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Antivirus Firms Short-Changing Customers

Posted by Soulskill on from the nickles-and-dimes dept.

Barence writes "Two leading security firms have been accused of ripping off customers by cutting short their antivirus subscriptions. AVG and Symantec are offering their own customers discounts on subscriptions via email or pop-ups, but the new subscriptions start immediately, 'short-changing' users who had months left on their existing deal. Both Symantec and AVG owned up to the practice, and said they had no plans to change their ways, instead advising their customers to upgrade as close as possible to the end of the subscription. However, the pair actively send out emails and pop-up messages that encourage customers to upgrade immediately."

8 of 205 comments (clear)

  1. Free MS Security Essentials by digitaldc · · Score: 2, Informative

    Solution: Uninstall AVG and Symantec and try http://www.microsoft.com/security_essentials/ instead.

    Maybe it will be free forever? Maybe it will stop all malicious attacks?

    --
    He who knows best knows how little he knows. - Thomas Jefferson
  2. Windows - Microsoft by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

    Here's the best free anti-virus I have ever used on the Windows platform. And, it works better than Norton and McAfee.

    1. Re:Windows - Microsoft by socrplayr813 · · Score: 5, Informative

      Well that's a load of crap. I've used it on several XP installations with no problems whatsoever.

      Read the official requirements here:
      http://www.microsoft.com/security_essentials/resources.aspx?mkt=en-us&s=1#mainNav

      Find out what you need to know about installing and running Microsoft Security Essentials.
      Minimum system requirements for Microsoft Security Essentials

      Operating System: Genuine Windows XP (Service Pack 2 or Service Pack 3); Windows Vista (Gold, Service Pack 1, or Service Pack 2); Windows 7

              For Windows XP, a PC with a CPU clock speed of 500 MHz or higher, and 256 MB RAM or higher.
              For Windows Vista and Windows 7, a PC with a CPU clock speed of 1.0 GHz or higher, and 1 GB RAM or higher.
              VGA display of 800 × 600 or higher.
              140 MB of available hard disk space.
              An Internet connection is required for installation and to download the latest virus and spyware definitions for Microsoft Security Essentials.
              Internet Browser:
                      Windows Internet Explorer 6.0 or later.
                      Mozilla Firefox 2.0 or later.
              Microsoft Security Essentials also supports Windows XP Mode in Windows 7. For more information, see the system requirements for Windows XP Mode in Windows 7

      That covers pretty much any home installation, with surprisingly low resource requirements to boot. Get out, troll.

      --
      The confidence of ignorance will always overcome the indecision of knowledge.
    2. Re:Windows - Microsoft by interval1066 · · Score: 3, Informative

      And if your rather nervous about continuing to support the Microsoft Monopoly there's Avira, which I've been using for years for free.

      --
      Python: 'And then suddenly you have a language which says "we're all stuck with whatever the whiniest coder wants".'
    3. Re:Windows - Microsoft by __aamnbm3774 · · Score: 4, Informative

      instead of opinions and conjecture, here are some numbers about which is better: linky

      Security Essentials is good, but I've been enjoying Avira without incident since this report came out.

  3. Re:Avast also by MrEricSir · · Score: 3, Informative

    You do realize there's a free version of Avast for home users, right?

    --
    There's no -1 for "I don't get it."
  4. Re:Sounds illegal to me... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Informative

    Costco did something like this. They settled in a class action suit. A source.

  5. Story has been updated; companies now deny this by BBTaeKwonDo · · Score: 4, Informative

    http://www.pcpro.co.uk/news/security/363322/updated-antivirus-firms-short-changing-customers says, "The two firms have now denied the claims"...