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

  6000 N Forest Park Dr Peoria, IL 61614-3556

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  Getty Images, Chicago

  55 E. Monroe St. 17th Flr. Ste 1700 Chicago, IL 60603

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  Getty Images

  701 5th Ave Ste 4200 Seattle, WA 98104-7047

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  Getty Images

  5232 E Pima St Ste 200-C Tucson, AZ 85712-3659

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:07/22/2024

  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.

  iStock always provides a free trial, which turns out to be a free trial subscription trap that would turn into a 1-year subscription plan for their premium subscription plan. Even though I cancelled the free trial on the same day I registered for it (on June 20, 2024), after the free trial (30 days), they still charged me for the first month of subscription. Moreover, the subscription trap stated that even if one is to download any piece of content during the subscription time, one will not be able to cancel the 1-year subscription and will be charged for a total of $1020 during the time period. This is an unethical practice and might even be illegal, and I have found this to be a common experience amongst people using the service. I contacted them requesting a refund, but they said non-refund policy would be strictly imposed unless stated otherwise by the local law. I hope that this type of incident never has to happen to anyone again.P.S. Everything in their policies promotes unethical practices. For example, unused services cannot be roll-****** to the next month if auto-renew is turned off. When a subscription is cancelled, all access to downloads and all the downloads remaining are terminated effective immediately. I hope you would have the time to look into this kind of practice and issue a warning to alert consumers of this behavior.

  Business Response

  Date: 08/03/2024

  Mr. ** actively opted for a Free Trial subscription on June 20th and downloaded two images during the trial period.   After the free trial period concluded on July 20th, we billed his credit card for the first month of the annual subscription.    Its important to note that customers can cancel their free trial subscription using the self-service feature or by contacting **************** prior to the conversion to a paid subscription.  Mr.** chose neither option. A reminder email was also sent to Mr. ** two days prior to their free trial ending.  Mr. ** contacted our **************** team on July 20h after being billed and his subscription was cancelled as requested. Mr. ** was charged for a single month for his iStock subscription, and it was cancelled according to our policy found at ********************************************************************************.  

  Customer Answer

  Date: 08/03/2024

   
  Complaint: 22027347
  
  I am rejecting this response because: I cancelled the subscription right away because the two images did not fit my use case and I can't find any resources on the site that did. This is just my words against theirs, as at the time why would I think something like this would happen and take a screen shot of the cancellation or anything of the sort. However, regardless of the situation, the nature of the policies practiced regarding the free trial are clearly against the consumers. Think of it this way, if one downloads 1 image outside of the free trial, one will be charged for 1 credits, which is about $13. On the other hand, downloading 1 image during the free trial and not cancelling it costs the first month, which is around $80. What's more unethical is that even though he/she paid for the first month, at the time of cancellation, one instantly lose all downloads remaining for the month. If, however, he/she download even just 1 image in the first month, they will incur an additional administrative fee of $70 on top of that first month price of $80, and one would still lose all the remaining downloads. That is a significant amount to pay for 1 image. This practice is clearly designed to take money out of the consumers' pockets, and this should not be how businesses do things.

  When I contacted them by mail and offered to meet in the middle and asked for a partial refund, accepting to pay 2 credits for 2 images, they denied, citing the company's policies. So here I am, requesting a new resolution and someone to look into this type of practice.

  
  Sincerely,
  
  **** Le

• Initial Complaint

  Date:07/19/2024

  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 am writing to formally lodge a complaint against Istockphoto LP regarding their refusal to cancel ************************* of Golden Hour Sales LLCs subscription to their service and the continued unauthorized charges being levied against us.Despite numerous attempts to cancel our subscription through your designated channels and explicit requests to remove all credit card and personal data collected by Istockphoto, we have encountered persistent difficulties in achieving resolution. It is deeply concerning that despite our efforts, Golden Hour Sales LLC continues to be charged without our explicit permission and consent.The situation is exacerbated by the fact that Istockphoto LP has disregarded our cancellation requests and failed to provide adequate support or acknowledge our rights as consumers. IStockPhoto LP's response has been that they will continue to charge Golden Hour Sales until september 15. iStockPhot has charged GOlden Hour Sales LLC $1,590 since September. $1,030 of that came after the first cancellation request. They confirmed over e-mail they plan to continue to charge ************************* of Golden Hour Sales LLC an additonal $260 and have refused multiple requests for termination.

  Business Response

  Date: 08/01/2024

  ******************** enrolled in an iStock annual subscription on September 15, 2023, agreeing to the subscription terms. Since signing up, he has actively used his subscription, downloading over 70 images, including 16 downloads in July 2024. His subscription is set to expire on September 15, 2024. We have confirmed that he has turned off auto-renewal, preventing any renewal of his subscription and additional charges. According to our cancellation policy, which can be found at ********************************************************************************, ******************** does not qualify for an immediate cancellation.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:07/18/2024

  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.

