How do I stop Bitdefender auto renewal?

Hello @erik123,

You can disable the automatic renewal feature from the Central account, as described above. You can also cancel your subscription and automatic billing by contacting Customer Support at: cancel@bitdefender.com

I have noticed you have successfully disabled the feature on February 13th and no future recurring payments will take place for your Total Security subscription. Please note it will be necessary for you to manually renew your protection, when the expiration date comes.

Best regards.

erik123

Thanks, yes I know that. And when I do I will know the amount I am being charged before I pay it.

greatblu

What is the link to my Central Account, why don't you put the link in this forum?

Bitdefender is using 100% CPU, I am going to uninstall it. This is unacceptable behavior.

https://www.bitdefender.com/consumer/support/answer/29081/

@greatblu

Follow the steps from Method 1 described here:

and your Bitdefender product will never be auto-renewed.

Disabling/enabling auto-renewal from Bitdefender Central (Method 2 from the link) does not always work.

As for the CPU usage, you better contact Bitdefender Consumer Support via chat, phone or e-mail:

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

Regards.

Hi @greatblu

The link to your central account should be the same link you created your account with: central.bitdefender.com

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

Hello @greatblu,

Regarding CPU usage, does the device meet the recommended system requirements? Below are the minimum system requirements for which Bitdefender proper functionality is guaranteed:

Operating System: Windows 7 SP1, Windows 8 or Windows 8.1, Windows 10.
Processor: we will not check the CPU but will display an info message for older CPU processors: Performance may be affected for devices that use old generation CPUs (have you received such a message, by any chance?).
Disk space: minimum 2,5 GB free space (on the system drive) available hard disk space; - RAM : 2 GB min.

If the system requirements are met, turn off these Bitdefender modules: Bitdefender Shield and Advanced Threat Defense. Then turn them on to identify which one could be the culprit for the high usage.

If the issue is caused by Advanced Threat Defense or Bitdefender Shield module, please get in touch with the Support Teams, as more information is required to troubleshoot this behavior.

You can reach out to our engineers by using one of the contact channels available at the link below:

Kindly let us know the outcome, so we can help other users that may experience this.

Best regards.

TomFez

https://community.bitdefender.com/en/discussion/90406/how-do-i-stop-bitdefender-auto-renewal

Struggling to find where you have said i need to go. nowhere in these menus is there a my payments link. help?

https://www.bitdefender.com/consumer/support/answer/29081/

@TomFez

Hello.

Follow the steps from Method 1 described here:

and your Bitdefender product will never be auto-renewed.

Three or maybe four years ago, i did the steps from Method 1 and since then my Bitdefender Total Security subscription has never been auto-renewed.

Disabling/enabling auto-renewal from Bitdefender Central (Method 2 from the link) does not always work.

Regards.

Gorillahug

The "Stop auto-renewal" option has been replaced with "Cancel Subscription and Continuous Protection". Any other thoughts?

https://community.bitdefender.com/en/discussion/comment/313143#Comment_313143

I'm not a fan of the wording, it makes it sound like we'll lose our current protection and subscription by canceling.

Just go through the steps and it will show that you've just disabled auto-renewal, but the subscription is still in-tact, as seen in my example below.

Scott

Hello @Gorillahug,

A subscription assumes continuity and is defined by the configuration preferences of the automatic renewal feature and by the enrollment in receiving relevant marketing messages and notifications from the provider. The term and feature are widespread in the antivirus industry and generally speaking, more providers are leaning towards a subscription model similar with the ones for streaming services.

@Scott Indeed, the term "continuous protection" may leave room for interpretation, as users might confuse this with an immediate termination of protection, which is not the case, as a paid service will always be valid for the entire duration, according to the validity specified at purchase and regardless of the cancellation of the subscription.

I think this terminology was used to better underline the main benefit that comes with a subscription and what's at stake if disabled. Because essentially, a subscription does ensure continuous protection after all. As shown in the above screenshot, the user does receive a clear confirmation afterwards, where it states that "you will no longer be protected after the current billing cycle ends".

