Business Profile

Computer Services

Adobe Systems, Inc.

Headquarters

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Complaints

This profile includes complaints for Adobe Systems, Inc.'s headquarters and its corporate-owned locations. To view all corporate locations, see

Customer Complaints Summary

928 total complaints in the last 3 years.
334 complaints closed in the last 12 months.

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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:04/07/2025
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.
Adobe has a sneaky contracting where when a customer signs up for a trail, 1) of you cancel your trial, then your plan is immediately cancelled 2) which promotes users to forget about cancelling at the last minute 3) Those who forget are charged with monthly fee 4) while it auto-enroll 12-year contract which then if you try to cancel you are charged with huge fees This is exactly what happened to me.- I had a Japanese account because I was in ***** and Adobe set me up with Japanese account - I tried canceling with a month in - Cancellation fees were about to be charged - I asked my bank to block any future charges from Adobe and I also froze my credit card. - I also deleted my Adobe account. - Yet ********************** keeps trying to charge cancellation fees on deleted account over the course of 24 hours. - Within 24 hours, they attempted to charge my card three times. Attached - I have a proof that I cancelled my plans - I have a proof that I deleted my account This is such a malicious business practice. And their platform is poorly executed (ironic for a company who offers design tool).When I was cancelling a creative asset plan, the ** still had US cancellation fees of $697.96 displayed while the Japanese yen cancellation fee was ****** yen. This is likely localization issue that no one caught, but very unprofessional and misleading. Please strip attempting to charge cancellation fees on a card for a deleted account so maliciously.
Business Response
Date: 04/17/2025
Hi Team,
We have revoked the cancellation charges, and it will be completed in the next ***** hours. There is no active membership on the account and the customer will not get charge.
Case# ADB-39548378-D5B8
(NIKHSHAR)
Initial Complaint
Date:04/04/2025
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.
Purchased PERPETUAL Adobe ACrobat 2020 license.Installed on one computer, and when I installed on a second I was unable to activate it, even after deactivating and signing out of the first one.The agreement states you may install on computers simultaneously. Adobe support refused to correct the activation issue and instead insisted I buy a subscription. Now, after I deactivated the first install I cannot install anywhere. They insist I installed on 4 computers, but my account shows zero device activations, so I know this is not true, and the agent is lying to me per the script they must read, stating they can't do anything to help me, or replace the defunct serial number.I want a refund check mailed to me to reimburse me for the cost of this non-working product, citing breach of contract on Adobe's part, by disallowing me to install and activate the software according to their own terms.
Business Response
Date: 04/12/2025
Apologies for the poor experience. We will directly contact the customer to help.

********************** Case: *****************
LASHARMA
Initial Complaint
Date:04/03/2025
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 am writing to formally lodge a complaint regarding two unauthorized and fraudulent transactions that were made on March 4th, 2025 from my ********* account by **********************. The details of these transactions are as follows:Transaction ID: ************ Amount: $19.99 Transaction ID: ************ Amount: $22.99 Both transactions were processed on the same day at Adobe, terminal location **********, **, with Terminal ID: ********** did not authorize these charges, nor have I subscribed to any Adobe services that would justify these deductions. As such, I am requesting an immediate refund of the total amount and a full closure of any Adobe accounts linked to my name or financial information.I have already disputed these transactions with my bank, but they have refused to issue a refund. I hold Adobe accountable for these fraudulent charges and expect a resolution at the earliest possible time.Please confirm receipt of this complaint and provide a timeline for the refund and account closure. If this matter is not resolved promptly, I will be left with no choice but to escalate my complaint to consumer protection agencies and take further legal action if necessary.I appreciate your immediate attention to this urgent matter. You may contact me at ************************* you require any further information.Sincerely,***** V. *******
Business Response
Date: 04/12/2025
Apologies for the poor experience. We found that the customer subscribed to Acrobat Pro for $19.99 and Photoshop for $22.99 on 02/21/2025 and cancelled on 03/19/2025. The customer never contacted support when the initial payment failed on 03/03/2025, and the system reattempted the payment for both plans. However, we have initiated a refund as a goodwill gesture. The credit of $42.98 will be processed within 5-7 business days using the same payment method.

