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Bitdefender Conspiracy?
I do computer work for the retirees in our rv park. After cleaning off viruses, I was installing Bitdefender using license keys purchased from the Internet. After 3 or 6 months, Bitdefender turned off the licenses saying they were invalid. They explained that some of the licenses were supposed to only be for France. Another group was for a partner called Eptimum. They said their partners let the licenses get resold.
These are marketing programs for Bitdefender to get their product installed on as many computers as possible, then turn off the license, hoping the user will buy a retail license from Bitdefender. Does this sound crooked?
I don't think Bitdefender is taking effective steps to contain their licenses, then they expect the end user to suffer and cough up more money. All they need to do is search ebay, alibaba, cheapkeys, etc. and stop the sale of these licenses -- yet they don't.
If these licenses were a problem, then the initial registration should be rejected, but instead they wait 3 to 6 months to be sure the user has gotten comfortable with Bitdefender.
I tell everyone I know to avoid Bitdefender at all costs. I ask you to do the same.
Comments
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It seems you have a conspiracy theory going here.
To get an exact answer you should be contacting Bitdefender via their email link.0 -
Hello,
Thank you for your feedback.
We always encourage our customers to purchase Bitdefender license keys only from authorized sellers or from the official website http://www.bitdefender.com
We kindly inform you that we do not recommend E-bay as reseller of Bitdefender products due to the fact that the products are purchased from individual users, not generated specially for resellers and partners therefore the same license key may be activated or used by various users and therefore invalidated in time.
Let us know if you have any other questions regarding the Bitdefender products and services.0 -
Hello,
Thank you for your feedback.
We always encourage our customers to purchase Bitdefender license keys only from authorized sellers or from the official website http://www.bitdefender.com
We kindly inform you that we do not recommend E-bay as reseller of Bitdefender products due to the fact that the products are purchased from individual users, not generated specially for resellers and partners therefore the same license key may be activated or used by various users and therefore invalidated in time.
Let us know if you have any other questions regarding the Bitdefender products and services.
Ok, I checked the license info page on Bitdefender. It says, "Current License Information. This is a valid, full license". So, you have the chance to check the license initially and declare it valid. Then, you feel you can change your mind 6 months later, and declare it invalid. Nothing has changed from initial registration to the time it is declared invalid. This is illegal in the USA. The end user did nothing illegal in purchasing the license that you declared valid. You do nothing to stop the sale of the licenses by unauthorized sellers, declare the licenses valid, and wait until a convenient time in the future to go back on your word.0 -
Software licenses/keys/cracks are sold by rogues all over the internet, it is a fact of life and impossible to stop.
All software vendors (including Microsoft , Adobe, Apple etc. ) suffer this and it is NOT their liability if you buy fake goods, keys etc.
Piracy is a big issue, but companies are often unable to do anything about the illegal suppliers as they host their sites in countries that have zero regard for property/copyright laws.
As with all things, if it looks too good to be true, it probably is.
I know a site that will give you Win8.1 for free ...... you'll get a poisoned system to go with it, but they thrive on people trying to get a bargain.
Always go to the software vendors main site, or Google for authorized partners/resellers, somewhere with a proper address, and contacts.0 -
Software licenses/keys/cracks are sold by rogues all over the internet, it is a fact of life and impossible to stop.
All software vendors (including Microsoft , Adobe, Apple etc. ) suffer this and it is NOT their liability if you buy fake goods, keys etc.
Piracy is a big issue, but companies are often unable to do anything about the illegal suppliers as they host their sites in countries that have zero regard for property/copyright laws.
As with all things, if it looks too good to be true, it probably is.
I know a site that will give you Win8.1 for free ...... you'll get a poisoned system to go with it, but they thrive on people trying to get a bargain.
Always go to the software vendors main site, or Google for authorized partners/resellers, somewhere with a proper address, and contacts.
These are not cracks or rogue licenses. These are licenses generated by Bitdefender and given to partners to promote use of their products. Bitdefender fails to control their ultimate use even though they have a license validation step to control the use of these keys. They just don't care about the end user.0 -
OK, then if you have licenses that you purchased for a given period and that has period has not been met then you have a claim against the seller.
