Norton Anti-Virus 2011 Updates removed my software! Symantec perpetrated a scam!

Instead of renewing my Norton Internet Security 2010 when the subscription expired. I bought in September of 2011 Norton Anti-Virus 2011. It had been running find and updating weekly. Then on the 1st of February 2012, it updated and removed my anti-virus program. I tried the troubleshooting suggested on the webpage and Norton's page gave me a link to download a 2012 update. First, I had to download an "auto-detect" program. Once the auto-detect ran, the results were: sorry, no anti-virus/product found. Well, that would be because Norton has removed it, I had the computer inspected for a virus and there was no such virus and the programs icons all still appear on the desktop as well as in the control panel of my brand new Lenovo Thinkpad Edge. I deserve an explanation and fix for this. Norton is suggesting I buy a copy of 2012 to solve my problem. A problem which they caused and costed me money. Why should I pay for their mistake. Is there any reasonable solution for recovering my 2011 program. I've tried uninstalling it and then re-installing it with the disk and product key and it will work for about 2-hours and then repeat the same cycle of updating and uninstalling the anti-virus. Why did I buy this product from Norton if they were going to steal it away from me. That's theft and I would like to file claim on it because their tech support team on the phones acted like they had never heard of such a thing. Let me say something, if I may. I majored in computer sciences and I'm using one of the best made P.C.'s on the market. I know the difference between illegitamate bold theft and a virus. My computer has a temporary scanner to confirm there is no virus. So, tell me, someone is this fixable or should I file a claim whilst buying a new anti-virus from Kaspersky or McAfee?

-ThinkPad Operator Daniel