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Participating Frequently
October 4, 2023
Question

Adobe SCAM 1 year subscription payment

  • October 4, 2023
  • 2 replies
  • 8073 views

I've seen 40+ posts about people unknowingly signing up for an annual subscription under the guise that it's a monthly subscription. Absolutely disgusting and ridiculous that a company is allowed to operate like this. If there are hundreds of people falling victim to this these deceptive antics then it's obviously not a "clearly advertised" plan they're selling.  Absolutely 0 support in cancelling as well. If you try to cancel, they offer you a free add-on, as if they know they wronged you the first time.  Either you pay a $600 cancellation fee (pay off the entire year and get to cancel) or you continue to pay $50 a month. They split test their checkout pages so at times the plan is in bolded text that it's an annual plan you pay monthly (no total price at checkout, just the price of the monthly subscription that is tied into an annual contract) and other times the word "annual" cannot be found. 

 

I'm making sure my AMEX blocks all future charges from Adobe.

2 replies

Abambo
Community Expert
Community Expert
October 4, 2023
quote

They split test their checkout pages so at times the plan is in bolded text that it's an annual plan you pay monthly (no total price at checkout, just the price of the monthly subscription that is tied into an annual contract) and other times the word "annual" cannot be found. 

 

I'm making sure my AMEX blocks all future charges from Adobe.


By @karanj27

Annual means annual and not monthly. So an annual contract paid monthly is still an annual contract.

 

quote

Either you pay a $600 cancellation fee (pay off the entire year and get to cancel) or you continue to pay $50 a month.


By @karanj27

 

Show me that? The Early cancellation fee is half of the remaining fee. So if you cancel the first month of your $50/month annual subscription, you will have to pay $275.

 

Moreover, just because some individuals are voicing their dissatisfaction with the treatment they receive is not a corresponding indication that they are, in fact, correct. Adobe has millions of subscribers, having only 40+ complainers is a great success.

 

ABAMBO | Hard- and Software Engineer | Photographer
karanj27Author
Participating Frequently
October 4, 2023

Amambo, I apologize but this image you sent is garbage. It has been referenced in every single complaint reply but I promise you maybe 10% of people actually see that type of checkout page. There are much more scummy pages and I will show you an example of one the one you find normally. If you're a Software Engineer for Adobe you should know that they have multiple checkout pages, and they split test checkout pages. This is what I saw right now when I went to try a "free trial" for Adobe. It's completely deceptive and it blows my mind that you could possibly defend this. Only a SINGLE BULLET POINT vaguely touches on the fact that this is an annual commitment. Big letters, 30 day (monthly) free trial, 29.99 a month, starting Nov 3, 29.99 a month. Absolutely disgusting deceptive practices. 

John Waller
Community Expert
Community Expert
October 5, 2023

Go on an incognito browser, look up adobe stock, click the massive blue banner in the middle of the screen that says "Get 10 Free Images". Poor non-lawyers thinking they're about to get 10 free images and maybe continue monthly payment for another month, but they're really about to risk getting stuck paying $600 for Adobe Stock over the next year. (Or pay $300 to cancel). 


When I do that, I get this:

 

 

I take your point that it is not as clear as it could be but I personally don't think it falls into scam category.

John T Smith
Community Expert
Community Expert
October 4, 2023

When you 'click to agree' to the subscription terms while buying a subscription, that means that you really do need to read BEFORE you enter your credit card number to buy a subscription
-You also need to know that a subscription renews AUTOMATICALLY if you do not cancel during your 12th month

-there are so many people who miss the details that Nancy O'Shea added red arrows
-see the Nancy O'Shea message dated 3-22-2023 (with big red arrows) in this message
https://community.adobe.com/t5/account-payment-plan-discussions/bloated-nonsense/td-p/13669109

 

ALSO

If you are willing to pay more, SOME programs are available Monthly https://community.adobe.com/t5/Get-Started/Being-charged-for-a-full-year-when-i-m-on-month-to-month/td-p/10248222 - links and pictures
-the special Photography Plan is ONLY available on an annual plan, with monthly or 1 annual payment
https://helpx.adobe.com/creative-cloud/help/manage-cc-individual-membership.html

karanj27Author
Participating Frequently
October 4, 2023

John, I'm not talking about a yearly subscription I forgot to cancel, I'm talking about the supposed "monthly subscription" that is a yearly commitment in disguise. You reply with this same answer to the thousands of people that are dealing with this issue who are surprised that they're locked in to an annual subscription, or shocked that they're paying hundreds of dollars in "cancellation fees" for what they thought was a monthly subscription. Think about this for a second: If thousands of people, likely tens of thousands a year are falling victim to the same issue, and feel deceived, CLEARLY it's purposely manufactured point of deception.  You can agree with me on that at the very least, right? If I go to purchase something and on the checkout screen it tells me I'm signing up for a "monthly subscription" I'm not going to read the terms & conditions page to make sure I'm not being shown monthly but secretly signing an annual contact, that's incredibly ridiculous.  Does everyone who purchases Adobe products happen to be stupid, or is it more likely that this company is being deceptive?  

kglad
Community Expert
Community Expert
October 4, 2023

@karanj27 

 

https://www.adobe.com/creativecloud/plans.html

 

select a plan (eg, all apps) that allows a monthly subscription. copy and paste here the three options shown.

 

explain what's misleading.

 

and/or select a plan that only offers an annual subscription (eg, photography).  copy and paste here a screenshot of the two plans offered. 

 

explain what's misleading.