What is the period shown on the license ?0 -
OK, then if you have licenses that you purchased for a given period and that has period has not been met then you have a claim against the seller.
What is the period shown on the license ?
In the USA, the performance of the product is the responsibility of the manufacturer, not the seller. Bitdefender generated and granted the full licenses, so they are responsible, not the sellers.
The lack of effort by Bitdefender to stop "unauthorized" sales is complicit endorsement of the activity. If I get enough complainants, this could get interesting. Let me hear from people who had their licenses invalidated after initial install.0 -
The Bitdefender license keys are automatically invalidated when the server detects that they have been used fraudulently on numerous MyBitdefender accounts. This is our method against piracy. The fact that these keys were invalidated clearly demonstrates the Bitdefender control over keys "leaked" on the internet.
On our official website there is a list of Bitdefender partners who sell our products:
http://www.bitdefender.com/partners/partner-locator.html
Did you buy your Bitdefender license from one of them?
Please understand that as long as someones buys a license key from the internet without making sure first that the vendor is a legal vendor of our products, this is entirely the buyer's responsibility.
By not purchasing the activation key from the official Bitdefender website, you expose yourself to various risks and you also agree with the respective vendor's policy, including the refund policy.
At the moment, we strongly advise you to contact the vendor and to ask for the replacement of your license. When making an online purchase you must contact the vendor who sells the product, not the software manufacturer, as you agree with the terms and conditions imposed by that vendor's policy.0 -
The Bitdefender license keys are automatically invalidated when the server detects that they have been used fraudulently on numerous MyBitdefender accounts. This is our method against piracy. The fact that these keys were invalidated clearly demonstrates the Bitdefender control over keys "leaked" on the internet.
On our official website there is a list of Bitdefender partners who sell our products:
http://www.bitdefender.com/partners/partner-locator.html
Did you buy your Bitdefender license from one of them?
Please understand that as long as someones buys a license key from the internet without making sure first that the vendor is a legal vendor of our products, this is entirely the buyer's responsibility.
By not purchasing the activation key from the official Bitdefender website, you expose yourself to various risks and you also agree with the respective vendor's policy, including the refund policy.
At the moment, we strongly advise you to contact the vendor and to ask for the replacement of your license. When making an online purchase you must contact the vendor who sells the product, not the software manufacturer, as you agree with the terms and conditions imposed by that vendor's policy.
If you want to restrain the number of uses of a license, then check how many times it has been used before granting a full and valid license during the registration process. It is that simple. Don't wait 6 months a do a sweep to anger so many customers. Show that you care about the customers. Your business practices are unethical.0 -
Hello,
Thank you for your feedback.
We always encourage our customers to purchase Bitdefender license keys only from authorized sellers or from the official website http://www.bitdefender.com
We kindly inform you that we do not recommend E-bay as reseller of Bitdefender products due to the fact that the products are purchased from individual users, not generated specially for resellers and partners therefore the same license key may be activated or used by various users and therefore invalidated in time.
Let us know if you have any other questions regarding the Bitdefender products and services.
Hey its my first day here at bitdefender and I stumbled upon a controversial thread.
By the way thanks for sharing the valuable information, but as you have specifically mentioned the name of Ebay for not considering it for such important activities. I would just like to ask that is it only applicable for Ebay or any other such e-commerce website also?0 -
My input is this.
I would go as far as saying any auction website or similar where a third party non-authorised vendor is involved should not be considered as a purchasing option.
Another example to ebay would be specifically Amazon Marketplace (I have bought from Amazon EU Sarl themselves and never had an issue).
The issue stems from the fact that even if a seller is shut down for dealing in pirated or duplicated keys by these sites, they simply go elsewhere and carry on or set up another account.
Positive feedback can also be faked very easily.
Best advice though really is to stick with authorised resellers or direct from bitdefender themselves.0 -
My input is this.
I would go as far as saying any auction website or similar where a third party non-authorised vendor is involved should not be considered as a purchasing option.
Another example to ebay would be specifically Amazon Marketplace (I have bought from Amazon EU Sarl themselves and never had an issue).
The issue stems from the fact that even if a seller is shut down for dealing in pirated or duplicated keys by these sites, they simply go elsewhere and carry on or set up another account.
