Adobe’s Cancellation Policy: What Went Wrong and How to Fix It

Recently, Adobe has been in the spotlight for legal troubles with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the Department of Justice (DOJ). They're being sued over how they handle subscription cancellations. The lawsuit claims Adobe used tricky tactics to hide important details and charge users unexpected fees on their "annual paid monthly" plan. For example, if you tried to cancel within the first year, they’d hit you with a hefty 50% fee of what you still owe. This information was buried in fine print or hidden behind tiny icons, making it hard to find.

Canceling wasn’t straightforward either. Users had to navigate through multiple screens and deal with various hassles, especially if they called customer service. Some thought they’d successfully canceled, only to discover charges still showing up on their bank statements.

Source: (Federal Trade Commission) (Federal Trade Commission) (SiliconANGLE) (Justice)

Adobe, known for its powerful creative tools, unfortunately, employs certain strategies that can mislead users—a practice often referred to as "dark patterns." Let's explore what these are, how they affect users, and what can be done to improve these experiences using good UX practices. (Source: Jamie Luguri, Lior Jacob Strahilevitz, Shining a Light on Dark Patterns, Journal of Legal Analysis, Volume 13, Issue 1, 2021, Pages 43–109, https://doi.org/10.1093/jla/laaa006)

Dark UX Patterns: What they are and how they affect users

When we talk about dark UX patterns, we're diving into design strategies that can mislead users, often without their full awareness. Here's how this plays out in Adobe's case:

Hidden Fees and Terms

• Hidden Costs: Imagine signing up for something only to find out later that there are hidden fees. Adobe's "annual paid monthly" subscription plan didn’t clearly disclose a hefty Early Termination Fee (ETF) of 50% of the remaining payments if canceled within the first year. Users often had to dig through fine print or hover over tiny icons to uncover these details.

Pre-selected Defaults

• Sneak into Basket: Adobe defaulted users to the "annual paid monthly" plan, nudging them towards a choice without fully understanding the conditions and fees attached. This tactic can lead users to unknowingly agree to terms they didn't actively choose.

Complicated Cancellation Process

• Roach Motel: Adobe's cancellation process was like navigating a maze with multiple screens and steps. This design flaw made it unnecessarily complex for users to cancel their subscriptions once they wanted out.
• Obstruction: Adobe’s cancellation process included unnecessary hurdles and customer service roadblocks. Users encountered barriers like multiple transfers, dropped calls, and resistance from representatives when trying to cancel.

Customer Service Roadblocks

• Forced Continuity: Some Adobe users experienced ongoing charges despite attempting to cancel through customer service. They often discovered their subscriptions were still active after believing they had successfully canceled.

Lack of Clear and Prominent Disclosure

• Misdirection: Adobe failed to clearly disclose key terms like subscription length, billing and renewal terms, and fee conditions upfront. This left users in the dark about the full implications of their choices.

Adobe’s situation stands out because it's a pioneer in the creative industry and a source of inspiration for many. Using dark patterns has hurt its reputation since people expect better from a leading company. These dark UX practices collectively created a misleading and frustrating experience for Adobe's customers. As a result, regulatory bodies like the FTC and DOJ stepped in with legal actions, seeking to address these deceptive practices and protect consumer rights. By using good, ethical UX practices, Adobe could have kept user trust, increased retention, and avoided this lawsuit altogether.

Good UX Practices Adobe Could Have Used

Here are some alternative practices that Adobe could have adopted to avoid its legal troubles:

Clear and Transparent Communication

• Plain Language: Use simple, straightforward language to explain subscription terms, fees, and cancellation policies. Avoid jargon and fine print. (Source: NNGroup on Writing for the Web)
• Upfront Disclosure: Present all critical information, like early termination fees and renewal conditions, upfront during the sign-up process or under user account settings.

Example: Netflix clearly communicates its subscription terms, renewal policies, and cancellation process. Users can easily find information about their subscription and how to cancel it in their account settings. (Source: Netflix help center)

Simplified and Accessible Cancellation Process

• Easy Access: Make the cancellation option easily accessible in user account settings. Provide clear instructions and confirmation prompts to ensure users understand the impact of their cancellation and any associated fees. (Source: NNGroup on Simplifying Workflows)
• Streamlined Steps: Minimize the number of steps required to cancel a subscription. Avoid unnecessary obstacles like multiple confirmations, re-authentications, or making a call to customer care.

Example: Spotify offers a straightforward cancellation process that can be completed in a few clicks. Users can cancel their premium subscription directly from their account page without hidden steps or confusing prompts. (Source: Spotify account help)

Feedback and Confirmation

• Real-Time Feedback: Provide immediate feedback at each step of the cancellation process, confirming actions and explaining next steps. Use visual indicators like checkmarks, progress bars, or confirmation messages to confirm successful actions. (Source: Smashing Magazine on UX Feedback)
• Final Confirmation: Include a final confirmation screen summarizing the impact of cancellation, such as loss of access to features and data retention policies.

Example: Amazon provides immediate feedback during the cancellation process of its Prime membership. Users receive clear confirmation messages and emails outlining the details of the cancellation and any remaining benefits until the end of the billing cycle. (Source: Amazon Prime Help)

Grace Periods and Reminders

• Grace Period: Offer a grace period where users can cancel without penalties shortly after subscribing or renewing.
• Reminders: Send reminder emails before the subscription renews, clearly stating the renewal terms and cancellation options.

Example: Microsoft Office 365 offers a grace period during which users can cancel their subscriptions without penalties. They also send reminder emails before the subscription renews, detailing the renewal terms and how to cancel if needed. (Source: Microsoft Subscription Management)

Loss Aversion Techniques

• Highlight Benefits: Show users the benefits they’ll lose access to before they cancel, like specific features, storage, or support services.
• Downgrade Options: Provide options to downgrade rather than cancel, highlighting more affordable plans.
• Flexible Plans: Offer flexible subscription plans, like monthly options without long-term commitments, and let users switch between plans easily.

Example: LinkedIn highlights the premium features users will lose access to upon cancellation, like insights on who viewed their profile, InMail credits, and advanced search filters. (Source: LinkedIn Premium Help)

Ethical Persuasion

• Personalized Retention Offers: Use data analytics to offer personalized incentives for users considering cancellation, like discounts, tutorials, or feature highlights. Providing additional value can help users see the benefits of keeping their subscriptions.
• Exit Surveys: Conduct exit surveys to understand why users are canceling and use this feedback to improve services.

Example: Dropbox offers discounts or extended trials to users who are about to cancel. They also conduct exit surveys to gather feedback for improving their services. (Source: Dropbox Help)

Consistent and Predictable Design

• Consistent UI Elements: Ensure that UI elements related to subscription management are consistent and easy to find.
• Predictable Behavior: Users should be able to predict the outcome of their actions based on clear visual cues and consistent design patterns.

Example: Apple maintains a consistent design language across all its services, including the App Store subscription management. Users can easily manage their subscriptions with predictable UI patterns. (Source: Apple Subscription Help)

By following some of these best practices, Adobe could have fostered a more trustworthy relationship with its users. Ensuring clarity and ease of use in the subscription and cancellation processes could have helped them avoid legal issues and build stronger customer loyalty.