ShutterstockReviews 532

As with many other reviewers on here I signed up for their 30days/ 10 free images trial. A few days after I registered I realized this isn't a service I would use and canceled 8 days later. The first month was over and I was charged (I went on and turned off auto pay as they stated). The next month, I was again charged and I called the company. However, when I called Shutterstock and spoke with a representative he hung up on me. Obviously, I called back and requested a manager. Awaiting my "call back".

They sent me an e-mail to tell me that there was "suspicious activity" on my account, and tp click on a link, which would result in yet another link to go and change my password. Four days and about ten or 15 clicks on the link to get the password change link, nothing further has happened. Suspect the "suspicious activity" may have been because I got a new credit card number and didn't give not to them, so they couldn't keep charging me 50 bucks a mon th for essentially nothing. Don't understand how one customer of them gave then a one star ( I personally thing it should rate in the below zero range) but say the were treated fairly. They are a rip off. They don't even have a human customer service number to call. Nor a non-automatic e-mail reply, just automated. For a company with 967 employees (according to Forbes), I wonder what all those people are doing. Counting the money flowing in? One of the most suck $#*! companies on the internet. Along with Pay-Pal.

The images that I had submitted as a contributor were stolen off of my contributor page. I would not recommend becoming a contributor. Your work and effort is not cared for by the individuals that operate the website. The images I submitted probably were taken and added to someone else contributor page is my guess. I was not ever paid for my efforts. I also I have the original images with time stamps and dates.

Like a lot of reviewers here I got locked into an yearly plan without consent, I don't remember signing up to it, and when I caught it 4 months had passed so now to cancel they are charging me $80 plus tax. Greedy unethical, proper daylight robbery. DO NOT USE THIS WEBSITE.

This company has extremely deceptive practices and should be held accountable. They advertise an "annual plan" for "$29" with a 10 image per month limit than charge you "$29" per month for a year and make you go through hell and high water to cancel the subscription. They charge a cancelation fee as if images is service consumers use regularly like a cell phone rather than project based.

I'm guessing somewhere in the fine print, it says the amount will be charged monthly but it's definitely not obvious in the offer itself. The offer implies that you pay $29 per year for 10 pics per month. I ended up paying $185 for about 10-12 images by the time I was allowed to cancel which included 5 monthly payments and a $40 "cancelation fee".

Companies like Shutterstock should be heald responsible for tricking consumers into these nonsensical contracts.

Signed up for a free trial. Later found out that I automatically had been signed up for an annual plan without any notification. To cancel they attempt to change me 60$. Do not even think about entering their website. You have been warned

Good luck with your photos ever being approved. Remember the people reviewing you photo makes money by the photos they review. So if they keep declining then the more money they will make.

I have to keep posting the same photo over and over until I get someone that will approve it.

Stay away.

Over 50 photos and not one approved. Top quality very very nice photos. Not one has been accepted and everyday I resubmit.

What's a joke. If I could shut this scamming $#*! site down I would. I'm also filling out a BBB report right now.

They make it so hard to cancel, it's so annoying. Also you can't get your refund you forget to turn off the automatic payment.

Don't buy, they'll turn a monthly contract into a yearly one and won't let you resign or remove your payment details!

Like many others I was tricked by the free trial small print, subsequent billing and request for further funds as a cancellation charge.

I refused the charges, explained they had the worst reviews I had ever seen online and stated that I would be disputing the charges with my credit card company.

I received a reply an hour later saying the cancellation charges have been dropped and the account cancelled.

I suspect that the threat of involving the credit card provider means a lot of hassle for Shutterstock. Under UK the consumer credit act protects you pretty well.

If this review helps at least one other person then I will be really happy!

Just like everyone else, I wanted to test out the free trial, but I ended up getting charged without knowing. I've been contacting customer support and they literally do not care about giving a refund. They will charge you just to cancel, which is really dumb. Don't get trapped into their scam, especially as a college student. They will just keep taking your money.

There is a reason that this has only 1 star. Avoid at all costs. Got stuck in annual membership even after asking to cancel it. Customer service fought me at every step. Nearly had to change bank credit card numbers just so they could not charge me.

I really should have read the reviews before I decided to have anything to do with this so called company. Seems like everyone that signed up for the "risk-free" one month trial ended up being charged the $29 even after cancelling the subscription. Their customer support is a joke. I was supposedly refunded the $29 but I've never received it. I emailed them a bunch of times and got th same BS replies. Speaking of the quality of their images, some are good but there are definitely a lot of low quality "vector" files out there that you wouldn't know unless you downloaded it. Bottomline here is DO NOT, and I repeat DO NOT use this website EVER. They are scammers!

I took the opportunity to try the one month demo plan. I had one inquiry regarding file formats, which is a simple request for quickly processing a file type to customize an image mockup. The E-Mail support was not helpful and simply ignored my inquiry. The chat support sent me a link to a FAQ, completely uninterested in my request. I don't encourage professional designers using this platform, as costumer care is valued at zero.

Shutterstock is a professional scammer. I subscribed to a plan indicating "Risk-free: Cancel with just a few clicks anytime within the first month and pay nothing.
Keep images: Even if you cancel, you can keep your licensed images.
Save more: Get your first month free, then enjoy an annual subscription for just $29/mo."

I downloaded four images and a couple of days after, I required the cancellation of the plan and refund of the credit card's charge. They cancelled the plan, but they refused to refund. This is against plan's indication "Risk-free: Cancel with just a few clicks anytime within the first month and pay nothing."

Be very careful when subscribing to Shutterstock.

Don't ever go even for the free trial! The yearly subscription starts automatically and it is impossible to cancel it! Their chat box is dis-activated and they don't answer to the phone!

When they answered to my email, they promised to cancel my subscription, but they asked me to pay cancellation fees. I authorized the cancellation fees, just to get this over once and for all, and 20 days later they withdraw a new monthly payment from my bank account!

In my shutterstock I have to apply again for the early cancellation.

They are huge scammers and thieves!

Very disappointed in Shutterstock for turning auto renewal on after my last download, without my consent. There was no email receipt indicating that a transaction had taken place, simply a charge on my card. Auto renewal should never be the default unless requested. I now must wait for a refund after having to pay the unauthorized amount on my card. Even more distressing are the currency fees charged in the process. Still waiting for a manager to get back to me in regards to this complaint.