Adobe $9.99 offer - High priced renewal?

This is what their terms said:

The price is valid for a full 12 months. After that, we'll renew your contract automatically, at the then-current price of the offering, unless you cancel. The price is subject to change, but we will always notify you beforehand.


Setting this black friday sale aside, the normal price for the package is $49.99. I'm fully expecting to be auto-upgraded from $9.99 to $49.99. Whoo Hoo! (sarcasim!)

So, I figure this is a 1 year trial to play with CS and I'll be canceling and returning to purchased Lightroom when the introductory offer (my words) is up.

I suppose the "then current price" could be $9.99 or $11.99, but I doubt it!

From Scott Kelby's Blog....http://scottkelby.com …-but-only-for-a-few-days/
An interesting read, I thought!

I keep reading comments about the price going up after a year but no one has any evidence that it will. Adobe says they have no plans to do so, but they make no promises. So you'll be paying $9.99/month for a year. Do you really think Adobe will do something drastic to lose their customer base by raising prices to a ridiculous level? This is typical business where volume means money. Losing half their customers if they raise prices won't help them much. If they raise prices a little, like Kelby says, so what? It'll have to be a substantial increase before it really makes a difference. I just don't see them doing that.

M_Six wrote in post #16477282
I keep reading comments about the price going up after a year but no one has any evidence that it will. Adobe says they have no plans to do so, but they make no promises. So you'll be paying $9.99/month for a year. Do you really think Adobe will do something drastic to lose their customer base by raising prices to a ridiculous level? This is typical business where volume means money. Losing half their customers if they raise prices won't help them much. If they raise prices a little, like Kelby says, so what? It'll have to be a substantial increase before it really makes a difference. I just don't see them doing that.

What is crazy to me is the current $9.99 offer. $30 to $50 per month sounds about right for $700 worth of SW. $10 per month sure feels to me like a loss-leader.

Where does Adobe say they have no plans to raise the price? Where do they say this current offer is not a limited-time special price? I'd love to know.

Like I said, I haven't seen any official Adobe message, just stuff like this post where Sean from The Digital Picture spoke with their Adobe rep.

http://community.the-digital-picture.com/showthread​.php?t=7528

Also, Scott Kelby said the same thing on his blog.

Adobe is figuring people who bought their older versions when they came out shelled out big bucks every 4 years or so, so spreading out the costs and pushing out updates online sort of evens things out. Easier for users to afford, easier for Adobe to update, and less piracy.

Hmm...OK...

A month or two ago Adobe released a "Photographers' Bundle", the standard Photoshop editor and Lightroom, for $9.99/month. This was not the same as the "full" Photoshop Suite (with full graphics and video editing) which was priced at $49.99/month.

So, either the OP is mistaken about the "Black Friday" deal, or there is in fact a "deal" lowering the $49.99 price temporarily to $9.99.

Whichever, what's the problem?

Tony, it's the same $9.99 bundle only now you don't need to be an existing owner of CS3 or higher. In fact, you can be a first time buyer and still get this deal until Dec.2nd.

So, it's the pre requisite that's changed is all.

navydoc wrote in post #16477852
Tony, it's the same $9.99 bundle only now you don't need to be an existing owner of CS3 or higher. In fact, you can be a first time buyer and still get this deal until Dec.2nd.

So, it's the pre requisite that's changed is all.

For a short period of time anyway...

OK, either way it sounds good if you want the "latest and greatest" Adobe software.

Otherwise, well, at this point I've been pretty satisfied with CS5 and LR4.x...

tonylong wrote in post #16478061
at this point I've been pretty satisfied with CS5

Me, too. Powerful software.

I couldn't care less about what Kelby says about Adobe probably not raising their prices after 12 months.

Kelby has derived the majority of his lifetime income from adobe / photoshop one way or another, either directly or indirectly. He is closely associated with them. I wouldn't be surprised if he gets a monthly check from them for his unofficial role as Promotional Consultant.

I am fully expecting adobe to whack subscribers upside the head with a sharp increase after their 12 months. It's standard practice among many companies. That's why they're called "promotions." They are intended to attract you and pull you in, in hopes that after a 12 month usage of their product you will continue.

I'll be jumping on the 9.99 deal. If they decide to raise the prices after 12 months, that fine. I'll then play my educations discount card (wife is a school teacher and also have 2 kids in school). There are more than one way to win at this game.

I *HIGHLY* doubt there is *ANYONE* within Adobe that knows what the exact rate will be a year from now. There's probably a select few individuals at a very high level within the organization that have a general idea of whether the intent is to keep the rate as-is, or if they have a general range in mind to increase the rate, such as 10-20%. But knowing the exact rate a year from now? No way.

One thing I can tell you with absolute certainty is anyone you talk to at Adobe - reps you see at expos, customer support individuals, even Kelby - genuinely have absolutely no idea what the rate will be a year from now so it's really pointless to try figure out who knows what because none of them know anything. I work for a very large software company and am familiar with this industry and pricing strategies, and when you're talking about long term pricing strategies at global publicly traded companies, the chances of you personally talking to anyone that truly knows what the price will be a year from now is practically zilch.

My own speculation is I wouldn't be surprised to see it increase anywhere from 0-25%, which equates to an increase of up to $2.50/mo. Going up to $49.99/mo equates to a 500% increase and there's absolutely no chance of that happening, the PR backlash would be very damaging.

tonylong wrote in post #16477721
Hmm...OK...

A month or two ago Adobe released a "Photographers' Bundle", the standard Photoshop editor and Lightroom, for $9.99/month. This was not the same as the "full" Photoshop Suite (with full graphics and video editing) which was priced at $49.99/month.

Oh, I was unaware of a prior $9.99 bundle. Adobe currently does not show this option on their web page leading me to believe the "normal" price was $49.99. In that case then much of my concern evaporates.

CincyTriGuy wrote in post #16480114
I *HIGHLY* doubt there is *ANYONE* within Adobe that knows what the exact rate will be a year from now.

Agreed and that was NOT my original question. The question is whether or not this $9.99 deal is a low cost introductory offer. When it renews at the normal price will it renew at roughly $10 per month, $30 per month, $50 per month? Is $9.99 the normal pricing or some super low introductory offer?

Clearly the $9.99 is the teaser rate. After Dec 31 prices goes up the $19.99 annual or $29.99 month to month for a the single app plan. The question is after Dec 2014 is the price 9.99, 19.99 or 29.99 or ?? Who knows, probably nobody at the moment and Adobe will decide at some point in the future. If Adobe is smart, they would keep the 9.99 to maintain the loyalty base, but who says Adobe is smart.

http://www.adobe.com …hop/buying-guide.edu.html

I'm not jumping on board, but I'm betting if you get in now at the $9.99/mo rate... I doubt it will change for quite some time.