  Last month (6-15-2024) I found and image on Getty Images/Istock I wanted.An offer popped up saying it allows you to subscribe to get 1 month free then $70/mo after the trial ends.They say $70/mo to decieve you because this is actually a yearly subscription which is only mentioned briefly in a wall of text on the checkout page.The trial says you are allowed to cancel before it ends and keep the photos you downloaded and specifically mentioned turning off auto-renew.I went to cancel the subscription by going to my profile page under the billing tab where they have the button to turn off auto-renew and turned it off thinking this would cancel the subscription at the end of the trial. They are telling me it only stops the billing for the year after.They are now saying I am either locked into a contract for $70/mo or I have to pay $70 to cancel my subscription because there is a different cancel button I needed to use (which I have not been directed to and still have not found).Support told me "no refunds - kind regards" and have not responded to my emails regarding the fact that they are breaking the law by not allowing cancellation.I am not asking for a refund for anything, I am only asking this company to cancel the subscription and stop charging me and they continue to ignore me.

  Business Response

  Date: 08/01/2024

  ******************** subscription has been canceled as requested.   Its important to note that customers can cancel their free trial subscription using the self-service feature or by contacting **************** prior to the conversion to a paid subscription.  **************** attempted to cancel his subscription after it had already been converted to a paid subscription. A reminder email was also sent to Mr. ****** two days prior to their free trial ending.   There is no auto-renew option during the free trial, only the option to cancel.  However, we understand mistakes can be made and have canceled ******************** subscription as he has requested.  There will be no additional fees charged to Mr. ******. 

• Initial Complaint

  Date:07/17/2024

  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 for a handful of stock image trials for my wife to choose from, and iStock is the only one which didn't provide adequate notification by email that I had started a subscription with them, as seen in the attachment.We had only downloaded one single photo to compare the experience and quality against the other services, and never printed or used the image.I just want my money back since I feel that I was deceived in the registration process, and again when not being notified about the subscription until 2 days before the charge hit my card.I can't afford to pay for two different subscriptions, and this isn't the one we chose.I'm happy to rescind the license to use the single image we downloaded once because we have never and will never use it.Thank you.

  Business Response

  Date: 07/27/2024

  ************** actively opted for a Free Trial subscription on June 14th and downloaded an image during the trial period.   During the the sign up process it is clearly indicated that the free trial will convert to annual subscription after one month (see attached screenshot). After the free trial period concluded on July 15th, we billed his credit card for the first month of the annual subscription.    Its important to note that customers can cancel their free trial subscription using the self-service feature or by contacting **************** prior to the conversion to a paid subscription.     A reminder email was also sent to ************** two days prior to their free trial ending.  ************** contacted our **************** team on July 17h after being billed and his subscription was cancelled as requested.  Because ************* actively downloaded an image during the free trial period, he does not qualify for a refund according to our cancellation policy found at   **************************************************************************************;       

• Initial Complaint

  Date:07/16/2024

  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 started a free trial with iStock on June 14, 2024, and downloaded 2 pictures the first day of using the service. The product was not what I was looking for, so I intended on cancelling the service - I kept the free trial, in case I changed my mind. On July 12, I attempted to cancel the service. I tried to find where to cancel on my customer profile, but could not find any button to cancel. I did see the payment information section displayed there being none saved on file, so I figured, once the free trial lapsed, there would be nothing to charge, and they would cancel my subscription.I guess I originally signed up with PayPal as the payment method, but their website does not show this (it says there is no payment information saved). Had I seen there was a payment method on file, I would have tried to find the subscription cancellation section - there was no reason for me to believe I would be charged anything.On July 14, PayPal sent me the transaction for the first month of the annual subscription ($89.25), and iStock sent me an email with an "invoice" (there is no invoice for this transaction available on my online account - how am I supposed to know this is legit), and a new subscription policy.I contacted iStock, describing the situation to them in detail, and they refused to provide me with a chargeback. They cited their predatory policy, which disallows ANY type of refund. I think many legal authorities would consider this entrapment, and is in opposition to my local bylaws - the reviews on the Better Business Bureau certainly affirm this.I refuted by citing my local bylaws. My local bylaws say that I have the right to cancel a subscription and to a refund for a subscription if I contact the business within 7 days of a contract - the new contract information was sent to me July 14.They still refused to refund me. This is all based on a very simple accounting error, and a glaring account display level on their end.

