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ShutterstockReviews 533

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Shutterstock Reviews Summary

Shutterstock's reputation is marred by significant customer dissatisfaction primarily due to its subscription model and billing practices. Many users report feeling misled by the terms of their plans, often facing unexpected charges and high cancellation fees, which has led to accusations of deceptive practices. Despite these concerns, some customers appreciate the platform's diverse image selection and filtering capabilities, which enhance user experience. Overall, the feedback highlights a troubling disconnect between customer expectations and the company's service approach, suggesting a need for improved transparency and customer support to regain trust.

This summary is generated by AI, based on text from customer reviews

service
169
value
169
shipping
83
returns
120
quality
145
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New Jersey
1 review
0 helpful votes
Follow Tommie V.
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Beware – Impossible to Cancel, Cost Me Several Hundred Dolllars. They will not quit charging you even after you cancel. Ended up canceling a credit card after paying it off with all of their charges.

Date of experience: July 17, 2025
Austria
1 review
0 helpful votes
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When you invest with this platform, your capital will continue to grow, but withdrawals may be restricted until a specific percentage is reached. To maximize returns, it is advisable to keep adding funds to your investment. Unfortunately, I suffered a loss of all my investments, including profits. Fortunately, BO^RE^(OAK)LT~D was able to assist me in rec0vering all my losses

Date of experience: May 10, 2025
Romania
1 review
0 helpful votes
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Abusive and illegal
April 26, 2025

I was charged twice for the same subscription that I didn't even check. I cannot delete the account or the card.

Date of experience: April 26, 2025
South Africa
1 review
0 helpful votes
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These thieves have placed me into a yearly subscription which I something I never selected and are charging a cancelation fee.

Their support team was also not very helpful in resolving this matter.

Date of experience: March 4, 2025
GB
1 review
1 helpful vote
Follow Zoe W.
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Shuttlestock have a really dodgey subscription service that I fell foul to last year after browsing for images for a banner for a project. I accidently signed up to a whole year which cost me £264 in total and didnt use the service one. Now you could say this is my fault and yes it is for not reading the T&Cs etc however, I did try to cancel and was told that I would have to pay an exit fee which was more that the subscription, so no point in paying that so was left with a expensive cost each month and a very annoyed customer. Avoid this service like the plague unless you will be using their services each month.

Date of experience: January 20, 2025
Tennessee
1 review
0 helpful votes
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Thieves!
June 12, 2024

I made a one time purchase, of two pictures for $29. They signed me up for an auto-renewing monthly subscription because, "that is their policy". When I filed a complaint with Paypal, they refused to refund the second charge until after I reported the problem solved to Paypal. The problem is not solved until after they refund my money, then I will drop the complaint through Paypal. These are thieves.

Date of experience: June 12, 2024
Washington
5 reviews
14 helpful votes
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I uploaded a bunch of photos as a contributor, mistakenly believing it would kinda cool to sell my images that way. Over time, my photos have been purchased 39 times through Shutterstock but I did not receive a single penny. You have to get to $25 to even get paid at all, and for most images, they pay you 25 cents per download. What a joke! They are completely scamming artists and photographers and using our hard work for free. I just deleted all my photos.
If you are considering putting your work on Shutterstock, do yourself a huge favor and DON'T.

Date of experience: May 31, 2024
South Africa
2 reviews
11 helpful votes
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It is that time of year when I usually renew my yearly subscription with Shutterstock. However, today was the last time after 20 years of having an account with them. Shutterstock decided to raise their rate for the 350 images per month plan I typically purchase. I found a coupon online, entered it during check-out, and paid for my subscription with my card. The next minute, I received a "refund request" as if I had requested one, followed by an email from a "Client Partner" stating that I'm not allowed to use coupons on my profile, with no further explanation. Upon enquiring that I should not have been allowed to enter a discount coupon during checkout if it was not an option for my profile, the representative acknowledged it was an error on Shutterstock's part but still refused to honour the rate I paid. Instead, they insisted on refunding me and requiring a bank transfer if I wanted to reactivate my subscription. Shutterstock seems oblivious that AI will severely impact them, as their basic plan, excluding any innovation, is even more expensive than previous years. They employ incompetent individuals who lack foresight and dismiss loyal customers as if they mean nothing. I hope forward-thinking competitors who appreciate their clients and offer fair rates hit them hard.

Date of experience: May 2, 2024
GB
1 review
0 helpful votes
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Scam
March 25, 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

Date of experience: March 25, 2024
Florida
1 review
2 helpful votes
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VILE EVIL CROOKS
March 5, 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.

Date of experience: March 5, 2024
Florida
2 reviews
1 helpful vote
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They are HORRIBLE
February 28, 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!

Date of experience: February 28, 2024
Texas
1 review
1 helpful vote
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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.

Date of experience: February 17, 2024
Colorado
1 review
1 helpful vote
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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.

Date of experience: February 3, 2024
Missouri
4 reviews
8 helpful votes
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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!

Date of experience: February 2, 2024
Nebraska
3 reviews
3 helpful votes
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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.

Date of experience: January 31, 2024
Illinois
1 review
2 helpful votes
Follow Alam E.
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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.

Date of experience: January 23, 2024
Spain
1 review
3 helpful votes
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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!

Date of experience: January 20, 2024
Indonesia
1 review
1 helpful vote
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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"

Date of experience: December 25, 2023
Florida
3 reviews
0 helpful votes
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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.

Date of experience: December 20, 2023
Germany
1 review
1 helpful vote
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Predatory paymen system
November 17, 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.

Date of experience: November 17, 2023

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shutterstock.com
Founded in 2003
New York, NY, United States
+65