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ComplaintsforPhotobucket.com, Inc.
Current Alerts For This Business
BBB files indicate that this business has a pattern of complaints concerning, product, billing and customer service issues. Specifically, consumers allege that the business changed its terms without warning, preventing them from accessing their photos or using Photobucket.com services without paying an upfront fee of $399.00. Consumers also allege that if they move forward with the “upgrade” to access their photos, there are no new features and some features have been removed. Consumers also allege that the business will not refund their money after consumers pay for the service and when they try to contact customer service the business is unresponsive. As of January 13, 2020, the business has not responded.
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Complaint Details
Note that complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. See details.
Initial Complaint
08/27/2024
- Complaint Type:
- Order Issues
- Status:
- Resolved
When I signed up for photo bucket years ago, it was free. Now, to access my photos genre requiring me to pay them or theyre going to delete my photos. Isnt that extortion?Business response
08/28/2024
Hi there,
Thanks for your concern.
We've generated an email for each Bucket on file for the customer's account, to be sent to the account email address. They will receive a download link for each Bucket containing images and a notification regarding any empty Buckets on file. The download links will be valid for 7 days after theyre generated, so they have plenty of time to download all of their images.
After they download their images, please have them sign in to their account at **********************, then copy the following link into their signed-in browser tab URL bar to begin the deletion process:
*************************************************************************;
If there are any other concerns or questions, please have them contact us.
Thank you.Customer response
08/28/2024
Better Business Bureau:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.I do feel as though they should reimburse anyone who paid out of fear of losing their pictures. Im glad I went to try BBB as some of the pictures were of my children when they were newborns and their grandmother who has since passed away
Sincerely,
***********************Initial Complaint
08/21/2024
- Complaint Type:
- Billing Issues
- Status:
- Resolved
I paid photobucket $8.00 as per their request to retrieve my photos but all my photos were deleted. They scammed me. There was no option on the site to remove my CC number. This was a week ago or a little less, maybe 5 days ago. I want to make sure they don't hit my CC card. I deleted my account but photobucket is a scam company. Can you please inform them to never hit my CC card? I thank you ahead of time.Business response
08/21/2024
Hi there,
Thank you for your concern.
We located the customer's account and found that their subscription was already cancelled and a refund was issued for their recent payment.
If the customer would like assistance with potentially locating another account that may have images on it, please have them contact us. We're glad to help.
Thank you.Customer response
08/22/2024
Better Business Bureau:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
Sincerely,
*******************************Initial Complaint
08/11/2024
- Complaint Type:
- Product Issues
- Status:
- Answered
I can no longer see any photos posted on the internet, including those owned by the poster. This is just crazy. Two days ago I could see photos posted by others, now they are blocked by this Photobucket. It's as if they are holding the internet hostage. Seems illegal.Business response
08/13/2024
Hi there,
Thank you for your concern.
This customer contacted us on August 11, 2024, regarding issues with images not loading on a forum. We advised the customer that the owner, or owners, of the images will need to purchase a subscription in order to host these images again.
We do apologize as we know this isn't the answer that the customer was hoping for.
If there are any further concerns, please have them contact our Member Engagement Team.
Best,Initial Complaint
08/02/2024
- Complaint Type:
- Product Issues
- Status:
- Answered
Photobucket. In April of 2024 made a trip to ****** with my wife. I paid Photobucket for a year of photo storage whatever, uploaded photos etc, before and after the trip. I get an email today telling me account is locked and they want me to pay. There is a crappy chatbot that does not let you pass or give any information other than to start a free trial. It's a scam 100%.Business response
08/05/2024
Hi there,
Thank you for your concern. We have created an email ticket for this customer so we can better troubleshoot the issue regarding their account being deactivated. Please have them respond to the ticket number 6781218 so we can better assist them with this.
Thank you.Initial Complaint
07/12/2024
- Complaint Type:
- Sales and Advertising Issues
- Status:
- Answered
Photobucket is constantly spamming me with emails. I have not used their site in more than 10 years and I have never had a paid account. They keep devising ways to bypass spam filters both in Gmail and Outlook. I had tried to unsubscribe several times last year which probably caused them to spam more. Earlier this year I had no emails now for the past few months I am getting emails daily. I have reached the limit of the rules I can generate in Outlook trying to block and/or delete emails from Photobucket.I do not ever and will not ever use any of the services this company provides. I want my email address permanently removed from their data storage so I am never contacted again.Business response
07/16/2024
Hello there,
Thank you for your concern.
