Subscription Renewal Issue

[kentcoast]

This was meant to be a question, but I'm afraid it's going to be a bit of a rant as well...

Been a reasonably happy McAfee user for many years, professionally and personally but I've been both surprised and puzzled by the current experience:

My AV subscription expired on 8th Jan and I went to renew. Taken to the renewal page - all looks good. At the bottom of the page, clear as day, are the words "We accept" with icons for all the usual suspects, including PayPal. Great!, with all the recent security breaches from household name large companies, I'm trying hard to reduce my online card usage (as a security company, I'm sure you'll agree that that is a good idea).

So far so good. But then it starts going pear-shaped. After filling out the form, the payment page will only accept visa or m/c and that's not going to happen (although the paypal logo is still shown).

So, next I go to contact support. I submit a request which is acknowledged by email (ref KFV-799630 if someone is able to x-ref) with a promise to respond within 2 business days. Today, 7 days later, I've heard nothing.

So today, I go back to the support page and this time try chat. Again I fill out a form, and then, rather then a normal webchat, I'm asked to download a .exe file and run it. What...? Have I stumbled into some strange reality where one of the world's leading IT security companies is telling consumers that it's cool to download and run unknown executables without any explanation? I have no doubt that it's safe but think for a moment about the message you're sending there... I can understand the benefit of using remote control software to help but how about some explanation or assessment of need first - it was wasted anyway, I was using an enterprise machine and there's no way that would have got through the gateway even if I'd clicked OK.

Next, facebook. Click on support and try to send the message - you want me to do what? Install a facebook app that I've never heard of (Getsatisfaction)? Reluctantly I did, but it didn't work and was immediately removed (firewall again probably stopping us from doing stoopid stuff like that)

Finally here, the forum. Here, after all the previous bad practice, we go from one extreme to the other. Register and confirm email - good. But then require a ridiculously complex password (>7 chars AND Uppercase AND Lowercase AND Numbers AND punctuation) - have you not heard that forcing people to use passwords that they have to write down is no longer considered good practice? This is then followed by the most difficult Captcha implementation I've ever seen. After everything that has gone before, a little bit of double standards?

OK, thanks for letting me get that off my chest.

Back to the original question. How do I renew my subscription by paypal?

[Peacekeeper]

I would call customer service. Email form well not the fastest way and chat should be ok  though I do se your point re the exe. Though had it already installed.

Ok confirmed what you said the web page has paypal but inside the ordering area only visa and mastercard.

I am on chat and will ask your question. Actually they asked me to call a 1800 number as chatting was hard for them to answer me. So I redid the purchase order and the option is now there. Strange If you still having an issue calling customer service best way.

Did this a 3rd time and no paypal see below

PS fake phone number  I will pass this up the line as well as your comments please call customer service better you do it.

Message was edited by: Peacekeeper on 15/01/14 7:59:55 PM

Message was edited by: Peacekeeper on 15/01/14 8:07:59 PM

[tromine]

Kentcoast,

Thanks for venting.  This helps us spot areas potentially in need of improvement.  I've forwarded to the correct Product Managers in charge of the web experience and renewal flow. 

If you're still having trouble after contacting Support, contact me directly and we'll get it taken care of.

[selvan]

Hi kentcoast,

Kindly post the Service Request number that you received from the Support Representative. This will helps us to analyse what exactly happened from Support end. The reference number you posted seems to be different from the usual Service Request number.

Regards

[Pritish]

Hi Kentcoast,

Please let us know if you were successful in renewing the McAfee Software using your Paypal account.

Regards

Pritish P.

[kentcoast]

Hi Pritish,

Tried again last week - still no option to pay by anything other than visa or M/C. The cynical part of me suspects that this may be due to McAfee wanting to lead users into the new opt-out subscription model.

I then got a promo email for Live-Safe with an attractive price and thought I'd give that a go this year - trying to buy that online was an even worse experience - I would be asked to login to complete the purchase - and that took me to a dead-end page telling me that I had no current subscriptions with no way to navigate away other than by the back button on the browser.

At that point I gave up, I've spent too much time on this. I reluctantly purchased a competing product.

The experience has been surprising - I am a large enterprise (government) customer and the professional service I've had from that side of the McAfee business has never been anything but first class. For probity reasons I choose not to take advantage of that relationship and keep my consumer software purchases completely seperate and it's interesting to see how different the two experiences have been.

No hard feelings, It's still my preferred AV suite (once some of the bloat is turned off ) But you really need to lift your game a bit on the consumer side.

[Pritish]

Hi Kentcoast,

We are really sorry for the inconvenience caused. We appreciate your patience and we also respect the decision that you have taken to purchase a competing software.

If you want to renew your software in the future please send us the e-mail address registered with McAfee in a Personal Message with your contact number, preferred time to reach after 20th, February and the Time zone in your place.

Please do not post any of the above information on the thread. Please send me a Private message with the above information and we will help you renew the software for you and then call you, if needed for further information.

Regards

Pritish P.

Message was edited by: Pritish on 18/02/14 07:41:49 CST

[kentcoast]

Hi there,

This doesn't seem to have been fixed

Just over a month ago I purchased a new Dell notebook so got the current Livesafe subscription offer this morning and, as I'm a glutton for punishment and still prefer the McAfee product, I thought I'd have another go.

It's not changed - the payment page still shows a 'we accept paypal' logo but the payment form will only allow visa or m/c

I've just come off the a long phone call with support (I have the reference number if needed) the outcome after a lot of hold time while the agent spoke to his 'resource' was "we don't know what's going on - you'll have to pay by visa"

I was very polite, but may have used the word 'misrepresentation' and am certainly thinking that a letter to the ACCC may be in order.

I like the product, I want to give you money. Why are you making it so difficult for me?

[catdaddy]

,

                  Kindly post the Service Request number, and quite possibly our Forum Tech 2.5 can read through

what has been done thus far.

                   You may wish to follow up with this thread Suggestion as well

Regards,

Catdaddy

McAfee Volunteer Moderator

Consumer Products

[catdaddy]

I might add in addition. It is quite simple to call Customer Service and pay over the Phone. They will give a CS Receipt # associated with your purchase, In addition you will receive one through your email.

Then all is needed is to go to your account and Download/Install. Make certain you have no other (Active Protection) Pre-installed/Running and you are up to date and current with all of your Windows Updates,to include Internet Explorer,for McAfee and other important programs rely on it to function properly.