Complaints

The complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:04/25/2025

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  ResolvedMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I am a teacher in ************** (us citizen). While looking for images to show to a class I found two SHUTTERSTOCK images that I liked. Following the link I found that I could pay what I believed to be a one time annual fee of $29 usd. I paid it via ******. I had difficulty downloading one of the images onto an iPad (watermarks remained) so I went to my computer a day or so later to download the image there. When I did I was shocked to find that the plan they had me listed for was annual but at $29 per month! I contacted them to cancel and was told that I could not cancel without paying an additional charge of $159!!!!! After contacting them again they said I could pay an additional $20 instead. I have only downloaded 2 images. I would like the 10 monthly images promised me but I do not want to pay $49 for them! The class I used them for is an unpaid class. 49 dollars is a lot of money to me. It was definitely not clear upon my initial signup that I was going to be charged $29 monthly.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 04/25/2025

  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

  Date:03/21/2025

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  ResolvedMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  CASE#******** (03/13/2025) I visited **************************************, selected PREPAID IMAGES of 5 and paid $49.00, that allowed me to download each image multiple times for 1 year period. First image with 4 figures in it was resized by reduction before downloading. But it arrived my PC desktop with only 2 figures in it, went back and clicked on the same image for download again. When about to leave the site, screen displayed Order ID ************* $29.00. They did UNAUTHORIZED DEBITING! Back to my desktop, checking the downloaded folder revealed there were 2 files in it: One was a previously downloaded file, other a strange .eps file (no image, white sheet-like, cannot be open when being clicked on) that came along with the needed file. Both have a different authors ID. How could it happen? No way to know, except that the website was malfunctioning, which was the fault of shutterstock, and not the users. But why debiting was paired with useless file? They may have lapsed on its maintenance. Through the CHAT, I reported to CC ******. He responded by informing someone had also reported an issue of .eps file, gave me case number but repeated there will be no refund.Later same day, tried to download other images on prepaid credit, tried 3 TIMES (Attached, time stamped files), but their website repeatedly belched out .eps files. I reported the problem to ****** though it was of no help as it advised to resolve the case amicably with them.Days later I still needed to download 4 images on prepaid credit, but my account was found locked up, unable to log in with error code #*** hanging on the screen, I contacted them and talked to multiple customer service **** at different times, they all indicated my account would be locked until I have ****** to close the dispute case, issue worked out, but will be no refund.With a 100% fault on Shutterstock, they should unblock my account and issue a refund of $29.00, so that ****** will close the case. Not the other way round.

  Business Response

  Date: 03/21/2025

  Thank you for reaching out and sharing your experience!

  It appears that you've accidentally purchased 2 plans: one with 5 and one with 2 downloads.
  From the first plan you have used 3 downloads to license images **********, ********** and ********** 
  From the second plan you have used 1 download to license image *********.
  Image ********** is only available in JPEG format. 
  Images ********** ********** and ********* are offered as both JPEG and EPS (vector) files.
  JPEG images can normally be opened by any image viewer/editor. For EPS files you'd need a special vector editing software.
  EPS format for those images is selected by default, but you can switch to JPEG before downloading or re-downloading the file. 
  
  Currently your account is disabled following the ****** dispute we received for the second purchase. 
  Understanding that you only intended to buy one plan, we'll be happy to reverse the second purchase, but the ****** dispute has to be resolved first. We're not able to provide refunds for the charges which are currently in dispute. 
  
  Please let us know once the dispute is dropped and we'll be happy to assist further! 
  
  
  

  Customer Answer

  Date: 03/26/2025

  Better Business Bureau:
  

  The reply from Shutterstock is nothing but an after- the- fact excuse. At my first-return download, although not in good quality as 50% image was missing, only one was usable; the other was a white-paper-like-looking rock-hard-unopen useless file that came along with the intended one. After reporting the problem to a customer service employee, I tried again but only to see your system belching out same useless junk, one after another. So I decided to quit. In summary: purchased a 5- image pack, and then downloaded only one 50%-perfect regular .jpg. In other words, I still 4 downloads left remaining. Why I reported to ******? Because 3 of your CS employees said there would be no refund.  Why I reported to BBB? Because, in addition to aforementioned, you coworker locked up my account when I needed to download again. Well, I purchased identical vector images from ************ and ***********************, at the prices of 30% and 50% of what Shutterstock charges, respectively. I do not need any more extra images. I will not accept coupon or credit. I will only accept "cash refund" to my account at ****** from which the Shutterstock Debited Without My Authorization. 

