Getty forced to refund Australian customers for misleading iStock charges

Getty Images will refund more than 200 disgruntled customers after imposing iStock cancellation charges that the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) alleges “were greater than those outlined in its online terms and conditions”.

In a statement released on Friday, the ACCC alleges that between November 2023 and February 2024, Getty Images “may have misled customers by stating in its online iStock terms and conditions that cancelling a subscription after a one-month free trial period would only incur an administrative charge”.

In actuality, customers were charged 50% of the remaining cost of the customer’s annual subscription. These extra charges totalled roughly $78,000.