The customer cannot unsubscribe to these emails as this is regarding their account status. Once the account has an active subscription, the notifications will stop. If the customer would like to be remove from all emailing lists, they will need to delete their account.
Please have the customer sign into their account and click on this link to delete their account:
*************************************************************************;
They will need to click through all the confirmation pages in order to delete the account.
If the customer has any further concerns, please have them contact us.
Thank you.Customer response
07/16/2024
Complaint: 21981173
I am rejecting this response because: the statement saying I cannot unsubscribe from emails because my account is not active is absolutely unacceptable. The spam emails say my account will be deleted if I do not respond, so that is a blatant lie. As I do not have any of my log in info for this account I want Photobucket to delete my account and permanently remove my email address from their systems. I authorize Photobucket to do so.
Sincerely,
***************************Business response
07/23/2024
Hi there,
Thank you for your response. In order for us to delete the account, the customer will need to verify the information in this FAQ:
***************************************************************************************
The customer can also delete their account through our self-deletion flow if they choose not to verify their information.
If they would rather delete their account themselves, please have the customer sign into their account and then click on this link:
*************************************************************************;
Please ensure to click through all of the confirmation pages to complete the process. They will receive one automated confirmation to the account email address on file when they've queued their account for deletion, and another one when the deletion is complete, which may take up to 30 days.
Thank you.Customer response
07/23/2024
Complaint: 21981173
I am rejecting this response because: I do not have an account according to Photobucket's log in system. See the attached screenshot. I want Photobucket to immediately delete my email address ******************* from their data. I am not going to waste more time with this company who has been spamming me non stop when I haven't had an account with them for several years now.
Sincerely,
***************************Initial Complaint
07/09/2024
- Complaint Type:
- Billing Issues
- Status:
- Answered
I am writing to file a formal complaint against Photobucket for their recent policy change, which has restricted access to photos and videos stored under a previously free account and now demands payment for access.I was a user of Photobucket for several years, during which time I have stored a substantial number of photos and videos on their platform. When I initially signed up for Photobucket, it was under the premise that I would have free access to my stored content. However, Photobucket has now implemented a policy that restricts access to my content unless I pay a subscription fee. This change was made without proper notification and has caused significant inconvenience and distress.Photobucket did not provide adequate notification or warning about the policy change. Users were not given a reasonable amount of time to download or move their content before the new payment requirement was enforced.The initial agreement when signing up for a Photobucket account was that users would have free access to their stored content. This sudden policy change constitutes a breach of trust between Photobucket and its users.Demanding payment to access content that was originally stored under a free account is unreasonable and unfair. Many users, including myself, relied on Photobuckets promise of free storage and now find ourselves locked out of our own content.Efforts to contact Photobuckets customer support regarding this issue have been met with unsatisfactory responses, with no resolution offered.I request that Photobucket immediately restore free access to the photos and videos stored under my account. Alternatively, Photobucket should provide a reasonable timeframe for users to download their content without imposing a subscription fee. Furthermore, I request that Photobucket improve its communication and customer support practices to ensure that users are adequately informed of any significant policy changes in the future.Thank you for your assistance.Business response
07/11/2024
Hi there,
Thanks for your concern.
Our Terms of Use has changed and it states:
"The Services may change without notice or liability to you. Photobucket retains the right to create limits on the use of the Services at its sole discretion, with or without notice."
The customer may review this and other changes to our Terms of Use by referring this link:
*****************************************************
We have been contacting our free legacy users for a few years now. We are providing the opportunity to reactivate accounts, recover images, and decide to either continue with a paid account or remove the account from our system.
If the user has any other concerns, please have them contact us.
Thank you.Customer response
07/11/2024
Complaint: 21960515
I am rejecting this response because:They are locking anything that was freely stored on their server behind a pay wall.
I do not know the content that is there.
I as a **************** member have been deployed for 2.5 years over the last 3 years and any notion that their notices, which resemble spam phishing, were sufficient is ludicrous.
This Bussiness practice on their part is unethical and sleazy.
