FRAUDULENT CHARGES/ ADOBE STOCK SCAM/ DEVELOPING COUNTRY CUSTOMER SUPPORT

[Niko5CEB]

I signed up for Creative Cloud in July, I only wanted to use Photoshop and AI but it was cheaper to get the bundle than pay for those separately. Somehow during the sign up process Adobe Stock was added to my subscription.

I never used and would never have use for Adobe Stock. I had to Google it when I saw the charge on my C.C. 

I know for a fact that I would not separately click for a free add-on that I would need to cancel within a month for a service that I wouldn't use so it must be added on at some point during the Creative Cloud bundle. This tactic is the reason regulators like the BBB exist.

When I called to cancel and request a refund for the couple of months that I was charged I was told I would need to pay a cancellation fee- this is definitely not stated in clear and easy to see terms during sign-up. I almost want to sign-up again and video tape the whole thing and post to Youtube to warn others how this fraud is committed.

I see there are MANY others who fell for this same scam. Adobe, conveniently, only offers customer support through chats that no real person ever enters and through phone representatives in developing countries who answer calls from their homes with thick accents . These reps are probably getting paid to follow these simple instructions: never offer refunds, only offer more free months in exchange of cancellation, keep you on hold for long periods of time to discourage you from continuing. There is absolutely no recording being done of your complaint so if you get disconnected, which you probably will (especially if you ask for their supervisor) you will start all over again. 

This is all an elaborate plan to get extra money from people who are already willing to pay for their services. I am willing to join a group action.

[Abambo · Accepted solution]

I'm sorry for your troubles. To get a solution, you need to contact Adobe customer care. If you have contacted customer care before, you need to give the case number to allow the support agent to check actions that have been taken. Adobe customer care can be contacted by beginning a secure chat session at https://helpx.adobe.com/contact.html?rghtup=autoOpen. Pop-up blockers need to be disabled! If the chat window fails to open, or is non-responsive, use a different device to start the interaction.
Support phone numbers may be found here: https://helpx.adobe.com/contact/phone.html. Please note that phone charges may apply.

(see also here: https://community.adobe.com/t5/creative-cloud-services/how-to-contact-adobe-support/td-p/11875703 or here
https://community.adobe.com/t5/account-payment-plan/how-to-contact-adobe-support/td-p/11843852)

Now to your rant. You make some untrue claims:

• During the sign up, you get the option to take additionally the stock subscription. That option is not prechecked. You need to act to add it to your subscription.
• It is clearly shown that the stock subscription is a first month free, annual subscription. The price tag is shown.
• During the sign-up, you confirm that you have read the terms and that you agree with them. The terms are, if I remember well, a two paragraph easy to read text. In those terms, cancellation fees are explicitly stated. 
• The MANY others you see here are not that many, given that the subscription model Adobe offers is highly successful. They are mostly others, who have not read what they signed-up for. 
• If you have very complicated issues, it may well be, that the help desk is in trouble to propose solutions. However, I have found that for the few times I contacted the Adobe help desk, that the people on the other side of the line were friendly and helpful and were trying hard to get a solution for me. 
• Chat sessions are getting used (I only contacted support via chat) and get recorded to allow for a correct follow-up. You get a copy of your chat for your further reference.
• Helpdesk agents are trained to keep the customer happy. I suggest staying friendly with the agent, not to accept the free months, if you are not interested and to negotiate to find out what the agent can do for you. 

FYI: I'm not an Adobe employee, but a longtime customer of Adobe products.