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Lightroom app update wipes users' photos and presets, Adobe says not recoverable

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Re: Lightroom app update wipes users' photos and presets, Adobe says not recoverable

#321

In another story, I needed Lightroom for about a week to do some photo work. I started with their subscription for the month and I wanted to let go if I'm done in the first month. While trying to cancel my subscription, I realize I can only do that after paying for the remaining 11 months (rough calculation). With no other option, I paid my penalty and left Adobe for good. I have deleted my 15+ year old Adobe account…

So you signed up for an “annual subscription billed monthly” (which is discounted from the monthly subscription), didn’t actually read what you were buying, and this is somehow Adobe’s fault? This is not hidden from buyers. It is quite clearly stated when you choose your plan. You committed to something and didn’t follow through, so you are in the wrong.

As mentioned elsewhere: the initial subscription was for 12 months. Extending that in NL is only allowed on a monthly basis, or a new contract. This exactly because too many companies made it purposely difficult to leave.

It's fairly logical: the customer agreed on 12 months. An additional fixed term requires a new contract/agreement. In practice companies now try to keep customers. Plus need to actually be ok instead of relying on people not overcoming the fake effort that is required to leave.

Re: Lightroom app update wipes users' photos and presets, Adobe says not recoverable

#322
post #210

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I recently signed up for adobe CC to test out premiere for some video editing work (side note, Final Cut is better) and instead of inputting a real card I used a privacy.com one. When I decided I didn't want it, I just disabled the privacy card. I only have to deal with a few annoying emails from adobe. I didn't even bother trying to cancel. Reading your comment makes me realize how smart that was.

Is that legal in the USA? Entering into a purchase agreement ("koopovereenkomst", not sure if I'm translating the jargon correctly) and then just not paying? Because that's certainly not legal where I live. I understand that the odds of repercussions are small and that there are no damages on Adobe's side since you haven't physically taken their goods so it would probably have to be taken up by the public prosecutor…

I recently wanted to get some practical knowledge with cloud storage buckets and my first choice was Azure (for no other reasons that name was shrouded with mystery).

Free trial, etc. I give my phone number (something like "for legal reasons"). Then it asks for my CC. I already hate it because it's highly dubious they need my CC number for a free trial since it's not needed to deliver the product. Fine, I give it. Then the process is declined because they don't like my rechargeable CC.

I am a happy AWS freeloader and potential customer now (well, for one year at least).

Re: Lightroom app update wipes users' photos and presets, Adobe says not recoverable

#323

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I did the same. I just stopped paying and told my CC company to block transactions because I never agreed to them. Adobe is very unclear about what you’re actually agreeing to up until the point you’re cancelling. I just blocked transactions and never heard from them again (except for some emails). If they want to fight it, good luck winning it in Dutch courts when the conditions are unclear.

Everybody on the net is always like "Just told my bank to block the transaction" - when I did that, in a EU country, my bank was very reluctant. They wanted proof that I had been in contact with the company and tried to get a refund from them, and that I in fact didn't owe them money.

I was just told it wasn't possible. So I cancelled my debit card (take that, paypal).

Re: Lightroom app update wipes users' photos and presets, Adobe says not recoverable

#324
post #242

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> it lasts Flash storage degrades, and is only expected to last about 10 years or so.

Flash storage has a certain maximum number of writes and so will eventually fail as a reusable storage medium. But if you simply want to back up old photos, then you are still likely to be able to read back from the medium for much longer than 10 years.

Every reference I can find gives about a maximum of 10 years as the on-the-shelf, unpowered, lifetime of flash memory. Do you have a reference to some other number?

Re: Lightroom app update wipes users' photos and presets, Adobe says not recoverable

#326

In another story, I needed Lightroom for about a week to do some photo work. I started with their subscription for the month and I wanted to let go if I'm done in the first month. While trying to cancel my subscription, I realize I can only do that after paying for the remaining 11 months (rough calculation). With no other option, I paid my penalty and left Adobe for good. I have deleted my 15+ year old Adobe account…

So you clearly didn't read what you were purchasing. As a (previous) Adobe CC subscriber, this was clear to me when I purchased (that I'd be paying for at least a year). That's really on you.

When it comes to subscriptions I have mixed feelings. Like if you agree to pay for a year (for example) then (IMHO) you should do that.

On the flipside, much like the model for gym memberships, companies can make it incredibly difficult to cancel a subscription. They deserve to be punished for this. Newspapers and magazines do this too. I realize a certain percentage of people will keep paying and not use the service (which is the ideal customer for a gym) but, for me, it means there are many things I will never buy because I don't want to deal with this (eg subscriptions to The Atlantic or the New Yorker).

Other comments here allude to Adobe's bad behaviour beyond the initial year (eg not allowing you go to month-to-month). I have no sympathy for Adobe here, particularly when they seem to be in breach of local laws by doing so.

To me the gold standard for subscription services is Jetbrains. The cost per year goes down over time and when you cancel you retain a version forever.

I personally prefer the subscription model for software compared to the previous large sticker prices for Adobe Photoshop. Outright purchases create bad incentives for companies (eg shortening the lifecycle such that bugfixes and minor features are only available via a paid upgrade to the next version). Subscriptions have a cheaper initial outlay (making them much more accessible) and they mean your software gets continually updated without version fragmentation.

Unfortunately companies also decide that a "reasonable" price for a subscription is the retail price in one year. It's not.

So anyway in your case, you are technically in breach of your purchase agreement and Adobe would be well within its rights to chase you for the full amount via disputing a chargeback, through your bank or CC provider or even through small claims court.

Re: Lightroom app update wipes users' photos and presets, Adobe says not recoverable

#327
post #161

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not if they used the lock-$2 verification trick.

How does it work? Never heard of it before

Basically a proxy to the real credit card - then you can switch it off.

Re: Lightroom app update wipes users' photos and presets, Adobe says not recoverable

#328
I'd wish for every disgruntled Adobe client who now switches to another tool that satisfies their requirements, saving a few (or considerably more) bucks in the process, to donate a small part of that to the FOSS, libre alternatives for much of Adobe's product portfolio:

https://www.gimp.org/

https://inkscape.org/

https://darktable.org/

https://krita.org/

...

You could do so much good with relatively little! :) Thanks everyone who considers donating!

Re: Lightroom app update wipes users' photos and presets, Adobe says not recoverable

#329

In another story, I needed Lightroom for about a week to do some photo work. I started with their subscription for the month and I wanted to let go if I'm done in the first month. While trying to cancel my subscription, I realize I can only do that after paying for the remaining 11 months (rough calculation). With no other option, I paid my penalty and left Adobe for good. I have deleted my 15+ year old Adobe account…

I've been using Luminar and have been mostly happy with it but it's possible that only because I don't know what I'm missing (with regard to Affinity). I'll have to check it out!

Re: Lightroom app update wipes users' photos and presets, Adobe says not recoverable

#330
post #242

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> it lasts Flash storage degrades, and is only expected to last about 10 years or so.

Flash storage has a certain maximum number of writes and so will eventually fail as a reusable storage medium. But if you simply want to back up old photos, then you are still likely to be able to read back from the medium for much longer than 10 years.

Dell says you may get as little as three months in storage from an SSD:

http://www.dell.com/downloads/global/products/pvaul/en/Solid...

I know someone who had their files vanish off a thumbdrive in the space of a few months of storage.

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