ComplaintsforShutterstock, Inc.

• Initial Complaint

  08/29/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Order Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I signed up for a free trial and requested a cancellation and they have refused to cancel my subscription. Not only that but they have indicated I signed up for a yearly subscription and in order to cancel I have to pay 50% of the remaining term. And if I had signed up for a monthly I could cancel . However, I have signed up for neither. I removed my CC and they obtained my CC information fraudulently after numerous emails and phone calls. I am in the process of seeking an attorney and filing a complaint with our Attorney General. They cannot produce any evidence that I signed up for a yearly plan nor have provided any emails in reference to it.

  Business response

  09/03/2024

  Thank you for your message!
  
  We're sorry to hear that there seems to have been a confusion about how our subscriptions work.
  Shutterstock used to offer free trial in a form of annual subscription with the first free month, however the free trial is no longer offered as of March 2024.
  It's possible that you have seen this offer in the past, but by the time you're purchased the subscription in June 2024, all plans available on our website were paid subscriptions, without the trial.
  
  Understanding, that it was not your intention to commit to the annual subscription, we have now cancelled it without fee and reversed the payments for the 2 months where no downloads were used. 
  
  If you have any further questions or need further assistance, please don't hesitate to reach out. 

• Initial Complaint

  08/12/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Shutterstock unilaterally decides to renew a month subscription indefinitely. It doesn't send a monthly invoice. It doesn't even send a receipt. They purposely make it impossible to the consumer to find and cancel the renewal as you would not know which account are you paying for, it is just an amount on a credit card through ****** where you have no control on stopping.I have been paying over a thousand dollar in $29 monthly payments and I have no way ever to stop it.

  Business response

  08/26/2024

  Thank you for reaching out!
  
  We're sorry to hear that you're having difficulties cancelling your subscription. We will be happy to help you with that, but unfortunately with the information provided we were unable to locate your account.
  Please reach out to our customer care team at ******************************************* with your account ID/email associated with your account/your ****** email or information about payment method used. Once we've identified your account we'll be glad to find a solution for you.
  
  Looking forward to helping you further!

• Initial Complaint

  08/05/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  I cancelled my subscription after a free trial and have been charged every few months for a service Ive never used. *** tried multiple times to cancel and always seem to successfully verify that I have no account and yet Ill get another charge a few months later. Ive removed my bank account from their system and they are somehow still stealing my money. Im furious that they will not respect the fact that *** never used their service and Im getting charged with no way to stop this. Its been at least 10 charges for $30.49

  Customer response

  08/06/2024

  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 and the matter has been resolved.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***********************
  
  
  
   
  
  

• Initial Complaint

  06/26/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  Dear Better Business Bureau,I am seeking your assistance to resolve a serious issue with Shutterstock, where I have been a contributor for approx. ten years.On May 24, 2024, Shutterstock informed me that my portfolio was banned due to allegations that I had uploaded a design from a Freepik contributor "***********" to my Shutterstock portfolio.However, Shutterstock allegation is 100% incorrect, it was "***********" who infringed on my work, not vice versa.I immediately provided screenshots and evidences to Shutterstock demonstrating the originality of my work.In parallel, I also contacted *******'s copyright department against that user "***********", who then investigated and confirmed the infringement, subsequently removing the infringing design from their site.Despite providing shutterstock detailed proofs including screenshots of the software, my working , designs in same series and even screenshot of the Freepik's actions, Shutterstock has stopped responding to my follow-up emails Here is a summary of my communications with Shutterstock:May 24, 2024: Received notification of the account ban from ********************** and I replied with proofs, including working screenshots.May 24, 2024: Provided additional proofs demonstrating the allegations were untrue.May 24, 2024: Received an acknowledgement from Shutterstock, informing that they were forwarding proofs to their compliance team and asked me to wait for reply.May 25 - June 24, 2024: Sent 13 follow-up emails requesting updates, all unanswered.June 20, 2024: Sent another detailed appeal email and received no reply.June 24, 2024: Sent another follow-up email and got no reply.It has now been over a month since my account was falsely banned causing significant distress and financial loss.I respectfully request the Better Business Bureau's assistance in resolving this matter and facilitating a resolution with Shutterstock.Thank you in advance for your help.Sincerely,Akash **********************

  Business response

  07/19/2024

  Thank you for sharing your concerns with us!
  