  
  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

  Date:02/12/2025

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I signed up for a Shutterstock subscription in January 2024, believing it to be a month-to-month plan. When I attempted to cancel, I was informed that I had unknowingly committed to a year-long subscription and that I could not cancel without paying a hefty cancellation feehalf the cost of the remaining months. To avoid this unnecessary charge, I decided to wait out the full ********* forward to January 2025, when I successfully canceled my subscriptionor so I thought. Today, I was charged again, only to be told by Shutterstocks customer service that my subscription auto-renewed for another full year without my consent. At no point was I given an option to turn off auto-renewal in my account settings, nor was I clearly notified that this would happen. I was then told I now have 10 more months before I can cancel again.The only way I could stop this unethical billing practice was to call my bank and cancel my card entirely. This level of deceptive subscription practices is unacceptable. After reviewing other complaints, I discovered over 150 similar grievancesyet Shutterstock somehow maintains an A+ BBB rating. This company is exploiting customers by making it nearly impossible to cancel their services without incurring unjust fees.I request a full refund for the unauthorized renewal and demand that Shutterstock update its subscription management system to allow users to disable auto-renewal directly from their accounts. I also urge the BBB to re-evaluate Shutterstocks rating given the high volume of complaints against them.Desired Outcome: A full refund of the unauthorized charge and for Shutterstock to make auto-renewal optional and easily manageable within user accounts.

  Business Response

  Date: 02/24/2025

  Thank you for reaching out and sharing your feedback.
  We strive to make our plans and pricing as transparent as possible, and customer feedback is invaluable for us. 

  After checking your account and the support case history, we can confirm that your subscription was cancelled already at no additional cost.
  Unfortunately, we won't be able to offer refunds for the renewal charges, because the downloads were made for the both months in the second year of the subscription.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:02/06/2025

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Shutterstock automatically renewed an annual subscription without providing ***** days notice as required by California law.

  Business Response

  Date: 02/07/2025

  Thank you for reaching out!

  After checking your account we can confirm, that the renewal charge was refunded. Please allow 3-5 business days for the funds to reach your account. 

   

  If you have any further questions, please don't hesitate to reach out!

• Initial Complaint

  Date:02/04/2025

  Type:Billing Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I got scammed for early termination of services even though the solution is not as advertised. This was a trial account and then bait and switch into leveraging financial gains out of people that recognize the lack of value for the services.

  Business Response

  Date: 02/05/2025

  Thank you for your message!
  
  We're sorry to hear that there seems to have been a misunderstanding about the subscription you purchased.
  We currently don't offer any trial plans, the subscription you purchased is an annual paid monthly subscription. 
  As we indicate on the pricing page, cancellation fee applies for annual paid monthly subscriptions. 
  
  To try out our services or for a one-off project we would rather recommend to purchase a pack.

  We can confirm, that your subscription was now cancelled. As a courtesy we have also reimbursed the cancellation fee.

  If there's anything else we can assist you with, please don't hesitate to reach out. 

   

   

   

  Customer Answer

  Date: 02/05/2025

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID# ********, and have determined that my complaint has NOT been resolved because:

  [Your Answer Here]

   When will the refund of this be made?

   I was charged twice for the cancelation, your team less that 48 hours of inquiring on services and you emailed after making payment online to confirm and charged again. 
  

  Neither transaction have been returned,  

  In order for the BBB to appropriately process your response, you MUST answer the question above.

  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***** ****
  
  
  
  
   
  

  Business Response

  Date: 02/07/2025

  Thank you for your message!
  
  You should have received email notifications for both refunds. Please allow 3-5 business days for the funds to return to your account. 
  
  Don't hesitate to to reach out if you have any further question. 

• Initial Complaint

  Date:02/03/2025

  Type:Sales and Advertising Issues
  Status:

  ResolvedMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  While I was the Marketing Director at my previous place of employment, someone on my team had used my personal credit card (with my permission) to sign up for a shutter stock account. I left the company in October of *************************** my personal credit card remained tied to this account. Now in January of 2025 (just over 2 years later), I noticed my card was charged $99 for a Shutterstock account. I suspected fraud and filed a dispute with my credit card company. My credit card company already has honored the dispute and refunded my money. I contacted shutterstock immediately once I realized what had happened and was able to track down the account, which they informed me has been sitting unused for quite some time. I simply requested that the account be disabled because I am no longer with the company, no longer have access (nor do I have a need) for the account, and since the account was clearly sitting unused. They informed me a cancellation fee would be applied for $148.50 in order to cancel the account because I missed the window to cancel the contract last July... I do not find this acceptable as I was not even aware of this account still being in place at that time, nor did I even have access to try and log into the account to cancel it since it was established with with an email address I haven't had access to for two years. I reached out to them at the earliest possible time that this came to my attention. The customer service representative escalated my case in an attempt to waive the cancellation fee given my circumstance and said I'd hear back in 24 hours. I followed up one week later having not heard back and learned they sent the follow up response to the same email from my old company which I do not have access to, so I never received the feedback... I simply want this account tied to my credit card disabled, and my credit card removed from their site to avoid future issues.

