Alas it seems Slider51 (he's the guy I mentioned previously) has learnt the hard way that not doing research on a company before using them, is a bad idea.
After spending 90 minutes on the phone to CyberDefender to get his money back, he's been told they will only refund less than half of it, as their money back guarantee apparently only covers their software (you know, the software they NEVER USED TO BEGIN WITH), and doesn't apparently support their "technical support" connecting to his computer, to fix the problem using someone else's software. How lovely.
See Slider51's full details at;
http://icrontic.com/forum/showpost.php?p=678825&postcount=17
What CyberDefender obviously fail to note, is that Slider51 is fully within his rights to contact his credit card company and ask them to do a charge back - something I am hoping he'll do, and there is bugger all CyberDefender can do about it.
Lessons to learn?
1. NEVER use CyberDefender
2. ALWAYS do research on a company before using them (little hint, if they're listed in hpHosts - avoid them like the plague they are)
3. If a program will ONLY scan for free, but requires you to pay them to fix/remove something - AVOID IT!
A lesson CyberDefender should learn however, is that whilst they continue with these extremely bad and scammy practices, there will be people like me watching them - ready to publicize it in the hopes it will prevent someone else being scammed by them.
If only CastleCops hadn't shut down, or the WayBack Machine had kept an archive of the thread on CD.
References:
Rogue company, CyberDefender, uses MBAM to clean infections
http://hphosts.blogspot.com/2009/03/rogue-company-cyberdefender-uses-mbam.html
CyberDefender: Early Deceit
http://mysteryfcm.co.uk/?mode=Articles&date=17-04-2007
CyberDefender and it’s adverts!
http://www.securitycadets.com/2007/05/cyberdefender-and-its-adverts/
Monday 30 March 2009
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8 comments:
This sounds strange. I originally got the Cyberdefender free scanner which cleans Trojans and spyware for free, but you got to pay for the upgrade for virus. So I used it for checking. Eventually I got a virus - a bad one called virtumondo, and bought the upgrade. Since then no problems. Cyberdefender caught a few trojans and one more virus attack, and it worked great. The upgrade I got includes 24/7 computer help and the support is great. So, I hope this helps, it is just my informal review of my Cyberdefender experience.
to call an indian a savage[RED DOT] is rong, a more appripoe term mite b "THUGGY", and yeah i choked,i think these thuggs sent the stuff what killed my dell dimension........then they loose all my em's[6 or 7 years worth.W.T.F>
this must be one of those hate crimes!i hate it,and it's a crime that they can get away with the $$$$$$$$$$$$$,,,,,,,,,,when they were ,,,,,i mean the problem i had w/the comp.was much easeier to live with than the finger,hoof,foot,slime trail/tracks that those *&%#@(&*^%$$#^ left...............
They have ripped off my mom for almost $500. She has dementia and only plays solitaire and uses e-mail. I have tried to delete her account and they refuse. She and other like her are targets for this company.
I purchased cyberdefender and cyberdefender registry cleaner a couple of weeks ago because AVG was driving me crazy with the slow poke startup scans. I have never been without virus protection so I thought cyberprotector might be a good deal. Installed and registered the software which claims to provide 24 hour support. Right away, I did a scan and it tells me everything is fine. Now when I start up my laptop, a window “cyberdefender antispyware 2010″ jumps up on my screen and tells me that I have 64 infections from an “automatic scan” it does at start up. I select “Fix it” and it links me to the cyberdefender web page which asks me to purchase the software I’ve already purchased. I go back to to the 64 infection window and select the only other option: “ACTIVATE NOW” I enter my activation key and it tells me it’s the wrong activation key (it’s the correct activation key, I copy pasted it). I manage to shut down the 64 infection window and the next time this happens, I compare names: the 64 infections window is called “cyberdefender antispyware 2010″ If I do a manual scan with cyberdefender, it turns up no infections but the name of that software appears to be different : “cyberdefender internet security”. It occurs to me that the 64 infections window is nothing but an ad and go to “remove programs” in my control panel. there I find THREE CYBERDEFENDER items when I had only purchased TWO: 1) cyberdefender registry cleaner (blue logo), purchased; 2) cyberdefender internet security (red logo), purchased; and 3) cyberdefender antispyware 2010 (red logo) which is the 64 infection window and was not purchased. I decide to remove the 64 infection software which I believe is an ad. It won’t let me!!!!
So I call cyberdefender to take advantage of the 24 hour tech support that purportedly came with my purchase of the software and I’m told that for and extra $229 US (!!!!) a technician will help me get rid of the “infection”. The reason? One of my so called infections is “preventing a real scan of my system” and is also “preventing my entering the registration key”. Well, I managed to enter the registration key in the two items I did purchase so now my bullshit detector is going off like crazy and it occurs to me that maybe I’ve been scammed. This sounds an awful lot like a protection racket "Pay us $300 and nothing will happen to your PC little lady". Nor was the kid I was speaking to polite about it!
I thank him kindly and hang up. I’ll take the laptop in to my local tech store to make sure and ask them to de-install this mess. DO NOT BUY THIS PRODUCT. DO NOT INSTALL THIS PRODUCT (it’s counter-productive and you’ll never get rid of it)
Save yourself time, money and frustration: Don't go near these guys. Initial session conducted with people in Los Angeles and things were fixed...temporarily. Subsequent "sessions" worthless. When you call, you reach the Philippines, which I've done 6 times now. They politely take the information, initiate a "takeover" on your PC screen, then "transfer" the session to "another technician" whom I've yet to get online to fix the problem. Once I was left hanging for 8 hours before I gave up in frustration, then today for five before I quit. I give up. I just ordered a new PC. To hell with these clowns.
i suspect cyber ofender of giving my machine the sickness that killed my little dell.[through my brother fax/scanner/copier]i lost about 6 years of email files & addresses.]plus over $100.00.think microsoft can help?[i found they had been searching my employers wireless router,for what i do not know
After purchasing Cyberdefender in August2010 and 1 extra program (Total $69.69) I installed it and then had a tech on the phone in which he told me it would cost an additional $300 to fix it. I quickly cancelled and did receive a refund. This August, 2011 they had the adacity to take another $39.98 out of my checking account after I cancelled it. I'm so mad I could spit nails.
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