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Business Profile

Digital Media

Shutterstock, Inc.

This business is NOT BBB Accredited.

Find BBB Accredited Businesses in Digital Media.

Complaints

Customer Complaints Summary

  • 142 total complaints in the last 3 years.
  • 45 complaints closed in the last 12 months.

If you've experienced an issue

Submit a Complaint

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.

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Complaint status

Complaint type

  • Initial Complaint

    Date:12/24/2022

    Type:Product Issues
    Status:
    Resolved
    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.
    In July of 2022 I cancelled my flex membership with Shutterstock @ $51.32 per month. I discovered in November that they were still charging me. I reached out to them on 12/9 asking that I be reimbursed and that they completely cancel my subscription l. They emailed me on 12/9 telling me they would cancel my account immediately and process a refund within 10 days which I never received. Today pn 12/24 I was charged $31.32 which I put a stop payment on through my bank. I reached out AGAIN telling them this was supposed to be cancelled and I got know response. I want to be reimbursed in total $288

    Customer Answer

    Date: 01/02/2023

    Better Business Bureau:

    I have been reimbursed in full. 

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



     

  • Initial Complaint

    Date:12/13/2022

    Type:Product Issues
    Status:
    Resolved
    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 a free trial (actually it is a free month on an annual plan, which demonstrates a truth in advertising problem) on November 10, 2022. Cancelled online within two weeks of signing up, as this did not fit my business needs. Also, made sure auto-renew was not on. Bank debit from Shutterstock on December 10, 2022. I seek a refund of the ***** charge as well as a no penalty cancellation of my account. Shutterstock should be well aware of truth in advertising as well as the fine print rule in law. As a web designer, I can tell you the ** is meant to be confusing so as to discourage (or make impossible) cancellations.There was no notice of impending charge or activation of subscription, so this was an unauthorized purchase.

    Customer Answer

    Date: 12/13/2022

    Better Business Bureau:

    I have reviewed the complaint ID ******** email, and am giving notice to BBB that the complaint has been resolved with the  (Shutterstock) company to my satisfaction in the form of subscription cancellation and refund of charge on Monday, 12/13/22. I find that this resolution is satisfactory to me and the matter has been resolved.

    Sincerely,

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



     

  • Initial Complaint

    Date:11/21/2022

    Type:Product Issues
    Status:
    Answered
    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 bought some images from them a year ago and they changed there policies to some kind of yearly subscription and added me to it and charged me ***** on my paypal account and i filed a complaint with paypal and shutterstock and they said they would refund but haven't and locked me out of my account with them...they are qa total scam.

    Business Response

    Date: 11/24/2022

    Thank you for contacting us.

    We have reviewed the correspondence in our system and we can confirm that your request has been handled by our support team.

    If you have any further questions, please let us know. 

    Customer Answer

    Date: 12/08/2022

    Better Business Bureau:

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

    when are they supposed to refund the money?....they have been saying they would do it for weeks and yet they have not done it til this day and I guess they win no matter what....

    disappointed consumer
    *************************** 

     

     

     

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


    Sincerely,

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




     

    Customer Answer

    Date: 12/27/2022

    Better Business Bureau:

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

    They have yet to refund my money....when they send you proof of that I will change my mind....I think they have stolen my money at this point and it will never be recovered.

    Have a great day and unless you have proof they sent me some money don't send me anymore messages.

    Thanks

    ******

     

     

     

     

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


    Sincerely,

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




     

    Business Response

    Date: 01/04/2023

    Thank you for following up with us.

    We can confirm that your request has been handled by our support team. 

  • Initial Complaint

    Date:11/21/2022

    Type:Service or Repair Issues
    Status:
    Answered
    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 have been charged over 12 times each month $29 for a subscription that I canceled. I have $360 charged on a credit card. I have already contacted my bank to notify them of these charges and that they are not permitted. This is not how you conducted business.

    Business Response

    Date: 11/22/2022

    Thank you for reaching out to us.

    We have reviewed the correspondence in our system and we can confirm that your request has been handled by our support team.

    If you have any further questions, please let us know. 

  • Initial Complaint

    Date:11/18/2022

    Type:Service or Repair Issues
    Status:
    Answered
    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.
    Hello. On Nov. 12 2022 Shutterstock charged my PayPal account $29.99 for a subscription. I had done a free trial, a while back, but had canceled within days. I thought this was the issue. However when I logged into my account, it shows no active plans, no purchase history, and no access to anything that they claimed I purchased. I filed a dispute with PayPal immediately. Then with Shutterstock. Shutterstock asked me to close the dispute with PayPal to receive my refund. I did. I have provided as much evidence as possible to them about PayPal closing the case. Shutterstock is insisting it is open. PayPal is insisting it is closed and explained to me Shutterstock needs to contact them. Shutterstock refuses to contact them, and refuses to issue my refund until PayPal closes the dispute. I am getting no where. I can provide proof that customer supports keeps telling me the same thing, as well as screenshots showing it was their mistake: no active plans or purchase history on my account.

    Business Response

    Date: 11/22/2022

    Thank you for reaching out to us.

    After reviewing the correspondence in our system, we can confirm that your request has been handled by our support team.

    If you have any further questions, please let us know.

