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Complaint Details
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Initial Complaint
04/08/2024
- Complaint Type:
- Product Issues
- Status:
- Answered
I had a free trial and cancelled but they continued to charge me $25/month.I would like a refund for as many months that are allowed by law. They know this account has not been used. Their free trial is not what it appears.Business response
04/09/2024
This customer did not turn off the renewal.
We have issued 6 months refunds. This is as far as we can go back on refunds and well over the ***************** our refund policy.
Initial Complaint
01/24/2024
- Complaint Type:
- Service or Repair Issues
- Status:
- Answered
After making purchases for over a decade, Dreamstime started charging and collecting money from me without my knowledge, without me making a purchase, without disclosure and in a most unethical and disgraceful manner. I just discovered Dreamstime has been collecting a $0.99 monthly fee from me for a made up, bogus service to which I never purchased, subscribed to or signed up for. Dreamstime has done this at least seven times and is to immediately refund me and is to immediately cease and desist from robbing me of this small amount each month.Business response
01/24/2024
This customer has already contacted us and has been refunded for the charges mentioned.
This is not a bogus charge. This is an ************-downloads plan that you agreed to back in July 2023.
The images you purchase on our site can be re-downloaded for free within 7 days of purchase. After that, you must have the re-download plan to download images again. This plan is $0.99 per month.
Customer response
01/31/2024
Complaint: 21193414
I am rejecting this response because I never signed up for the "re-download" plan, as falsely claimed.
Sincerely,
*******************Business response
01/31/2024
This customer has already been refunded for ALL the charges for the re-download plan he signed up for. This case should be closedInitial Complaint
11/03/2023
- Complaint Type:
- Sales and Advertising Issues
- Status:
- Answered
I tried their service and had a difficult time. I had tried several times and it is possible that more than one account set up. I am unsure. I canceled the account and was charged anyway for a second account. I canceled the service and their system did not accept the changes and they refuse to refund the money even though they can see I did not use their service. I am going to make it a point to let everyone know that they have deceitful business practice.Business response
11/03/2023
This customer has already been assisted by phone when she called today.
The subscription was not cancelled by the customer, but instead she did a chargeback at her bank.
The charge is still involved in the chargeback process at the bank.
She has been instructed to contact us after the chargeback process completes.
Initial Complaint
10/09/2023
- Complaint Type:
- Service or Repair Issues
- Status:
- Answered
On July 2, 2023, I started my subscription with Dreamstime. I relied on their expressed policy terms: If there are unused downloads, your subscription will transfer them to the next subscription as long as renewal option is ON. Absolutely no where during this initial sign-up stage did Dreamstime represent itself to have a policy stating that its customers would not have access to unused downloads after the end of any subscriptions. Rather, Dreamstime expressed policy above, stops short of any claims whatsoever. Their policy concerns only the "transfer" or rollover of any unused downloads. Their policy does not state at all that access to unused downloads effectively end upon the end of any subscriptions.Absent any such notification, I was led to believe I would still be able to use unused downloads after my subscription ended. Upon ending my subscription, I was allegedly notified that "unused downloads are transferred to your new subscription, until canceled." Their policy simply states that any unused downloads will rollover until my subscription is no longer renewed. As this policy is written, it does not say that I would lose access to unused downloads after canceling my subscription. However, this is exactly what happened to me. I would like a refund from Dreamstime.Business response
10/17/2023
My records indicate you have already been issued two refunds for unused subscriptions.
Also, the terms do state the rollovers only remain as long as the renewal is left ON
Initial Complaint
06/14/2023
- Complaint Type:
- Product Issues
- Status:
- Answered
On 6/13/2023, I set up an account on ******************** to purchase an image for a project Im working on. The only option they provided was a subscription, one of which was for a 1 week free with a $25/month renewal on 6/20. I entered my credit card information and got the photo I was originally looking to buy. When I went to cancel my renewal, the site required me to enter my password, which I did, but the site wouldnt recognize it. I used the prompts to reset my password but never received any emails to reset it. I immediately messaged the site requesting assistance but it was outside the working hours. After researching the site I learned that several other customers had the same experience with no resolution. I have now locked my credit card and will be contesting any charges from this company should they attempt to bill me for a renewal of this subscription. But this is unacceptably deceptive business practice and has cost me over an hour of my time and great inconvenience. I am seeking Dreamtimes to confirm the cancellation of my renewal and the removal of my personal and financial information from their database. And I want them to cease and desist on their deceptive practices of luring customers into setting up subscriptions then fraudulently preventing them from canceling their subscriptions.Business response
06/14/2023
This customer's subscription was cancelled immediately when they contacted us about having trouble.
admin set auto-renew OFF (2023-06-14 08:41:20)
We also removed the card on file at that time.
