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Thisisthrillz
Participant
January 13, 2020
Question

Cancellation fee

  • January 13, 2020
  • 2 replies
  • 339 views

surely this practice is bordering illegal.  I signed up for adobe stock images for a single project and forgot to cancel after the first month of use, and recently realized I was being charged monthly.  Now I'm being asked for $64 to stop using a service?  This is a dark pattern prenup/terms of service arrangement for any industry, but it's especially surprising and frustrating coming from a company whose customers work in the gig economy.  

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2 replies

Peru Bob
Community Expert
Peru BobCommunity Expert
Community Expert
January 14, 2020

" and forgot to cancel after the first month of use"

I don't think that you can blame Adobe for that.

    T
    ThisisthrillzAuthor
    Participant
    March 18, 2020

    Actually, I can.  There is a recent push in finance to prevent free trials from turning into a paid subscription automatically without informed consent.  

    https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.theverge.com/platform/amp/2019/1/16/18185468/mastercard-free-trials-stop-automatic-billing-new-policy-rule

    Nancy OShea
    Community Expert
    Nancy OSheaCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    March 18, 2020

    This pandemic crisis is crazy and unprecedented to be sure.  But your informed consent is in your Subscription Terms of Agreement that everyone agrees to when joining. 

    https://www.adobe.com/legal/subscription-terms.html

     

    If you can persuade an online chat agent to waive your penalty fees for early cancellation, great.  But they are  under no obligation to do so.  

     

    NOTE: Wait times may be longer than usual do to Covid-19.

     

    Nancy O'Shea— Product User & Community Expert
      Nancy OShea
      Community Expert
      Nancy OSheaCommunity Expert
      Community Expert
      January 13, 2020

      A one year commitment is standard in the industry.  There's nothing illegal or unusual about it.  You get X number of images per month for a flat monthly rate that's guaranteed not to increase for 12 months. To avoid early cancellation fees, wait until your 12th month of service to cancel.  Easy peasy.

       

      In case there's any doubt, these are the terms you agreed to when you joined.

      https://www.adobe.com/legal/subscription-terms.html

       

      Nancy O'Shea— Product User & Community Expert
        T
        ThisisthrillzAuthor
        Participant
        March 18, 2020

        And still being required to pay a cancellation fee in the midst of the pandemic, when many of us are out of work and while the entertainment industry is in free fall....

         

        yeah that's not unethical at all.  

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