How Do We Get To the Right Upgrade on Symantec.com?

Norton Security | Norton Internet Security
1

This is a real issue for all consumers.

 

I have a client with an up-to-date subscription to Norton 360.  But her product is an older one.  I know, but she didn't, that she is entitled to a free upgrade.

 

I was at her house.  "No problem," I thought.  I will just go to Symantec.com and find my way to the upgrade page.

 

Hah!  Ten minutes and fifty clicks later, I was still nowhere near my intended destination.  Yes, I had gotten to upgrades.  And, yes, they queried me about my current product.  But then they sent me to PAID upgrades!

 

What's this? Can this possibly be honest or ethical?!  Here we have a customer with a current subscription to Norton 360, version 2.  She is entitled to a free upgrade to version 3; but the site tells her there is an upgrade if she pays for it?  Why not take her to the free upgrade?  It may be there, but I couldn't find it.  And I know she wouldn't have been able to find it ... even if she knew it existed.

 

Of course, I just logged in to this site and got the proper link.

 

But that's not the point.

 

This is just plain dishonest.

 

When a customer clicks upgrade, and then is asked what product he currently uses, the next thing (the very next thing!) that is done should be to check to see if he qualifies for a free upgrade. NOT DIVERT HIM TO A SECTION WHERE HE PAYS FOR AN UPGRADE THAT HE IS ENTITLED TO FOR FREE.

 

I cannot even describe how angry this makes me.  That a company I generally respect and have always recommended to my clients could engage in such ... such low tactics ... is just disappointing.

 

 

2

Did you try checking for a free upgrade to the latest version of Norton 360 via the Norton Update Center?

http://updatecenter.norton.com/

3

This is a real issue for all consumers.

 

I have a client with an up-to-date subscription to Norton 360.  But her product is an older one.  I know, but she didn't, that she is entitled to a free upgrade.

 

I was at her house.  "No problem," I thought.  I will just go to Symantec.com and find my way to the upgrade page.

 

Hah!  Ten minutes and fifty clicks later, I was still nowhere near my intended destination.  Yes, I had gotten to upgrades.  And, yes, they queried me about my current product.  But then they sent me to PAID upgrades!

 

What's this? Can this possibly be honest or ethical?!  Here we have a customer with a current subscription to Norton 360, version 2.  She is entitled to a free upgrade to version 3; but the site tells her there is an upgrade if she pays for it?  Why not take her to the free upgrade?  It may be there, but I couldn't find it.  And I know she wouldn't have been able to find it ... even if she knew it existed.

 

Of course, I just logged in to this site and got the proper link.

 

But that's not the point.

 

This is just plain dishonest.

 

When a customer clicks upgrade, and then is asked what product he currently uses, the next thing (the very next thing!) that is done should be to check to see if he qualifies for a free upgrade. NOT DIVERT HIM TO A SECTION WHERE HE PAYS FOR AN UPGRADE THAT HE IS ENTITLED TO FOR FREE.

 

I cannot even describe how angry this makes me.  That a company I generally respect and have always recommended to my clients could engage in such ... such low tactics ... is just disappointing.

 

 

4
Yaso_Kuuhl wrote:

Did you try checking for a free upgrade to the latest version of Norton 360 via the Norton Update Center?

http://updatecenter.norton.com/

How does a novice user know to go there when the user goes directly to www.symantec.com?

 

How does is novice user who arrives at www.symantec.com and is trying to upgrade their current product led to the right page?

 

In fact, show me one link, a single link on the main page that will get the user to your recommended page.

 

More, I challenge you to get from www.symantec.com to updatecenter.norton.com in 10 or fewer link-clicks.  If you can do that, please tell us the sequence that works, because I sure as heck need them myself when I am out of my home and forgot my memory stick.

Message Edited by mijcar on 11-18-2009 11:11 AM
5

May I challenge you to be more courteous, in accordance with the Participation Guidelines and Terms of Service?

6

mijcar,

 

Just went to http://www.symantec.com/norton/index.jsp and in the upper corner is Most Popular Links.  I choose to UPDATE the product (Upgrade means to buy something different).  I put in manually N360 and v2 and it came up to new version v3 and had the downloader link and everything.

 

Update on Main Web.PNG

 

 

dbris.jpg

<<edit: resized image for fit>>

Message Edited by JerryM on 11-20-2009 10:32 AM
7
Yaso_Kuuhl wrote:

May I challenge you to be more courteous, in accordance with the Participation Guidelines and Terms of Service?