Adobe Case: ADB-********-S0V8
LASHARMA
Initial Complaint
Date:04/03/2025
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.
Adobe iPhone App charges you ANNUAL fee of $69.99 without sending any reminding that the three day trial period is ending.
Business Response
Date: 04/12/2025
Apologies for the poor experience. We found that the customer started a ***** trial for Acrobat Premium on March 25, 2025, through the Apple Store. Customers are given a ****** ***** period after the trial ends, during which they can cancel the subscription and request a refund.
Since the purchase was made via the Apple Store, we kindly recommend reaching out to Apple Support directly at ************************************** for assistance. ***** handles all billing, cancellations, and refunds for purchases made through their platform, as the payment details are not shared with Adobe. Unfortunately, this means Adobe is unable to issue a refund for transactions made through ******

Adobe Case: ADB-********-T2B3
LASHARMA
Initial Complaint
Date:04/02/2025
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.
Signed up for Adobes free 30 day trial back in Jan 2025 for the Stock photos at $29.99/Month after browsing for about 20 minutes I immediately decided that this wasn't something I was interested in. I was charged $32.28 on 3/7/2025 which I actually hadn't realized at the time, however, they tried to charge me $32.28 again on 4/2/2025. I immediately reached out to Adobe's customer service through the chat feature and told the ***resentative that I would like to cancel my plan before the ***** charge tries to pull from my account again and I also explained my situation and requested a refund for the March charge, the *** continously ignored my request's and treid to upsell my on "60 credits" for the next 2 months and how great the plan and all its features were... again refusing to cancel my plan like i had asked. I even told him that i don't even care about the march charge as long as my plan is cancelled. The *** then told me that they woud be charging me 50% of the plans price as a cancellation fee, even though I was technically on a "monthly" plan and when I tried to argue that point and tell them i need the plan cancelled, they continued back to trying to sell me on the plans features and the 60 credits. My Situation is still unresolved and I want the plan cancelled, the refund from march and any other charges this company is going to try and take from me in the future.
Business Response
Date: 04/12/2025
Apologies for the poor experience. We found that the customer subscribed to a ****** trial for ********************** Stock 10 assets a month on 30 Jan 2025. The customers have a ***** period of 14 days after the trial ends, and the customer can cancel their plan and get their money back. We understand that the customer could not cancel within the trial period and contacted support to cancel & they shared the terms and conditions of his plan, which includes the cancellation fee; however, they cancelled his plan without any fee. As a goodwill gesture, we have issued the refund, and the credit of $64.56 will be processed within 5-7 business days using the same payment method.

Adobe Case: ADB-********-P5J5
LASHARMA
Initial Complaint
Date:04/02/2025
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.
3 Application Programs as shown on the attached will not activate on Adobe's website. All 3 are PERPETUAL LICENSES and functioned properly until after a fresh install of Windows 7 on the same computer. All 3 function properly on the reinstall of Windows 7 with an ERROR THAT THEY WILL NOT WORK AFTER 7 DAYS UNLESS THEIR SERIAL NUMBERS ARE VALIDATED. 1. Their website states it can't find an internet connection. 2. Contacted Adobe support tech: it's said it's because of a different Windows 7 install and I have to upgrade to Windows 10. This ** rejected an upgrade to Win 10, it can't be upgraded.3. The software programs function properly on the ** and without Adobe verifying their purchased PERPETUAL LICENSE serial numbers my programs will not work and ********************** breaches their license in perpetuity on the same **.I'm asking for intervention by Adobe to enable their functionality.AFTER THE **** SUPPORT, their website now says that my same **'s ****** Chrome and Firefox are out of date on Windows 7 and I can't even log into their website/my account now.Thank you.
Business Response
Date: 04/11/2025
Hi Team,
The products associated with the account are end of life. We advise an upgrade to creative cloud services as subscription based applications.
Case# ADB-39469126-C0Y3
(NIKHSHAR)
Customer Answer
Date: 04/16/2025

Complaint: 23149098

I am rejecting this response because it is a perpetual license. Perpetual means that it has ongoing right to use. IMO, it is an unethical Adobe business practice to force previous buyers of a perpetual license to say that they are forced to purchase an ongoing subscription license that supports the ************************ ongoing cash flow. Their response is *** a breach of contract, a breach of a perpetual license and I'd avoid buying another ********************** product because of that.

