×
cancel
Showing results for 
Show  only  | Search instead for 
Did you mean: 
fairplay
Former Member
Message 1 of 19

McAfee sells software but does not install/reply to complaint

1) On Jan 23, 2011, I purchased two new Sony laptops that came preloaded with 60 day trial McAfee Internet Security

2) As I was setting up my machine yesterday morning, Jan 24, 2001,  McAfee flashed an option to purchase Total Protection (3 users) for GBP 44.95 - a discount of 20 pounds.

3) I paid up and received a confirmation email with order number.

4) I followed instructions for install and verification. My account on McAfee showed the invoice number and purchase made.

5) However, laptop still kept showing 60 day trial for McAfee Internet Security

6) In desperation I installed McAfee technician - it was rubbish finding no fault.

😎 I contacted McAfee through online chat a few times. Its a dud - it just loops back to the original screen offering online chat email/help.  It ended up generating a few automated emails stating that my complaint was registered.  But there has been no follow up.

9) Today I noticed that in my account on McAfee the purchase details which were there yesterday simply disappeared!  So apart from my credit card showing that I paid the 44.95 GBP to McAfee there is no other record anymore

10) Bottom line: McAfee took the money, I followed the install/verification instructions to no avail, tried the chat/email option and realised it is just a dud that takes you on a round trip back to the original screen, and have emails confirming my transaction and my complaints. But no response and no acknowledgement.


The funny thing is last year I purchased a Sony laptop with exactly the same results!  It was a dog to to get "the paid for" software installed.  It took days and days and days.  Nightmare.  Even now despite the fact that 3 machines should have paid for software active until July 2011, the account is all misleading.


So I will probably end up writing to Sony to go with a better internet security solutuion than McAfee.


Bottom line: either McAfee do this deliberately, in which case it really is online fraud, or they cant be bothered to put up a proper process for upgrading from trial versions to full subscriptions. And of course they know very well that there is no real online chat or email help (the email option cant even be chosen), so they just take you round and bring you back to step 1.  Maybe McAfee can answer and tell us which one it is.


And I thought McAfee was a company supposed to make your life easier.  What nuisance.


I suppose I have to uninstall and find another solution while trying to get my money back!  I suppose that is going to be hard and I wonder how many just give up.....good business for McAfee, awful for the consumer.

The market is open for a customer friendly internet security solution. 

18 Replies
Dinz
Former Member
Message 2 of 19

Re: McAfee sells software but does not install/reply to complaint

I understand your frustration & I would feel the same way myself.  I see that your McAfee account is active, which has Total protection subscribed until 07/04/2012. Please provide us with some of the below information so as we could help you in getting things accomplished.

What is the operating system of the computer ?
How is the computer conencted to internet (dsl/wireless/cable) ?
Please logon to
http://uk.mcafee.com/root/login.asp  and let us know if you are able to view the products you subscribed for.  (If you dont remember the password for your McAfee account please use Forgot my password option)

kindly get back to us with the above information so as we could help you in getting this installed to your machine.

fairplay
Former Member
Message 3 of 19

Re: McAfee sells software but does not install/reply to complaint

I am afraid your answer reveals the problem:


1) The subscription that expires on 04 July 2012 is already paid for and 3 machines under the 3 user license were already using it (though one was stolen last week and reported to the police). Surely you are not gong to cancel this either eh?  ITS PAID FOR!  IT has nothing to do with the issue below (though it was the same problem last year when I went from trial version to subcribed version).

THE CURRENT ISSUE:

2) I purchased two NEW laptops on Jan 23, 2011. They came preloaded with 60 day trial versions of McAfee Internet Secutity. McAfee itself flashed a screen offering an upgrate to a 3 user license for Total Protection for GBP 44.95.

=>I PAID UP.

=> YOU SENT A CONFIRMATION WITH ORDER NUMBER.

=>IT SHOWED UP IN MY ACCOUNT.

=>BUT I COULD NOT MANAGE TO INSTALL OR VERIFY.

=>I TRIED TO CONTACT YOU GUYS THROUGH CHAT/EMAIL.