Regards

Canadian in Las Vegas

I agree that the wording is very misleading and is meant to deceive people not to hit the button the cancel. There was nothing wrong with the previous wording to cancel auto-renewal.

e007

Very deceitful tactics with the wording. Shameful when an antivirus provider acts worse than the scammers they offer protection against.

Hi,

There is a completely different reason behind this terminology. The intention was to give up the concept of "a renewal", because by definition, a subscription never ends, unless cancelled by the user. Let's take Netflix or Spotify, for example. Once you sign up, there is no renewal, as there is no expiration date, the subscription is continuous, until cancelled. The definition of a subscription is an agreement you make in advance to receive something for a specific period of time.

Regards

https://community.bitdefender.com/en/discussion/comment/313908#Comment_313908

That explanation helped me. I think some of us, including myself, were caught a little off guard with the terminology change compared to what we were use to with Bitdefender. Your example of one of my favorites Spotify, makes sense. Dropbox would also be another example for me, as it is subscription based with a renewal date of...

Technically, the actual renewal flow doesn't change much. But the terminology had to be adjusted, especially in the context of multiple subscriptions. This was indeed a big change, as it was not possible for the Central account to accommodate multiple products in the past and this new subscription model leaves the door open for further developments. For example, if we were to ditch the activation codes in the future, the way the subscription is designed now, will help the developers achieve that, if they wish. No more activating codes, expired codes, invalid codes and so on. The protection starts from the moment you have enrolled in the subscription and this would definitely enhance the users' experience. But any transition should be progressive and new terminology must be adopted early on, so it can be easily assimilated.

I can't emphasize this enough: we would never do something that would disadvantage the end customer. Each modification, improvement and service is designed with friendly usage and value in mind. But some actions might be misinterpreted and this usually happens due to a lack of context and clarity regarding what's actually going on.

Cheers

Jonathan212

The phrasing used to denote one wishes to opt out of auto-renewal is misleading, confusing and purposely vague

I understand why a company desires to have everyone on auto-renewal. That said, many companies send their clients a message indicating something like your anti-virus will end in 30 days, etc. I thought maybe Bitdefender would do this as well. It's strange, I think, for anyone that purchased a paid version of anti-virus software to not keep track of expiration date. Yeah, continuous protection, yeah, I get it.

This is a negative feature of Bitdefender marketing. This auto-renewal practice and obfuscation in terms of how to manage it, is disturbing. It is not clear. In my view it is deceptive.

Hi,

It's a subscription, @Jonathan212. Same as your Netflix, HBO or Amazon Prime. The terminology has no marketing connection whatsoever, because it's not recommending you to purchase a new product, but has to do with the renewal cycle of a product you already have. You will receive an informative notification prior to the actual renewal, where the billing date and renewal price will be displayed and you can cancel the recurring billing anytime.

Regards

https://community.bitdefender.com/en/discussion/comment/313908#Comment_313908

@Jonathan212

As with my above post on July 16th, I had a bit of a hard time with the new wording of a Bitdefender subscription. Granted, I like the term Auto-Renewal over subscription, maybe we're just use to it after all of these years, but it does seem to be the trend. Dropbox does it, so does the green K and all of the other ones Alexandru mentioned above. So, I adapt :)

Bill_Mi

I can't know Bitdefender's intentions. I hope they are as you indicate; but I know how their new wording comes across to me - and I dislike it.

In my mind, there's a significant difference between the concept of a "subscription", and the option for auto-renewal vs manual renew - at least traditionally.

I prefer manually renewing, for the obvious reason that I can review my options / seek the best value -before- I spend my money. So, I hope your info is correct.

Hi @Bill_Mi and thanks for tuning in.

I understand that some users may want to renew their protection manually and that's fine, of course, you may even get better deals and review the available options this way, as in some cases upgraded suites may also come at a discounted price. Early renewal offers are also sent to customers prior to the expiration of the term, so everyone can benefit from better prices.

