Istock Reviews 

I am writing this review to warn all users want to user Istock. I need high-quality photos for my wesite.

I found the photos are not really good quality. I did subcription to download the photo for one month.

But Istock did anual for me and there is nothing in communicating with me for that. I am charged every month for that stupid subcription. The price is high and even that I have to pay the other credits to get photos with stars. What is the point?????????????

PLS BE AWARE BEFORE USING ISTOCK.

IT"S A SCAM FOR SUBCRIPTION.

I will write email and call them everyday until they cancel this stupid subcription for me!

Absolutely disgraceful company! They just want to take your money. They make it hard to cancel a subscription, even immediately after trying it. No customer service. They want to lock you in and rip you off. I recommend that you do not touch this company with a barge pole. I was stung!
What company locks you in these days on a contract? Screams desperate for money to me.
Shameful, disgraceful comapany leadership!

Absolute bait and switch company. They post three levels of access matched with prices for all 3 levels. HOWEVER , after you enter a credit card for the chosen level and select a photo within the level , you MUST buy credits to access the one photo. Customer chat is horrible and makes clear there is no cancellation and you're stuck with owing over a thousand dollars . I was a member for less than an hour and cannot cancel. BE WARNED !!!

As a seller, I couldn't access your site. Every time I try to apply, it redirects me to the homepage. Either you're restricting access based on IP addresses and regional restrictions, or there's a problem with your site.

Untrustworthy pricing strategy. Was lured into thinking a certain fee. Spent hours finding the right videos. At the final checkout page, apparently the fee was 12x.

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I had a yearly subscription with iStock and paid about $210 per month, which allowed me to download up to 50 images or videos each month. According to their own policy, unused downloads could accumulate up to 250 in the account.

After about six months I finished the YouTube project I was working on, but I continued paying for the full one-year contract. Later, after the contract ended, I came back to use the downloads that had accumulated in my account.

To my surprise, all of my remaining downloads had been removed and the system asked me to purchase a new subscription to download anything. This is extremely disappointing because I already paid for those downloads during the contract period.

If customers have paid for downloads, they should not simply disappear after the subscription ends. This policy feels very unfair and misleading to customers.

I hope the company changes this policy and treats long-term customers more fairl

I bought 4 of these & they are brilliant! Makes cleaning of the air fryer so much easier. They came vacuum packed & looked like they were crushed beyond use but after a few minutes, they returned to their proper shape, awesome. I'd fully recommend buying from iStock Kitchen, 100%. Kudos to Alexander Martin-Lof, founder of iStock Kitchen.

iStock’s business model is built on one thing only – locking customers into auto-renewals they cannot realistically escape.

Our company hadn’t used iStock for a year. No downloads. No activity. Nothing. Yet the moment the subscription renewed, we were instantly locked into paying another 12 months at €29 per month (€348 total) with absolutely no way to opt out, downgrade, or cancel. We can’t even delete the account.

We contacted customer support immediately and explained the situation. We were even a long-term paying customer back when we actually used the platform. But it didn’t matter.

Yes, we missed turning off auto-renew. But what isn’t acceptable in the modern world is a system that turns one missed checkbox into €348 of forced payments for a product with zero usage.

This is not how modern SaaS works. This is how companies squeeze money out of customers who missed one day to check a box.

Meanwhile, AI tools can now generate custom, unique images in seconds, cheaper, faster, and without predatory contracts. I genuinely hope AI completely wipes out this kind of outdated, customer-hostile business model.

If you value transparency, flexibility, or basic respect as a customer, stay far away from iStock.

I'm blasting these guys everywhere I can. iStock is owned by Getty Images so avoid them as well.

Same as the others, signed up for what I thought was $29USD/month, which was what the offer had on it. Did not see the toggle button up the top. After realising, I disable the renewal and contacted their support team, only to be told I 'opted into' the annual subscription. The way they set out the subscription page is predatory and I wouldn't be surprised if they have done it this way to trick people. They are now taking $32AUD of mine a month and I can't stop them. Other comments mentioned swapping to another card and then cancelling the card, but they have a legal team that they have used to chase down people who do this. They also completely refused to swap my payment method to PayPal, telling me they 'didn't have access to change that' but I reckon they have clued onto people using PayPal to cancel their subscriptions forcefully.

Keeps showing up when I am trying to find royalty free images

Same as everyone else. Their language makes it sound like you’re paying for a month-to-month subscription, but you’re actually paying for an annual subscription on a monthly basis…with no option to cancel. Whereas most companies make clear the annual pricing by simply charging you that cheaper annual price, they confuse matters by making a trial option for the monthly annual subscription. Get it? Neither did I, now I’m stuck paying $360 USD for a service I don’t need.

I hope AI puts them out of business.

DO NOT GET A SUBSCRIPTION WITH THIS COMPANY! Unlike other companies who have great customer service and listen to you, this company is appalling. In the UK we are usually able to end monthly subscriptions with reasonable, customer focussed companies. Opting out of subscriptions should be as easy as opting in. This company does not allow it, even with good reason or even for a fee. Do not be lured by a free trial. I can no longer afford the monthly subscription, no longer have the job I used iStockphoto for, and am paying monthly for something I will no longer use. When I contacted them and asked how I could cancel they replied:

"We clearly state the subscription type at sign-up and checkout before you submit your order directly above the “I Agree” button, allowing you to make an informed decision. I cannot cancel your subscription early, but I can help you upgrade your subscription"

It wasn't clear. It is a subscription trap. The company does not adhere to best business practices and does not have a formal complaints procedure. When in communication via email no name is given and no named person can be dealt with.

This is the worst customer service I've encountered in a long time. I would recommend thinking twice before dealing with this company. Please find alternatives as there are plenty of decent companies out there.

Run! Run! Run!

This company is an absolute joke. The cancellation process is bogus.

Absolutely horrible scam of a website. They trap you into a subscription they won’t let you get out of. STAY AWAY.

Absolutely Evil! Their site is designed to trick people into signing up for a year long commitment of monthly charges for "monthly subscription" - there is a toggle button to switch from "annual commitment" to "month to month" at the top of the page that disappears when you scroll down to see the options. I'm getting hit with $29 charges every month for a year and no ability to cancel.

Same experience as everyone else.You signup to the free trial, they then charge your credit card at the end for almost $90 CAD. I then requested a refund and cancellation. They refused to refund the amount even though I contacted them as soon as the payment was processed. And they also cancelled my subscription!! Instead of telling me I wouldn’t get a refund then I would’ve kept the subscription. They’re absolute thieves.

Please see BBB before you request a free trial. This business is NOT BBB Accredited.

iStock is the most unethical and scammy company I’ve ever dealt with. I’ve used them in the past without issues, but after this experience, I will never use them again. They refuse to correct their own mistakes, hide behind policies, and essentially steal from consumers. Their lack of accountability is shocking, and I strongly advise others to stay away.

absolute scam and predatory. did not cancel even i instructed to , continue to charge me , and saying if i cancel before 12 months, they charge me another $560 for "breaking the contract". Should be illegal that this is advertised as a free trial.