Positive feedback can also be faked very easily.
Best advice though really is to stick with authorised resellers or direct from bitdefender themselves.
All the Bitdefender agents continue to say don't buy from ebay. So, have you contacted ebay to prohibit the listing of bitdefender products on their site? Why not? Quit hiding behind the fact that you like having the product installed on as many computers as possible, then shutting the software down and hoping the user will buy the retail from you. Why doesn't Bitdefender disallow the registration of the keys that are "leaked".
Just for interest, how many licenses does Bitdefender declare invalid per year on your sweep of serial numbers? I bet the number is staggering.0 -
My input is this.
I would go as far as saying any auction website or similar where a third party non-authorised vendor is involved should not be considered as a purchasing option.
Another example to ebay would be specifically Amazon Marketplace (I have bought from Amazon EU Sarl themselves and never had an issue).
The issue stems from the fact that even if a seller is shut down for dealing in pirated or duplicated keys by these sites, they simply go elsewhere and carry on or set up another account.
Positive feedback can also be faked very easily.
Best advice though really is to stick with authorised resellers or direct from bitdefender themselves.
Agree with this bottom line assessment. In fact, Bitdefender online (or offers on your MyBitdefender web page) at times has a lot of good deals. Last week I purchased BD Total Security for $29.00 during their Leap Year sale (all 3 products were $29.00 AV+, IS, TS, which was still going today). During check out, Avangate had the Auto Renewl box un-checked by default, very nice So for me, this peace of mind is worth it, knowing the product key is going to work and I have support with BD on a directly purchased product, or via a authorized dealer box version (the link Georgia posted)0 -
legaleagle I'm not a bitdefender agent. I have no loyalty or connection to bitdefender. the same applies to other AV solutions too.
When you entered the activation codes they weren't blocked. why? because at that stage it had not become apparent they were being resold numerous times over. The number of times I have seen people demanding a full version license after paying peanuts for a knock-off copy I lost count of years ago.
Bitdefender and all other AV companies reserve the right to terminate any license activated using a code that has been cloned so many times at any stage. If they didn't they would be charging even higher prices to people buying legit copies and lose custom hand over fist.
Like Georgia quite rightly pointed out you need to take your frustration and grievances up with the people who sold you the license code in the first place, not Bitdefender.0 -
legaleagle I'm not a bitdefender agent. I have no loyalty or connection to bitdefender. the same applies to other AV solutions too.
When you entered the activation codes they weren't blocked. why? because at that stage it had not become apparent they were being resold numerous times over. The number of times I have seen people demanding a full version license after paying peanuts for a knock-off copy I lost count of years ago.
Bitdefender and all other AV companies reserve the right to terminate any license activated using a code that has been cloned so many times at any stage. If they didn't they would be charging even higher prices to people buying legit copies and lose custom hand over fist.
Like Georgia quite rightly pointed out you need to take your frustration and grievances up with the people who sold you the license code in the first place, not Bitdefender.
If you are not a bitdefender agent, then how can you so clearly explain how this happens? I have direct correspondence from Bitdefender identifying the codes as Bitdefender codes given to partners to promote Bitdefender. Right now, newegg.com has bitdefender internet security for 3 pcs for 2 years for $8.95. Newegg is a very legitimate company that has been around for years. So, I guess you think people should avoid this good deal and buy from Bitdefender for over a $100?0 -
If you are not a bitdefender agent, then how can you so clearly explain how this happens? I have direct correspondence from Bitdefender identifying the codes as Bitdefender codes given to partners to promote Bitdefender. Right now, newegg.com has bitdefender internet security for 3 pcs for 2 years for $8.95. Newegg is a very legitimate company that has been around for years. So, I guess you think people should avoid this good deal and buy from Bitdefender for over a $100?
It is quite easy:
A Bitdefender partner may be given a free key for a product, either for the partners testing or for the partners private use. Not multiple sets of keys for the same product, but one product key. Newegg, by comparison, is selling to customers individual keys for the associated product. Each product has it's own key.
