Complaints

This profile includes complaints for Getty Images's headquarters and its corporate-owned locations. To view all corporate locations, see Find Local Branches.

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  Getty Images

  605 5th Ave S Ste 400 Seattle, WA 98104-3887

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  Getty Images

  601 N 34th St Seattle, WA 98103-8603

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  Getty Images

  313 1240 20 Ave SE Calgary, AB T2G 1M8

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  Getty Images

  55 E Monroe St Ste 1700 Chicago, IL 60603-5724

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  6000 N Forest Park Dr Peoria, IL 61614-3556

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:02/09/2024

  Type:Order 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.

  IStock is charging me for the annual subscription which converted from a 1 month free "trial". I want to unsubscribe, preferably with minimal or no cancellation fees. I believe I have the grounds to argue that the contract is unfair.From *********: ****************************************************************************************** (A more formal version I will hopefully find)In general due to (deliberately) poor site and contract communication.

  Business Response

  Date: 02/19/2024

  iStock is committed to delivering exceptional customer service and ensuring that our customers have a positive and satisfying experience with our products and services. We understand that circumstances change, and customers may need to make decisions that were not anticipated at the beginning of their subscription purchase. We have carefully reviewed the circumstances surrounding this matter and have cancelled Mr. **** subscription and there will be no additional charges to his credit card. This decision was made notwithstanding the information we provide clearly states that after billing commences, cancelation is not possible until the end of the committed period. We also advise customers via the confirmation email sent at registration,as well as in our Content License Agreement.This policy is clearly outlined in the FAQs.  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:02/08/2024

  Type:Billing 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.

  On or about Nov 1, I signed up for a 30 day free trial with iStock Photo. Unfortunately, I did not add a reminder to cancel before the 30 days and was charged a monthly fee of $70 on 12/1. I ended up using the service in December as I had paid for it for the month. However, on 1/1, I did send a notice that I wanted to cancel my subscription immediately. I was then informed that the only way I could cancel my subscription was to pay a $70 "administrative fee" to cancel my subscription. I refused and said that they had not disclosed what the cancellation fee would actually be, just the following wording: If your Free Trial has converted to a paid subscription, cancellation may incur an administrative charge. I do not consider a full month's payment a reasonable administrative charge. I told the company that I believed that amount to be unfair and to consider the laws protecting consumers. I exchanged emails with them pushing back and requesting a response from a supervisor but no one has helped and I have just been charged another $70 for the month of February. I would like a refund for my January and February fees less a *reasonable* administrative charge (I would consider $20 to be reasonable for the time and effort of someone clicking a button to cancel my subscription). Thank you for your time and consideration of this matter.

  Business Response

  Date: 02/14/2024

  iStock is committed to delivering exceptional customer service and ensuring that our customers have a positive and satisfying experience with our products and services. We understand that circumstances change, and customers may need to make decisions that were not anticipated at the beginning of their subscription purchase. We have carefully reviewed the circumstances surrounding this matter and can confirm Ms. ********* subscription has been cancelled and we are processing a refund for both the administrative fee and the most recent monthly charge.  This decision was made notwithstanding the information we provide clearly states that after billing commences, cancelation is not possible until the end of the committed period. We also advise customers via the confirmation email sent at registration, as well as in our Content License Agreement. This policy is clearly outlined in the FAQs.  

  Customer Answer

  Date: 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.

  I would like to make the suggestion to the company that they disclose what the administrative fee will be for someone who wishes to cancel. This would perhaps encourage customers to make more deliberate decisions about whether or not to subscribe to their services in the first place.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *****************************

• Initial Complaint

  Date:02/06/2024

  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.

  This company makes it impossible to 'remove' yourself from their system. There are no options to remove your account, or remove your payment method from their system without contacting them directly. Further, there is no way to remove your payment method until your subscription service is over (so you have to remember to do so 12 months later). Quietly, once your first month is up, they lock you into a full 12 month subscription with an unrealistic payment term to get out of their subscription. If you are one day over your 1 month 'trial' they will charge you a full 6 months to get out of your contract - regardless of whether you have bought anything from them or not.

