Norton

I was running McAfee SW on Windows 7 that came with my Lenovo computer and it was starting to become sluggish after two years. I have been working on writing a book and was storing my files there. A few weeks ago I was getting to the point where I was engaging in tedious research and someone had suggested that I make a backup copy of all my work, particularly the interviews and sessions I had been recording for more than a year. During my online search for a new PC, I was also investigating anti-virus and Malware SW. I had great experiences with Symantec years ago, so after carefully avoiding bogus websites, I downloaded the trial version of Norton360 and for the first few hours, i felt confident. I was in the middle of typing a paragraph into Office Word when popup advertisements began to appear on my screen. A message came on from Norton360 saying that my comter was under attack. I sat back and watched as it abruptly brought up Internet Explorer and took me through a series of websites I had never seen before. As I tried to regain control of my mouse cursor, it brought me to "Bing". As soon as I was able to regain control of my notebook, I immediately checked my files to make sure everything was intact and then I dialed the number for Norton360 support but I couldn't get through. As I began to search through Internet Explorer, the performance was so bad that I first went to Google Chrome and then to Opera. After a series of virus threats, I contacted a friend of mine who came over an hour later with a spare notebook, ready to copy any important files, but this was impossible, By then, I could only get through in Safe Mode and although I had full control over my notebook, I could not copy anything from my computer as Norton360 would not allow that. My friend tweaked the settings on Norton360, but it made no difference. It began listing programs that were incompatible with Windows 7 and suggesting that they were causing the problem and that I needed to delete a page of temporary files. I hesitated at first but agreed. I was prompted to restart my computer and when I did, Norton360 was gone and so were several programs. I was directed to get a removal tool and strip away all Symantec SW, my friend told me not to do that, so after again making unsuccessful attemtpts to reach someone at Symantec, I sent an email. I turned my PC off and left for work. When I came home, my PC was running, Norton360 was still running in the background and my files were flashing on the screen. I was getting warning messages about a major malfunction on my notebook from Microsoft and Lenonvo. Norton360 was communicating with a phantom wireless router in my area that I could not locate with my IPhone. I checked Event Viewer, finding a series of folders had been created with 15 Microsoft files containing 50, 000+ entries during a 6-hour period. Information was polled through Norton360 apparently by the phantom wireless router. I was finally able to contact Symantec and explained only some of the problems I was having and was told that i needed to remove all "Symantec SW from my notebook. This process took about a half hour. It was finally all off my computer. And when my computer restarted all I got was the Black Screen of Death. I was so upset when Symantec could not tell me what was happening, that I excused myself politely and dropped the call. Nothing happened until I restarted my computer three times. Then a warning came on from Microsoft saying that Windows 7 had recovered from a a major attack. It took about an hour before my notebook came back in safe mode. All my files and data appear to be gone. I am sitting here trembling in disbelief. I spent 20 years designing complex multimedia networks including tmanaging the design of Communications and Tracking System for the space station program and international networks for MCI WorldCom clients. I had been the first and only regional technical specialist for SynOptics, handling complex troubleshooting assignments for clients like GE, Liberty Mutual, Pfizer and other global corporations. If there is anyone who has wintessed many of these types of events, it was me, and there was a time when I stood up to software vendors and said I wasn't going to take these types of problems anymore. Soon after, there was security in enough layers of the ISO OSI stack and other changes to program apps that made the deletion of files virtually impossible. About 10 years ago, I left the industry and began working in other fields of endeavor. After this incident, I find it disgusting that a program like Norton360 and the removal tool can irrevocably wipe out all user data from a hard drive. I haven't seen anything like that happen since 1993.

The license key for my Norton Utilities 14.5 will no longer activate my copy of the program when I once again install the program on my computer rebuilt with a new hard-disk.

Sivachandran K: Norton Utilities 14.5 is a sunset product and the Activation server with it is shutdown so the product activation will not work.
Clinton: You confirm that Norton is canceling perpetual license that it sold to customers?
Sivachandran K: We didnt cancel it since the server is shutdown the activation will not work.
Clinton: I very strongly interpret that you are saying my "perpetual license" can not be used to activate the product installed on my computer. Thus my licensed software will function will be limited to less that my perpetual license entitles me.
Sivachandran K: Since its an unsupported product we will not be able to help you with this Activation issue, Please check with Norton Community Forums for further assistance.