=>BUT THAT IS A DUD AND A FAKE. EMAIL CANNOT BE SELECTED. CHAT SEND YOU BACK TO ORIGINAL PAGE.

=>BUT YOU MUST HAVE DONE SOMETHING BECAUSE TODAY YOU REMOVED THE PURCHASE INFORMATION FROM MY ACCOUNT.

=>I HAVE SENT YOU A CHAT MESSAGE WITH THE ORDER NUMBER. WHO WILL ANSWER THIS? 

=>MY GUESS IS IT GOES INTO THE BIN, OR YOU WAIT UNTIL A REALLY PERSISTENT CONSUMER CANNOT BE IGNORED ANY LONGER. THE REST PROBABLY CUT THEIR LOSSES AND REALISE ITS THE SAME AS BEING MUGGED ON THE STREET.

BOTTOM LINE:

SO YOU HAVE TAKEN THE MONEY, YOU KNOW THE ORDER NUMBER, BUT YOU ARE UNREACHABLE. I AM SURE YOU WILL SOON REMOVE THIS MESSAGE FROM THIS FORUM AS WELL.

Who did you hire to program your upgrade from trial to full subcription? Did they have any knowledge of programming, or testing what they program? It has now happened with each upgrade from trial to full subcription.  Does not fill me with confidence in your product does it.

I wasted 3 days last time, already 2 days are wasted this time. Awful.

ANSWERS TO YOUR QUESTIONS:

a) MACHINES ARE WINDOWS 7 ULTIMATE, and AND WINDOWS 7 PROFESSIONAL

b) CONNECT TO BROADBAND THROUGH WIRELESS ROUTER

What is the relevance? Is it that 64 bit does not work? You cant handle wireless routers? What?

Message was edited by: fairplay on 25/01/11 12:49:54 CST

Message was edited by: fairplay on 25/01/11 12:50:52 CST

Message was edited by: fairplay on 25/01/11 12:54:43 CST

Message was edited by: fairplay on 25/01/11 12:56:08 CST
fairplay
Former Member
Message 4 of 19

Re: McAfee sells software but does not install/reply to complaint

I  have figured out what your genuises at McAfee did:


1) I have an old 3 user license - being used on 3 machines - for McAfee Total Security unitl July 04, 2011

2) When I purchased two new machines on Jan 23, 2011, and upgraded from trial to full subcription your genuises did the following:


They extended the subscription on the existing licenses by 1 year!  And they refused to install proper software on my new machines.


Genius isn't it? Who programmed this up?


You guys are supposed to protect your clients from internet threats? Jesus - you don't even check what you program.

exbrit
MVP
MVP
Message 5 of 19

Re: McAfee sells software but does not install/reply to complaint

fairplay, it doesn't encourage us to help with all those accusations flying in your very first post.

You have free phone access to Customer Service where any online account discrepancies can be sorted out, they can't be sorted out here - see the link under Useful Links above at the top of this page.

Alternatively you can contact them via online chat.  Email is also possible but not recommended due to it taking the longest to sort things out.  They will be glad to refund any overcharging.

Open 0900 - 1800 Mon - Fri.

That said it may be simply the need to uninstall the old suite, run the MCPR cleanup tool, also linked under the Useful Links, reboot and then re-download and install from the online account.

Any Technical hitches can be dealt with by Technical Support online chat, also linked under Useful Links above.  Again I recommend against using the email option as it takes a long time.

That service is open 24/7 and is free.

Message was edited by: Ex_Brit on 25/01/11 8:52:04 EST PM
fairplay
Former Member
Message 6 of 19

Re: McAfee sells software but does not install/reply to complaint

Hi EX_Brit.


Thank you for replying. I have one question -  are the users or mods here just here in an amateur capacity, or do some have a commercial relationship with McAfee? It would be helpful to know.