  Business Response

  Date: 02/13/2024

  iStock is committed to delivering exceptional customer service and ensuring that our customers have a positive and satisfying experience with our products and services. We understand that circumstances change, and customers may need to make decisions that were not anticipated at the beginning of their subscription purchase. We have carefully reviewed the circumstances surrounding this matter and have cancelled Mr. ********** subscription and there will be no additional charges to his credit card. This decision was made notwithstanding the information we provide clearly states that after billing commences, cancelation is not possible until the end of the committed period. We also advise customers via the confirmation email sent at registration, as well as in our Content License Agreement. This policy is clearly outlined in the FAQs.  

  Customer Answer

  Date: 02/13/2024

   
  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,
  
  *****************************

  Customer Answer

  Date: 02/13/2024

  The concern I have with the 'resolution' is that the terms iStock are referring to are buried nicely in their terms of services. Nowhere is this made clear at the time of signing up. Further, I feel it is a dubious practice for a business to quietly not say anything about a trial period ending, and then quietly, the day after your 'one month free trial' you are immediately locked into a 12 month term. To get out of the contract - even one day after they bill you, they state they are going to charge you a 6 month 'cancellation fee' to get out. Lastly, they indicate that to 'remove your payment' or terminate your subscription, you have to remember to contact them AFTER YOUR LAST MONTH OF THE SUBSCRIPTION - FURTHER perpetuating the customer who forgets to go in and do this 12 months later - and you have to do this by contacting them directly. There is no way to remove it, or cancel your subscription online. 

  This is clearly a clever way to quickly lock in customers and to make it very difficult for the customer to cancel a subscription in any way. 

• Initial Complaint

  Date:02/06/2024

  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.

  When I signed our company up for an iStock monthly subscription through Getty Images subscription, I thought I was signing up for a monthly charge of $29.99/month because that's what the ********* graphic said on the subscription page. I didn't realize it was an annual contract, I just thought it was month-to-month, that's why I selected the $29.99/month option. When I went to download the images I needed for our company's new website I discovered that I had to purchase additional credits for 3 out of 4 of these images. Realizing I couldn't download the images and would have to purchase credits instead. I immediately called to cancel my subscription, but the first message I got when calling is that if I'm calling to cancel a subscription to do so through their website (very telling). I was told that I could not have a refund that everything was clearly laid out for me and I knew what I was signing up for. What I hadn't realized was that above the boxes is a small toggle switch that you switch back and forth between for annual vs. monthly subscription (customer service made me aware). When I tried to explain that I hadn't noticed that toggle switch and again requested a refund, customer service basically said too bad and offered instead to change my annual subscription to a HIGHER paying one so that I could get the images I needed. The business I work for is extremely niche and it took me hours to find the handful that would work. We don't need, and didn't intend to, sign up for an entire year because iStock literally had about 4 images that could work for what we needed. If someone realizes they made a mistake and never used the service and requests a refund within 30 minutes of signing up, they should be able to reverse that without an issue.

  Business Response

  Date: 02/13/2024

  We have carefully reviewed the circumstances surrounding this matter, and having confirmed **************** did not download any images from iStock.com, we have cancelled **************** subscription and there will be no additional charges to her credit card. This decision was made notwithstanding the information we provide clearly states that after billing commences, cancelation is not possible until the end of the committed period. We also advise customers via the confirmation email sent at registration, as well as in our Content License Agreement. This policy is clearly outlined in the FAQs.  

  Customer Answer

  Date: 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.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *************************

• Initial Complaint

  Date:02/06/2024

  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.

  On January 4, ****, I signed up for a one-month free trial with IStock Photo by Getty Images. Today (February 5, ****) I realized I'd been charged by IStock Photo for $95.20. While I was annoyed that the company didn't send me a reminder to reconsider, like other companies typically do before a free trial ends, I acknowledged that I should have set a reminder. I logged into the site to cancel further monthly payments, but unfortunately, there's only an option to turn off auto-renew for next year's subscription. Now I'm locked into a $950+ subscription that I can't get out of.I'm filing this complaint because I believe I've been subjected to an unethical business practice. First of all, the company did not explicitly state the price or make it clear that I would not be able to cancel the annual subscription when I signed up for the free trial. Secondly, the company does not provide users such as myself with a means of correcting such errors. Thirdly, I've read numerous Reddit forums in which users have complained that IStock Photo didn't provide an easy way to cancel their free trial, even while the trial was still active (i.e. there was no button to cancel -- instead users had to call the company). There's even a ************** called Getty Images Victims dedicated to this matter, which points to how easy it is for people to fall for IStock's misleading, deceitful business practices.I'd like your help getting my annual subscription cancelled and if possible, a refund for my $95.20.

