Us Sues Adobe For Allegedly Misleading Consumers With ‘Most Expensive Subscriptions’

The US government filed a lawsuit against Adobe on Monday, alleging that the company, known for its famous Photoshop and Acrobat software, misled consumers by enrolling them in its most expensive subscription plans without adequately disclosing essential terms. In a lawsuit submitted to the federal court in San Jose, California, the government accused Adobe of not properly informing customers about substantial early termination fees, which can amount to hundreds of dollars, when they enroll in “annual, paid monthly” subscription plans, says a report by news agency Reuters.

According to the US Department of Justice (DOJ), when customers try to cancel their subscriptions, the computer software giant forces them to endure a “burdensome and complex” cancellation process that includes navigating through several webpages as well as pop-ups.

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Adobe Surprises Buyers With Early Termination Fee: DOJ

The DOJ added that Adobe then surprises customers with an early termination fee, potentially deterring them from completing the cancellation. The DOJ also mentioned that customers face similar difficulties when trying to cancel their subscriptions by phone or through live chats. According to the complaint, “subscribers have experienced dropped or disconnected calls or chats and have had to repeatedly explain their reason for contacting when they reconnect.”

The lawsuit asserts that these practices violate federal consumer protection laws.

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“During enrollment, Adobe hides material terms of its APM plan in fine print and behind optional textboxes and hyperlinks, providing disclosures that are designed to go unnoticed and that most consumers never see. Adobe then deters cancellations by employing an onerous and complicated cancellation process,” the FTC filing read.

“As part of this convoluted process, Adobe ambushes subscribers with the previously obscured ETF when they attempt to cancel. Through these practices, Adobe has violated federal laws designed to protect consumers.”