Sincerely,

****** ***** **
Business Response
Date: 04/24/2025
Hi Team,
We do understand the customer's concern; however, as per **********************'s policies, end of life products are no longer supported. Hence, it is advisable and beneficial for the customer to move to subscription based plan. As goodwill we will provide a credit of 1 free month on the new purchase which the customer can claim by contacting support after placing an order.
Case# ADB-39469126-C0Y3
(NIKHSHAR)
Customer Answer
Date: 04/25/2025

Complaint: 23149098

I am rejecting this response because that's breach of contract to a perpetual license. When the SAME PC fails and the operating system needs to have a clean reinstall on the EXISTING PC, the application software with a perpetual license should
be activated upon the reinstall. That context has nothing to do with Adobe not supporting it anymore, it's their same application software having to be reinstalled upon my existing operating system, the same environment when the perpetual license was bought. It turns out, with **********************'s verification, that they disabled their reactivation portal which left all owner's of perpetual licenses without any provision for a reinstall. ***, it's a legal breach of contract, and I won't buy another Adobe product when other perpetual applications I bought were successfully reinstalled without any problem, no problem whatsoever. Adobe stands alone amongst the software companies in this regard.

Sincerely,

****** ***** Sr
Business Response
Date: 05/05/2025
Hi Team,
We will issue new serial keys to the customer as one-time exception through email.
Case# ADB-39469126-C0Y3
(NIKHSHAR)
Initial Complaint
Date:04/01/2025
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.
I purchased Adobe Acrobat XI Pro on December 12, 2014, and have been using the software on my personal computer ever since. For reasons unknown, I am being required to license/register the software. When I attempt to sign-in with my Adobe ID ********************* and enter my serial number, I receive the following message:Please connect to the Internet and retry Your computer seems to be offline. An internet connection is required. Please connect to the internet and try again. If this problem persists please contact Customer Support.I can confirm that I am connected to the Internet and I am not experiencing any issues with my Internet connection. When I contacted support, they were unable to resolve the issue. I purchased a perpetual license of this product with no notice at the time of purchase that it could no longer be used after a certain date.
Business Response
Date: 04/11/2025
Hi Team,
We will reach out to the customer.
Case# *****************
(NIKHSHAR)
Customer Answer
Date: 04/29/2025
I am writing regarding complaint ID ******** which was closed due to no response by the consumer. Adobe contacted me and attempted to work to resolve the issue. After spending several hours on the phone with tech support, I was told Adobe would be providing additional assistance including issuing me a serial number for ********************** Acrobat Professional 2020. The business has not reached back out to me and, therefore, I would ask that this complaint be reopened and this message be forwarded to Adobe.
Business Response
Date: 05/05/2025
Hi Team,
We have issued a new serial key to the customer and the installation is waited till 7th May as confirmed by the customer.
Case# *****************
(NIKHSHAR)
Customer Answer
Date: 05/13/2025

Complaint: 23145061

I am rejecting this response because: the installation of Adobe Acrobat Pro 2020 was unsuccessful, and the issue with the original software product, Adobe Acrobat XI Pro, still does not allow the software to be activated.

Sincerely,

**** ******
Business Response
Date: 05/19/2025
Hi Team,
We will reach out to the customer.
Case# *****************
(NIKHSHAR)
Initial Complaint
Date:03/31/2025
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 subscribed to an ADOBE Free Trial for Lightroom.I received an email at the start of the free trial. Letting me know that the free trial would end on August 28, 2024. Unfortunately I did not get a warning email a day or two before the charging cycle would begin. I see many companies doing that to avoid forgotten Free Trials. This was not the case with adobe. I realized today, that I have been paying this service for 7 months. I ONLY used only on the day I selected to try the free trial. I tried to cancel and was informed that I had to pay a CANCELATION FEE of almost $20.00. I was able to get that waved, but I would like to have the full payments waived as I never used the service, and not sending a reminder of the end of the free trial is very sneaky business.
Business Response
Date: 04/10/2025
Hi Team,
We have processed the cancellation with immediate effect. The customer will not be able to use the services. Also, as an exception a refund for the last 6 months has been processed which will be credited within the next 5-7 business days.
Refund# USD 59.94
Case# ADB-39452810-M5R8
(NIKHSHAR)
Initial Complaint
Date:03/31/2025
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.
We purchased a LICENSE for ********************** Acrobat 10. This was ( purportedly) a Forever License that does not expire, per their current admissions.I purchased a new machine last month, moved my Hard Drive to the new machine from the old machine, and immediately could not use Adobe as the Key was active on another machine. So I fired up the OLD laptop, with the backup drive and DEACTIVATED that copy of Adobe- and received confirmation it was deactivated. I still cannot activate MY LICENSE on the new machine and they're trying to force me to purchase a NEW KEY which is a "forever" key.Since the OLD key I already own doesn't work and they refuse to make it work I am posting here that they're attempting to ******* consumers IMO.
Business Response
Date: 04/10/2025
Hi Team,
We have moved to subscription based model, hence, providing a new serial key is not advised. We can provide a credit of 1 free month if the customer wishes to move the *******************************************.
Case# ADB-39452910-H7S5
(NIKHSHAR)
Customer Answer
Date: 04/12/2025

