Avoid Avast! like the plague

[Kintaro]

Crosspost: http://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=59725.0

I purchased Avast 5.0 Internet Security because I really liked the free product. Upon the purchase I received a licence file from along with a link to download the product. Upon downloading the product I have found it will not accept my license, though the program doesn't state a reason as to why it failed.

There were no answers at all on this issue with any help on the sites FAQ. I immediately found a thread which had no helpful answers and a few others experiencing this problem and it said to contact support.

So I contacted support and they sent me answers out of the sites FAQ. So I tried removing avast with AswClear and reinstalling (a second time). Two reboots later it appeared Avast had accepted my licence file, but decided that it had EXPIRED despite the fact it was brand new. Clearly, there is something horribly wrong with the program that direly requires an update.

.

Even someone with the most basic experience with computing could conclude from this screenshot which I emailed to support that the product is DEFECTIVE. Then I emailed support again to which they told me I should DO EXACTLY WHAT I DID BEFORE WHICH DID NOT WORK.

I don't believe I am the only person who is experiencing this problem or the lackluster support. Simply, I have been defrauded. I paid for a product which I did not recieve (a working licence). [email protected] just redirected me to support, and refuse a refund. However, perhaps it can work, and since Avast have forced my hand I might as well try and make use of my withering time licenced.

That is what is even worse, they won't even attempt sending me a new licence file to see if that works despite the obvious fact that it would be fair I am compensated for not getting to use to product and thus time that was licenced to me was lost.

Is this really the kind of company you want protecting your computer? These guys are completely inept.

[Refalm]

This is pretty bad programming in Avast. I can't imagine what they did wrong, but I bet the license would work on 7 may 2010.
Also pretty stupid that the program apparently relies on a local clock to check the expiration date. Citrix also does that, and it's pretty easy to cheat licenses by just setting the clock back.

License wise, I like Kaspersky the best.

You buy a licence, and then you get a serial code. Then you just download the latest package or beta, and fill in the serial code. After that, everything is updated.
Norman works in the same way. I always tell companies to go with either of those virus solutions.
Both virus scanners also don't bother the user, unless they try to open a "funny game lol" they got in their e-mail.

The best way to combat viruses is just not using Windows.
And use ClamAV on gateways to save bandwidth by dropping viruses (but you already have something like that).

[Aloone_Jonez]

I used to use AVG but then I gave it up once I discovered how much of a bloated pile of sit it is.

I don't use memory resident AV any more, it's for morons who don't know anything about security.

All memory resident AV does it slow your computer down - there's no point in scanning every single file you access.

Now I just use Clamwin AV which I admit is shit and I'm still looking for some decent AV software which can be configured to only scan and download updates when I want it to but I haven't .

[Kintaro]

It's going to be easier to just put Dansguardian and ClamAV on my squid proxy. They just banned me from their forums for calling them cunts among other things when I raised four threads (quickly) of people having the same problem and getting the same runaround. Lovely customer service, its like a conspiracy to not admit they've made a fucking mistake.

[worker201]

Once you start using offensive language and causing public trouble, their desire to help you drops to zero.  A squeaky wheel might get the grease, but a broken wheel is generally tossed in the garbage.  I'm not saying that the company is totally innocent - I'm saying that a peaceful and fair resolution is no longer possible.  At this point, it's lawyer time.

[Refalm]

Once you start using offensive language and causing public trouble, their desire to help you drops to zero.  A squeaky wheel might get the grease, but a broken wheel is generally tossed in the garbage.  I'm not saying that the company is totally innocent - I'm saying that a peaceful and fair resolution is no longer possible.  At this point, it's lawyer time.

Since Kintaro is in Australia, and Avast! is from Czech, suing them may be difficult, also since it's a web-based company.

[Kintaro]

By doing business in Australia they agree implicitly to refund when the product is broken or not sold as advertised. I contacted consumer affairs and gave them a stern warning.

In other news, under an alias, I got given the same 'help' again on the forum which produced the screenshot. Really getting ran in circles, and it appears the developers or a method of bug reporting is all but a mystery. I suspect they are keeping the development a secret because women are doing it and in the Czech Republic women are supposed to be in a state of sexual slavery. I believe a conspiracy is under way to get aid for these programmers sex slaves internationally. Everyone really works at Avast and nothing is wrong at all, except that I bought a pretty useless product.

[Lead Head]

I liked the Avast free edition, and usually put it on computers I'm fixing up for people. Their licensing system always did seem a bit wonky to me though, I'll be sure to stay away after this.

I've tried using AVG on people's computers and each and every single time it always brought them to a crawl. Its live protection is a real memory and processor hog. Gave up on it honestly.

If you bought Avast via PayPal or Credit Card, it should be either A. Easy enough to prove to them that you bought a license recently or B. File a dispute with PayPal/CC Company and have the charges reversed.

[Refalm]

In those situations, I usually go for Avira. There's this bullshit ad everytime it updates, but other than that it's great in resources, and it has a great virus database.