Istockphoto Reviews 

While using iStock, I encountered several issues that left me dissatisfied with their service. After canceling my subscription, I was unexpectedly charged, and when I reached out to request a refund, my request was denied. Additionally, I found that some of the files on their platform were marketed in a way that did not accurately represent their content, which was misleading. Based on these experiences, I cannot recommend iStock to others and would encourage prospective users to carefully review their terms and practices before committing to any service with iStock.

"I see you downloaded content within your trial but did not cancel within the trial month. I canceled your subscription as requested, and your access to any remaining downloads has expired. Any fees that have already been billed are non-refundable as part of our refund policy listed here. This is a firm policy. "

I recently attempted to cancel my subscription with iStock, and I must say, the process was incredibly cumbersome and disappointing. Despite their Free Trial offer, which turns into an annual subscription after the first month, they make it almost impossible to cancel. The website is poorly designed, and even deleting my credit card information wasn't allowed. It's clear to me now that this service isn't user-friendly, and I will not be using iStock again. I hope this review helps others avoid the same frustration and unnecessary charges I experienced.

Scam company, I requested refund and no answer.
Their goal is to take all your money.

there straight up fruad, they even charge a $70 cancelation fee that is not metioned any where, i would highly advise not to go them

Cancelled my free trial subscription but never got an email confirmation.

Found a charge on my account for $100.

Found my subscription wasn't cancelled and contacted iStock immediately 1 day after charge.

Was told that refund cannot be made, and they cancelled my subscription, losing the credits I had paid for, claiming that it was an "admin fee".

Joke of a company

Predatory subscription service. Oh, and you can't unsubscribe from their email updates so you have to block their e-mail address to stop getting emails from them.

Disgusting, unethical, a scam- avoid at all costs… otherwise it will cost you. The cancellation process is deliberately difficult, you get hit with a $70USD cancellation fee (for nothing) and communication is absent.

We tried istock and downloaded one image in December 2024. In order to try istock you have to agree to a future subscription after the 1month trial. come Jan 2025, we noticed a $75 charge on our account. I called and advised the rep we did not want to continue the subscription and had not downloaded anything more than one photo during the trial period. The rep said there are no refunds and there is a $70 cancellation fee for leaving. He advised the cancellation fee is in the terms and conditions (check this box with countless legal disclaimers). My fault for not reading the lawyer speak before trying this service....your fault if you use them after reading this. Sadly, we may have used them in the future for our next project but not with this kind of billing scheme.

The customer service team deleted my account without asking, and I’m not allowed to use the 230 euros I paid. They charged me without notifying me by email and refused to refund me. When I read the comments below, I feel lucky because I didn’t have to pay any “administration fees” for this cancellation.

Complete scam artists, they charge you after a free trial and even though I hadn't downloaded anything after they charged me they a) refuse to refund (like any reputable company would) b) cut of my access so that even though I have now paid for a month, they won't let me download anything! They say this is a penalty fee. Unreal.

DO NOT BUY ANY SUBSCRIPTION FROM THEM. These people are scam artist. They charged me $100 for cancellation and I can't use the service either. I tried calling them but their customer service is even worst.

I canceled 3 days before my trial ended and was still billed; they will not remove the charge.

It was not clear at all that I was signing up for a two year trial that was not possible to cancel.

They are taking hundreds of dollars from me! I just used a few photos for a school project during the month of November and now I have a $200+ bill.
I’m not dumb! I can read!
This company uses sketchy business practices to steal money from people.

When I called they said they would cancel the subscription but now I’m still getting charged.

Horrible scam locking you into a 1 year "contract" after the free trial period ends. Canceling the subscription is nearly impossible even after sending an email that I wanted to cancel they just answered with an automated email. Avoid Istock they are truly one of the worst companies I've see

iStock engages in deceptive practices designed to trap customers into lengthy subscriptions with hidden fees. The cancellation terms and exorbitant "administrative charges" are buried in links and fine print, not transparently displayed during signup. Even when you no longer want or use the service, they impose unfair charges to cancel.

This is not the behaviour of a reputable company. Instead, it is a calculated effort to exploit customers. Avoid iStock unless you’re prepared for frustration, hidden costs, and a lack of genuine customer support.

They suck. They have a strict no refund policy no matter what, even if you go one day over the free trial without realizing. It’s just crazy to me that there’s no exceptions when they aren’t open on weekends for you to cancel easily. Would not recommend. Way overpriced for what you get

SCAM!!!! THEY WON'T EVEN REFUND FOR FRAUD! Customer Service is a complete JOKE!!!

I cannot believe this isn't widely known about istock that they will charge you, even if your free trial just ended and you want to cancel the subscription. What a terrible unethical policy. Furthermore, If you cancel your subscription after the free trial ended, you can't use any image that you downloaded after your free trial. Basically, you have to keep paying them for life in order to continue to use the image.