Complaint: 23137534

I am rejecting this response because:
Regardless of the licensing strategy Adobe has adopted, I OWN A KEY that no longer works because they have disabled it.
Following thier instructiins the Cipy on my previous laptop was deactivated and I can still not activate the same key on my new machine. This amounts to extortion in that my license specifically allows the use on any single machine, and it obvioulsy is not working.

im not asking for support. I am nit aski g for an upgrade. I AM asking they update their Key database to unfreeze my key. Which will work forever as long as they dont mess with it again.

Sincerely,

***** ********
Business Response
Date: 04/24/2025
Hi Team,
We will reach out to the customer.
Case# *****************
(NIKHSHAR)
Customer Answer
Date: 05/02/2025

Complaint: 23137534

I am rejecting this response because:

Greetings;
As of this writing I have received no response or contact from Adobe. As previously described, the only acceptable solutions are the unlocking of my Acrobat 10 License, or any subsequent release license that works and does not require a subscription.
As I can demonstrate, I followed their initial instructions and rebooted my old laptop, and deactivated the license key on that machine. I can still not activate the license on my new machine.
Considering this has never been an issue over the past several laptops- at least 2 likely 3 at least- it is a new development on their part alone.

Thank you for your assistance.

Sincerely,

***** ********
Business Response
Date: 05/05/2025
Hi Team,
We have contacted the customer to get the old serial key so that we can replace it with a new one.
Case# ADB-39452910-H7S5
(NIKHSHAR)
Customer Answer
Date: 05/12/2025

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.
Vendor has supplied a working Key for the release I currently own. Thank you for your assistance in resolving this issue.

Sincerely,

***** ********
Initial Complaint
Date:03/31/2025
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.
On February 28th I ordered Adobe's Lightroom/Photoshop package on their website. It came with Adobe's Creative Cloud app. You can NOT open Photoshop OR Lightroom without opening Creative Cloud. I didn't know that. I agreed to pay $19.99 per month for this service. I was able to easily download Photoshop and Lightroom, but have NOT been able to download Creative Cloud after over 3 weeks! I've spent as much as 8-10 hours straight attempting to download it without success! I've contacted their support people THREE TIMES but not gotten any help. On one chat with a support agent I allowed the agent to get access to my laptop to try and fix the issue. He spent almost an hour in my computer then finally tells me "It's your machine, we can't get Creative Cloud to install. My laptop has ********* Windows 10, probably the most used operating system on earth! I spent 7 days a week, morning and night, trying to install the Creative Cloud but it would never install, which meant I was never able to use Photoshop OR Lightroom! On March 15th I tried to cancel my subscription but was told I was ONE DAY LATE to cancel without a penalty, so I would have to pay $110 for early cancellation because I "signed a contract". This is NOT fair to consumers to be penalized when they try to cancel something that they never could install or use! I paid for a service that I never did receive! I want to cancel my "contract" that Adobe is charging me $19.99 per month for WITHOUT paying anything further! I've never been able to install, download or use what I paid for! Can you PLEASE let me know how I can get out of this "contract" for a service I could never use? I refuse to pay Adobe, and have since got a new debit card to stop them from billing me for the service/product I was charged for but NOT allowed to use after almost 3 weeks. I've contacted their support 3 times, so they have records of my chat sessions if you ask them.
Business Response
Date: 04/09/2025
Apologies for the poor experience. The customer subscribed to the ******************************************* Photography plan with 1TB of storage but faced installation issues due to insufficient OS and system storage. Despite this, the technical consultant proceeded with the installation. The customer was unable to use the subscription and requested a cancellation. The consultant cancelled the annual plan without any fees. As a goodwill gesture, we have terminated the plan and initiated a refund. A credit of $22.05 will be processed within 5-7 business days using the original payment method.

Adobe Case: ADB-********-T9G3
LASHARMA

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Adobe Systems, Inc. is NOT a BBB Accredited Business.