Adobe Class Action: Trapping Customers in Costly Subscriptions?

Case Overview: A class action lawsuit alleges Adobe tricks customers into yearlong subscriptions with automatic renewals and steep early termination fees, despite marketing monthly plans as flexible.

Consumers Affected: U.S. consumers who were charged fees for canceling Adobe’s annual-billed-monthly plans.

Court: U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, San Jose Division

Software giant Adobe lures customers into confusing subscription plans and then hits them with steep penalties when they try to cancel, a new lawsuit claims.

According to the lawsuit, Adobe’s enrollment system makes its monthly plans look flexible, but in reality many are yearlong commitments with automatic renewals and hefty early termination fees. Consumers say the company intentionally hides critical details, making it easy to sign up but frustrating and expensive to get out.

Consumers Say They Paid for Unwanted Subscriptions

Two customers say they learned the hard way how Adobe’s system works. Stephanie Wohlfiel, a California photographer, signed up for ten Lightroom subscriptions in 2023 for a short-term project. 

She thought she was paying month-to-month, only to discover later she was locked into annual plans with early termination fees equal to half of the remaining contract. Canceling cost her hundreds of dollars.

Similarly, Nebraska resident Vianca Marquez signed up for what she believed was a simple monthly Acrobat subscription. When she tried to cancel after just one month, she learned she would owe around $250 to end the contract. 

Faced with that charge, she abandoned the cancellation process and stayed stuck in the plan. Both plaintiffs say they were misled about the true terms of what they were buying.

Adobe Accused of Tricking Users into Annual Plans

The lawsuit points to Adobe’s shift in 2012 from traditional one-time software licenses to recurring subscription plans. Under its current model, users pick from monthly, annual-prepaid, or annual-billed-monthly (ABM) options. The ABM plan is the most controversial: customers pay monthly but are locked into a yearlong contract, and canceling early triggers a penalty of 50% of the remaining balance.

Critics argue Adobe’s enrollment process is intentionally confusing. Terms are hidden in small print and behind hyperlinks, while marketing suggests users can “cancel anytime.” 

The Federal Trade Commission has flagged similar practices across industries, noting thousands of consumer complaints about automatic renewals and difficult cancellations each year. Adobe, meanwhile, has reaped massive rewards from the subscription model, reporting over $21 billion in revenue in 2024.

Subscriptions Under Fire

Adobe isn’t the only company in legal hot water over subscription practices. DoorDash and Apple are both facing a lawsuit claiming they enrolled customers in automatic renewals without clear consent, while Amazon is under FTC scrutiny for allegedly making it deliberately confusing to cancel its Prime membership. 

Car wash chains and VPN providers have also been accused of luring customers with trial offers, then locking them into recurring payments that were difficult—sometimes nearly impossible—to end. Media platforms like Fox have faced similar allegations, with customers arguing they were charged even after attempting to cancel.

Wohlfiel and Marquez aim to represent U.S. consumers who were charged fees for canceling Adobe’s ABM plans over the past four years. They are suing for damages, restitution, and court orders to stop the practices. 

Case Details

• Lawsuit: Wohlfiel, et al. v. Adobe Inc.
• Case Number: 5:25-cv-06562
• Court: U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, San Jose Division 

Plaintiffs' Attorney:

• Nicholas A. Coulson (Coulson P.C.)

Do you have an Adobe subscription? Have you experienced issues with cancellation fees or auto-renewal? Share your experience below.