  Business Response

  Date: 02/13/2024

  iStock is committed to delivering exceptional customer service and ensuring that our customers have a positive and satisfying experience with our products and services. We understand that circumstances change, and customers may need to make decisions that were not anticipated at the beginning of their subscription purchase. We have carefully reviewed the circumstances surrounding this matter and have cancelled Ms. ***** subscription and there will be no additional charges to her credit card. This decision was made notwithstanding the information we provide clearly states that after billing commences, cancelation is not possible until the end of the committed period. We also advise customers via the confirmation email sent at registration,as well as in our Content License Agreement. This policy is clearly outlined in the FAQs.  

  Customer Answer

  Date: 02/13/2024

   
  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

  Date:02/05/2024

  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.

  I utilized free trial period and couldn't find how to cancel. I thought I sent them a note on thier website but never heard anything or got any e-mail about subscription update or renewal or trail period ending. I forgot password and tried to utilize thier reset password but was never sent a link.I subsequently went over trial period and only knew about it after seeing 2 e-mails receipts for charges of $70 a month for annual subscription. I've e-mailed them concerning cancellation and they said I'm locked into annual subscription. It's a very deceptive business that's non-communicative with the intent of locking you into annual subscription. It's horrible. I've since asked they cancel and referenced Californial law: ARTICLE 9 - Automatic Purchase Renewals Section ***** that protects individuals ability to cancel subscriptions and not be deceived.They responded with "It is important to note that our standard practice does not involve the cancellation of annual subscriptions. Please note, you can keep the licenses for the images you downloaded during your trial. As outlined in our policy, we regret to inform you that we do not authorize refunds for processed orders."I don't want them to continue this practice and for others to fall victim to thier unethical and preditory methods to lock people into expensive annual subscriptions.

  Business Response

  Date: 02/13/2024

  iStock is committed to delivering exceptional customer service and ensuring that our customers have a positive and satisfying experience with our products and services. We understand that circumstances change, and customers may need to make decisions that were not anticipated at the beginning of their subscription purchase. We have carefully reviewed the circumstances surrounding this matter and have cancelled Mr. ********* subscription and there will be no additional charges to his credit card. This decision was made notwithstanding the information we provide clearly states that after billing commences, cancelation is not possible until the end of the committed period. We also advise customers via the confirmation email sent at registration, as well as in our Content License Agreement. This policy is clearly outlined in the FAQs.  

  Customer Answer

  Date: 02/14/2024

  The business cancelled my subscription and implied no wrongdoing. They never gave me an opportunity to cancel my trial subscription nor did they send an e-mail confirming my subscription. I tried to cancel vie their website by sending a note/correspondence but never got a response. Their process is set up to trap people utilizing their trial membership by making cancellation very difficult and not following up with any information or correspondence other than the eventual confirmed annual plan and receipt. They're not apologetic at all and give the impression it is the consumers fault for not cancelling and not understanding their contract agreement for an annual subscription of nearly $1000. It's crazy and I am certain they will continue this practice to lock many others into their yearly plan. I found many others complaining on Reddit posts. Is the BBB able to stop/deter this type of "marketing/business" practices? I cited ********** laws requiring the option to cancel a subscription, but others may not have this option. 

  Business Response

  Date: 03/20/2024

  Our offer is transparent and straightforward; there's nothing hidden or misleading about it. At iStock, we clearly outline that new customers can enjoy 10 free downloadable images as part of a trial connected to an annual subscription. These 10 free trial images can be selected during the first month (the trial month) exclusively. Our terms explicitly state that it is the customer's responsibility to cancel the paid subscription before the free trial period ends. During the trial period, customers can request to cancel by reaching out to **************** or by utilizing the self-service option.   Because Mr.  Slattebo did not download images after the free trial we were able to cancel his annual subscription as requested on February 5th, 2024, according to our cancellation policy terms outlined at ********************************************************************************.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 03/21/2024

   
  Complaint: 21251585
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  Your business practice to lure customers with a "free trial" that is difficult to get out of is predatory and manipulating with the sole intent to trap unwitting customers into an expensive annual membership plan that they are not allowed to get out of. This type of entrapment into membership subscriptions has prompted laws to protect consumers. The fact that you continue to do it and assume no fault because, you say, it's clearly stated reveals your deliberate and calculated intent to trap customers. If there were easy steps on how to cancel a subscription, via email notification or somewhere easy to find on your website, this would never have happened. Instead, I received no notice and I sent a message through your website chat to cancel my trial membership and heard nothing back until the eventual billing statement and annual membership charge. Let's be clear, you intentionally make this difficult and want to trap customers into a membership and do so by luring them into this situation with the "free trial" offer. 

