Charged for Video Downloads During Adobe Stock Free Trial Period

[centaurincident]

I signed up for the Adobe Stock 1 month free trial on December 20 2016.

Today, I chose 10 videos, and downloaded them. And I saw to my horror that I have received email receipts for each video charged at $79 and in 2 cases $199. I am still within the first month trial period. My bank account web site shows pending charges for each of the 10 videos.

I simply logged into Adobe Stock and chose the videos I wanted. I did not have any options to click or types of licenses to pick.

I used the chat functionality to contact support. I chatted with a man named Manish. He seemed to want to tell me that I had chosen Adobe Stock "on demand" instead of Adobe Stock. I did not see "on demand" indicated anywhere.

This is very misleading. There was nothing I saw on the Adobe Stock web site to indicate that I was doing anything other than following up on the offer I had signed up for. Now I am being charged over $1000!

Manish did not resolve the issue for me. I asked for his manager to call me back, but he ignored that request. He finally wrote to me that he was escalating the issue and I would hear back from escalated support within 2 business days.

This is really unacceptable. I am being charged around $1000 for assets I had expected to be free. I cannot afford this. Adobe: please rectify this situation. I have been a customer for many years.

[Beverley Gray]

Hi there

The Adobe Stock trial is for 10 standard images.  Videos are only available to purchase on demand and are not part of a subscription plan. See Common Questions, Adobe Stock

Your case has been escalated and you will be contacted by the support team shortly.

Kind regards

Bev

[centaurincident]

Hi Bev,

Thanks for taking the time to respond and for sending the link to the help page with the information about videos.

I did not see that page as I was clicking around the Adobe Stock web site. It's not easy to find. The messaging about what constitutes an "image" is not very explicit or clear.

There is no explanation of it in the legalese at the bottom of the confirmation email I received from Adobe when I signed up for the 10 free image trial subscription.

And the page you sent me the link for is a couple of clicks away from the very small links at the bottom of the Adobe Stock web site pages--"License Terms" and "Learn and Support."

It is also not clear from viewing the License History page on the web site that I am downloading assets that are not included.

I really hope that Adobe can do the right thing and refund me in this situation. If a tech wants to remote into my computer and delete the files and empty the trash, that is fine with me.

Thanks again.

[centaurincident]

Hi Bev,

I just wanted to update this case. I have still not heard back from the support team. Is there any way that you could let them know this? I would really like to get this resolved.

As I mentioned, I have been an Adobe customer for many years. I hope I won't be penalized in this situation.

Best Regards,

Tony Makkar

[Beverley Gray · Accepted solution]

Hi Tony

The team are working on your case and I've asked them to prioritise it.

Kind regards

Bev

[brauliop95735167]

I just went through the same thing!!!! There is NOTHING indicating that you will be charged. I've been a customer for many years. I went to the chat support just to be put through 4 agents and not getting anyone to help! They said they will call me within 48hrs.  Let's be clear, the email says nowhere that it's only for photos. Here is what it says: "Download up to 10 high-res assets when you try a free month of Adobe Stock. With millions of royalty-free vectors, photos, videos, 3D assets, and templates available on Adobe Stock, you’ll never have to lose a creative moment."

The flow for buying a video did not warn that you are being charged. I'm SHOCKED that Adobe would do such a thing and have such a poor customer support. I am truly shocked.

[Beverley Gray]

Hi brauliop95735167

I am sorry you felt it wasn't clear that the subscription plan is for standard assets.  For further details, please see Common Questions about plans, purchasing, and availability, Adobe Stock

Videos are available to purchase on-demand and the pricing information is displayed for each video.  Please contact our support team if you need further assistance with your purchase - Contact Customer Support

Kind regards

Bev

[Jazoni12345]

Same issue for me. It was not clear that the subscription doesn't include stock videos. I had a client approve a video that I had downloaded stock clips for believing I was getting 10 of them included in the free trial. Come to find out I'm on the hook now for $790.

Adobe really needs to make this right somehow. So frustrating. 

[WendellaBee]

There's a confirmation that notifies you when you purchase a video license. Did you not see this when you licensed these videos?

[johnp835639]

Another frustrating aspect about the Adobe Stock trial: When you sign up for the trial, you cannot immediately cancel it. You get instead a message saying "You'll be able to manage your plan shortly."

Now, I find it extremely unlikely that this delay is necessary for any technical reason. Actually, I'm willing to bet that it was intentionally built into the process after Adobe's marketing people realized that some fraction of trial users, upon discovering that "assets" do not mean videos, or after downloading the images they wanted on the spot, would immediately try to cancel their trial to avoid the automatic charge. Putting in the delay (which admittedly was only about 10-15 minutes for me) prevents these users from cancelling at that moment; as a result, some fraction of these users move on with their lives, forget about the imminent charge, eventually get charged, and only then cancel.

In short it's a scumbaggy trick designed to boost revenue. I could be wrong, but that is my conjecture.

[SMcreative]

How is this considered a correct answer to a systematic problem? I'm not interested in stills. What's even the point of an Adobe Stock Subrscription if you still have to pay for each download?? 

[SMcreative]

It stated 10 assets per month are included in the subsciption. "Assets" is an all inclusive category meaning video, audio, or photos. If it the terms of the agreement are images only, that needs to be stated BEFORE taking our payment information.

[WendellaBee · Accepted solution]

The subscription includes standard assets. The plan description tells what assets are included.

https://stock.adobe.com/plans