Norton 360

[JeffL]

I am a long time Norton user.  Today my latest subscription had 340 left.  My computer got a virus.  I called technical services.  I described the problem and was told I could try to correct the problem with instructions but that if I removed even one wrong file that could be the end of my computer.  Did I download and software recently, I was asked.  Yes, free software, over the Internet. "Oh, you should not do that! They may contain viruses."  Okay but no one from Norton ever communicated that to me previously.  "For $99 a technician will remove the virus for you."  What!!!  I thought I had protection from Norton 360.  But I had no choice.  I paid the $99 and now I am furious.  I have lost all confidence in Norton ad it's product.  I want a refund.  I want my hard-earned $99 back.  And, I spent 3+ hours on the phone while the technician removed the virus.  I am truly angry and upset!!!

[huwyngr Norton Fighter]

I'm sorry you had that experience -- if only you had come here first we could have helped you for free I feel sure.

Important question -- is your computer now clean and OK or is that your problem even after paying the $99 ?

I don't think you can expect any security program to warn you that downloads from sources you don't know may be infected -- that's basic -- and no software can catch all malware especially when it comes onto the computer "by invitation from the user" which is what happens when we download stuff or when we get a popup saying we are infected and need the XYZ Software and click on the No Thanks or [X] to close it because that can tell it to go ahead and install.

So please be patient here and help us help you if we can -- we are users like you and not Norton employees but many come here in their free time and one of them -- names in red -- may be able to help you do things that we cannot.

It would probably help to get you the best advice, would you give us some more information about your system:

What version of Windows are you using including Service Packs and whether 32 bit or 64 bit as well as the Name and Version ID of the Norton product that you are using -- Help / About is where that is, in the format of nn.nn.nn.nnn

If you have the COMCAST version of Norton 360 / Security Suite and not the normal commercial version please be sure to tell us.

If you get any error messages please give the exact wording of them as well as any other background that could be helpful.

[JeffL]

Hugh,  thank you for the reply.  My computer is running properly now but the $99 fee has me very upset.  I have been a computeruser since 1975 so I know my way around a bit.  I think the additional charge is exorbitant and very unfair.  Norton should at leastexplain, before purchase, that there is a risk when downloading from the Internet.  My goodness, $99 is more than twice what Ipaid for Norton 360 Premier Edition (not Comcast). I am hoping that Norton will reconsider and refund my $99.  Interestingly, thetechnician installed a different version of Norton 360 and said I would no longer have any problems.  So, if that is the case, wasthe original that I purchased defective?  Is that what caused the problem? I feel scammed, I really do.  --Jeff

[huwyngr Norton Fighter]

Jeff,

Thanks for not being upset by my reply -- we all feel badly when something like this happens. And to make matters worse some users have come here and said that the end result was a computer that did not work and they were told it was up to them to reinstall their Windows. It should not happen but bad things do and dealing with a computer you can't see is doubly diffficult.

The good side for you is that they did solve the problem of the infection and updated your version of N360 and frankly places like the Geek Squad would have charged more and as often or not they blindly restore to factory condition and tell you  "Oh you should have b acked up all your data files that we destroyed.

Anyway, hang around a while since it is the weekend and the Norton Staffers do like to spend some time with their families!

I'd ask you on reflection to accept that firstly none of us should expect to be warned that it is dangerous to download files from the internet unless you are absolutely certain of the source -- it's even happened once that Microsoft issued Windows disks with a virus on them! And secondly, that you accepted the offer of Norton Customer Support to fix the problem for $99 and they did. So you certainly were not scammed.

<< My computer got a virus. >> Not knowing what the actual cause of the problem was I can't say if the update cured it but I doubt it very much. No security program can absolutely prevent infection, as I explained earlier especially when the most cunning gets the user to invite it in, without realizing that is what they are doing.

On the question of the updating, could you do as I asked and give the version ID of the N360 you now have -- Support / About in the format nn.nn.nn.nnn 

When did you last install the copy of N360 that was on the PC when they worked on it -- was it from a CD or downloaded from Norton? If it was from the CD then it was at least a year old since the latest version V5 is about to be released and you will be able to get the upgrade free of charge as long as your subscription is still in force.