I insist they allow access so I may view what is stored and backup what I want to my own system and without being locked behind a pay wall.
Sincerely,
*****************************Business response
07/16/2024
Hi there,
Thank you for your reply.
The customer can start a free trial. Please have them open an Incognito or Private browser and then click on this link:
*******************************************
If there are any further concerns, please have them contact us.
Thank you.Initial Complaint
07/08/2024
- Complaint Type:
- Billing Issues
- Status:
- Answered
Long time ago, my account got banned because the app auto upload pics. Not to long ago, they started messaging me about my account and how it was going to be deactivated soon.I was ask to change my password and update things. However, I still couldn't use my account and it ask for payments.Business response
07/11/2024
Hi there,
Thanks for your concern.
We reviewed the account, and this customer was banned in 2011 for violating our Terms of Use. Since the account has been banned, this is why the customer hasn't been able to log into this account. This customer has been removed from all of our emailing lists, so moving forward they will no longer be contacted regarding this account.
If the customer has any further questions or concerns regarding this account, please have them contact us.
Thank you.Customer response
07/11/2024
Complaint: 21956361
I am rejecting this response because: It was the lack of not having a way to turn off auto upload that got me banned.
Sincerely,
*****************************Initial Complaint
06/07/2024
- Complaint Type:
- Billing Issues
- Status:
- Answered
I received an email saying my account was deactivated. I made this account when the service was free, but couldn't remember if I had any files in it. After repeatedly getting looped around and around on their glitchy website with a payment gateway that kept refreshing when I tried to pay (at this point still not even sure if I had files in the account, since I couldn't access without signing up for their paid services), and being told I wasn't logged in when I had just logged in, I finally was able to access a page to sign up for a free trial by Googling it. I signed up for the free trial, entering my cc information, only to find I had no photos. At this point, I am now trying to cancel my free trial so I don't get charged the subscription fee at the end. From my account, I went to the settings, clicked cancel, it requires you to confirm 2 or 3 times, but on the final confirmation it suddenly says I'm not logged in. When I go look at my settings again, it shows that my trial is still going so my card will be charged at the end. Clearly, I was logged in since that's how I got to the cancelation page. Their AI chat bot "live agent" that they advertise can't understand basic requests, either. It sent me to a deactivation page that doesn't exist (404 error) and then to a page that instructs me to do what I just did, which then leads to the site saying I'm not logged in. This is the link the chat bot sent me, which is exactly what I did: *****************************************************************************************************************Business response
06/10/2024
Hi there,
Thanks for your concern. I checked the customer's account and found they cancelled their free trial on June 7, 2024. If the customer tries to cancel the trial when it already has been cancelled, then they will receive error messages.
They will need to contact our payment processor, Paddle, in order to have their payment information removed.
Their account has been queued for deletion as of June 10, 2024. It can take up to 30 days for the account.
If the customer has any further questions or concerns, please have them contact us.
Thank you.Initial Complaint
06/03/2024
- Complaint Type:
- Order Issues
- Status:
- Answered
Terms of agreement were changed and I was never notified. I cannot access my photos, unless I subscribe - which they do not offer a secure payment portal. I have not heard from Photobucket in the last few months, no warning or otherwise. Or I would've happily downloaded my photos. Now they're holding my photos hostage. Some of which are for my sister's family, who lost all their memories/photos in a house fire.Business response
06/03/2024
Hello there,
Thanks for your concern. We have emailed the customer directly with instructions on how to begin the free trial. Please have them check their email and respond to it if there is further assistance needed.
Thank you.Initial Complaint
05/24/2024
- Complaint Type:
- Billing Issues
- Status:
- Answered
I was sent an email indicating that my account 'was about to be deactivated' and I needed to login.Upon logging in 3 minutes later, it says I am all ready deactivated and I need to pay to get my account back. So this was a lie.Business response
05/31/2024
Hello,
Thanks for your concern. We have contacted the customer and provided them information on how to start our free trial evaluation. Please have them check their email, including their Spam folder, and respond to ticket number 6555374 if they need further assistance with accessing their images.Thank you.
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BBB Rating & Accreditation
This business is not BBB Accredited
Customer Reviews are not used in the calculation of BBB Rating
Customer Complaints Summary
44 total complaints in the last 3 years.
27 complaints closed in the last 12 months.