Bharath: You have purchased Norton utilities 14.5 which does not has support & its an older product.
Bharath: We support version 15 & 16 which provides excellent features.
Clint: Norton Utilities has a perpetual license!
Bharath: If you install version 14.5, only limited features will work.
Bharath: Yes.
Bharath: But no support for this version.
Clint: I should be able to use the product until... Symantec is out-of-business and turns off the "activation server".
Bharath: Yes. That true.
Clint: I don't want support. I have a licensed product and simply want to use it. Is the definition of support - "using the product"?
Bharath: But No product support for version 14.5.
Bharath: If you install version 14.5, only limited features will work.

I am told that Norton Utilities 14.5 is old enough that technical support is no longer offered. All versions of Norton Utilities will eventually not be supported. So eventually a perpetual license holder will not be able to excercise use of the license and thus the license is in reality not perpetual. Symantec has not spelled this out and so is not honoring the perpetual licenses that it sells.

Clinton: Is my Norton Utilities 14.5 having a perpetual license?
Clinton: ?
Sivachandran K: Norton Utilities comes with perpetual license
Clinton: Does that mean that I am licensed to use the product for how long?
Sivachandran K: If the product is already activated, it will be working without any issues
Clinton: ? I thought that would be an easy question to answer.
Sivachandran K: Since you are trying to activate it now, you are having this issue
Clinton: You will tell me how long I am licensed to used the product please.
Sivachandran K: There is no expiry for the product if its activated already.
Clinton: Is there a difference in installing/activating the product 3 years ago and then again installing on the same computer with a new hard-disk today?
Sivachandran K: I am sorry sir since its unsupported, I will not be able to assist you with this issue.

So Symantec will not terminate the use an installed copy of Norton Utilities after Symantec terminates product support. But, Symantec will not allow the software to be reinstalled if activation is required, like re-installing after rebuilding a computer with a new hard-disk.

I used the special offer on the website www.safeweb.norton.com. I downloaded and paid for the package of the software, which would help me to keep my computer safe. Unfortunately, this package harmed my computer and I needed to repair it. When I contacted the moderators and asked to return money and explained situation, they refused to refund and stopped to communicate with me. Please leave comments about this website, because people should be aware when they deal with such irresponsible people.

l got in touch with norton engineers to help with my email problem..it kept coming up with a fault..after a month going back and forth to different engineers l was told it was my laptop and to get a new one!..l got so sick of the run around that l took it to a company in town..they fixed it almost right away!..this after l had paid norton £79 or there about..they promise 100% satisfaction or money back...one other thing..l had to wait for ages when l was told l would be contacted in 10 to 15mins..the last time was 2 and a half hours..l now have paid twice for my laptop to be mended..l am not satisfied and want my £79 reinbursted...please help..mo marshall

Geachte,
Zonder van iets te weten, werd er via mijn masterkaart 64, 99 € afgehouden.
Graag zou ik zo spoedig mogelijk enige uitleg willen ontvangen van deze voor
mij eigenaardige praktijk van handelen.
rony.[protected]@gmail.com
Rony Wijckaert
Vande Vennestraat 2
8550 Zwevegem
[protected]

I got charged twice for this renewal.
24.04.2013 CHF 49.90
09.05.2013 CHF 49.[protected]
Please refund me with to too much charged amount of CHF 49.90
Thanks for a good service..

Conrad Schneebeli / coni.[protected]@hispeed.ch

As per my VISA statement dated February 14, 2013 a deduction of $78.39 covering Norton Annual Renewal [protected] ON was completed.
I have since received a notice to an old unused email address([protected]@telus.net) stating Norton Internet Security coverage expires May 8, 2013 and my credit card will be charged automatically for one year protection CAD 69.99(plus applicable VAT)
I do not wish to see another deduction from my VISA account.
This notice was sent by Symantec([protected]@symantec.rsys2.com)
Sandra A. Bailey
[protected]@telus.net

I recieved a notice of renewal and about ten days I recieved another notice of renewal or loose my coverage. Thinking something did not go thru I renewed again, and was billed for both charged on my visa credit card. I would greatly appreciate it if you would refund one of the charges as soon as possible. Thank you in advance for your prompt service. Sharon brock

Dr. Fishman seriously injured my daughter with medications for Lyme Disease that nearly killed her. He overtly lied to other doctors who called him to ask him about her treatment, lied to my daughter when she asked if the medication that he was giving her at nine times the normal dosage for a period of 3 years along with a concoction of ill-defined "herbal supplements" could have led to her development of a serious reaction and why Clindomycin was prescribed in addition to Rifampin (which amplifies the effects of other antibiotics) all in dosages unheard of in the annals of the PDR could have been the cause of her developing C. Difficile colitis that took more than one year for her to regain her basic health. He is a liar who will protect his own skin without regard to the patient's best interest! Once she went back to mainstream medicine and dropped Dr. Fishman's insane levels of antibiotics she was able to start healing again. She did not need the antibiotics and witchcraft supplements that he was poisoning her with. Yet we were led to believe that if she stopped those high-powered medicines that she would suffer a terrible relapse from "Lyme" disease again. He lied over and over again to us, to her, to her doctors, to the doctors in the Emergency Room that she visited over and over again as she got sicker and sicker on his poisons. His form of medicine is dangerous. Like a monster, he lied to other physicians to save his own skin -- and all at the cost of my daughter's health. He is a dangerous physician and should be carefully monitored. As an adult, you can choose your own medicine. But, PLEASE be careful NOT to entrust a child to this physician or his medical practice. Beware! He is dangerous!