Thanks for the answers you have tried to give - but it is clear you have not read my posts. All the avenues you suggest have been tried without success - save for the last, which will not work because of the reasons described above.  Now there occurs the worrying thought that the denial of basic facts, as I experienced them, have more to do with preserving a certain McAfee image than solving my specific issue. I even figured out what the problem is and described it in my last post.  There is no comment from anyone.  Chat does does not work.  If somebody from McAfee would contact me I would take them over the so called CHAT to show that you first have to type all your information, then describe the problem, then press the CHAT button.  The CHAT button simply loops you back to the original help pages. And you start all over again. But it does seem to generate an automated response by email with the text you entered describing your problem and a service number. There have been a few that have been generated with no response from McAfee.


This is the reason I came to the forum, and now you are telling me to go back to this again. How does that help?



fairplay, it doesn't encourage us to help with all those accusations flying in your very first post.

You have free phone access to Customer Service where any online account discrepancies can be sorted out, they can't be sorted out here - see the link under Useful Links above at the top of this page.


=> I will try if they will pick up

Alternatively you can contact them via online chat.


=> I tried several times - I have described this many times. Its a dud and loops you back to the initial page.


Email is also possible but not recommended due to it taking the longest to sort things out


.=> The attempt to chat generates an automated email from McAfee as acknowledgement, but nothing happens. At any rate you cannot choose the email option. The radio button is there but enabled only for chat.


They will be glad to refund any overcharging.


=> They are non-contactable for reasons I keep describing here again and again.

Open 0900 - 1800 Mon - Fri.

That said it may be simply the need to uninstall the old suite, run the MCPR cleanup tool, also linked under the Useful Links, reboot and then re-download and install from the online account.


=> It will not work for reasons described in my old thread. The have taken my money, taken the new order, and now removed it from the account. Instead they seem to have merged this with an existing liscense for 3 other users/machines.  They have extended these by 1 year for reasons known to them.  So doing this will just remove even the trial version, and there is no install available on the online account anymore for this particular order - because this particular order has disappeared.  The only option remaining would be to pay yet again for a new license, or leave the laptops unprotected.  But buying yet more new subcriptions for new PCs will generate a new order number each time, for which money will be taken, but all that will happen is that existing licenses will be extended by another year. Say I purchased a new license for 3 more users. What will happen is that McAfee will end up extending the license by 1 year on the old orders - and refuse to provide installation on the new machines. If I did this a 100 times it will end up extending existing licenses by 100 years (36,500 calendar days) rather than install 1 year subcriptions (365 days) on 100 new machines.


Any Technical hitches can be dealt with by Technical Support online chat, also linked under Useful Links above.


=> Tried that, it does not work as described many times here.


Again I recommend against using the email option as it takes a long time.


=> Email is not available anyway, radio button is not even enabled, only chat is. But chat does not work.

That service is open 24/7 and is free.


=> I am afraid that is incorrect. Ostensibly it is available - so it is claimed - but when you try it you realise it has been looped back to starting page. All it does is end up generating an automated response to you saying that your problem has been logged.

ALL I see from the response is a defensive attitude and no specific attempt to resolve the problem. I can understand this if you are a McAfee enuthusiast, who does not receive any money from McAfee or related companies for any services performed, and are unhappy to see my putting this up here. But I have no vested interest but to try and get my issue resolved.  I have explored all avenues you suggest - in fact I have mentioned from the start they dont work. This is the reason I came here.  If you paid for by McAfee in anyway can you kindly suggest a real way McAfee can be reached to address the problem.

exbrit
MVP
MVP
Message 7 of 19

Re: McAfee sells software but does not install/reply to complaint

We all all volunteers here and can if need be try to liaise with McAfee on issues.

Sorry if I didn't quite understand what went on but I have to speed read I'm afraid as I'm dealing with so many people and all that bold type doesn't help,  and ultra long posts don't help me get what's happening as I simply don't have time to read them word for word.

If the online chat isn't working it could be your browser settings,  Try using IE8 at default settings and turn off all pop-up blockers except the one in the browser itself.

Default settings are reached by going to Tools/Internet Options/Advanced and clicking Reset, Apply and OK.  Restart IE and go to Tools/Manage Add-ons and re-ebale any add-ons you are using.

It actually doesn't matter what browser you are using but as McAfee used IE for everything, it's important that it works at default settings.

