Why buy when you need refund?

These are digital products and what you see is what you get..
I still wonder why people first buy a subscription or download the source files and ask for refund. This hurts agencies as well as contributors.

Thanks Artist and Microstock Posts for your replies.

If you read my post carefully, you'll understand that I was asking about refund on credits and subscriptions.

Not refund on downloaded photos.

I can be a contributor who has a  buyer's account with a stock site and if I don't use the credit and subscription plans, may I   not not ask for cancellation and refund without thowing sand into a contributor's rice bowl?

Thanks Artist and Microstock Posts for your replies.

If you read my post carefully, you'll understand that I was asking about refund on credits and subscriptions.

Not refund on downloaded photos.

I can be a contributor who has a  buyer's account with a stock site and if I don't use the credit and subscription plans, may I   not not ask for cancellation and refund without thowing sand into a contributor's rice bowl?

You are asking about the refund policies of Shutterstock, iStock, Adobe Stock, 123RF and others, just in case you purchase credits or a subscription and then change your mind and don't want to download anything.

I have a very simple solution for you, decide first if you want to download something, you can search for images and videos for free without making any purchase and then once you have decided, you can purchase.

You do realise you're on a forum for those who sell their work and you're asking them how you can get their work for free? How about you create the work yourself so you can see for yourself how much time it takes and at what cost.

Knock off the attitude. He's just asking for refund policy information, which is a perfectly acceptable question. You're treating him as a thief who's looking for freebies, directing your general anger about refunds on a potential customer who didn't do anything wrong.
Besides, getting a refund on purchased credit packs or subscriptions without downloading anything is completely different than refunds on purchased images.
It's not even asking to get 'our work for free', because even if you refund an image, you -officially- lose the license to use an image, making you prone to lawsuits.

Guess  shamohan22 is asking for first person experience if anyone of us have.
Anyway,
I have no personal experience on refunds to help you
 but for a start, do your homework!

https://www.shutterstock.com/support/pkb_sstk_core_customerkb_home?c=CustomerKB%3ARefunds&l=en_US

https://www.istockphoto.com/faq/purchasing#refunds

https://forums.adobe.com/thread/2053159

Sorry for 123rf only found this

Can I cancel the auto-renewal on my subscription plan?
Yes, you can. Just go to My Account > My Purchased Plan / Invoices to turn off the auto-renewal.

If you�re currently on an installment plan, the auto-renewal will take effect upon completion of the final payment.

Thanks georgep7 for your reply and links.

Yes, I had that in mind - personal experience of getting a refund on subscription and credit packs.

 The first line of my post says that:
Has anyone tried  getting a refund after purchasing a credit pack or subscription from a stock photo site?

I was expecting a 'personal experience' reply, but that's alright.

Thanks for your reply Noedelhap. You're right. In these days of free stock websites and CC0 visuals  one doesn't have to resort to the underhand tactic of purchasing a stock photo and then asking for a refund.

I hope folks treat this topic as part of the knowledge a stock photo contributor should have.

No question should be sensitive as long as it's relevant and valid.

cathyslife, the info is actually available in the FAQ or Terms of Use sections of the websites - it's perfectly legal to ask for a refund on your credit pack or subscription when unused.

However, I was eager to know answers to such questions below:

1) Whether the stock sides give prompt attention to a request for refund?
2) Is it easy to get approval for a refund?
3) Does one have to satisfy any other requirements not mentioned in the terms?
4) How long does it take before you can get your money back etc?

A fellow contributor has mentioned that a request for a refund sent to one stock photo site was never replied even after months, despite the claim of prompt support.

Thanks.

I really don't get why you are asking these questions.

What is the real reason/motive for asking?

I hope folks treat this topic as part of the knowledge a stock photo contributor should have.

Why? It's not as though I'll ever need to know.

Thanks everyone for your replies.

Just asked whether members had a certain experience. Hugely surprised at the level of antagonism shown.

I had expected those without the experience to ignore the question but they choose to answer and express their dissatisfaction at the question.

Instead of answering the question they question a member's right to ask the question.

Some asked me to ask go directly to the sites themselves for the answers, which I had doine before asking the question here. I posted here to know and  learn the experience of getting a refund.

Here I share my findings although it may be of no interest to anyone here:

iStock

Credit packs  are entitled for refund if refund request is made within 14 days of invoice date
Condition : No credit should have been used.

Monthly subscription can be cancelled any time - request must be made 14 days from invoice date:
Condition:
1)Must not have downloaded more than 5 images
2) Must not have used the downloded images (How do we find out if the images have been used?)

Dreamstime
Refund  request must be submitted  at  least 30 days from date of purchase
Condition: Credit or subscription must not have been used to download any image

Shutterstock
Only annual plan is entitled for refund - a request must be made and a cancellation fee will be imposed.

123RF
Cancellation and refund policy not clear:

They just mention subscription plans cannot be upgraded or downgraded once the first  piece of content is downloaded.

Credit plans cannot be downgraded but an upgrade request can be submitted.

Stocksy
All purchases are final and non-refundable. 

Refund for Photo Wrongly Downloaded 
Adobe Stock offers a credit refund for photos wrongly downloaded . But must mention which photo you intended to download and which you wrongly downloaded. Both picture must be about same subject.

in one instance a member had wrongly downloaded 5 images and given credit refund for all 5.

In most instances they only allow you credit refund once as an exception, to ,maintain goodwill.

Notes
When credits are refunded for wrongly downloaded images , it creates goodwill with customer, but is demoralising for contributor.