The continuous protection terminology was adopted to better underline the subscription concept where the antivirus industry is heading.

Cheers

KarenGreen

As with my above post on July 16th, I had a bit of a hard time with the new wording of a Bitdefender subscription. Granted, I like the term Auto-Renewal

Gahunter72

@Alexandru_BD i'm not sure that having the auto renew function will necessairly get you a better deal in fact in the times I have had my subscription I have never been presented with a discounted rate due to my loyalty, just an increase on the previous year. Sorry but I am with the majority here that thinks you should make the disable auto renewal option more prominent instead of it being "hard to find". Thanks.

Hi @Gahunter72 and thank you for joining the discussion.

I was previously referring to the early renewal offers that are sent to existing users prior to the expiration of the term. Other promotions are also available over the course of the year. Should you wish to receive such discounts, please make sure that you have these settings enabled:

In Central:

In Bitdefender:

The automatic renewal feature can be accessed through various methods and the information is transparent and comprehensive.

I'm not sure where else it could be included, as it's already in all the relevant places..

Regards

Repairman

I tried method 1, since i did not buy my Bitdefender through 2CO I do not apparently have an account so the link never gets set. I do have an account with Bitdefender central and i can see the product I bought , I think the Bitdefender essential says installed on one device. I also like TomFez do not see the payments.

so what do i need to do to turn off auto renewal.

Hello @Repairman and thank you for joining the conversation.

If the product was not purchased online using the official Bitdefender website, the My Payments tab will not be displayed in Central, because there is no vendor related transaction. 2Checkout (formerly Avangate, now Verifone) is the authorized vendor of the Bitdefender products and services purchased from the official website www.bitdefender.com.

A 2Checkout account is created automatically when you first place an order through our page. It’s a secured platform that centralizes all the shopping activity for the users who have purchased software or services from Bitdefender.

The licenses purchased from our trusted Partners, such as off-the-shelf software packages are not enrolled in automatic renewal and the validity must be manually extended at the due date. Some Partners may provide subscription options, but If you haven't discussed this at the time of purchase and if you bought the phisical antivirus box, your product does not have an automatic renewal feature enabled, as I have now checked as well.

I hope the information is helpful.

Regards

Repairman

Yes very helpful Alexandru_BD THANKS

ChristianMorris

To stop the automatic renewal of your Bitdefender subscription, you can do the following:

Open your Bitdefender program and go to the "My Subscription" section.
In the "My Subscription" section, you should see an option to turn off the automatic renewal. Click on this option to disable it.
You may be asked to confirm your decision to turn off the automatic renewal. Click on the appropriate button to confirm and complete the process.
If you are unable to find the option to turn off the automatic renewal in the "My Subscription" section, you can try going to the Bitdefender website and logging in to your account. Once you are logged in, you should be able to access the options for your subscription and turn off the automatic renewal from there.

Yes @ChristianMorris, that is correct and the procedure applies ONLY for subscriptions purchased from the official Bitdefender website, because licenses purchased from Partners and resellers do not have this option, as they are not enrolled in automatic billing, unless stated otherwise at the point of sale.

Regards

Somme

Ik zie bij Mijn Abonnement, geen optie om de automatische verlenging uit te schakelen maar onder Facturatie, wel het kopje betaalwijze. Daar krijg al enkele dagen, het onderstaande bericht. Wat kan ik nu doen?

Er is iets verkeerd gegaan met uw verzoek... Probeer het later opnieuw..

https://www.bitdefender.nl/consumer/support/answer/37248/

@Somme

Hallo.

Bekijk dit artikel:

Vriendelijke groeten.

Hello @Somme,

I would advise to send your cancellation request at cancel@bitdefender.com, because your subscription is managed by Bitdefender directly and not 2Checkout, based on the information available in your account.

