Adobe forcing customers to change subscription plans?

[Meow2212]

Hello,

I was logging into Adobe.com to update my payment details and noticed that whilst the Adobe.com accounts page directs you to the Adobe Store to manage payments, I was getting constant errors no matter what I did:

After speaking to two chat agents, I'm learning that Adobe previously outsourced my subscription to Digital River, since "Adobe Store were not available for some of the countries then digital river use to work for them to make the purchase as it is authorized by Adobe". Now since there's some relationship issue or payments issue or some issue between Adobe and Digital River, I can't update my payment details.

The chat rep then very kindly and smoothly offers to cancel my current subscription and re-subscribe me on the Adobe.com direct subscription because it will resolve my payments issues as no extra charge.

My frustration here is:

1. Why wasn't this communicated to me as a customer? Why did I have to wait till there was some issue with payments to find out from a chat rep that this was happening?
2.  When I probed to understand the context behind this, I don't get clarity beyond pre-packaged responses and an apology. I understand the rep's situation but I do also want to understand how my subscription T&C changes with this. Yet I can't get that answer out of the rep.
3.  The way this has been managed feels like I'm being forced into a new contract with Adobe, under the pretense of 'oh we're making life easier for you! Check it out you can now make payments easily since we locked you out of the other one!'

I'd like to understand:

1. Are there others experiencing this issue as well?

2. Are there any concerns I need to be aware of with cancelling my current 'defunct' subscription, and signing onto a new one with Adobe.com directly?

[marknicholas88]

I was using the "Royal We" 🤣

[Soyanoya]

Hi, I have encountered the same issue. First, received an email saying 'Creative Cloud Membership Renewal has failed', and asking me to follow the link to the account to manage it. It appeared genuine except that the name in the email was the name on the credit card used, and not on the membership, but that had been the case when the membership was started as well. 

The account does not show any billing information, but asks to go to Adobe store, just like yours did. And the link to the store is broken - there is a 404 error there. 

So I reached out to the customer care through the help and support section. Even before I explained my problem, the agent messaged "I would like to inform you that earlier your country did not have an Adobe direct store, so you purchased the plan from our payment partner, i.e. Digital River store. But now Adobe has a direct store in your country, shall I change the plan that you have purchased from the third-party store and place a new order for the same plan and price from Adobe's direct store? Once I make the changes, it will be super easy for you to update the payment, download the invoice, and change the plan from your end the best part is we can collect the payment right away to proceed quickly and everything will be working then and you can manage all your account on your own. May I know if you wish to proceed with that?"

This kind of behaviour, when they push you to purchase or enter your credit card details, is typical of scammeres. And it continued throughout the conversation. No answer was given when I asked when the change was made or why customers weren't informed through the website or via mail. The Adobe store site reached through Google and a link given on the chat is extremely basic looking, very unlike Adobe. However, it does have previous orders stored there.

So my question is: is this a very sophisticated scam, in which hackers have taken over part of the Adobe website or simply really poor customer care from Adobe? Has everyone else's subscription continued smoothly after the change?

PS: Since the plan is being changed midway (it is a student teacher plan), I expect there will be a penalty - which the customer care person did not mention either.  

[kglad]

1. there's no penalty for changing plans.

2. no one forced you to accept adobe's offer

3. is there a current problem?

[marknicholas88]

It is not a scam. It is 100% poor customer care ! 

[kglad]

upselling is a common technique and there are significant advantages to running the latest software, but no one is forced to agree with a sales pitch.

and there is a cancellation period (1 week without penalty), if you make a impulse purchase.

[Meow2212]

Yep. Can confirm it's just poor customer service and management.

I made the switch and a year later ive no yet had any issues with my payments, and no price changes. So it feels like it was just a direct transfer.

It's just annoying we have to go through this poor customer service.

[Soyanoya]

Thank you, that is very helpful. I can now proceed with the change without worry.

[Soyanoya]

Agreed. Had this been communicated more effectively, I wouldn't even have worried about possible hacking/scam. Most companies would email you before the change happens, and let you know what to expect, following it up with reminder mails closer to the date and informing you when you needed to change plans. And if not, the customer care executives could be better informed and communicate in a more reassuring fashion. It must be so hard on them too, to have to tell thousands and thousands of unbelieving customers about this need to change!

[rolom17175317]

Same issue. And the rep was blatantly lying saying I bought subscription through Ditial River. Which i didn't as I boughtt my plan ages ago in Adobe's official website.