  The BBB and other community forums have this information regarding your business behavior and treatment of customers. As you know, since you've profited from it, many others have had the same issue, so much so that victims have discussed the issue and posted on online-community-forums. If this is not persuasive enough for you, then it's important that the "transparency," as you call it, be more for unwitting victims who see your "free trial" to know that it's a trap that's meant to lock them into an expensive annual membership. Most importantly, it needs to be clearly known what kind of business you are. 

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

• Initial Complaint

  Date:02/05/2024

  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 with iStock online September 5, 2023. My customer number is ********. There was no offer of a free trial anywhere on the website, and I needed an image for my project that was only available there. I signed up with my payment details, this was my debit card Mastercard ******* so the money got deducted straight from my account. I was getting charged $29.99 monthly even tho I hadn't downloaded anything except this:9/5/2023, 1 download 9/7/2023, 1 download 9/11/2023, 1 download Only very recently (last month) did I realize I still had a subscription and downloaded a few images.1/28/2024 1 downloads 2/11/2024, 11 downloads I didn't notice I was being charged until I lost my monthly income. Now I couldn't afford to keep making payments so I contacted customer service through an online ticket. I requested a cancellation. They informed me that I signed an annual contract and it was impossible to cancel. I searched other customers experiences to see what I could do. As per policy, you can cancel a free trial without penalty if I didn't make any downloads, and with a charge of $70 if I did make downloads. Of course if there was a free trial I would have used it. At the time I only needed a few images. There was not. And the policy is set up so that the only way you can cancel is if you sign up with a free trial. Also, there is literally no way to talk to a person about my account. I sent tickets online and receive the same auto-generated message both times. I called the 800 number ***************) and the automated message clearly stated representatives are unable to answer questions related to subscriptions. This is unconscionable and predatory! This limits customers power and creates an environment where this company is allowed to take advantage of people. I don't think my downloads warranted that much money. I want it back. And someone should regulate them. Getty Images Suite 313 - *******************************************************************************

  Business Response

  Date: 02/13/2024

  **************** signed up for a yearly subscription on September 5th, 2023, agreeing to the terms of her subscription.  It appears that **************** has availed herself of our services by downloading a total of 12 images from iStock.com, with 11 of these downloads occurring on February 1st, ****. It's important to note that at the time of sign-up and checkout, clear information regarding the subscription type was provided, ensuring informed decision-making on the part of the customer. Additionally, we've made efforts to communicate our cancellation policy and provide instructions on disabling the auto-renew feature to ****************, thereby preventing automatic renewal at the end of the subscription period. For further reference, our cancellation policy is explicitly outlined in our license agreement, accessible via the following link: ********************************************************************************

• Initial Complaint

  Date:02/04/2024

  Type:Order 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.

  ******** Law Legislation S.5941B/A.3245D requires cancellation to be upheld when the is no clear and easy way to cancel. This is my local law which is stated in the cancelation policy. This company has been very deceiving with its cancelation policy and misleading causing MANY complaints, myself included that have been locked in to a year contract. They refused to cancel my subscription even after multiple emails of me explaining my rights to cancel.

  Business Response

  Date: 02/12/2024

  ****************** joined us with a yearly subscription back on November 3rd, 2023, agreeing to our subscription terms.   We've made sure to inform him about our cancellation policy and provided easy steps to turn off auto-renewal. This way, he can have full control over whether his subscription renews at the end of the term. For more info, you can check out our cancellation policy outlined in detail in our license agreement at ********************************************************************************

  Customer Answer

  Date: 02/12/2024

   
  Complaint: 21244979
  
  I am rejecting this response because: in the companies own cancellation policy, they state that "Post-Free Trial, with 1 or more paid downloads after converting to the paid subscription" that I am "eligible for cancelation, no refund, no admin charge, EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY" And it is not within the final month of subscription there for per companies own cancelation policy, they should uphold my cancelation request as it is within the companies own cancelation policy for cancellation. 
  