Regards

https://community.bitdefender.com/en/discussion/90786/the-bitdefender-expert-community-guidelines-and-tips-to-get-you-started

Hello @lucyoscar,

Please do not revive older threads that have already received responses and are inactive for a while 🙂

As it can be noticed, this thread was posted last year with the most recent comment in December.

Of course, you are most welcome to contribute in our community and we have plenty of action here with new threads being posted daily.

Enjoy our forum and please read our Community guidelines, for more information on posting and forum rules:

Regards,

Alex

Clapton

quoting Alexander's post above ..... "The term and "feature" are widespread in the antivirus industry"

ive used Kaspersky security for almost ten years before coming to Bitdefender a year ago.

Kaspersky's company might be overseen by a bunch of communist war monger oligarchs, But NEVER once in ten years did they go into my bank account with out telling me and touch my money,,,they only way they got paid is when i myself choose to pay them period...

kaspersky had a countdown day timer at the bottom or their screen to let you know how many days you had left and as time got closer to renew, little messages would pop up letting you know you were getting close,,,they never hacked into my bank account legally or illegally to remove any of my money period..

so in response to Alexander .... NO other security software companies are definitely not behaving like deceptive hackers and tricking their costumers with small print or deceptive "terms and conditions" type tricks to gain access to their customers bank accounts to FORCE them to be locked into their product at a non-negotiated price without the customer being aware of it till after the fact !!!

your company really cant be that blind or stupid to not see how much this hacker style business practice is gonna piss off a lot of your customers and make them leave your software????

People buy security software in the first place to protect us from this kind of crap happening to us out there from real scammers. The last thing we need is to find out is that the security company we trusted is now too sneaking money out of our Bank accounts with out telling us too...

Be smart bitdefender and STOP this secretive auto withdrawal scam before you loose too many of your customers.

I am seriously considering not renewing next session because of this ,,, its just too shady a business practice and leaves me suspicious of you... maybe this is common in Europe were your from , but here in America this type of business practice is usually frowned upon, and mostly carried out by mafioso businesses that open up today to get your money and disappear tomorrow with even more or your money.

Actually while typing the above paragraph i gave it more thought and ,,,,,,,

I left Kaspersky and came to Bit defender because of my moral, ethical or what ever you wanna call it distaste of Russia's war in the Ukraine.. But now Bitdefenders business practices are conflicting with my beliefs of what are up front , clear, and transparent ethical business practices... so for this reason i wont renew bitdefender next time.

a good honest product sells itself, it does not need to be forced onto people.

Flexx

https://community.bitdefender.com/en/discussion/comment/325089#Comment_325089

You can visit the below stated link to cancel auto renewal.

https://www.bitdefender.com/consumer/support/answer/29081/

Regards

Hello @Clapton,

It's good to hear from you, although I would have liked it to happen under more positive circumstances.

I think the automatic renewal feature is not something unusual nor unethical, it's a subscription model, after all and I shall elaborate more on this.

This is a billing model in which a customer's subscription to a service (like a software) is automatically renewed at the end of an agreed upon period of time. Granted, what is different in our process when compared to others is that a fixed price is not guaranteed for the subscription renewal. This happens due to several reasons, the main one being that new subscription aquisitions come at a discounted price, one that is valid only for the first year of subscription. So, whenever you purchase a Bitdefender subscription with a discount from the official website, the promotion will not apply 1, 2 or 3 years later, when the product is due to renew.

I emphasize that, even though the customer is enrolled in the automatic renewal at purchase, they can opt out anytime during the subscription period and of course before the actual renewal date.

I'm sure that in this day and age, no matter the continent or country, most people that use streaming or software services are no strangers to this billing model and here I include myself. I have Netfix, HBO Max, Amazon Prime and a bunch of other subscriptions where I pay automatically on a monthly or yearly basis, so I don't have to go through the hassle to renew them manually, as that would be a nightmare, considering they have different expiration dates. And for some I don't even get a notification beforehand, I simply receive a confirmation when the funds have been debited, because I have agreed to this at the time of purchase. Bitdefender on the other hand, does send a notification prior to the renewal.