Now, let's go back to that Bitdefender partner who has been granted one free key for their private use. Let's say they are not exactly an ethical partner and decide to sell that key for quick and easy money. When they first start selling the key, it is indeed a valid, active key. However, the more people that buy it and start using it, the more times it gets activated on different systems. Eventually, the licensing system recognizes that the key has been activated too many times and then it is flagged as non-valid.
This should not happen with the Newegg keys as they will only be activated very few times by the customers who purchase them as each customer buys a different key, compared to the customers of the unethical partner who are unknowingly purchasing the same key and many other people.0 -
It is quite easy:
A Bitdefender partner may be given a free key for a product, either for the partners testing or for the partners private use. Not multiple sets of keys for the same product, but one product key. Newegg, by comparison, is selling to customers individual keys for the associated product. Each product has it's own key.
Now, let's go back to that Bitdefender partner who has been granted one free key for their private use. Let's say they are not exactly an ethical partner and decide to sell that key for quick and easy money. When they first start selling the key, it is indeed a valid, active key. However, the more people that buy it and start using it, the more times it gets activated on different systems. Eventually, the licensing system recognizes that the key has been activated too many times and then it is flagged as non-valid.
This should not happen with the Newegg keys as they will only be activated very few times by the customers who purchase them as each customer buys a different key, compared to the customers of the unethical partner who are unknowingly purchasing the same key and many other people.
Are you a Bitdefender agent? If not, you are just repeating a fairy tale. The reason I posted this forum is so people would wake up to what kind of company they are dealing with. There are so many solutions that exist from an IT standpoint, yet none of them get implemented by Bitdefender to stop leaked keys immediately. If there is a 30 day trial software available why are special keys needed anyway? Or, just issue a series of keys where each key is good only one time. Or, recognize the tangled web they weave and take responsibility for all the leaked keys and no effort to prevent postings of their product for sale by "unauthorized" sellers. It feels like a conspiracy. If this is supposed to be a top notch virus and malware detection company and they can't control their own keys, why would you trust them to control your safety?0 -
Are you a Bitdefender agent? If not, you are just repeating a fairy tale. The reason I posted this forum is so people would wake up to what kind of company they are dealing with. There are so many solutions that exist from an IT standpoint, yet none of them get implemented by Bitdefender to stop leaked keys immediately. If there is a 30 day trial software available why are special keys needed anyway? Or, just issue a series of keys where each key is good only one time. Or, recognize the tangled web they weave and take responsibility for all the leaked keys and no effort to prevent postings of their product for sale by "unauthorized" sellers. It feels like a conspiracy. If this is supposed to be a top notch virus and malware detection company and they can't control their own keys, why would you trust them to control your safety?
No, I am not a Bitdefender agent. Why do you seem to think that everyone who tried to explain this to you is a Bitdefender agent? Also, I am not repeating a fairy tale. I am simply trying to explain what is happening with some of these keys.
Bitdefender can't "just issue a series of keys where each key is good only one time" due to a few of the products such as Sphere allowing the user to install on all of their devices. The same key is used on each of the devices the user has.
Anyway, I was just trying to explain that this is not a conspiracy, but it seems that you already have your mind made up no matter what is said.0 -
No, I am not a Bitdefender agent. Why do you seem to think that everyone who tried to explain this to you is a Bitdefender agent? Also, I am not repeating a fairy tale. I am simply trying to explain what is happening with some of these keys.
Bitdefender can't "just issue a series of keys where each key is good only one time" due to a few of the products such as Sphere allowing the user to install on all of their devices. The same key is used on each of the devices the user has.
Anyway, I was just trying to explain that this is not a conspiracy, but it seems that you already have your mind made up no matter what is said.
The reason I ask whether you are a BD agent, is that they are the only ones who can answer intent for what they do. I understand the mechanics of how things work. No offense to you. I challenge Bitdefender to be transparent and tell the world how many licenses that they declare valid initially are later declared invalid in the past 12 months. I believe the number will be very very high. And, if they do nothing about this issue, they are intending for it to happen. It's that simple. I suspect their repsonse will be that they cannot divulge that information.0 -
You have the information in the above post.
To receive further details on this matter, please contact directly the Bitdefender Commercial Service. Access the link below and make sure to mention the link to this topic, as well as your forum username:
http://www.bitdefender.com/en/Main/contactEmail
Thank you, this topic will be closed.0
