This past weekend, I helped my mom install Norton 360 on her iPad and phone. We have used Norton products on our devices for years and it is relatively easy when you buy it at the store and renew it with the product key. But since Norton has changed its regulation now you have to give your credit card info or else it won't work. People on this message board suggested if I don't want to use my credit card info to set it up, to go and ask for assistance from Norton Support Chat and they will help. I did that but they didn't help. They kept repeating the new policy and asking if there was anything else they could help me with. So, since I couldn't return it to the store, I decided to try what other Norton users on this board suggested, just install it with my info, and later delete it. Once I installed it and it all seemed to be working, I went back to the account and try to turn off auto renew and delete billing info. It wouldn't let me. (Tip: I realized you have to turn off auto renew first BEFORE deleting your info, or else it won't let you; there will be an edit button, but no delete button). So, each time I tried to turn off auto renew and new page loaded trying to get me to subscribe to a few more months on Norton for free. That's nice, but I didn't want a few more months, I wanted to turn off auto renew. But it wouldn't let me. So because it wouldn't let me, I couldn't delete my billing info. So, I called Norton Support again. I asked for help and told him what I needed help with, but he kept trying to sell me a deal with Norton. After, a few times of me repeating why I was calling and that I was not interested in a deal, he eventually said he would help me with my issue. But he couldn't do it either, apparently. He was able to turn off auto renew. But when I asked him to delete billing info, he said there was an 'issue' and he couldn't. When I asked him what the issue was, he didn't tell me and told me to wait. After several minutes, he came back on and told me to delete it myself. I went back to my account and found that the trash can icon was there this time and so I could delete it myself.
Honestly, this is all pretty ridiculous. I spent more than an hour installing Norton on my mom's devices and trying to delete my info. Updating a program should never take that long. Norton's new regulation is completely unfair. And their reason behind this also is ridiculous. They say it is to help customers, to ease their mind in case they forget to renew for another year... If people have the insight to take their time and go to a store/online and buy Norton, then they have the insight to install/renew it. Besides Norton gives you so many email reminders and pop ups before it expires, you'd really have to try hard to forget. It is clear that Norton is putting their customers in a position where we don't have a choice and force us to provide our private info and they assure you that you can cancel at any time etc. But when you try to, it doesn't let you. When you call for help, you get a sales pitch. It is very dishonest. I did some reading on this message board and on the internet as well and there are lots of long time customers, like me, that are complaining about this new rule and may start looking else where for their internet security in the future. Other brands, push the auto-renew, but don't make it mandatory to use/install, which is fair. Customers always want to feel they have a choice. Very disappointed with this experience. My suggestion? Change it back to how it was, when you actually gave customers a CHOICE to auto-renew at installation.