We have many many people cancel the subscription each day on their own with no trouble at all
Initial Complaint
06/06/2023
- Complaint Type:
- Product Issues
- Status:
- Answered
I Joined the free trial to see what dreamstime had for stock. I use a lot of vector images for personal reasons (ie journalling, cards, gifts, etc). I joined for the free trial. I found three images, MAYBE, that i liked and downloaded them. After hours of browsing nothing else was good so i decided to cancel. When I go to cancel, it asks for my password. I put in my password and it tells me it is wrong. So i put it in again and it tells me it is wrong. I asked to change it and it never sends me the email to change it. I believe this business has set up a free trial in order to trap you into not being able to remove your card.Business response
06/06/2023
Our records indicate that this customer already cancelled the trial on their account the same day it was started:
user set auto-renew OFF *********************
Initial Complaint
05/08/2023
- Complaint Type:
- Product Issues
- Status:
- Answered
I bought a monthly subscription from Dreamstime last year to use stock photos for my non-commercial religious blog. 15 images a month, I thought it was a good deal.When I saw that the volume of images I was building up was so high compared to the 3 to 5 graphics I'd use for the blog, I decided the subscription was not worth it and that I'd like to cancel.They needed a password to get to the payment plan page, it worked once to get there, and afterwards it didn't work, I changed my password, then it kept telling me it was incorrect when I had just changed it.Fast forward to now, this business has been illegally deducting $25 USD per month from me when I no longer desire their services.No matter how many times I try to change my password, it tells me it is incorrect.There's no way to access the payment plan page without password.I canceled my debit card over these subscriptions, cut it up, got a new debit card number, and now today they've found out my new details and started charging me $25/month, and now im overdrafted on my bank account!$25 a month from my check for stock photos that have built up to over 40 images that I know I wouldn't use that quickly?No thank you.Now I know I'm not safe unless I go over the company's head, because there's no clear way to contact them, there's no way to get to the payment plan page except for a password, and from when I was on that page, there is no way to certainly cancel it, only change payment details.I need this to stop.I have goals I am working towards in life.I'm trying to save up money and attend college and move out eventually and this $25 is something I want in my account.I have no idea how they found my new debit card details, that is fraud.I'm not even sure if they have a physical address that I could go to get a refund, but it's not worth the trip.Stop fraudulently collecting credit and debit card details for users and deducting $ monthly forever!Give me a refund and delete my account.Business response
05/08/2023
our contact details are clearly listed on the site here:
******************************************
You can call or email us directly any time you are having trouble with your account.
I now have that subscription cancelled for you, removed the card on file and refunded this $25 charge.
Initial Complaint
04/13/2023
- Complaint Type:
- Product Issues
- Status:
- Resolved
Email: ************************* I was offered free trial and i took their free trial but at the very next movement they said upgrade again. and without letting me know they charged me 82 and 4dhs which is unethical. When I tried to ask for refund they didn't give refund option it likes it's a scam. Please refund me. I don't want to use your service. without informing me you charged card.Business response
04/13/2023
My records indicate that we have already refunded this customer earlier today when they contacted us directly by email. So, this issue should be considered resolved already.Customer response
04/14/2023
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
01/19/2023
- Complaint Type:
- Billing Issues
- Status:
- Answered
In October of last year, I purchased a plan for $****** which allowed me a certain number of images to ************ did so and I never signed up for auto renewal. When I finally realized that I was being charged, I reached out again on 1-17-23 & asked to have my card refunded because I did not select auto renewal. Dreamstime stated that I have to go in my account & search for the option to de-select my auto renewal in order for it to no longer be charged continuously. I told the agent that I already stated in November that I did not want auto renewal, only my select images & reiterated this on 1-17-23. At first, this agent told me on 1-17-23 that he & no one at Dreamstime can access accounts to add or remove auto renewal & that "it was my fault," not theirs that auto renewal was perpetuating. However, moments later during the same phone call, my auto renewal was cancelled by another agent. Therefore when I spoke about this with Dreamstime in November and again in January, my auto renewal should have already been cancelled. This agent gave me conflicting information & when I asked to speak with the owner or manager, he said his manager could not be reached, was not there, had no extension, had no voicemail and he couldn't leave her a note, but I could leave her a message in a general mailbox. I purchased several images & am being told that I should have downloaded all of them within 1 month otherwise I will continue to be charged. I downloaded 25 images & accidently downloaded another 2. When I discovered this, I gladly offered they could remove 2 from my account so I will just keep the 25 I already paid $****** for. I never even used the service during the stagnant months or the total downloading of images but was I charged ****** monthly X 3 none the less. I ask the ******** be refunded. I have reached out to the business in both November & in January to cancel & I have left a message for the "Owner" to call me.Business response
01/19/2023
I have already spoke on the phone with this customer and resolved this issue.
He had placed chargebacks at his bank for the charges. He agreed to remove those for a refund.
Initial Complaint
01/03/2023
- Complaint Type:
- Order Issues
- Status:
- Answered
Dreamtime stock photo services are operating without regard for the law. After signing up for the free trial and being told I would need to upgrade my account further to use the service. I decided to cancel my free trial just minutes after opening an account. But Dreamtime already has a scam in place that does not allow you to cancel your account or free trial. This is because to cancel your account or free trial; you need to input your Dreamtime account password. The problem with this is that inputting your account password tells you the password is incorrect. To verify this is a scam, I signed out of my Dreamtime account several times and logged back in using the same password. When I attempt to use this password to cancel my account, I'm told it's incorrect. Quite obviously a scam that the owners of this fraudulent website are perpetuating. I would like my account closed and my personal information removed before Dreamtime can do any further harm. I have called the listed ************** customer service number, and no one ever answers, with a recording that does not let you leave a message. I have also attempted to email customer support with no response.Business response
01/03/2023
This is not a scam. This customer was already able to cancel his/her subscription from the account:
user set auto-renew OFF *********************
We have also removed the card on file for them.
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Customer Complaints Summary
31 total complaints in the last 3 years.
9 complaints closed in the last 12 months.