Just Fred Loc: Darwin's Waiting Room

I have decided to cut ties with ON1. I have been a customer since 2014, but their business model (and web site) have become so confusing that I can no longer navigate my account settings, find my products, licenses and I now refuse to keep funding them through their constant "upgrades" and product changes.

The final straw came from an email (two, actually) I received informing me that my subscription auto-renewal had failed. First, I didn't even know I had a subscription, much less that it was set to auto-renew (at $129.99!) but when I went online to find it and update it, the web site can't find my information. What's worse, I can't update my payment information, and worse yet, I can't log out, despite clicking and acknowledging the log off button multiple times.

ON1 appears to have me registered with two different email accounts, even though years ago I contacted them to make sure everything was coalesced into a single account. I have multiple ON1 products, yet I am confused as to whether I am entitled to their latest offering, or not. The product catalog continues to evolve and confuse.

This has turned into a money sink for me. I no longer wish to use the ON1 products, as I have no idea what they are, what the current versions are, and what they do. I know some people complain about Adobe's CC licensing and cost model, but at least I know what products I have, they are updated through Adobe's updater program, and I know what they do.

Bye-bye, ON1. It was fun while it lasted.

If you're an ON1 customer, feel free to disagree. Or not.

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

Are you sure the renewal failed?
Are you sure the email was from ON1?

That's a common tag line for phishing emails. I've receive a couple for services I do NOT subscribe to, most common for me is my McAfee renewal failed. They did NOT come from McAfee.
Plus, I don't use McAfee.

47greyfox Loc: on the edge of the Colorado front range

I’m also an ON1 PR customer and honestly wonder why except that in 2018, it seemed a viable alternative to the Adobe subscription plan. I’m getting tired of being a “beta” tester. I’ve bought every upgrade since that initial 2018 version and consequently had to endure crashes and functions like auto lens correction that rarely work. I think it was the mid year upgrade in 2019 (?) that actually required me to upgrade my GPU because ON1 midstream changed the minimum hardware requirement recommendation. I’m also a “Plus” member….so how stupid am I? Haha! My bottom line is that ON1 tries to do everything. Consequently, it does nothing well IMHO. Lastly, this year, for more a couple months, all I heard was how in April, then May, now June that we who purchased this year’s upgrade would receive an “amazing” upgrade that would include the recent “resizing” capability as well as improved Len correction identification. I’m still waiting to be underwhelmed…..

Woodworm65 Loc: Lombard, IL

I have had no issues with ON1 and have the newest version and a plus member and have had better success with them than Adobe.

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

Adobe welcomes you back.

Toby

Sounds like someone is trying to hack into your computer not ON1

rlv567 Loc: Baguio City, Philippines

Undoubtedly, more photo processors use Adobe products than any other. This seems to be the result of good marketing of a good product, supported well. There are several other good products, though, but most of them may do one or two things well, while falling short of Adobe’s overall capabilities.

One such has been ON1. Now, however, as a result of continually querying their customers about what’s important, and responding quickly to their requests, complete with excellent upgrades, for the requirements of most, ON1 has ascended to the position of being not just good at a few things, but really at everything they do. Again, they listen to their customers, and at this point have generated some 800 excellent – and easy to follow – video tutorials!

I have been a customer of ON1 for years, though I have tried many other photo processing software products – mostly because of their claims of great superiority at some particular aspect of the process. I find ON1 to be far and away the simplest/easiest to use of all the full featured software offerings, and while many are most laudatory about Light Room’s file handling, ON1 provides a system which is just as comprehensive, but greatly simpler to use.

Any request I have made to Customer Support at ON 1 has been answered in a more than timely/exemplary fashion, addressing – and satisfying – my needs. I have been – and am – well satisfied with ON1, and can recommend them highly to anyone in need of the all-around best photo processing software available.

Loren – in Beautiful Baguio City

rlv567 Loc: Baguio City, Philippines

Please see my reply to "Just Fred".

Loren - in Beautiful Baguio City

rlv567 Loc: Baguio City, Philippines

I've had many of those the past few months, "from McAfee and others" -- and I haven't been a McAfee customer for years! (there are a number of free products which are better). - and never a customer of most of the others!!!

Loren - in Beautiful Baguio City

Just Fred Loc: Darwin's Waiting Room

Thanks everyone, for participating in this discussion. Some additional data for your consideration:

1) The email is NOT a hack attack. I've been an IT pro and in identity management space long enough to recognize phishing, vishing and smishing attempts.
2) I am not trying to dissuade anyone from using ON1 products. I am merely stating my continuing dissatisfaction with their web site, business practices and (perhaps) their products. Right now, I can't tell what products I'm entitled to, and am rapidly becoming more discouraged from finding out.
3) As a computer professional, I have wasted spent a lot of money on software that ultimately goes unused. As I got into digital photo processing, I jumped on the Adobe wagon, then found GIMP, darktable, Luminar, ON1, Aurora, Fotor, Polarr, macphun/skylum, Nikon's tools, and probably many I've overlooked. Many of these have fallen into disuse.

Part of my efforts have been to find the "magic bullet" that I can us intuitively to improve my photos. I've spent money on books, videos, subscriptions and such. My photography skills have certainly improved, in my opinion, but none of the tools have just grabbed me and said, "I'm the one." Lightroom was one of the first such products, and since I've spent time learning it, remains my go-to.

So, it's time to do some spring cleaning and dump the software I no longer use. ON1 is making it easy for me to show them the door, and thus, it's being retired.

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

You must have your actual / correct ON1 credentials? When you access the site directly and check your account status, there you should be able to confirm: a) do you have subscription account, b) do you have an established payment method, and c) what is your payment history to ON1.

The idea of multiple registered accounts is rather likely, along with generating multiple notification emails from the computer systems at ON1, just as they do from computer systems at companies everywhere.

lamiaceae Loc: San Luis Obispo County, CA

Yup, all sorts of scam emails out there. I have seen that "McAfee" one as well. I ignore or delete and move on.

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

I have two editors other than the camera OEM editor.
Absolutely no interest and no need to check out a dozen others, let alone use them.

lamiaceae Loc: San Luis Obispo County, CA

Wow, is that a pain in the . . .

As for Adobe, I know exactly what I have because thus far I use Ps CS6. The same one I have had since 2012 and a previous PC. I also sometimes also use with it the original free version of Nik and a old package of Topaz. Though I have to say I am close to jumping to Adobe Photoshop CC.

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

I stopped buying new software after I stopped buying new cameras. That was after cameras reached 24MP, now almost 10 years ago.

When you buy new equipment, you buy a whole bunch of new problems.