Disable any registry cleaners you may have as they are the cause of many problems as they remove more than they are supposed to - guaranteed.

Customer Service will answer their phone, the number for which is toll-free, and you could ask them to have a Technical Support rep call you as you can't get through via Chat.

If your software doesn't install then there's something wrong with the system or what's on the system. Could be malware, try running Malwarebytes Free after updating it, it's a good one for catching the rather strange things out there.

Could be existing software is blocking the installer, so remove any current antivirus that may be installed, or as I said earlier, could be simply because IE isn't at its default settings.

By the way, IE9 is not yet compatible.


Message was edited by: Ex_Brit on 31/01/11 11:50:40 EST AM
fairplay
Former Member
Message 8 of 19

Re: McAfee sells software but does not install/reply to complaint

Hi Ex Brit


Many thanks for your answer - it's helpful.

We all all volunteers here and can if need be try to liaise with McAfee on issues.

=> that is appreciated.

Sorry if I didn'r quite understand what went on but I have to speed read I'm afraid as I'm dealing with so many people and all that bold type doesn't help,  and ultra long posts don't help me get what's happening as I simply don't have time to read them word for word.

=> appreciated

If the online chat isn't working it could be your browser settings,  Try using IE8 at default settings and turn off all pop-up blockers except the one in the browser itself.

=> Will try. Google chrome was what I used

Default settings are reached by going to Tools/Internet Options/Advanced and clicking Reset, Apply and OK.  Restart IE and go to Tools/Manage Add-ons and re-ebale any add-ons you are using.

=> Not a fan of IE but will try using that in this manner.

It actually doesn't matter what browser you are using but as McAfee used IE for everything, it's important that it works at default settings.

=> Ok makes sense

Disable any registry cleaners you may have as they are the cause of many problems as they remove more than they are supposed to - guaranteed.

=> Aha, maybe that is a problem with Sony Vaio Care. Normally I quite like it.

Customer Service will answer their phone, the number for which is toll-free, and you could ask them to have a Technical Support rep call you as you can't get through via Chat.


=> Trying now, they have certainly not responded to any other attempts despite automated acknowledgements

If your software doesn't install then there's something wrong with the system or what's on the system. Could be malware, try running Malwarebytes Free after updating it, it's a good one for catching the rather strange things out there.

=> Not the case, both are spanking new high spec machines - 2 days old.

Could be existing software is blocking the installer, so remove any current antivirus that may be installed, or as I said earlier, could be simply because IE isn't at its default settings.

=> problem is that account information is incorrect on mcAfee itself.Download option is not avaiable - they erroneously extended the other licenses by 1 year.  Its like tryinh to get an MOT for 3 different but you find out you have been given an MOT certificate for 3 years for just 1 car (Im assuming as an ex Brit you know what MOT is....)


Thanks again - wish the McAfee guys were as useful. Now lets see what they tell me on the phone.

By the way, IE9 is not yet compatible.

=> Looks like Google Chrome and Mozilla are not compatible either.

exbrit
MVP
MVP
Message 9 of 19

Re: McAfee sells software but does not install/reply to complaint

Browsers will work as long as they aren't beta.

Aldrin
Former Member
Message 10 of 19

Re: McAfee sells software but does not install/reply to complaint

Fairplay, I don’t think posting back and forth with inline comments would help us to fix the issue with your computer. As Ex_Brit has mentioned earlier, we would suggest you to contact our customer service department in order to help and fix your problem ASAP.

How Many Badges Can You Collect?
Ready for a little competition? Members like you are earning badges and unlocking perks for their helpful answers. Are you? Click here to find out.

Community Help Hub

    New to the forums or need help finding your way around the forums? There's a whole hub of community resources to help you.

  • Find Forum FAQs
  • Learn How to Earn Badges
  • Ask for Help
Go to Community Help

Join the Community

    Thousands of customers use the McAfee Community for peer-to-peer and expert product support. Enjoy these benefits with a free membership:

  • Get helpful solutions from McAfee experts.
  • Stay connected to product conversations that matter to you.
  • Participate in product groups led by McAfee employees.
Join the Community
Join the Community