Password Manager Shared Plan: a disappointment for existing users

evanpox · 2023-09-11T02:24:30+00:00

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I must express sincere disappointment at the rollout of the Password Manager Shared Plan. I initially purchased my Premium Security plan to cover my whole family and their devices, expecting that all the features would be available to each user and instead finding that only one Password Manager account was allowed.

Believing promises from Bitdefender that the ability to add multiple users to the Password Manager was imminent, I renewed the Premium Security plan only to find that you expect users to purchase an entirely new subscription for this feature, in addition to the "Premium" plan already committed to.

The Bitdefender Password Manager: FAQ support article at https://www.bitdefender.com/consumer/support/answer/2700/ assured that the feature would be enabled "in the near future" before being altered by Bitdefender staff on 2023-08-03T07:14:10+00:00 to erase the reference to adding the feature to the existing subscriptions. Is this the type of misdirection and deceit we should expect from the company we trust with our digital security? At the very least, existing users who were anticipating this promised upgrade should be grandfathered in for the duration of their subscription before being asked to purchase yet another feature they'd already been sold.

FAQ page prior to August 3rd 2023: "For now, the ability to have multiple users on the same Password Manager subscription is not available but we are working on enabling this feature in the near future."

Screenshot of the Bitdefender Password Manager: FAQ support article at https://www.bitdefender.com/consumer/support/answer/2700/ before August 3rd, 2023

FAQ page after alteration on August 3rd 2023: "Yes, the ability to have multiple users on the same Password Manager subscription is available in Bitdefender Password Manager Shared Plan."

Screenshot of the Bitdefender Password Manager: FAQ support article at https://www.bitdefender.com/consumer/support/answer/2700/ after August 3rd, 2023

I am disappointed by Bitdefender's choices here. Obviously it is expensive to provide high-level security for users and increased subscription revenue is necessary to continue providing these services, but this feels like an opportunistic move at the expense of the trust of your existing userbase.

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Comments

Alexandru_BD

Hello @evanpox and welcome to the Community!

Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts with us.

If we look back at how Premium Security was originally composed, it was basically a Total Security solution paired with a Premium VPN. Following the launch of Password Manager, this service was also added in the package, to increase the benefits of this bundle during an expansion of the product portfolio.

But from the very beginning of its inclusion, Password Manager was meant for individual usage, despite the fact the antivirus could protect up to 10 devices. There were no prospects of developing a multi-user password security service at that time, and this was later considered following the feedback received from customers, as you probably know. It's true that the Premium Security product page advertises Password Manager as being included, however it is not mentioned for how many users, since at that time a single configuration was available if a Password Manager subscription was purchased separately from the antivirus.

A similar scenario applies for the VPN. If a Bitdefender security solution does not include a Premium VPN (such as Bitdefender Family Pack that covers up to 15 devices) when you purchase a Premium VPN subscription it will cover only 10 devices, not 15.

The Support article stated that the multi-user feature is under development and will be made available at some point, however it did not confirm the number of accounts nor its inclusion in the existing Premium Security bundle. Moreover, the Password Manager Shared Plan can secure password storage for up to 4 people, thus even if it was included in Premium Security, it couldn't cover 10 devices.

I regret to hear you have been dissapointed and for what is worth, the split was made taking all technical limitations into account, but also user feedback received by the product teams over the course of development and implementation of the service. I think some users may not require multiple accounts for Password Manager in their Premium Security suite, and for the ones that do, a shared plan was made available separately.

Last but not least, the Bitdefender portfolio is evolving continuously to meet the customers' needs and the product teams are gathering consistent feedback from this community, which will prove very valuable in their ongoing and future development plans.

Regarding this: At the very least, existing users who were anticipating this promised upgrade should be grandfathered in for the duration of their subscription before being asked to purchase yet another feature they'd already been sold. - You can contact the Support teams to ask if adjustments can be applied to your subscription.

You can get in touch with them by choosing one of the contact channels available here:

https://www.bitdefender.com/consumer/support/help/

I hope the information is helpful.