I think some customers may feel dissatisfied when the renewal date comes, especially because of the price discrepancy between the new aquisition and the renewal. But with Bitdefender, there will always be good deals around, apart from the discounted price online, they send special offers personalized for users as early renewal discounts and users can always take advantage of these. This is being done because the same discounted price cannot be automatically applied when the renewal date comes, so there are other ways to get a better deal, if you are not satisfied with the full renewal price.

And no, funds are not being sneaked out of your account, as mentioned above, the Bitdefender products come with an automatic renewal feature by default, and when you purchase a Bitdefender product from the official website, you agree to permit Bitdefender directly or through its providers to automatically renew your subscription to Bitdefender Solution by charging a valid credit card number which you have provided them. By providing a payment information, you are authorizing to charge your card information, through the authorized provider for the subscription fees associated with the Bitdefender Solution fees that you sign up for, as stated in the terms.

There is nothing shady nor secretive about this business practice and the automatic renewal feature is mentioned on several places on the website, where relevant, so that the customer is made aware of this prior to their purchase.

On the product page:

In the shopping cart:

In the Subscription Agreement and Terms of services for Home User Solutions:

In my opinion, the information is shown in a clear and transparent manner. Where else would you like to see this info displayed and what do you feel is missing?

Regards

James 2

I have no problem with the principal of auto renewal. However, I do object to being charged the full rate of the recommended/retail price and then to be "chased" days later with a heavily discounted offer!

It does not give me confidence in any organisation that employs these tactics of the product being charged against my account at the full price and then days later, a much lower priced offer..

Why isn't this kind offer automatically applied at the renewal date? In my opinion, it would suggest that those on auto renewal are at risk of being grossly overcharged in the hope that such a charge goes unnoticed.

I have spent several hours in trying establish how to contact anyone in any form of customer service other than "tick only" boxes. Why is it that they never cover issues that you actually want to discuss or even have a box marked "other" ?

A perfect example of what it is I am trying to convey to all is illustrated above for Bitdefender Total Security: As you can see, the full market price is at 85.99euros now offered at 33.99eus - after a discount. In my case I have been charged £74.99GB which is the full UK market price - followed by a the teaser several days later for £16.99GB!! Hardly gives you any confidence does it? So, how do I get my money back please?

James 2🤬🤬

https://www.bitdefender.com/consumer/support/answer/7217/

@James 2

Hello.

Follow the steps from this article:

Also, you may obtain a refund by contacting:

refunds@bitdefender.com

In both cases, you may ask for refund within 30 days of your initial purchase or of the automatic renewal date.

Regards.

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

Hi @James 2

Also, as @Gjoksi mentioned above, they do show that option on the main support page the Account, Billing and Subscription box, if you scroll down the page also shows the refund options.

As far as why don't we receive a better price automatically with auto-renewal...what discounted auto-renewal price are they to give to those from so many differing regions and economies, and for those who have been loyal to Bitdefender over the years? How would they calculate that? I get what you're saying, so please understand that, and we do get these "why is my renewal so high" and it's usually compared to an excellent promotional deal they got up front. So the comparison at times can seem pretty extreme, especially if the first purchase was 60% off.

From Alexandru's above post:

Kind regards,

I'm just a volunteer on the forum :) Scott

James 2

Thanks Scott for your response

Trying to find your way into and then around system is somthing akin to the "Crystal Maze", particularly if you are not computer savvy. If deals can't be done at the renewal point then perhaps there shoudn't be anauto renewal system at all!

The frustration of having to navigate through the relevant process which to me, is anything but user friendly, leads to irrational reactions.

The Crystal Maze factor now follows in having to navigate around a system that may have never been used before in trying to seek redress. Add to it the unknown factor of likely response / attitude from the organisation and the fear of "I have just been ripped off!"

