NIS 2009 - "Not Right To Totally Disable Product When Subscription Expires"

NeedGoBackHelp7 · ‎01-23-2010

As a long time NIS user, I upgraded from NIS 2002 to NIS 2009 this year (five license). I was VERY disappointed to see that when the one-year subscription is up that Symantec takes your computer hostage (forcing you to buy a new product) by COMPLETELY disabling the firewall and virus definitions and blocking further use of the product. This is just plain wrong. I paid for the product and the use of the definitions/firewall. I don't have a problem if the definition and enhancements stop updating via LiveSubscribe. That's how the old product worked. But to completely lock down access to the AV scanner, AV protection and to turn off the firewall is JUST NOT RIGHT. A very greedy way to force action "right now", which while at work is not what I have time to do.

So thank you Symantec, I now can't use the Internet for work related activities until I resolve this problem because I am completely vulnerable. My son at college also cannot use the Internet for research because he's locked down. I fully need to rethink my long-term relationship with your company. I don't like being held hostage and having someone "turn off" the safety buffer to my computer, it it's entirety without any concern to how that might impact people. Shame on you Symantec.

Corman · ‎01-22-2010

This is just their business model: you don't pay for the product itself, you pay for the use of it. You rent a service that protects your PC, and it is normal in this view that you cannot use the program anymore if you don't pay for it.

delphinium · ‎11-21-2008

You have had no safety buffer all these years anyway with an antivirus engine from 2002. You had a false sense of security, and very good surfing habits. That is exactly the reason for changing the subscription policies. There are undoubtedly a lot of people using antiquated software that is completely incapable of protecting a machine from any of the modern malware, but it still has Symantec's name on it. You do have the ability to download and install all the latest versions, which is now 2010 free of charge for the remainder of your subscription.

Under certain circumstances profanity provides relief denied even to prayer.
Mark Twain

huwyngr · ‎04-13-2008

NeedGoBackHelp7,

I'm afraid it's just a fact of life, like the way my life insurance stops completely at the end of the period I have paid for; same with car insurance; house insurance and so on. If you lease an apartment when the lease expires you have to get out .....

I've been to Norton's center in Culver City and when you see the number of people there, and multiply it by those they have in other centers round the world and consider the continuous day and night watch they keep (interactively) on malware attacks around the world I'm amazed at the low cost -- in your case of a 5PC licence it can be $14 per PC if you buy from a store that has it on offer at that level. Even Norton's normal price @ $23 per PC is a bargain.

I hope you will keep the active updated protection.

Hugh

floplot · ‎04-11-2009

Hi NeedGoBackHelp7

You do get warnings for 30 days before your subscription is up that it is time to renew or buy a new subscripion. It's not something that has to be done right away while you are at work. You do get warnings and they come more often as the time approaches for the end of the subscription. You do have 30 days to find the product either online or in a store or from Symantec website directly which ever way comes out cheaper. I suppose if you had your computers off for the 30 days prior to the end, then you wouldn't be aware of all the notifications that you get except that it is on the box or on the website also.

Success always occurs in private and failure in full view.

l_w · ‎01-06-2010

Down at the bottom of the application interface, to the left of the Express Renewal button, Norton Internet Security 2009 and 2010 shows you how many days are left in your subscription; it keeps a running total of the days left in your subscription. I only have 17 days left in my current subscription. In addition to the application always showing me how many days are left in my subscription, I started getting reminders that it would soon be expiring, when I had 30 or 31 days left.

This past year has been my first year back with Norton Internet Security, after a couple of years, and things have changed but I haven't been mislead about what will happen if I let my subscription expire. Knowing in advance that my subscription will soon expire, I have purchased Norton Internet Security 2010, in a box, so that I can key in the new code, before my subscription expires, so I won't lose my protection. It's only costing me about $20 per computer ($60 for the 3 user pack) for a whole year of the best all in one security software out there (Norton Internet Security 2010). I don't think I can do better than that with all of the protection (quality and quantity) that Norton Internet Security 2010 offers.

NeedGoBackHelp7 · ‎01-23-2010

It's their "NEW" business model. It didn't used to be this way and there was nothing in their documentation that I saw with 2009 that stated that in one year we are disabling the software (and not merely disabling downloading of future AV signatures).

All the replies thus far have indicate that people don't seem to mind being strong armed to buy the product by being held at ransom that your computer is now not protected, AT ALL. Nor do people object to a big pop up coming up each day "reminding" you of all the threats that are out there that you are now not protected from since they completely disabled the software. Sure, let me stop everything I'm doing and run out and give Symantec more money so they will turn my program back on.

