.99 each  Tonight I was on deadline and bought 20-30 $.99 photos at a breakneck speed to meet that deadline.  Except this time, planted among the $.99 photos that I was clicking on, was a $499.99 photo. No warning that this photo was somehow different from the thousands of $.99 photos I was frantically clicking on. After a few minute of obtaining photos, I paused to check my bank account to see if I had enough money to keep getting more images for my client, and saw the $499.99 charge for one photo. I had to do some detective work to check it out and yep, sure enough, there was a photo buried among the $.99 ones that was approx. 500% more than all the other photos I've been buying for years.

I contacted Adobe within five minutes of discovering this mistake and with the empathy of a statue I was informed that there are no refunds. Even for a mistakenly clicked on photos.  Once you click you're stuck.

I contacted my bank and they are working on refunding my funds but I am cancelling my Adobe Stock Photo subscription and sticking with depositphotos.com as their $.99 photo section is really and absolutely $.99.... and they have bigger selection!

A cautionary tale.  Be warned.

Larry Barsky

    This topic has been closed for replies.

    3 replies

    Barb Binder
    Community Expert
    Barb BinderCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    April 26, 2017

    I'm surprised this is the first time we are running into this on the forum. (At least in my experience.) The only warning is the rather small, light gray "PREMIUM" under the download options. Like Jane, I had to google Premium to even learn of its existence. My only tip (for future readers of this thread, because I understand why you have cancelled your subscription, Larry) is to activate the filter option and set the price limit. That image isn't shown at $ or $$.

    And for those of us new to the Premium option, in addition to Jane's link above, this might be helpful.

    ~Barb at Rocky Mountain Training
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      LarryLBAuthor
      Known Participant
      April 26, 2017

      Thanks Barb,

      Wish I would have known that filter trick before last night. i guess i never actually thought I'd need a price filter since i thought all the photos were $.99.  Way too naive.

      Thanks so much for the info. It means a lot.

      Larry

        jane-e
        Community Expert
        jane-eCommunity Expert
        Community Expert
        April 26, 2017

        Many of us didn't know, LarryLB​.

        I will set a price limit as soon as I get home.

          Ussnorway7605025
          Ussnorway7605025
          Legend
          April 26, 2017

          a $499.99 photo

          just out of interest... could you link this photo please?

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          LarryLBAuthor
          Known Participant
          April 26, 2017

          Hi Ussnorway,

          It's photo #113213564, 'Full frame shot of gas masks by Cavan Images' on the Adobe Stock site. I was going to use it as a background for a DVD cover of a horror movie in which the killer wears a prominent gas mask.

          LB

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          LarryLBAuthor
          Known Participant
          April 26, 2017

          Hi again Ussnorway, Here is a thumbnail of the $500 photo.

          Michael J. Hoffman
          Community Expert
          Michael J. HoffmanCommunity Expert
          Community Expert
          April 26, 2017

          Hi Larry, I've asked a staff member to take a look here, but I am curious: the Adobe Stock subscription plans give you X number of standard assets at a specific monthly price, and standard assets beyond the monthly limit are $9.99 each, or $2.99, or $1.99 depending on the plan. I've not seen anything on Adobe Stock for $0.99.

          What stock plan are you on?

          Adobe Stock pricing and membership plan | Adobe Stock

          Mike

          [Edit... I just noticed the 750 assets per month plan for $199/month with additional assets at $0.99... is this the plan you have?)

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            LarryLBAuthor
            Known Participant
            April 26, 2017

            Hi Mike,

            I'm on this plan:

            Adobe Stock - 10 images a month for DPC members (one-year)‎

            Basically it's $10.00 a month and then $.99 per photo after that.  It seems that the photo I inadvertently clicked on was a "premium" photo.

            I was clicking on the shopping cart icons at the bottom of each photo so fast I didn't see any indication that one of the photos was "premium".

            If you know someone at Adobe that can look into this it would be incredibly appreciated. Adobe can look at my buying pattern of hundreds of $.99 photos over the last two years and then all of a sudden a $499.99 charge.

            I explained to the customer service person that I've been using Adobe products since 1994 and a Creative Cloud subscriber since the CC started. That didn't make any difference. I was told there was a no refund policy on stock and that was that.

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