Photoshop CC Offer Warning

As many of you know, Adobe is offering a special deal through December 31st - Photoshop CC and Lightroom 5 for $9.99 per month. I have received numerous emails from Adobe specifically stating that the $9.99/month price will remain in effect “for as long as you continue your membership.” The clear, plain meaning of those words cannot be denied. However, the TERMS outlined on Adobe’s website states: "After the first 12 months, we will automatically renew your contract based on the current price of the offering.”

According to an Adobe representative the “current price” of the renewal is the price in effect at the time of renewal, not the $9.99 price that is current when you sign up. So the price when they automatically renew you can be any amount they wish. This obviously contradicts the clear terms in the email offer, namely that the $9.99 price applies “for as long as you continue your membership” and therefore, in my opinion, the email offer Adobe sent to me is incredibly misleading.

Even though I don’t particularly need to update my current version of Photoshop I was going to sign up for the $9.99 offer just to lock in the price “for as long as you continue your membership.” Now that Adobe says my renewal after one year will be at the then current price I have no incentive to subscribe now since I don’t need an update now. I can use my current version of Photoshop for another year and sign up then at the then current price. In other words, if you already have a version of Photoshop that’s meeting your needs there’s no reason to take advantage of the $9.99 offer since the price is not assured beyond one year. A year from now, or two years from now, or whenever it is that you do need to update your Photoshop you can sign up then - at the then “current price”.

That's correct, and has been discussed in various sub-forums a number of times. I've heard that they have to put that disclaimer into writing due to legalities, and the fact that the price may someday rise (as does the price of milk and gas). Having said that, I've also read that they have no plan to raise it from the price $9.99 price any time soon... but that doesn't mean that they can't.

Regardless, I'm not a paid photographer and don't subscribe.

I have absolutely no objection to Adobe reserving the right to raise the prices for its products and services. My objection is to the language used in the email solicitations they sent to me, which clearly indicates that the price is $9.99 "for as long as you continue your membership." In my opinion, the plain and simple meaning of those words is clear and would be understood my many people to mean exactly what it says, namely that the $9.99 price is the price for as long as one's membership is continued. So my objection is to Adobe saying this in the email they sent, and then saying something contradictory is the fine print of the "terms" section, which a lot of people don't even bother to read. Here is that language in the email offer I received:

Introducing a special Adobe Creative Cloud plan designed exclusively for photographers. Get the latest versions of Adobe Photoshop CC and Lightroom 5, plus 20GB of cloud storage, Behance ProSite for your own fully customizable professional portfolio, ongoing feature updates*, and more — all for US$9.99/month for as long as you continue your membership†. Valid for Photoshop CS3 and later customers.

† Eligible customers may purchase an Adobe Creative Cloud membership to Photoshop CC™ and Adobe® Photoshop Lightroom 5 bundled together for a reduced price. Offer valid for purchases of an annual plan, which requires a 12-month contract. This offer is only available to customers who own an older version of a Photoshop or Photoshop Extended product, version CS3 or later (CS3.x, CS4, CS5.x, or CS6). This offer is not available to Education, OEM, or volume licensing customers. Offer is valid until December 31, 2013, and can be changed without notice. Void where prohibited or restricted by law.

... so hold on to that email, and bring it up when they try and raise the price

I think you misunderstood the gist of the email.

"As long as you maintain your membership" doesn't mean forever and ever.

It means, during the 12 month subscription, the price won't go up ... as long as you maintain your membership.

If your credit card fails then the price can go up to the standard price ... during your membership .. which is defined as a 12 month subscription.

The email has nothing to do with renewals. Of course the price will go up. It's still a good deal.

"As long as you maintain your membership" - to me this is a very clear statement that implies the price will be held ad-infinitum as long as I were to have a valid and continuous membership.

At the end of the 12 month contract period my subscription will automatically renew - I would see this as an extension as they are unlikely to set me up with a new account number etc.

No doubt they will try to find weasel words to get out of this and up the price but the sales pitch is certainly that the price will remain fixed for ever.

Read it again. It's been misquoted and poorly analyzed. Adobe does not specifically state the "$9.99 price" will be continued as long as your membership does, their terminology is "current price." "Current price" is not specifically defined and as such, can be anything- like the Adobe rep said.

It has been said before and needs to be reminded. Adobe's current pricing can, and probably will change. But only Adobe knows if your memberships will change to $11.99 or $29.99 per month. And if you blindly jump on their cryptic seductive promotional wagon without formulating possible defensive alternatives or an escape plan, you will pay it or you will not use Photoshop.