And as for seeing a reminder that the program is running out, that's true, but nowhere in that reminder does it tell the user that it is going to kill the entire program and turn off all protection. And you can't update early with a new key, as I have since found out from others, or you will lose the remaining time on your current subscription.

I'd be interested to know if the competitors to Norton Internet Security strong arm their customers to force a quick "buying" decision at the end of the subscription the same way Norton NOW does (and remember, it wasn't always this way, this strong arm technique is new to me because it wasn't the way it worked on earlier products).

I'm in marketing, and from a marketing perspective, this does not make the user a fan of the manufacturer of this product, and I must say, I truly am evaluating my future loyalty to Norton. To completely turn off the av protection and firewall to force a quick renewal decision is offensive to me. I'll renew when it fits my time schedule, and I should be able to still use the product as it was configured at the end of the subscription until I have the time to renew. Apparently this doesn't bother others.

delphinium · ‎11-21-2008

It is just a clearer choice for me. If I want Norton, I pay for the service. If I didn't want to pay for it, I would use any one of a number of decent free antivirus products. Norton doesn't force an immediate decision, the nag screen starts reminding you a month before it runs out. I usually put in my renewal a couple of days early. What is the loss of a couple of days in the scheme of things? Eight years isn't really a scheduling problem.

Under certain circumstances profanity provides relief denied even to prayer.
Mark Twain

huwyngr · ‎04-13-2008

NGBH,

I spent my working life in marketing too and part of that was in licencing patents and knowhow so I'm used to fixed periods of time in agreements including those I mentioned earlier.

We don't have to like it but if we want to use it then we have to do it there way. If Microsoft Windows goes cloudbased do you think we will be able to continue to use it after stopping paying their "lease fee"? I doubt it.

As for giving notice, I can't speak for 2009, you have to take that as coming from what they do say in the small print at the bottom of the website page for example on NIS 2010 here at the top if you go to the Norton products pages:

‡1 OR 2 YEAR PROTECTION: With this service, you receive the right to use this product on one PC or on the specified number of PCs during the service period, which begins upon initial installation. This renewable service includes protection updates and new product features as available throughout the service period, subject to acceptance of the Symantec License Agreement included with this product and available for review at www.symantec.com. Product features may be added, modified, or removed during the service period.

The bolding is mine.

Of course: "Who reads the steeenkin small print?" ......

Also when you Activate ISTR you are offered the opportunity to read the Licence terms and you indicate acceptance before you go and activate .... and if at that point you want to pull out then Norton give a 60 day warranty period during which you can get a full refund of the purchase price even after installing and using the product ....

Not too bad ....

Hugh

elsewhere · ‎05-30-2009

NeedGoBackHelp7 wrote:
It's their "NEW" business model. It didn't used to be this way and there was nothing in their documentation that I saw with 2009 that stated that in one year we are disabling the software (and not merely disabling downloading of future AV signatures).

All the replies thus far have indicate that people don't seem to mind being strong armed to buy the product by being held at ransom that your computer is now not protected, AT ALL. Nor do people object to a big pop up coming up each day "reminding" you of all the threats that are out there that you are now not protected from since they completely disabled the software. Sure, let me stop everything I'm doing and run out and give Symantec more money so they will turn my program back on.

And as for seeing a reminder that the program is running out, that's true, but nowhere in that reminder does it tell the user that it is going to kill the entire program and turn off all protection. And you can't update early with a new key, as I have since found out from others, or you will lose the remaining time on your current subscription.

I'd be interested to know if the competitors to Norton Internet Security strong arm their customers to force a quick "buying" decision at the end of the subscription the same way Norton NOW does (and remember, it wasn't always this way, this strong arm technique is new to me because it wasn't the way it worked on earlier products).

I'm in marketing, and from a marketing perspective, this does not make the user a fan of the manufacturer of this product, and I must say, I truly am evaluating my future loyalty to Norton. To completely turn off the av protection and firewall to force a quick renewal decision is offensive to me. I'll renew when it fits my time schedule, and I should be able to still use the product as it was configured at the end of the subscription until I have the time to renew. Apparently this doesn't bother others.

That sentence clearly summarises what the core issue is here. Compare the text in the Subscription Alert dialog with what's written in the NIS 2010 Help file.

The Subscription Alert dialog:

"If your subscription expires, you will not be protected against viruses and other security risks."

The NIS 2010 Help file:

"After your product expires, you cannot obtain definition updates and all the security features are turned off."

Norton need to change the wording of the text in the Subscription Alert dialog box to clearly reflect that the software will no longer function if the subscription expires. There is no room for ambiguity here.