  We're happy to confirm, that your contributor account was reactivated last week. We apologise for extended processing times and any inconvenience this may have caused. 
  

  Customer response

  07/22/2024

  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 and the matter has been resolved.
  

  The good part is that the company has restored my portfolio which also restores my faith towards Shutterstock.

  However, I am seeing a significant drop in my downloads, I suspect this is due to the incorrect ban and the delayed response in reinstating the portfolio, which has seriously affected my portfolio's visibility and ranking.
  

  
  Sincerely,
  *********************
  
  
  
   
  
  

• Initial Complaint

  06/24/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I created a shutterstock account in April of 2024 because I needed to obtain photos for a course project. At the time, I was charged $29.00 to have access to 10 photos during the month of April. I noticed that I was charged $29.00 again in May of 2024. I have not used shutterstock since my initial use in April of 2024 and had no intention of paying $29.00 each month for an entire year. So I decided to terminate my subscription with shutterstock in June of 2024. Upon attempting to cancel, I was prompted to pay $145 for early cancellation or keep the subscription until April of 2025 and continue to pay $29.00 per month. I cancelled the subscription. It is highly unethical for this company to charge a fee of $145 for early cancellation in addition to fee for the two months I have already paid for.

  Business response

  07/08/2024

  Thank you for reaching out!
  
  We're sorry to hear that our subscription plan did not meet your needs at this time and for any confusion about the cancellation process.
  When you originally purchased your plan, you opted for the annual commitment with the option of paying on a monthly basis. One of the benefits that come with an annual commitment is the discounted rate you receive in exchange for a one-year commitment to our service. If you cancel your annual commitment early, you are charged 50% of the remaining subscription cost. 
  
  Understand that this was your first experience with our site and services, we have reversed the cancellation fee charge.
  We hope to welcome you ack as a customer in the future, and encourage you to reach out to our ************* team ahead of making a purchase in case you have questions about our content, plans and licenses as well as any additional terms. 
  

• Initial Complaint

  06/10/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  I never authorized this company to debit funds from my account. I contacted them explaining thia is some kind of fraud and that i would cooperate anyway I can as I am demanding a refund for $118.30.The man I spoke with at shutterstock was no help and continued to talk over me. Beware of this company for those who may ever need their services, they are not honest people and enjoy holding funds from those who never authorized a transaction with them in the first place.

  Business response

  07/08/2024

  Thank you for reaching out and sharing your feedback!
  
  It appears that your payment method may have been used without your consent to purchase a subscription on our website. We have reversed the charge now and you should receive fund back in a few business days. We strongly recommend to revise who may have access to your payment information, if you don't recall providing this information to anyone, please make sure to contact your bank to ensure your information is secure. 
  
  If you have any further questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to reach out. 

  Customer response

  07/11/2024

  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 and the matter has been resolved.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *************************
  
  
  
   
  
  

• Initial Complaint

  04/18/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I paid for a one time plan to download 2 image files. I then downloaded two files. But I was then charged another $29.00.The website automatically chooses your plan to automatically renew, but I did not see that anywhere and did not choose it voluntarily.I then went to the online chat help and was asked for a lot of personal information that should not have been necessary to simply reverse a charge. I was nervous about giving information that could be used to steal my identity.I was then told the reversal was approved by a supervisor, then told the agent could not reverse charges and I would have to wait for an email from a different department which could take 2 days.So, Shutterstock routinely holds funds for charges that were not approved, then requires customers to contact someone who cant actually reverse charges, and use the opportunity to collect more personal data from their customers.I told the agent I will just file a chargeback, and he also had a script for that, saying if I did, that they would have to freeze my account and I would not be able to get my money reversed for at least 2 weeks.This is a scam to collect data and collect unauthorized funds and then hold those funds, no doubt also earning interest.Its obvious Shutterstock knows about this and does it deliberately.

  Business response

  04/19/2024

  Dear customer, thank you for reaching out and sharing your experience with us!
  
  We're sorry to hear that you were inconvenienced by our Auto Refill function. Our image packs are designed to automatically refill after the last download is used. We provide this information on the checkout page prior the the purchase. Auto refill function for your active plans can be switched off on the Plans page of your account. 
  We can confirm, that latest charge in your account was reversed and you should receive your refund within a few business days. 
  