Picture North Carolina wrote in post #16566264
Read it again. It's been misquoted and poorly analyzed. Adobe does not specifically state the "$9.99 price" will be continued as long as your membership does, their terminology is "current price." "Current price" is not specifically defined and as such, can be anything- like the Adobe rep said.

It has been said before and needs to be reminded. Adobe's current pricing can, and probably will change. But only Adobe knows if your memberships will change to $11.99 or $29.99 per month. And if you blindly jump on their cryptic seductive promotional wagon without formulating possible defensive alternatives or an escape plan, you will pay it or you will not use Photoshop.

You are absolutely WRONG - it has NOT been misquoted. I cut and pasted EXACTLY what Adobe's promotional email to me says:

"Introducing a special Adobe Creative Cloud plan designed exclusively for photographers. Get the latest versions of Adobe Photoshop CC and Lightroom 5, plus 20GB of cloud storage, Behance ProSite for your own fully customizable professional portfolio, ongoing feature updates*, and more — all for US$9.99/month for as long as you continue your membership†. Valid for Photoshop CS3 and later customers."

There is no use of the words "current price" in this statement as you seem to indicate. The meaning of this statement is crystal clear to me and to many, many other people. The plain and clear meaning of the words "all for US$9.99/month for as long as you continue your membership" may not be simple an clear to everyone because sometimes even the simplest and clearest words in the universe are not simple and clear to some people, but they certainly are simple and clear to me and to the vast majority of others who have received these solicitation emails.

StevePhoto wrote in post #16568872
all for US$9.99/month for as long as you continue your membership

I agree with you. I think most people would interpret this sentence to mean that if you sign up now, you lock in a $9.99/month price for as long as you keep your membership active.

If Adobe means something else, then this is (IMO) deliberately misleading.

As for the question of 'Well of course they can raise prices later'. Not necessarily. I've gotten into some deals like this in the past that really do mean what they say on locked in cost. I recall a cell phone contract I signed once that said so long as I opted for a 12 month contract I could renew at the same rate forever and ever amen. Boy did that cell phone company want to get rid of me five years later when I was paying $20/month for a plan that they were by then selling at $85/month to new customers.

I also bought a 'lifetime' oil change option for a minivan for $120 when I bought the van in 2000. That van is still sitting in my garage and I bring it back for my pre-paid oil changes like clockwork. I've gotten 13 years (and counting) of oil changes for $120.

Did you guys miss the little asterisk (looks like a cross) after "as long as you continue your membership"?

It's there in post #8, but he didn't post the fine print.

I wonder what it says?

Why not post the content of the footnote?

I think OP should terminate his subscription now and remove all Adobe products from his computer and never use them again. That surely will teach them a lesson!

ddk632 wrote in post #16568941
Did you guys miss the little asterisk (looks like a cross) after "as long as you continue your membership"?

It's there in post #8, but he didn't post the fine print.

I wonder what it says?

Why not post the content of the footnote?

He did. In post number 3. Its about who is eligible, not about what happens at the end of 12 months.

Does Adobe consider the subscription period to be a year?

After which, you have the option to renew your subscription?

MattPharmD wrote in post #16569133
He did. In post number 3. Its about who is eligible, not about what happens at the end of 12 months.

Haha, that's what I get for being a smartass .. Missed that but my point and argument still stands. It would be great if I am wrong, but I highly doubt this. When I signed up I understood that after 12 months the price will likely go up.

drvnbysound wrote in post #16569435
Does Adobe consider the subscription period to be a year?

After which, you have the option to renew your subscription?

Correct, it's a 12 month subscription and there is no guarantee that the renewal will be at $9.99/mo.

ddk632 wrote in post #16569509
Haha, that's what I get for being a smartass .. Missed that but my point and argument still stands. It would be great if I am wrong, but I highly doubt this. When I signed up I understood that after 12 months the price will likely go up.

Do you really feel that the text of the offer that was sent to the OP does not strongly suggest that buy agreeing to purchase the deal by 12/31 the $9.99/month price will be locked in for as long as you maintain a continuous membership?

I understand that further checking with Adobe indicates this is not the deal, but I have to agree with the OP that the text of the offer states otherwise in plain language. There is not a single indication in the posted text that stipulates some price change after 12 months. It actually specifically says $9.99 for as long as you maintain your membership.

I think it is misleading, end of story. I'm not getting out the pitchforks and torches here, but I hate it when companies try to be successful through trickery and fine print instead of just focusing on product and service.