There was no lack of courtesy other than what you chose to read into it.

 

The challenge is an honest one; and I would love to see the path, both so I can use it and my customers can use it.

 

However, now that you bring it up, there is a definite lack of courtesy involved in HIJACKING a thread.  My original post was quite clear.  Suggesting an alternative that was not solicited, about which I already know and which was already mentioned in the original post, and which does not solve the problem can be considered condescending and even insulting.  There is more and more of this going on here by certain posters who jump in regardless of the topic and offer advice irrelevant to the nature of the question being asked.

8

The term "Upgrade" you mentioned here is actaully "Update". Upgrade and update are different. Update means you have a Norton product, a new version has been released, and you can get that latest version at free of cost.

 

http://www.symantec.com/norton/index.jsp

 

In this Web page, on the right pane, you can see "Norton product updates". This is what the "Upgrade" you meant.

 

Now upgrade is, you have a Norton product, and Symantec offers you another Norton product or the latest version of the same product at a discount (reduced) rate.

 

The following link may explaing this a bit better.

 

http://www.symantec.com/norton/support/kb/web_view.jsp?wv_type=public_web&docurl=20080407154946EN

 

Vineeth--

9

You may also want to read this post by Tony, which explains the difference between terms such as upgrades, renewals etc.:

http://community.norton.com/norton/board/message?board.id=Announcements&thread.id=12

Message Edited by Yaso_Kuuhl on 11-18-2009 07:26 PM
10
dbrisendine wrote:

mijcar,

 

Just went to http://www.symantec.com/norton/index.jsp and in the upper corner is Most Popular Links.  I choose to UPDATE the product (Upgrade means to buy something different).  I put in manually N360 and v2 and it came up to new version v3 and had the downloader link and everything.

 

 

 

Dbris, thank you immensely.

 

Or should I say one-half of immensely.  :smileyvery-happy:

 

For myself, I will now remember the link and be able to use it readily.

 

But, the other one-half that remains:  How in the world is a novice user to find that "hidden" link?  Especially given that what we are talking about is not an "update" but an "upgrade"?  Even Symantec refers to this change (e.g., from ver 16 to ver 17) as an "upgrade".

 

So while this has become invaluable to me, there are still hundreds of thousands of users out there who won't find this link.

 

And you do know, I hope, that this is not a response to you, Dbris, but to Symantec?  Right, you do know that?  Since I seem to be having difficulty making that clear today, let me add a heartful emoticon just to you:  :smileywink:

11

More, I challenge you to get from www.symantec.com to updatecenter.norton.com in 10 or fewer link-clicks.  If you can do that, please tell us the sequence that works, because I sure as heck need them myself when I am out of my home and forgot my memory stick.

 

Please do not treat this as a challenge, you can go to www.symantec.com then click on the Norton tab > on the right pane, under Most popular links, click "Norton product updates" and you are there.

 

Let us do not deviate from the main topic, these challenges won't take us anywhere.

 

Vineeth--

 

12
Vineeth wrote:

The term "Upgrade" you mentioned here is actaully "Update". Upgrade and update are different. Update means you have a Norton product, a new version has been released, and you can get that latest version at free of cost.

 

http://www.symantec.com/norton/index.jsp

 

In this Web page, on the right pane, you can see "Norton product updates". This is what the "Upgrade" you meant.

 

Now upgrade is, you have a Norton product, and Symantec offers you another Norton product or the latest version of the same product at a discount (reduced) rate.

 

The following link may explaing this a bit better.

 

http://www.symantec.com/norton/support/kb/web_view.jsp?wv_type=public_web&docurl=20080407154946EN

 

Vineeth--

I appreciate the effort you are making.

 

But this is only minimally about me.  It is mostly about my clients and a whole lot of Norton users out there, people I refer to as the "average customer".

 

Changing the meaning of "upgrade" and "update" to suit some sort of company policy doesn't, in fact, change the dictionary.  In customary usage, an update is a modification to an existing product to make it more useful; an upgrade means moving to a new cycle of the product (as from Norton2009 to Norton2010).  This is how the industry terminology works and it is what most people expect.  The average customer will not have read what is on any of those links above.  How will he or she get to the right place?

 

One should not have to click on the "wrong" link to get to the "right" place.

 

And this is not hostile to YOU; but it is definitely challenging to Symantec.

