• Shutterstock

Shutterstock

Overview

Shutterstock has a rating of 1.15 stars from 527 reviews, indicating that most customers are generally dissatisfied with their purchases. Reviewers complaining about Shutterstock most frequently mention customer service, free trial, and credit card problems. Shutterstock ranks 556th among Graphic Design sites.

  • Service
    159
  • Value
    160
  • Shipping
    81
  • Returns
    115
  • Quality
    141

This company does not typically respond to reviews

Positive reviews (last 12 months): 2.3%
Positive
1
Neutral
0
Negative
42
65
See all photos

What reviewers want you to know

Positive highlights

No positive highlights yet

Critical highlights

  • No help and no customer service, just scripted responses.
  • I try to cancel my credit card but they no allow us to simply cancel and must need to contact.
How would you rate Shutterstock?
Top Positive Review

“Shutterstock is Sensational”

Richard P.
5/18/23

I'm a writer and there are many times I need book covers for my ebooks. The artists are very good and often have a wide range of selection including animation. Shutterstock customer care are excellent and when I had a problem they helped me work through my own error, they were on top of things The variety of images are outstanding to say the least. I'm retired now, too bad I didn't work for Shutterstock. Keep up the great work Shutterstock Sincerely Author Rich Patriaco

Top Critical Review

“Billed my credit card when plan was cancelled”

trashton p.
2/2/24

These people are thieves... Shutterstock billed my credit card when my monthly plan was cancelled. Forget their BS chatbot. It is just a way to make you feel as though you have to be satisfied with being robbed. Call their phone number. And DEMAND a refund! They will "Open a case" in your name. Within a few hours they emailed me back stating I would receive a refund in 3-5 business days. Don't be a victim! Call the 866 customer service number NOW!

Reviews (527)

Rating

Timeframe

Other

Reviews that mention popular keywords

customer service (84) credit card (72) cancellation fee (55) auto renewal (83)
Thumbnail of user trashtonp
3 reviews
7 helpful votes
February 2nd, 2024

These people are thieves... Shutterstock billed my credit card when my monthly plan was cancelled. Forget their BS chatbot. It is just a way to make you feel as though you have to be satisfied with being robbed. Call their phone number. And DEMAND a refund! They will "Open a case" in your name. Within a few hours they emailed me back stating I would receive a refund in 3-5 business days. Don't be a victim! Call the 866 customer service number NOW!

Thumbnail of user markn1565
1 review
2 helpful votes
January 20th, 2024

Awful service. They advertise a free trial which you have to pay for if you cancel.
They also charged me twice and it was a hassle to get the money back
AVOID!

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Value
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Thumbnail of user alrando38
1 review
1 helpful vote
February 17th, 2024

First thing's first. THERE IS NO FREE TRIAL. The free trial doesn't allow you to try the service, nor is it free. I started the free trial on Feb 11. I tried to download some of the stock photos and I never received my downloads. Then, they literally charged me $25.11, turned around and tried to charge me a $40 cancellation fee. I also noticed in the reviews, everyone's numbers were different. That's a little suspect, but whatever. If they got you, call them immediately to cancel. Maybe you will get lucky and have a nice phone operator like me. It's not worth the stress though.

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Thumbnail of user steinbrennertimon
1 review
1 helpful vote
November 17th, 2023

Shutterstock forces you into an entire year of paying 36 Euros a month no matter how many pictures you need. When you try to cancel your plan you have to wait for a mail with a link and if you do not pay another months fee within three days your plan will continue.
This means for one simple graphic you will have to pay a minimum of 2 times 36 Euros. Shutterstock is disgustingly abusing their position if they are the only license holder to employ an unethical, inhonest payment strategy.
Do not support this business, please.

Thumbnail of user alamexki27
1 review
1 helpful vote
January 23rd, 2024

I used Shutter stock only once for one picture and got tricked into paying $30 a month and to cancel, I have to pay an extra 30. Every month I see my bank go negative for a service I don't use. The company steals and somehow is getting away with it.

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Thumbnail of user anetteb10
1 review
0 helpful votes
February 3rd, 2024

The Shutterstcok company has an automatic renewal system without warning that the payment will be debited from the account, and without confirmation of payment. So for someone like me who isn't as diligent about looking at their credit card statements, it's an ideal situation for them to take money from someone who isn't using their service. I haven't uploaded any images in 5 years and they won't refund me. Other large companies send renewal notices and payment confirmations. It is unacceptable. I see many of us have had a bad experience with Shutterstock. To be banned.