As it was, my has complaint was actioned without any further quibble but no notification given to me other than an auto response "ticket number". It just so happened that having finally "cracked" the process and getting into my payments etc , I see refund - which I then had to to confirm had been received, and so it goes on.

However, being unaware of what was going on with my account, my "irrational reaction" has been to to purchase from a competitor and cancelling Bitdefender totally. Shame! However, If an organisation can't look after their customers - particularly on trust with auto renewals, then it's likey to lead to a backlash of disatisfaction.

Probably "easy peasy" for the savvy but not necessarily so the those in there 80's - like me....

Regards

James 2

Hello @James 2,

May I ask which competitor product did you choose?

Thank you

James 2

You may ask but I choose not to say. I have now had a full refund. I'm sorry to be leaving after a number of years with Bitdefender.

Refering back to my original question as to why renewals can not automattically benefit from any discount offer and the subsequent explanation given that it being not possible, your competitor did just that when I went to switch "OFF" the auto renewal. They made an offer that I could not refuse. The offer will apply on renewal, so provided they live up to my expectations I'm gone for the next two years!

Getting it right the first time is so important!

Many thanks

James2

xylanon

I just signed up to tell anyone, that Bitdefender is trying to keep us in their subscription for a lifetime.

Literally made me so angry that I couldnt find a link or option to cancel my subscription.

Also after finding 2Checkout MyAccount it tells me that the subscription status is disabled, so I cant cancel at all.

Dont use Bitdefender, if they really want to help they wouldnt try to keep us locked in their subscription!!!

disgusting !

https://www.bitdefender.de/consumer/support/answer/82528/

Hello @xylanon and thanks for joining us here.

The Bitdefender subscription can be cancelled as soon as the order is settled. The automatic renewal feature is enabled by default for all purchases made online on the official Bitdefender website and a 2Checkout/Verifone account is created because the Bitdefender products and services are not sold directly, but through a payment processor and official vendor - 2Checkout & Digital River, depending on the localization of purchase.

In your case, the Bitdefender Internet Security antivirus was purchased from a reseller / or Bitdefender partner and these licenses are not enrolled in automatic billing. You do have a Bitdefender Premium VPN subscription as well and based on my findings, this was ordered on the German website which means that the vendor is Digital River and not 2Checkout. This subscription is set to renew automatically next month and you can manage your preferences by accessing your Digital River account using the link below:

Please note that the Premium VPN subscription or any Bitdefender subscription for that matter can also be cancelled by sending your request at cancel@bitdefender.com.

I hope the information is helpful.

Regards

krapSubSystem

hi, i just want to say what an awful user experience it is with managing/canceling the subscription. i mean its truly terrible. why not have a direct button/switch in the app or main website, not hidden behind many steps. i wouldnt recommend this product to anyone based on this experience. it s annoying terrible just god awful.

https://community.bitdefender.com/en/discussion/comment/329949#Comment_329949

Hello,

Can you tell us what makes you feel this way about the subscription management?

If you don’t want to be billed, you can cancel your subscription anytime before the expiration date, otherwise the system will bill your card automatically. There are two ways to turn off or on auto-renewal, plus an email address that you can use to send your cancelation request.

Regards

Evangelos

Hello It's about a product whose subscription has expired, I don't want to renew it, and it's trying to charge me against my will.

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

@Evangelos

Hello.

ONLY Bitdefender staff can have access to your Bitdefender Central account, your devices, your payments/purchases and/or your subscription(s).

So, you should contact Bitdefender Consumer Support by chat, telephone or e-mail:

Chat is the fastest way to get in touch with Bitdefender Consumer Support.

Select: Purchase & Manage Subscription -> Auto-Renewal -> Bitdefender Total Security, click on Contact Support in the black box and then click on Chat 24/7.

NOTE: Bitdefender telephone support is not toll-free!

Also, @Alexandru_BD and @Mike_BD (they both work for Bitdefender) can take a look here and help you with the issue. You can PM them.

Regards.