  Business Response

  Date: 02/05/2025

  Thank you for reaching out!
  
  We're writing to confirm, that your subscription was cancelled and your payment details erased. You will not receive any further charges from us.

  If you have any additional questions or concerns, please let us know. 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 02/05/2025

  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

  Date:01/22/2025

  Type:Customer Service Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  My card was used without my authorization to purchase a subscription I have since advise my bank and tried to advise this company shutterstock that this happened and their *** is telling me that that does not matter and they want to charge $300 subscription cancellation fee, even though this was an unauthorized purchase. I am seeknig cancellation of this subscription without this unfair and exaaggerated charge,

  Business Response

  Date: 01/27/2025

  Thank you for reaching out!

  We're sorry to hear that your card was used without authorization. 

  We can confirm, that after you have reached out to our ************* team, your subscription was cancelled at no additional cost. 

   

• Initial Complaint

  Date:01/06/2025

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  The website shows images that look to be in a png format. There was an image that I needed for a project that I am working on that would work for what I was doing. I joined the site and had to pay $30 to join. I did and when I did I downloaded the image. It is only in a JPG format and I can not use that for what I am doing. I was not made aware of this because you can not download images until you are a member. The site does have a background removable feature that will make the image into a png which is what I needed but when you apply the filter to the image it removes all of the image with nothing left. I contacted the site on a chat and told them of this and that I would like a refund. They said no because I had used their services. I pointed out to them that it was only after I downloaded the image was I made aware that what I was lead to believe the image was was not true. It showed as a png and was a jpg. They still refused to give me my money back.

  Business Response

  Date: 01/27/2025

  Thank you for your message!

  On our website we offer images in either jpeg or vector (eps) format. Information about in which format(s) each image is available can be found on the asset details page before the download is made.
  We have checked your account, and can see that the image you downloaded is offered in eps and jpeg formats. Due to the nature of the image the background removal tool would not be the best choice. We would rather recommend to work with the eps version of the file and the vector editing software, for example Adobe Illustrator, to remove the background. 
  
  Understanding, that this was not they kind of image you were looking for, we have cancelled your plan and reversed the charge.
  If there's anything else we can do for you, please don't hesitate to reach out. 

   

• Initial Complaint

  Date:11/05/2024

  Type:Billing Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Envato double charged me. They credited my account for the double charge, but revoked my elements access. I can no longer login even though I paid a yearly subscription back in July.

  Business Response

  Date: 11/15/2024

  Thank you for reaching out
  
  Despite the fact that ****** was acquired by Shutterstock, at the moment we operate separately, and the Shutterstock ************* team does not have an access to the accounts of ****** customers.
  We will forward your complaint internally, but otherwise advise you to continue the conversation with the ****** team in order to resolve the issue.
  
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:09/25/2024

  Type:Billing Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I am writing to express my dissatisfaction with my recent experience with your subscription service. On 9/22/24, I signed up for what I understood to be a monthly subscription, as I was charged $26.10 at the time of purchase. After using the service and finding 10 photos, I realized the following day that I no longer had a need for the subscription, so I decided to cancel on 9/23/***** my surprise, I was required to pay an additional $159.50 as a cancellation fee. This was unexpected and unfair, as there was no clear indication when I signed up that I was committing to an annual subscription. If that had been the case, I would have expected to pay for the entire year upfront. Being charged on a monthly basis gave me the reasonable assumption that this was a month-to-month subscription, not an annual plan with hidden fees.The lack of transparency regarding your subscription terms feels misleading. Charging such a high cancellation fee for a service I canceled the very next day, especially without clear upfront communication about the annual commitment, seems unjust and deceptive. This feels like a bait-and-switch tactic, where customers are drawn in under one impression, only to face hidden terms and fees later.I believe this practice is unfair, and I respectfully request a refund for the cancellation charge. I hope you will review this issue and ensure that future customers are given clearer information about subscription commitments.I look forward to your prompt response and resolution.

  Business Response

  Date: 10/30/2024

  Thank you for sharing your experience with us!
  
  We're sorry to hear that the terms of the subscriptions were not clear and you ended up purchasing not the plan you aimed for.
  In the future we encourage you to contact our ************* team before you make the purchase, if you have any questions. Also in a situation when you need to cancel, we're happy to advise and find an individual solution. 
  
  We have now reversed the cancellation fee for your plan and you should receive an automatic email confirmation shortly.

  Please don't hesitate to reach out if you have any further questions or concerns.