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

  Business Response

  Date: 02/19/2024

  Based on our records, ****************** did not sign up for a free trial as he indicates, but rather an annual subscription.  ****************** selected a 10 image download per month annual plan. Since the completion of the transaction,****************** has continued to download images, as he is *********** do under a paid subscription.  His latest download was on January 31st.  Thus,****************** is clearly using the product that he selected and paid for.  Nevertheless, we understand that circumstances change, and customer satisfaction is our highest priority.  We have determined to cancel Mr. ******** subscription effective February 19th, 2024. This decision was made notwithstanding the information we provide clearly states that after billing commences, cancelation is not possible until the end of the committed period.We also advise customers via the confirmation email sent at registration, as well as in our Content License Agreement. This policy is clearly outlined in the FAQs. While we firmly believe that sufficient information is clearly provided to allow for an informed decision to be made by customers, iStock,recognizes the need to be agile in the way that we administer our programs which may involve making changes to them that further benefits the customer as well as making it an overall successful program. 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 02/19/2024

   
  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. But to add to your response, I only downloaded on Jan 31st because that month had already been paid (since I wasnt able to cancel) for so I was *********** download a product that I have already paid for. I would make the cancellation much clearer because there are MANY customer complaints with the same as mine, all you have to do is search reddit and other popular forums that are experiencing the same issue.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *************************

• Initial Complaint

  Date:02/03/2024

  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.

  iStock photos has predatory contracting practices. On their website it appears that you are signing up for a monthly subscription like most web-based services; it even states that you can cancel the subscription, but the fine print states that it is an annual subscription that only allows you to cancel at the end of the yearly term. They are refusing to cancel subscriptions and give refunds. This doesnt seem right. There is a message board of students that have been sucked into this scam who are panicking. I am annoyed for my self, but I can afford this mistake. I am worried that they are preying on young people who 1) dont have financial means and 2) havent been exposed to these types of predatory contract practices as this isnt standard practice anymore.

  Business Response

  Date: 02/12/2024

  iStock is committed to delivering exceptional customer service and ensuring that our customers have a positive and satisfying experience with our products and services. We understand that circumstances change, and customers may need to make decisions that were not anticipated at the beginning of their subscription purchase. We have cancelled ******************** subscription as requested and there will be no additional charges to her credit card.  The terms of the free trial are clearly outlined during the enrollment/check out process. We also advise customers via the confirmation email sent at registration, as well as in our Content License Agreement. This policy is clearly outlined in the FAQs.  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:02/02/2024

  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.

  Subscribed for a trial. Got looped into a subscription of $75/month for an entire year without any notice. Refuses to let me out of subscription by stating its in their policy and they are not required by law to cancel. I will not be using this service, ever! No warning before rolling you in to an extremely expensive service. It is a scam and I am going to the *** for unfair trade practices as well as consulting attorneys on a class action for deceptive marketing practices.

  Business Response

  Date: 02/09/2024

  iStock is committed to delivering exceptional customer service and ensuring that our customers have a positive and satisfying experience with our products and services. We understand that circumstances change, and customers may need to make decisions that were not anticipated at the beginning of their subscription purchase. We have carefully reviewed the circumstances surrounding this matter and have cancelled Ms. ******************** and there will be no additional charges to her credit card. This decision was made notwithstanding the information we provide clearly states that after billing commences, cancelation is not possible until the end of the committed period. We also advise customers via the confirmation email sent at registration, as well as in our Content License Agreement. This policy is clearly outlined in the FAQs.  

  Customer Answer

  Date: 02/09/2024

   
  Complaint: 21236436
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  I had to jump through hoops to have this canceled and dealt with the single most rude people I have ever emailed in my life. This is a complete and total rip off and scam. To force users into a year subscription with no way out is insanity,  because most peoples lives change in a year. I read horror stories of past customers losing their jobs and iStock taking their last ***** then refusing to give it back. I still stand firm that this is worth a class action lawsuit and have submitted to multiple attorneys to look over for the principal of protecting future people from a scam company. And again, no email was sent prior to the charge which you are legally required to notify. The registration email which happens a month prior, is not notice.

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