Adobe caught lying to customers trying to cancel Creative Cloud subscriptions

<rant>Meta: This is not directly related to Adobe, but SaaS in general.

I do not want to pay a subscription for each piece of freaking software that I own. I do not want my cellular company claiming it owns my phone.

I understand that folks gotta make a living, and I feel for and support the little guys running niche SaaS businesses. But frack, not everybody can get on this bandwagon.

Adobe is a great example. You pay out the ass to buy their software -- which is great, by the way -- then use it a half-dozen times a year. Should you pay 50 bucks a month? If not, you got nothing. This seems like a terribly bad trade. (Yes I know there are alternatives)

Accounting software: last I checked, the ability to add and subtract was rather trivial for computers. Yet somehow businesses think I should pay a monthly fee for them to continue and add and subtract things from a ledger? Ring tones, simple note-taking, "renting" music to play...

The list is getting rather large. Looking at my monthly spend, I'm paying a lot of money each month for stuff -- whether I use it or not -- that I used to just buy and use when I felt like it. The old model worked in my best interests. The new model does not.

Something's gotta give. I can't imagine the online marketplace supporting everything like this. I also am getting extremely concerned for the poor people that we're effectively locking out of a huge class of software simply because they can't make their monthly vig.</rant>

I am not a fan of Adobe, but this is hardly "Adobe caught lying". It is common practice for the support people dealing with cancellations to have incentives to try keep the client, and some scope on what they can offer, but this sounds like an employee going too far and lying in order to meet his internal targets.

Here's an actual chat transcript of me trying to cancel my membership. Yes I sound like a dick robot, but I become a dick robot when I'm forced to contact the company--instead of just clicking a button--to cancel my membership:

info: Hi, we are currently helping other customers in line ahead of you. We'll be with you as soon as possible.

While you wait, you can try our community forums where experts are online 24/7.

info: You are now chatting with 'Mahesh'

Mahesh: Hello! Welcome to Adobe Customer Service.

Mahesh: Hi there.

jalanco: Cancel my membership.

jalanco: Are you there? Cancel my membership. info: Your chat transcript will be sent to xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx at the end of your chat.

Mahesh: I will check and help you.

Mahesh: I see that you have the Creative Cloud plan (one-year) annual commitment subscription with the monthly payment option under your account.

Mahesh: I am really sorry to see you go.

Mahesh: May I ask why you are choosing not to maintain your membership?

jalanco: Please cancel my membership. I don't have a lot of time.

Mahesh: An annual subscription requires a commitment for the full year and monthly payments.

Mahesh: If you decide to end a one-year membership before the 12-month period is over, you are charged 50% of the remaining amount left on your commitment.

Mahesh: In this case, if you are willing to cancel your annual subscription now, you will be charged an early termination fee of USD 250.00.

Mahesh: Is that fine with you?

jalanco: No it is not fine with me. Cancel my membership.

Mahesh: I see that you've purchased a subscription with an annual commitment with a monthly payment. Since you wish to cancel the subscription before the end of one year period, you will be billed 50% of your monthly rate for the remaining months in your annual commitment.

jalanco: Cancel my membership.

Mahesh: Okay, do you wish me to cancel the subscirption with the early termination fee of USD 250.00?

jalanco: No. Cancel my membership. I didn't agree to that.

Mahesh: http://www.adobe.com/misc/subscription_terms.html

Mahesh: Please view the above link to see the terms of the annual commitment subscription that you have under your account.

Mahesh: I understand that you would like to cancel your membership, and I will take care of that for you. However, would you be willing to maintain your membership through your annual commitment & avoid the early termination fee if I offer you the next month of your membership for free?

jalanco: No. Cancel my membership immediately.

Mahesh: I can understand your concern, please allow me a moment while I check for any exception for you.

Mahesh: I am happy that I was able to make an exception for you. I have successfully canceled your Creative Cloud membership (one-year) annual commitment subscription without any early termination fee of USD 250.00 as an one time exception only for you as goodwill gesture.

Mahesh: However this exception will not be done again for you.

Mahesh: Is there anything else I can help you with?

jalanco: Thank you. Nothing else.

Mahesh: Thank you for contacting Adobe. We are available 7 days a week, 24 hours a day. Goodbye!