I have a 79.00 + charge on my credit card to Norton Protection that I did not authorize . please investigate this problem for me.

I am so angry that Norton internet have ripped me off. They renewed my security and by the time I realised I had no security and I could not download it they charged me £13.50 for nothing, How many people have they done this to I wonder what a rip off. Hoping to get my money back in two weeks! Cancel before they renew, or even better dont go there in the first instance.

I purchased a three year protection plan (order confirmation number NP153547881) on December 2, 2012 for $165.45. The next day I got another e-mail stating that my automatic renewal had taken place for $85.39 (transaction number AP53668426). Please credit my credit card account with the $85.39 and cancel the automatic renewal. I still want to keep the three year protection plan.

[protected] calls are from Norton Finance.
Address: Norton House, Mansfield Road, Rotherham, South Yorkshire S60 2EB Tel: [protected]
It's the 'trading style' of:
Norton Financial Services Limited - Company Registration Number: 1703503 - CCL Number: 142718

They contacted me a year ago after receiving a fraudulent enquiry alleging to be from me.
When I explained they told me they'd remove all my information from their system and that I wouldn't be contacted again.

Today they phoned saying that they were contacting people who'd enquired about a loan some time ago blah, blah blah...

So much for their promise to remove my details from their system - details which were provided by a malicious 3rd party, as I'd never made an enquiry in the first place.

If they can’t be trusted to do a simple, ethical thing like carrying out their promise to cease contacting someone, why should anyone assume that they have any honesty or integrity in other areas?
You could call it the 'net66 syndrome'.

Purchased the product from a computer store and when I installed it, it automatically deleted a bunch of programs on my computer. During the process it told me I needed to delete the current anti-virus installed so I did. Now I have no protection and it can't install the Norton software either. I called the tech help line (who barley spoke English) and they downloaded a spy ware search tool that found over 700 problems on the computer? I was a bit skeptical but when they then told me not to worry because their senior technicians could help me out for only $300 now I knew I was in trouble. After 20 minutes of arguing with the technician (apparently not a SENIOR Technician) that there information said it came with free support, (limited I guess to technicians who don't know how to fix things) and that all I wanted them to do was get my computer back to the status that it was in before I loaded their product, I was told they could not help me. The product even blocked me from being able to go back into the administrative files section of the control panel to try to set it back to a previous status. I am pretty sure I can fix it all back with lots of hours spent reloading things but I sure wanted to sent out a BUYER BEWARE notice. This product is NOT what they say it is. If you have a perfectly clean computer brand new maybe it works? Also, I went to the Microsoft web site and downloaded a spy ware, virus detection program with found a total of 7 issues, mostly ad-ware, no virus. I am having a hard time believing that the product Norton downloaded and found over 700 issues is that much better than the Microsoft product. I would steer clear of Norton 360 anti virus software and warn all my friends about it too.

I got an e-mail for my Norton Internet Security saying that my subscription had been automatically renewed. I did not remember signing up for this (I don’t do auto drafts for anything) and I knew that I still had time before the previous subscription ran out. I checked my Norton Account and it had an alert that the credit card I used (my VISA debit) had expired. The money had already come out of my bank account but I couldn’t figure out how they used my expired card to pay for this!

Norton, who has outsourced their jobs, could not explain any of this to me or even tell me the date I signed up for Auto Renewal. I called the bank and they said someone sent my card through and it was denied several times before it was approved. From their end, it looked like someone was hitting number combinations for the expiration date until they got the right one! I confronted Norton and they said banks do automatic updates on debits (my bank doesn’t).

I demanded my money back(which was refunded that day) and told them I am paying them to protect me while they are robbing me blind. I am filing complaints on them wherever I can. If they are going to outsource jobs, they ought to at least train their people on United States laws.

Unauthorized credit card charges.
I don't use Norton software, yet they insist I have "an account" with them.
The only experience I have with Symantec product is when I remove it along with the other per-installed bloatware on Dell computers.