Regards,

Alex

RetepH

I too am very dissapointed with the roll-over to the new Password Manager for those already subscribed. I have a longterm subscription (till Sept 2025) to the Family Pack and the existing installations on different computers allow different wallets for family users eg. my computer and and my wifes computer. Now, in moving over to Password Manager it appears that Family Pack does not include separate password manager "storage/wallets" for the different users and I have to now pay more to have what exists within my existing subscriptions. While I can read all about evolving products etc there are things that do not change at the user level - my wife and I have different needs and different logins to sites, banks, organisations etc etc etc. By FORCING us to now only have one exported database you are now unprotecting our individual privacy and security. And this is from a company that is all about protecting privacy and security. Surely a Family Pack that allowed users to have different Wallets would evolve to an immediate Shared Password Manager Plan as part of the Free Trial for longterm and longterm paid up customers.

Alexandru_BD

Hello @RetepH,

The portfolio has evolved and Bitdefender is now offering a standalone password manager. The Wallet was discontinued to make room for an upgraded service that has been developed precisely to satisfy the customer's requirements for a multi-platform service that can also import data from other password management applications in multiple formats along with other enhancements.

The Family Pack doesn't include the new Password Manager and the removal of the Wallet doesn't mean that the database must be exported to all devices protected by the antivirus subscription. The Wallet was an integrated feature of Total Security on which the Family Pack is based. There are two versions of Password Manager that can be purchased separately, depending on the needs of each client. You can purchase a subscription to secure password storage for individual usage, or the Shared plan for up to 4 people:

You may contact the Support teams to request advice on the best suited password manager solution for your requirements and they will be happy to help you. You can get in touch with the Bitdefender representatives by choosing one of the contact channels available here:

https://www.bitdefender.com/consumer/support/help/

Regards

RetepH

You just do not get it. While you can define a square as a circle and rave on about evolution of product etc etc etc and what by legal defiinition was or wasn't included in the fine print, with the Family Pack we were were able to have individual wallets. Now, as a fully subscribed licence holder out to Sept 2025 if I take on the Free Trial to test whether Password Manager suits, you are telling me that the only way my family can have the privacy and security of their individual logins to have what they had as individual Wallets (that was included with the Family Pack) I have to now pay extra right not to preserve their privacy and security of their individual logins. While you can claim that multiplatform abilities trumps (what a horrid word) inclusion of Password Manager Shared Plans within a Family Pack you really are missing the point that having paid for a subscription that included multiuser wallets, you now are denying that ability without immediately paying more without ability to test the product - sounds like a scam or fraud to me. Listen to your customers - sure we are small fry compared to large corporations but in todays climate maintaining customers and customers relations is paramount to success (unless you do not care for us small users). I will reach out to support again, which I have already tried and got no response, but seems that longterm paid up subscribers do not matter to Bitdefender. I bet I cannot get a refund of my Bitdefender subscription.

Scott

@RetepH

Just my thoughts as a non-BD employee and not trying to slam a product or forum where I try to help, but there are better options out there as far as Password Managers. Keep your Total Security AV, it is a very nice product, but maybe consider 1Password Family, where 5 members can have their own accounts and password vault. Bitwarden is also an option. 1Password has a desktop app, and a better browser extension, and families can have both joint vaults as well as individual vaults. BD developers have so far dismissed my idea of a desktop app.

I get what you're saying though, as far as what you bought, and what is being "taken away" from you in a Family Pack (which I also agree should now come by default with the multi-user PM, especially when it's called Family, i.e. multi-user, Pack). The Wallet was introduced in about 2013, so a lot of people became very fond of that feature and ability over the years, and can be hard one to let go of and transition over to a different, multi-device product.

The motto here is, "real devices, real people", so I'm just trying to help, and keep it real, from a paying users perspective as with yourself.

Scott

RetepH

Thanks Scott - that is the best support response I have had. Yes, I am familiar with some of the other password managers and have been using Bitwarden on our phones because Bitdefender Wallet was not multiplatform. Yes, Password Manager for Bitdefender is now multiplatform which is an evolution but the lack of continuation for password management unless pay extra for paid up subscribers is an unfortunate business decision by Bitdefender which makes investigation and comparison with other password managers a necessity rather than retaining customers.

Peter