  Business Response

  Date: 07/26/2024

  ************** actively opted for a Free Trial subscription on July 14th and downloaded 2 images during the trial period.   After the free trial period concluded on July 14th, we billed his credit card for the first month of the annual subscription.    Its important to note that customers can cancel their free trial subscription using the self-service feature or by contacting **************** prior to the conversion to a paid subscription.     A reminder email was also sent to ************** two days prior to their free trial ending.  ************** contacted our **************** team on July 15th after being billed and his subscription was cancelled as requested.  Because ************* actively downloaded 2 images during the free trial period, he does not qualify for a refund according to our cancellation policy found at   **************************************************************************************;       

  Customer Answer

  Date: 07/26/2024

   
  Complaint: 21997659
  
  I am not sure that iStock Representatives Read my message or not, but I reject their response because the online account profile page on their site is not very clear about where you are supposed to cancel, and there was no evidence of any saved payment information on my account, which led me to believe that I would not be charged after the free trial ended, and that my subscription would not continue. I explained this in my previous message, and no consideration was given with regards to my inquiry.

  I have never had any problem finding where to cancel a subscription on any other site in my life.

  Furthermore, iStock's response to my original complaint underlines the issue that I, and many other people, have had with their service and company. There is no concern, leniency, or benefit of the doubt given to their customers. They clearly take no pride in their service, and are only concerned with the money earned from a sale. Their website is a classic case of stagnant development and design, and their policies are predatory and many consider them a form of entrapment, which works out to their benefit given their company's attitude and ideology toward the customer.

  I reached out to PayPal to Lodge a formal complaint. I figured it was in PayPal's best interest to know that my PayPal payment information was not being properly displayed on my iStock customer profile. I also described my situation, and PayPal immediately issued me the charge back instead of iStock. I hope that PayPal charges iStock for this refund, as PayPal went above and beyond to aid me and doesn't deserve to be shorted for iStock's awful customer experience.

  
  *****************

• Initial Complaint

  Date:07/15/2024

  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.

  About the business: Istock Getty Images Suite 313 - ***************************************************************************************** Basically a scam company that misbehave by misleading and creating false advertisement and false indications when purchasing their subscriptions.*************************** (My person) on behalf of Home And Tower Life LLC purchased a $29/month Basic subscription plan which was basically the one I needed in order to download a couple of pictures.However, it seems that the pictures I needed were able to a different plan which is the plan Premium available for $70/month.Then I suddenly contacted customer service in order to upgrade the plan. They said they were not able to upgrade me and they were not able to cancel my subscription.The issue happened between 9:40 PM ET and 10:31 PM ET on July 15 2024. Which is also the same day when I paid for the subscription and the same hours.Basically not even an hour past when I had this issue.They refused to cancel my subscription.They refused to refund my money.I basically got scammed by them.Their business practices are making me pay for an annual subscription of $348.00 USD for something that I won't be needing or using.Order number: ********** Purchase date: July 15, 2024 Order total: $29/MONTH ACTION NEEDED: CANCEL SUBSCRIPTION AND FOLLOWING PAYMENTS.REASON: CURRENT SUBSCRIPTION DOES NOT WORK FOR ME AND I DO NOT LONGER WANT TO BE A PART OF A SCAMMING COMPANY.Best regards,*************************** Home And Tower Life LLC.

  Business Response

  Date: 07/22/2024

  It appears Mr. ********* contacted iStock **************** and his complaint was resolved on July 17th, 2024.  ************************** subscription was canceled and he was appropriately refunded.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:07/13/2024

  Type:Sales and Advertising 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 filing a complaint against iStock by Getty Images for misleading subscription terms and unfair billing practices. On March 27, 2024 I signed up for a free trial of iStock's services. When the free trial ended, I was automatically billed $75 for what was labeled as an "annual subscription". By definition, "annual" means something that occurs once every year. This term unequivocally indicates a single annual payment. However, I later saw that I was being billed $75.78 monthly, which clearly misuses the term "annual" and has caused significant confusion and misunderstanding. Specific Details: 1. Misleading Term: The term "Annual Subscription" means a single payment for a full year of service. Charging monthly for an "annual subscription" is not only misleading but also a direct contradiction of the term's definition. 2. Accidental Sign-*********************** initially signed up for a free trial, which I forgot to cancel because I barely used the service. When the free trial ended, I noticed a $75 charge on my account. I assumed this $75 was the total cost for the entire year, based on the "Annual Subscription" label. It wasn't until 2 months later that I realized I was being billed $75 monthly. 3. Unfair Billing Practices My iStock usage has been minimal. I have only downloaded 12 photos from the service in the four months that I've had it. That's less than one download per week. However, I've been charged $227.34 over the subscription period. On top of this, iStock is demanding an additional $70 fee to cancel the subscription. This results in in a total of $297.34 for a service I accidently signed up for and rarely use. That is an unreasonable price to pay. I contacted iStock to request a fair resolution, but they insisted that I knew what I was signing up for and on charging me the $70 cancellation fee. I have attached the screenshots of the emails for your reference and a screenshot of the email telling me my annual subscription was now active.

