Rosetta Stone: Difference between revisions

|Logo=Rosetta Stone logo.svg.png|Type=Public|CompanyAlias=Fairfield Language Technologies}}

==Consumer-impact summary==

Their standalone software solutions have often been sold under perpetual licenses<ref>{{Cite web |title=GLOBAL END USER LICENSE AGREEMENT |url=http://resources.rosettastone.com/CDN/us/pdfs/eulas/eula-global-eng.pdf |url-status=unfit |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110904223201/http://resources.rosettastone.com/CDN/us/pdfs/eulas/eula-global-eng.pdf |archive-date=04 Sep 2011 |archive-format=PDF |website=Rosetta Stone |via=Wayback Machine}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite web |title=LEARN SPANISH With Version 4 - Install software from CD-ROM or Digital Download |url=http://www.rosettastone.com/learn-spanish#comp-bottom |url-status=unfit |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131009133447/http://www.rosettastone.com/learn-spanish#comp-bottom |archive-date=09 Oct 2013 |website=Rosetta Stone |type=Click on "Compare Products" |via=Wayback Machine}}</ref> and some of their subscriptions were marketed as "lifetime" or "forever". In spite of that, Rosetta Stone recently remotely bricked its CD based and downloadable products by blocking activation or refusing to provide activation numbers (depending on the version)<ref name=":5">{{Cite web |title=Rosetta Stone, Ltd Complaints |url=https://www.bbb.org/us/va/arlington/profile/language-training-aids/rosetta-stone-ltd-0241-3058409/complaints |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260223032342/https://www.bbb.org/us/va/arlington/profile/language-training-aids/rosetta-stone-ltd-0241-3058409/complaints |archive-date=23 Feb 2026 |website=Better Business Bureau®}}</ref><ref name=":8">{{Cite web |title=Rosetta Stone, Ltd Reviews |url=https://www.bbb.org/us/va/arlington/profile/language-training-aids/rosetta-stone-ltd-0241-3058409/customer-reviews |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260223032250/https://www.bbb.org/us/va/arlington/profile/language-training-aids/rosetta-stone-ltd-0241-3058409/customer-reviews |archive-date=23 Feb 2026 |access-date=20 Feb 2026 |website=Better Business Bureau®}}</ref><ref name=":6">{{Cite web |title=Rosetta Stone Reviews |url=https://www.trustpilot.com/review/rosettastone.com |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20251231150605/https://www.trustpilot.com/review/rosettastone.com |archive-date=31 Dec 2025 |website=Trustpilot}}</ref><ref name=":7">{{Cite web |date=1 Feb 2026 |title=PSA: Rosetta Stone is "bricking" permanent licenses to force users into subscriptions |url=https://www.reddit.com/r/languagelearning/comments/1qt3jx8/psa_rosetta_stone_is_bricking_permanent_licenses/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260223032313/https://old.reddit.com/r/languagelearning/comments/1qt3jx8/psa_rosetta_stone_is_bricking_permanent_licenses/ |archive-date=23 Feb 2026 |access-date=19 Feb 2026 |website=Reddit}}</ref>. They've also blocked some of their "lifetime" subscriptions, claiming "lifetime" is the lifetime of the software.  

This is a list of all consumer-protection incidents this company is involved in, including remotly bricking software with perpetual license and revoking access to lifetime online subscriptions.  

In the 2020s, owners of perpetual licenses to CD and downloadable versions of the software started reporting they we being blocked from accessing it when attempting to activate it on their old computer. Some reported getting an error when attempting to activate the software<ref name=":5" /><ref name=":8" /><ref name=":6" /><ref name=":7" /> and some were refused an activation code when calling customer service when calling to request one as instructed<ref name=":7" /> (some versions of the software require inputting an activation code). When the users complained about their inability to access the $500 standalone product they already purchased and own a perpetual license to use, Rosetta Stone informed them it was no longer supported and presented a $79 "lifetime" subscription as a solution.

In the 2020s, users of Rosetta Stone's legacy "forever" subscription products started getting locked out of their accounts. They were no longer able to access the "lifetime" subscription they purchased. Upon complaining to customer service, they were told their "lifetime" access was only for the lifetime of the product<ref name=":5" /><ref name=":8" /><ref name=":6" />.

**CDs: standalone installable CD based software (perpetual license) that included a 3 month trial to online privileges (subscription) with the option to extend it<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Learn Spanish |url=http://www.rosettastone.com/learn-spanish |url-status=unfit |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110906070028/http://www.rosettastone.com/learn-spanish |archive-date=06 Sep 2011 |website=Rosetta Stone |via=Wayback Machine}}</ref>.

**Online Access/TOTALe Online<ref>{{Cite web |title=TOTALe Spanish (Latin America) 12-Month Online Access |url=http://www.rosettastone.com/learn-spanish/totale |url-status=unfit |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100110050010/http://www.rosettastone.com/learn-spanish/totale |archive-date=10 Jan 2010 |website=Rosetta Stone |via=Wayback Machine}}</ref>: an online only version of the software (subscription baed access), where users could access and use the software online. This version was subscription-based.

**Online Access/TOTALe Online: an online only version of the software (subscription baed access), where users could access and use the software online<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite web |title=Learn Spanish |url=http://www.rosettastone.com/learn-spanish |url-status=unfit |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121019020107/http://www.rosettastone.com/learn-spanish |archive-date=19 Oct 2012 |website=Rosetta Stone}}</ref>. This version was subscription-based.

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