Goodbye CC Subscription

Question

Having been a loyal Adobe customer for 22 years, I have now been priced out of the market.  As such I have cancelled my CC subscription and will continue with CS6.
I am extremely miffed.  Customer Services and I agreed a revised subscription last month, only to find that I am being charged more than the we agreed because they "made a mistake".  They refuse to revert to the agreed price.
I also feel doubly miffed because it was small independent users like myself (and many here) who contributed towards Premiere becoming mainstream.  I sang its praises and personally persuaded 5 Post Houses to try it.  As a result they ditched FCP and/or Avid.
Now that many Big Boys are onboard, it seems that us small independent users are no longer worthy of Adobe loyalty.
Here's a letter I sent prior to my renegotiation - to which Adobe has not had the courtesy to reply.
Dear Sirs
I work in the corporate media production industry as a self-employed photographer and videographer. I have been a user of Photoshop since V3: Premiere since V5 and After Effects since V5.  I have subsequently been a Production Premium subscriber for several years.  I have not owned the Master Collection because my business needs have not required that I access applications outside my immediate discipline.
In July, I believe that my introductory CC membership is set to increase from an introductory £18 (approx) to about £55 (92.50 USD) per month.  This represents a whopping 303% increase.  My business cannot justify £660 per year  - every year.  That’s almost 1,200 USD - double the cost of my Production Premium upgrade!
My core applications are Premiere, After Effects, Audition, Speedgrade, Media Encoder, Illustrator and Photoshop.  I do not use DTP, Flash, web authoring or any other Adobe application.
I am aware that I can reinstall CS6 Production Premium.  If I was retired or an enthusiast, indeed I probably would consider it.  But as a working professional, especially given the rapidly changing nature of media acquisition, this is not possible.  My clients would not find it acceptable.
You may recall that it was the small independents such as myself who evangelised Premiere in the days when the majority of houses shunned it in favour of Avid and Final Cut Pro. I personally convinced five such companies to run Premiere on their offline facilities.
With no small effort from people like myself over the past fifteen or so years, Premiere Pro CC has become accepted competition for Avid and Apple.  Now that the big players are being won over, I fear that the small independents are being kicked into the long grass.
Sure, I understand the business argument for ending the perpetual licence. But must we all pay a set cost for an identical suite of applications when our needs and wallets are so very different?
Please can you advise me how, under Adobe’s new licencing model, I can use Premiere Pro, After Effects, Audition, Speedgrade, Media Encoder, Illustrator and Photoshop at a price that was on par with the cost of the perpetual licence for Production Premium.
If this new “one-size-fits-all” model is inflexible, please would you inform me of Adobe’s official policy regarding the placing of its products outside the reach of the small, long-term, independent user.
Yours sincerely,

Answer 1

Jason R Brandt wrote:
So a new feature that doesn't work the way you would hope.
And yes, it's a cool new feature. But my business is the perfect example of why the subscription model isn't worth it. I primarily shoot dance recitals. I also shoot local plays, and do some work for a local non-profit. I don't need 80% of the features/software that comes with CC. And I am a small business, just me, no other employees. Every penny I can save makes a difference. I cannot lock in to a payment that could change (and it looks like it's beginning to) whenever Adobe feels the need.
I can budget for a CS upgrade since it's a one time payment. I also can choose to NOT spend the money I've budgeted if it becomes too tight at the time of the new release.
Adobe could easily offer a perpetual license product. They simply do not want to.
Hi Jason,
Yes a new feature that needs some polishing, but a new feature that does what it's supposed to do.
I understand your a one man show...thats the whole point of my comment. I'm not degrading your business, just pointing out that if you can't make any money at your skill, than its a hobby and you have to do what you have to do. Please don't post here that you are upset that Adobe is charging a subscription. If you can afford $1899 for CS6, which equals $150 a month for a year....the math just doesn't add up. You'd have to stay on one version for 38 months to equal $50 a month.
I don't want to argue about this, just thought that Adobe isn't trying to rip anyone off more than any other profitable business. We are subjected to paying for services every day, no matter what the service is.....hence you should be getting paid for your craft, whether its for a non-profit or the big three.
Pete