Nope, won't trust them, even at $20 -- which they say is just an introductory offer -- will increase. Presumably their previous plan fell flat and they need a quick cash grab.
I understand that they need new ways to generate revenue, and I'm willing to pay for image hosting. But they need to prove they've got something to offer that's better than the other options -- and they just don't have it. Over the years their service got progressively worse, even before they ended 3rd party hosting. Then they shat on all their users.
Besides, with other options like most paid web hosting, you can easily retrieve or move your photos & other files, maintain links, etc. Something like Photobucket, you're always at their mercy. Also...
Q: What if I don’t want to purchase a subscription? Can I have my images back?
A: Yes, you are free to download your images. They belong to you! We believe our new subscription plan is priced fairly and is very competitive to other services. Our new management team is committed to serving our customers in the best possible way, and we hope you will consider this offer and keeping your images with Photobucket.
Sure, you can have your photos back. But we've removed the option to download multiple images or a full album at a time, so enjoy downloading those 2000 photos one at a time!
Dicks.