Thumbnail of user cynthiaw1293
2 reviews
1 helpful vote
February 28th, 2024

Horrible to work with and when you cancel due to bad service they charge you $40 to cancel! Sounds mobisj that I have to pay them to go away!

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Value
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Thumbnail of user endyfoniaty
1 review
1 helpful vote
December 25th, 2023

I got charged $36 for fist month, and i got charged again for cancellation fee. I just wanted to try this service for the first month to see if i like this service. Turns out i got ripped off.
I contacted customer service and this is what i get:
" Thank you for holding. I really appreciate your patience. I was checking your account and I could find that you have 2 recent payments. Correct, but since this was an annual plan and you would not be completing the 12 months commitment we would need to complete a price adjustment"

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Thumbnail of user benjaminj180
2 reviews
26 helpful votes
February 27th, 2022
Verified purchase

I signed up for the free trial to test out the service and was then automatically enrolled in an annual plan. There is no way to cancel either, you just have to call during a work day and beg them to stop stealing your money. This is called theft by deception, plain and simple.

The cancel message is not even grammatically correct:
"Cancellation of an annual plan early may incur an plan price adjustment."

Do not use this company.

Tip for consumers:
Go somewhere else.

Products used:
I downloaded a couple of images to test the product out. I was not happy with the quality so I moved on.

Service
Value
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Quality
Thumbnail of user maidiaskari32
1 review
0 helpful votes
March 25th, 2024

They are scam. They keep taking money for years and i cant cancel. I tried cancelling a few times but somehow they keep taking money

Thumbnail of user rawlinj
1 review
0 helpful votes
March 5th, 2024

The level of slime and scam is off the charts with Shutterstock. The way the ad read, I believed I was paying $29 for unlimited downloads for a year so I paid. Then went to download an image and found out many images, the good one, you have to "upgrade" to get. I went to cancel, and then found out it wasn't $29 for the year, which the ad clearly said, it was $29 a month, AND for $29 a month, you can only download 10 images a month AND many of those images you still have to upgrade. When I went to cancel, at the very last page, I found out there is a $40 cancellation fee or they charge you $29 a month for year when you can only acess half the images. I tried to just delete my card to get around these vile, slimy crooks but they even have it set to where you can't delete your card. So I had to either pay another $40, or be charged $29 a month, no way around it. They deserve to go out of business: do not use Shutterstock, vile slimy crooks.

Thumbnail of user rhettj9
1 review
1 helpful vote
October 29th, 2023
Verified purchase

So, I think their website is doing some unnecessary tracking or other security because both my linux computers wont allow the downloads, usually that means there is some security compromise on the site. Customer care are useless and now not responding to provide any workable solution.
Be wary of this site

Tip for consumers:
i would not go near this site, have lost $AUD700+ for nothing

Products used:
photo package

Service
Value
Shipping
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Thumbnail of user laurae636
3 reviews
0 helpful votes
December 20th, 2023

After being a client for 6 years, I came across a vectored download that would not break apart in Coreldraw or Photoshop. I contacted customer service requesting one credit back because it would not work. Easy enough?
Nope!
I had to prove to the girl I could not break it apart via several screenshots. A waste of my time. She then replied it workis in Illustrator, which I do not have. But I have another department that does. Sent it over and only a portion would break apart. I'm over this comapny! Terrible customer service. They seem to think they are the only image company out there! Customer Loyalty means nothing to these people.

Products used:
an unusable vector image

Thumbnail of user jaroslaw.k
1 review
1 helpful vote
November 4th, 2023

I signed up for a trial period months ago and forgot to cancel as i have not used it. When i tried cancelling my account, they charged me $80 to do so, My other option is to wait it out what a rip-off. When i tried telling them fine give me credit for the months i have not used it they said no it's month to month. So I'm paying for nothing. I will never support shurrter stock again just a shiety company.

Products used:
there service

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Thumbnail of user kirkw10
3 reviews
3 helpful votes
January 31st, 2024

Beware! If you sign up for an annual plan you get screwed if you want to cancel early. $40 cancellation fee for them to flick a switch. Check out other photo/video sites before giving a dime to Shutterstock. Pexels is really good.