13
Yaso_Kuuhl wrote:

You may also want to read this post by Tony, which explains the difference between terms such as upgrades, renewals etc.:

http://community.norton.com/norton/board/message?board.id=Announcements&thread.id=12

Message Edited by Yaso_Kuuhl on 11-18-2009 07:26 PM

Please read my response to Vineeth.

14

mijcar,

 

I meant no disrespect or anything.  I was just providing you with the visual points so that when you are in front of others, you can help them find what they need.  (A picture is worth ...... oh, well, you know this.)

 

IMO, this is very confusing to some one who only goes to Symantec's web site to purchase / check on their product.  Update / upgrade / get the latest - this really does need to be consistently defined clearly across all parts of the web site.

15

Auugh!

 

Let's try again.

 

Can you think of a better think Symantec can do to win the hearts of its current customers and keep them coming than the following:

 

1.  The customer goes to Symantec.com.

 

2.  There in big letters, welcoming him to the site, are the words (with a link):

ARE YOU ALREADY A SYMANTEC USER?

 

3. Then, just in case they don't know to click on those words, there are the following words (also linked):

IF SO, YOU MAY BE ENTITLED TO A FREE UPGRADE OF YOUR CURRENT PRODUCT!  CLICK HERE.

 

 

4. Now think about it.  Not only will this make you happy with Symantec if you already use its products.  It will also make new visitors see how marvelous Symantec is.  They will think "wow, I like this.  I want to be a member of a community that gives free upgrades."

 

 

 

Now I think any idea that benefits both the corporation and the user has to be a great idea.

 

And I'm not even charging for it.

16

Hi Mij:

 

You definitely have a point.  I hate having to try to find something and end up with a choice of links with no clear difference between them.  Any user has to stop and think of which one to click, or which one to click first, and then back out of the wrong one, and try again.  In these days of marketing strategy, it should be made as clear as absolutely possible to avoid the resulting irritation to the consumer.

 

Yes this thread has been helpful and informative, and will help all of us, but something should be done to aid the average user who has to poke around on his own, without our assistance.

17

Hi all:

 

The homepage for Symantec looks innocent enough, but when you scrape below the surface it is a twisted wreck.

 

I agree with many of the opinions posted here. Seriously.

 

Time for a "logical" and "consumer friendly" redesign of the website!  

Message Edited by Plankton on 11-18-2009 02:09 PM
18

I accept your challenge to get to the right place in less than 10 clicks assuming you start at the Forum page:

 

1 Click on Downloads -- that is what you want to do isn't it?

 

2 Look around and click on one of the following in the top left corner:

 

Buy, Upgrades, & Renewals

 

 

It takes you to http://updatecenter.norton.com/ 

 

If you literally start at Symantec then Download is at the bottom,

 

1  Click on that and it takes you to here   where you can see in second place on the left:

 

2  Feature updates for Norton customers   and you click on that ....

 

 Can I have the prize please ...

 

No-one claims that any website is incapable of improvement but you started with a preconceived idea, as most of us do when we have too much experience, and I suspect that again like most of us you did not examine the choices but chose the first likely candidate, again like most of us ....

 

19

Hugh,

 

Absolutely right on all counts except ... my plaint was for all those consumers who have even less insight into the mystery of corporate language mangling than I do.

 

I may not be the brightest candle on the block, but I do know that most the people I work with and know are even more challenged than I am when it comes to negotiating a site.

 

Unfortunately, Vineeth got there first, so I am sending him a first prize (three weeks camping on the Symantec website, all digital expenses paid).  You can have second prize (six weeks on the same site).

 

By now, you've probably followed the thread to the kind of thing I am suggesting.  What do you think?

 

Oh, I mentioned that I will remember these links.  You are probably thinking, "no, he can't.  He is old and his mind is going; he's never going to remember where these links are."

 

Well, how many people can say to you (can't swear to the spelling, though):

"whan thot April with his shores sorte

"the drouts of marche hath in its coors irona

"bathed in swich licur,

"the virtu of which is engendered in the floor."

 

Actually, the spelling is atrocious, but you can blame Chaucer for that, as well as me.

I've remembered that for more years than I'm ever going to admit.

 

So there.

 

I bet I can remember where a stupid link is.  I think ...

Message Edited by mijcar on 11-18-2009 02:52 PM
20

You still complain about language --

 

How more simple and direct than Feature updates for Norton customers  can you get on a page labeled Downloads when you want to download an update?

 

You want jam on it? To use something less Chaucerian.

 

Yes Update and Upgrade are confusing and I've raised the point with TPTB that if you end up in the Norton Store there should be a clear link to Update .