  We understand your concerns about personal data. We take data protection very seriously and our ************* team would only ask for the information we already have on file, and only for the purpose of positively identifying your account.
  ********************** maintains an information security program to ensure that that each system used to process your ************* is protected. This includes organizational, administrative, technical, and physical safeguards that are appropriate to adequately protect personal customer data. To view our complete privacy policy, visit shutterstock.com/privacy.
  
  Fell free to reach out if you have any further question!

• Initial Complaint

  03/22/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Order Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Misleadin and ambiguous wording for free trial annual, monthly plan. Failure to communicate cancellation fee at signup and failure to communicate after the fact

  Business response

  04/11/2024

  Thank you for reaching out!
  
  We're sorry to hear that you found the conditions of our Free Trial confusing. Free Trial was an annual subscription with the first free month. It was possible to cancel the subscription within the first month without a penalty, but later cancellation may result in cancellation fee. 
  
  After reviewing your case we can confirm, that we have replied to a cancellation request in July 2023, but never heard back from you, hence the subscription remained active until you cancelled it on your own last month. 
  As a courtesy we have refunded the Cancellation Fee as well as all subscription renewal charges made within the last 12 months. 
  
  Please don't hesitate to reach out if you have any further questions or concerns. 

• Initial Complaint

  03/08/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  I purchased Shutterstock for a single-month subscription in Oct 2023, and I could not stop the subscription from renewing as the "cancel auto renewal" button was not displayed on their website. I explained this to customer services, and they politely agreed to provide me with an $89 refund, which would be credited to my account on Nov 2, 2023. On Nov 6, 2023, a debit from Shutterstock came through for $89 and was posted to my account. I contacted them to inquire why I was being charged, and they reassured me the credit hadn't been processed yet. Fast forward to March 7, 2024, as I have not received this credit. They continually insist they have processed the credit, yet I have proof I have NEVER received the credit of $89 through copies of my bank statements. I have attempted to resolve this through my bank and Shutterstock and have had no success. When I filed a dispute through my bank, they responded, "I did not cancel in time, therefore, was not awarded a refund," yet I have 4 emails and numerous customer service agents insisting I have received their refund. Shutterstock's billing department has refused to contact me directly and continually provides their "own internal tracking number" as proof they processed the refund. I have repeatedly informed them this number means nothing to my bank and have sent copies of my bank statements to ******************************** for which I have received zero replies from anyone in this department. I would like my $89 to be refunded as they have disabled my account and not allowed me access during this time as well. So not only did they not provide the refund they swear has been posted, but I also cannot access my account to use the subscription for which I paid $89. Their billing department is the worst I have ever dealt with, and they totally are incompetent.

  Business response

  04/11/2024

  Dear customer, thank you for providing a detailed information about the issue you are facing.
  We apologise for the extended time it took us to resolve it and the potentially confusing replies you may have received in the process.
  
  We're still not sure what may have caused the initial delay in you receiving  the refund, but we're positive that now after the payment dispute with your bank was resolved, the refund should be finally processed. 
  In addition, we have also refunded your latest purchase from January since you could not use the service fully at the time. 
  Please allow it up to 10 business days for the refunds to reach your account. 
  
  The whole situation is quite unique and we would like to apologise again time for they way it was initially handled. 
  In case you face issue with receiving one of both refunds again, please do reach out to our ************* team and mention the following case number: 14626950.
  And of course if you have any other questions or concerns, we're here to help!

  Customer response

  04/26/2024

  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 and the matter has been resolved.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***********************
  
  
  
   
  
  

• Initial Complaint

  02/13/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  My credit card was stolen and my email account was hacked. A free account was established and Shutterstock has been fraudulently charging my acccount for months beginning as of August 14, 2023. *********** has researched this to be true and has suggested to first attempt to get Shutterstock to cancel the account and do a full refund - but customer service at ********************** does not take calls and when you try to do something they blow you off. I am attaching the fraudulent charges as I NEVER RECEIVED any PAID images as suggested by opening a free account and not cancelling such a service.

  Customer response

  02/14/2024

  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 and the matter has been resolved.

   

  I am ONLY resolving as we were able to come to a full agreement and refund via chat yesterday - 2/13/2024. Should this refund not be executed I will be reopening the case and complaint.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *************************
  
  
  
   
  

  
  

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