How Do I Get A Refund?

Here are the details

==============

In August 2012 I purchased Bitdefender 2013 Internet Security on the understanding it was the best AV internet security available.

In November Bitdefender allowed a virus into my computer.

There was no warning, no messages – nothing. Had it been a brand new virus, maybe I could understand, but it wasn’t. This virus had been around for a while. The sudden slow and erratic behaviour of my computer prompted me to think perhaps I needed more RAM. With Bitdefender taking care of security, it never occurred to me that my computer could possibly have been infected with a virus.

After the RAM upgrade, the problem escalated - Bitdefender failed to activate.

After numerous restarts, I tried to reinstall the software. Bitdefender still refused to activate. This was when I contacted Bitdefender support.

Support was unable to identify the problem, and I was emailed instructions on how to generate and send a diagnostic report. I was assured someone would get back to me within in 24-48 hours.

60 hours later I contact support. After some delving, it was confirmed that the diagnostic report had indeed been received, but in the meantime I was asked to explain the problem all again to the new person. Again, support had no idea what was wrong. The support person said he would make sure the previously submitted report would be given top priority – which meant no one had even looked at it yet. This was not the kind of response I expected.

After that last call to support, I took matters into my own hands – I removed all traces of Bitdefender from my computer and installed Kaspersky 2013 Internet Security.

Kaspersky loaded and immediately identified the problem – a virus. Kaspersky eradicated the problem, and then provided directions on how to download a program to manually fix the rootkit.

I bought a service and support from Bitdefender - I got neither.

The service failed when a known and established virus was allowed into my computer. Support failed since after more than two weeks, it still could tell what was wrong. I asked for a refund. If Bitdefender can’t deliver what promised – why should I pay for it!?

The saga continues -

It would seem that Bitdefender does not like to issue refunds. It was patronisingly pointed out several times that the 30-trial period had clear expired – A polite way of saying, “we have your money, you’re out of luck!” I explained an equal number of times that my request had nothing to do with the trial period - but everything to do with getting what I paid for – service and support.

However I did receive an email from technical support. Here are the relevant extracts –

This was after, I had explained that the problem had been resolved by Kaspersky and it was pointless sending anymore reports. It was also after I had explained that Bitdefender was no longer on any of my computers and therefore any ‘courtesy’ extension was a futile gesture.

I have repeatedly asked to talk to someone in a management position, someone who would be in a position to see the bigger picture, have the best interests of the company in mind and the public relations skills to deal with this kind of situation in a quick and professional manner. Apparently there is no one in management, or if there is, no one at support level seems to be aware of their existence. I did at one time talk to a so called supervisor, but during the course of the conversation I suspected it was just another support person taking on the roll simply to appease me. He promised to do something – it was vague as to what he was going to do, but I never heard back.

I now have enough evidence in the form of emails and Facebook responses (or in the case of Facebook, lack of response), to arrive at the conclusion that Bitdefender’s philosophy in situations like this, is simply to embarked upon a campaign to give me the ‘eternal’ runaround - redirecting me from one person to another, each one asking for more details, even when all the information has been submitted countless times. I’m too old, too wise and too experienced not to know that this well established strategy (Sun Tzu’s ‘The Art of War’), is aimed at wearing me down until I give up and go away. This strategy cunningly incorporates all the ingredients of ‘plausible deniability’, where each action can be given the spin that Bitdefender is simply trying to be helpful. However, this tactic fell apart with the last email I received, which reads –

This was in response to an attached ---Original Message--- that clearly detailed exactly what the problem was and why I had requested a refund. All I could possibly provide was already attached in detail in the original email. So why did the sender want me to basically resend the original message when they already had it!?

I will continue to pursue this matter until someone at Bitdefender has the professionalism to stand up and be counted - issue an apology for its deliberate evasive tactics, and issue a TOTAL refund plus expenses incurred pursuing this matter.

The irony of all this is –

1. Since installing Kaspersky, my computer once again encountered that very same virus, but unlike Bitdefender, Kaspersky stopped it in its tracks.

   
   Now that’s what I call service!!!

2. As a result of the clean-up of the original virus, the Kaspersky software was keeping un-necessary log files that were consuming huge amounts if disk space. I contacted Kaspersky support, and within a few hours received information on how to prevent these reports from being generated. Unfortunately it didn’t work. Through a series of emails back and forth, the problem was quickly rectified – ALL by the same person who saw the problem through from beginning to end.

   
   Now that’s what I call support!!!

Michael

Hi Michael

I am sorry for the delay of our answer and I hope to assist you in a timely fashion from now on. I would like to take advantage of this opportunity to convey our apologies in regards to the situation created.

I have escalated your case to Customer Service and you will receive an answer soon.

Thank you!

Christian - with all due respect, I have had all the apologies I can handle. Apologies are not solutions.

I have been bounced around from from tech support to customer support to sales support so many times I have lost count. You say I will hear from some one soon. What is 'soon'? On Bitdefender's time scale, 24-48 hours is approximately 2 weeks AFTER I wake someone up!! So 'soon' means nothing. Why don't you pass me to someone in a management position, if such a person actually exists. I mention that only because, so far no one in any support capacity or department, seems to have any access or is even aware of anyone other than at their own level, which begs the question - does anyone actually manage and take responsibility for this company?

Michael