  • Initial Complaint

    Date:11/17/2022

    Type:Billing Issues
    Status:
    Answered
    Resolved:
    The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
    Unresolved:
    The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
    Answered:
    The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
    Unanswered:
    The business failed to respond to the dispute.
    Unpursuable:
    BBB is unable to locate the business.
    Shutterstock offers a free trial and then proceeds to charge $29/ month without giving any written notice that charges are going to start occurring.Date of charge: 11/14/2022 Total Amount: $30.74

    Business Response

    Date: 11/22/2022

    Thank you for contacting us.

    We have reviewed the correspondence in our system and we can confirm that your request has been handled.

    If you have any further questions, please let us know. 

  • Initial Complaint

    Date:11/16/2022

    Type:Product Issues
    Status:
    Answered
    Resolved:
    The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
    Unresolved:
    The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
    Answered:
    The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
    Unanswered:
    The business failed to respond to the dispute.
    Unpursuable:
    BBB is unable to locate the business.
    My identity was stolen and my credit card number was used to incur monthly charges for ***** since June. Ive notified the company, filled a police report and asked Shutterstock to stop charging me and refund my money. Yet, they have not complied

    Business Response

    Date: 11/21/2022

    Thank you for contacting us.

    We have reviewed the correspondence in the system and we can confirm that your request has been handled by our support team.

    If you have any further questions, please let us know. 

  • Initial Complaint

    Date:11/07/2022

    Type:Product Issues
    Status:
    Resolved
    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 Trial. I was unsatisfied with the service so immediately attempted to cancel it. Instead of following the terms of agreement outlined on their website regarding Free Trials, Shutterstock attempted to extort additional money from me to cancel the service, and advised if I do not pay them more money they will issue reoccurring charges. I provided them with the promo code used for the free trial along with browser history screenshot clearly showing the that Free Trial page of their website was access them immediately followed by checkout. They still refused to cancel the subscription and provide a refund, so I submitted a claim with PayPal. They said if I didn't close the PayPal claim any "possible refund" would be impossible. This is clearly an attempt to maintain good standing with the financial institution, as PayPal advised NOT closing a case until a refund is issued because the case cannot be reopened later.Terms of Free Trial per website: ********************************************************************************************* Does Shutterstock have a Free Trial? "Sign up here to start your risk-free one-month trial on a 10 images per month annual subscription or go to the pricing page, select 10 images per month annual plan and enter the code PICK10FREE at checkout. If you love it, then your subscription will automatically renew and you will be billed for your next month just a few days before the end of your free trial period. f you find that this subscription is not the right fit for you, just go to the Plans page in your account and click "Cancel plan early" before the free trial period ends."

    Business Response

    Date: 11/14/2022

    Thank you for contacting us.

    We have reviewed the correspondence in our system and we can confirm that your request has been handled by our support team.

    If you have any further questions, please let us know. 

    Customer Answer

    Date: 11/20/2022

    Better Business Bureau:

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

    Shutterstock representatives stated they would issue a refund, none has been provided.

     

     

     

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


    Sincerely,

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




     

    Business Response

    Date: 11/24/2022

    Thank you for getting back to us.

    After reviewing the correspondence in our system, we can confirm that your request as been handled. 

    Customer Answer

    Date: 11/29/2022

    Better Business Bureau:

    I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me and the matter has been resolved.

    Sincerely,

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



     

  • Initial Complaint

    Date:11/03/2022

    Type:Sales and Advertising Issues
    Status:
    Resolved
    Resolved:
    The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
    Unresolved:
    The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
    Answered:
    The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
    Unanswered:
    The business failed to respond to the dispute.
    Unpursuable:
    BBB is unable to locate the business.
    Shutterstock offers a free trial and then proceeds to charge $29/ month without giving any written notice that charges are going to start occurring. They have charged me $330 without my knowledge or having used the service at all and refuse to remedy the situation. This is consumer fraud to label a subscription as a "free trial". "Free trial" indicates that I will be notified when the charges start occurring.

    Business Response

    Date: 11/09/2022

    Thank you for contacting us.

    After reviewing the correspondence in our system, we can confirm that your request has been handled by our support team.

    If you have any further questions, please let us know. 

    Customer Answer

    Date: 11/14/2022

    Better Business Bureau:

    I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me and the matter has been resolved.

    Sincerely,

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



     

  • Initial Complaint

    Date:11/03/2022

    Type:Billing Issues
    Status:
    Answered
    Resolved:
    The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
    Unresolved:
    The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
    Answered:
    The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
    Unanswered:
    The business failed to respond to the dispute.
    Unpursuable:
    BBB is unable to locate the business.
    Shutterstock has been charging my account for over 28 months. The commitment was to get 10 downloads per month for the $29. However, being that I don't use them much, I asked to cancel. They now want to charge a cancellation fee and in addition state that I have "LOST" all the 10 downloads that I was purchasing with my monthly payment. In other words, I was being charged but my downloads weren't being saved in my account for me to use when I need them. Being that I only need them occasionally, I was thinking they'd be in my account adding up. However, I was told that I had lost them. Now that i'm trying to cancel, they want to charge me a cancellation fee. This company has ripped me off as I can't go back and get my 10 downloads per month but yet, they've been charging me non-fail every single month. So, I've been paying for NOTHING.

    Business Response

    Date: 11/09/2022

    Thank you for reaching out to us.

    We have reviewed the correspondence in our system and we can confirm that your request has been handled.

    If you have any further questions, please let us know. 

Shutterstock, Inc. is NOT a BBB Accredited Business.

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