Info Email from Norton offering a "free upgrade to Norton 360 with free VPN"

[UsandThem]

I received an email from Norton today offering to upgrade my Norton Security Premium to the "New Norton 360 with free Norton Secure VPN". The email was legit, and was from Norton. However, I remembered they killed off the "360" branding a year or two ago, so I Googled what this was.

Apparently, Symantec is bringing this product back. The irritating thing about this "upgrade" is the program is in beta, so people who do this become unwitting beta testers (which is not stated in the email offer at all). Here is a link to the discussion on their forums: https://community.norton.com/en/forums/norton-360-premium-ii-upgrade-email

Not cool Symantec........

 

[corkyg]

Good catch! I too am getting tired of being an unwitting beta tester, especially for Windows.

 

[UsandThem]

Odd timing, but it looks like Symantec has finished the product, and it isn't in beta testing anymore: https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16832377992

However, I noticed the "credit card or Paypal required" at the top, and "renews automatically" at the bottom. I would never touch this product with a 10 foot pole.

 

[Ajay]

However, I noticed the "credit card or Paypal required" at the top, and "renews automatically" at the bottom. I would never touch this product with a 10 foot pole.

More and more companies are doing this. I’m afraid it’s going to become the norm

 

[corkyg]

It's like being bitten to death by a duck!

 

[Rifter]

Odd timing, but it looks like Symantec has finished the product, and it isn't in beta testing anymore: https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16832377992

However, I noticed the "credit card or Paypal required" at the top, and "renews automatically" at the bottom. I would never touch this product with a 10 foot pole.

View attachment 5788

Agreed, will never purchase a auto renewing product again.

 

[UsandThem]

More and more companies are doing this. I’m afraid it’s going to become the norm

Software based on annual subscriptions have pushed this method for decades. I've used Norton for the better part of 25 years, and once Symantec acquired the company, they kicked the auto renewal up a few notches.

However, this is the first piece of software that I've come across that requires a payment method to be attached to even activate the product, let alone use it. If they decide to go this way with all their security software, I will use something else.

They are doing this requirement in the "spirit" of mail-in-rebates, hoping many people will forget about it, so they can grossly overcharge for their product.

 

[Captante]

Got the same email a few weeks back and had the same qualms ... Norton Security has a few features I never use already and all this new 360 "upgrade" would do is make for more of the same. (with possible exception of the VPN)

Also be advised that when I logged into my Norton account to check the 360 offer fine-print I happened to notice that my Norton Security had been reset to auto-renew not a month after I'd turned it off! Make sure to double-check if this concerns you.

 

[UsandThem]

Browsing Newegg's daily email today, I noticed more Norton products being listed there. It appears they are moving all their new product line over to this "credit card or Paypal required to activate and use" method. At first I thought it might be limited to their "360" line of products because of the tied in VPN service, but even their basic antivirus program now has it listed as a requirement.

I guess once my current subscription runs out in about 10 months, I will be switching over to something else. I can't believe whichever team made this decision thought this method was the way to go.

https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16832393003

 

[Captante]

I guess once my current subscription runs out in about 10 months, I will be switching over to something else. I can't believe whichever team made this decision thought this method was the way to go.

Wow .... 157 days on mine and feel the same way.

 

[JEDIYoda]

I quit using Norton`s a very long time ago! When I quit using Norton`s it was and maybe still is plagued by false positives!

 

[Captante]

I quit using Norton`s a very long time ago! When I quit using Norton`s it was and maybe still is plagued by false positives!

Surprisingly not ... its actually very reliable and light on resources provided you don't enable all the extra crap it comes with.

 

[UsandThem]

Surprisingly not ... its actually very reliable and light on resources provided you don't enable all the extra crap it comes with.

I've never had an issue with that either. That's one of the reasons I stuck with their product for such a long time.