  Business Response

  Date: 07/22/2024

  iStock is dedicated to providing outstanding customer service and ensuring our customers have a positive experience with our products and services. After thoroughly reviewing the situation, we have canceled ******************** subscription,and there will be no further charges. Since **************** actively downloaded images during both the free trial period and his annual subscription, he does not qualify for a refund according to our cancellation policy found at ********************************************************************************. Its important to note that customers can cancel their free trial subscription using the self-service feature or by contacting **************** prior to the conversion to a paid subscription       
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:07/07/2024

  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.

  Card was charged for a subscription. I want to cancel and could not as I forgot my password. This is my ex husband card and I am no longer an authorized user. I wish to cancel everything with istock.

  Business Response

  Date: 07/16/2024

  Ms. ******** contacted **************** on July 7th, 2024, and her subscription was canceled as requested and according to our cancellation and refund policy, which can be found at ********************************************************************************.
   
  
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:07/02/2024

  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 for a free 1 month (30 day) free trial for a pro membership for iStock. I was immediately charged $30. That same day I decided I did not want to use this free trial because I think it is extremely ridiculous that I was changed when I only signed up for a free trial. I contacted their customer service team that same day and requested to cancel my trial and membership. I had an email exchange with their team where they stated they could "provide a one-time offer to cancel your subscription", which I replied with "I agree to a one-time offer to cancel my subscription". What I was unaware was that they would charge me $180 to "facilitate this cancellation". This is extremely misleading and unacceptable. I did not use any of the services and simply wanted to receive a refund and cut ties with this company. My intended outcome of using BBB is to receive a refund of the $180 I was charged.

  Business Response

  Date: 07/16/2024

   To clarify, **************** signed up for an iStock annual subscription, not a free trial. However, after a thorough review, it appears he enrolled in error. **************** contacted **************** on the same day he signed up and did not download any images. We are processing a refund for the additional fees he was charged to cancel the subscription.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 07/26/2024

  I saw the response from iStock but I have yet to receive a refund yet. For this reason I would like to keep this case open until receiving  a refund. 

  Business Response

  Date: 08/06/2024

  We have confirmed a refund was processed on July 16th, 2024.  We advise Mr. Bagsic to confirm receipt of this refund with his financial institution.  Typically, it will take 3-5 business days for a refund to be received once processed. 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 08/06/2024

   
  Complaint: 21935099
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  I have not received a refund for the full amount as stated ($180)

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

  Business Response

  Date: 08/13/2024

  A refund was processed on July 16th, 2024, to the credit card **************** has on file with iStock. We have escalated this matter within iStock to verify if there were any issues with the refund processing. A member of our **************** team will reach out to **************** directly for further assistance.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 08/14/2024

   
  Complaint: 21935099
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
  
  

  The business is stating I will receive a full refund. I received $30 for the initial charge but I havent received the refund for $180 I was charged for after. To resolve this case I need to receive my full refund of $180.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ******** *************************

  Business Response

  Date: 08/21/2024

  Our Service team has followed up with **************** directly confirming the processing of the refund.  He has been instructed to contact his credit card company to further investigate. 

• Initial Complaint

  Date:07/02/2024

  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 am filing this complaint against iStock regarding an unauthorized subscription charge and their refusal to provide a refund.On April 5, 2024, iStock initiated a subscription on my account that I did not authorize or intend to start. I have not used any services associated with this subscription.I contacted iStock customer service on July 2, 2024, to request cancellation and a full refund. Despite my explanation that the subscription was unwanted and unused, they refused to process a refund.This unauthorized charge and refusal to refund constitutes unfair business practices. I am seeking the following resolution:Immediate cancellation of the unwanted subscription Full refund of all charges associated with this subscription since April 5, 2024 Confirmation that no further charges will be applied to my account I believe this is a fair resolution as I did not intentionally sign up for this service and have not utilized any of its features.

  Business Response

  Date: 07/10/2024

  ************************ actively opted for a Free Trial subscription on April 5th, 2024.  and downloaded an image the same day.  during the trial period.  Its important to note that customers can cancel their free trial subscription using the self-service feature or by contacting **************** prior to the conversion to a paid subscription.     A reminder email was also sent to ************************ two days prior to their free trial ending.  *********************** contacted our **************** team on July 2nd and July 5th, and her subscription was cancelled as requested.  Because ************************ actively downloaded an image during the free trial period, she does not qualify for a refund according to our cancellation policy found at   ********************************************************************************************; However, since she was charged on July 5th after contacting **************** on July 2nd, we are processing a refund for the most recent charge.