Value
Thumbnail of user mariusalinc1
1 review
28 helpful votes
June 4th, 2021
Verified purchase

Plainly theft. They trick people into believing that's 34.51 euro per year when they actually bill this amount monthly. And then ABSOLUTELY no way to contact support - always something went wrong, the chat gets stuck or nobody answer the phone number. I want to cancel my plan but I can't. Also they somehow managed to obtain the details and charge my new card which I didn't inserted on their site without my consent. It s#cks!

Tip for consumers:
stay away from shutterstock!!

Products used:
vector images & other

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Value
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Thumbnail of user sandrac2888
1 review
3 helpful votes
September 25th, 2023
Verified purchase

If you let your free trial lapse you have to pay for 12 months and there are no cancellations allowed, unless you pay a fee which is just as much as the remaining payments. Then even if you cancel they can still take out money. I approached them multiple times about cancelling and they still took money out of my account after they had confirmed my subscription had ended. They also then refused to refund as they don't have a refund policy. It cost me over $400 because I accidentally let my trial lapse and had to pay for 12 months. Unless you're using it all the time it's absolute daylight robbery and I would not recommend.

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Thumbnail of user peterq401
1 review
2 helpful votes
October 4th, 2023
Verified purchase

I fell into the shutterstock subscription trap when I tried to unsubscribe from my trial, which is like a 3 step process and then, to cancel, costs $40 IN ADDITION to the $29 they already charged me. Don't do it!

Thumbnail of user johnb12136
1 review
2 helpful votes
December 6th, 2023

Bunch of thieving bastards.
Bunch of thieving bastards.
Bunch of thieving bastards.
Bunch of thieving bastards.
Bunch of thieving bastards.

Tip for consumers:
Bunch of thieving bastards.

Products used:
None.

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Value
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Thumbnail of user nical2
1 review
2 helpful votes
November 24th, 2020

They locked me out of the website so IF I was trying to cancel I cannot. I used 2 of the 10 free images. They took 3 payments for a service I haven't used since early September was able to view the cancellation but told me pay pay for a annual account I know I didn't agree to. Then I felt myself being unreasonable and I excused my self and they called me back are you friggin serious...

Thumbnail of user scottnuthouse
1 review
3 helpful votes
July 20th, 2023
Verified purchase

I tried to find details of the payment plan under the 'details' section but it just takes you to a generic page with no specific information. I was in a hurry (my bad) and signed up for the monthly annual plan. After 3 months I realized it wasn't what I wanted and tried to cancel and they are saying they will charge over 400 dollars to cancel. Other sides offered pleasant other solutions. Not these guys...

Thumbnail of user thomasm1854
2 reviews
1 helpful vote
September 16th, 2020

Stay clear of this company. I ordered several pictures, and then I find out that I'm on a one year plan that I didn't sign up for. I tried to cancel the plan, and there is a high cancellation fee. And, when you call them to cancel, they are very difficult to reach. I would never use their services again, and neither should you!

Thumbnail of user leahl213
1 review
10 helpful votes
July 23rd, 2022

I am forced to put 1 rating there because the review will not be accepted. But it should be 0 rating for this one. Why?

I was very surprised to see on my billing that they have been collecting 11 months that long without me noticing any. I am not sure if they would even return the money. As far as i remember i have deleted my subscription with them a long time ago and I never thought they would keep on charging me like that. What a scam! Now i tried to delete my payment info, it would require their approval. This is so stupid!

Thumbnail of user samanthab1165
1 review
5 helpful votes
April 17th, 2023

Auto renewed a subscription I didn't authorise. No email notification to tell me a renew date was coming up, to at least give me an option to opt out. Was brushed off via their online chat saying they'd get back to me with a resolution in the next 48 hours... crickets. Am now taking it up with Paypal to hopefully retrieve my stolen funds. Went to log into my account to download the files PayPal requested and apparently my account's been "suspended for security reasons". So dodgy! I keep all my receipts backed up so the journey continues, but WTF! From reading the below reviews, this is their common practice and they need to be shut down.

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Thumbnail of user marks238
3 reviews
13 helpful votes
April 23rd, 2023

Honestly just avoid this site if at all possible. The lock-in triggers immediately after your 'free trial' ends. Cancellation is made as tedious as possible and you have to then pay to cancel because of the 'value' you have received on their 'discount' plan. Basically they are thieves with graphics.

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Company Representative

Thumbnail of user sarar802
Sara R.
Typically does not respond to reviews

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