Just how unprofessional avast!'s customer help is

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Tamianth
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Just how unprofessional avast!'s customer help is

Post by Tamianth » Mon Apr 20, 2015 9:15 pm

Just how unprofessional avast!'s customer help is

Post by CelticDragon on Sun Mar 02, 2014 12:26 am

Sorry guys-but I'm back with a new one.
On the 15th of last month (February 15th) I got a new video card. At the time I was running a scan every day. I woke up the next morning to my computer totally off-something I didn't have the scan set for (you can have the comp shut down after the scan). I shrugged it off, thinking it was a one-time occurrence. Well it happened the next day. So my tech guy (RoadRager1 on 800notes) said to set it to run once a week. That Monday, it was still up. Turn on the monitor and this is what I saw: postimg.org/image/7sng0x8nn/ (sorry about the poor quality of the pic-it was taken with my Samsung flip phone [no disparaging remarks please!]) Also, my comp was locked up so I had to do a hard shut down. Again I thought 'Ok, one time deal'. Happened the next week. So I messaged avast! They started out sort of helpful, then got a bit pushy:

Hello,

we are sorry for the inconvenience and we do apologize for the late response.

Unfortunately, in this case it would be indeed the best solution to properly reinstall avast! on your machine.
The whole reinstallation process takes only a couple of minutes so your machine will not be left without antivirus protection for a long time.


I don't have any other protection, so I wasn't about to uninstall and reinstall. The guy I was corresponding with is apparently Russian due to the name on the email. That was 02-22. On 02-25, I get this email (it's where they start to get pushy and first contact with the Russian):
This message concerns your ticket #(I removed it). We have not received any response back from you in 72 hours, and would like to know if you consider this issue to be resolved. If you have any further questions, simply respond to this e-mail.

My reply (yes I was a little ticked): Do I consider it resolved? Not really-you are going with the most base way by telling me to reinstall. Just a question-is that what you tell everyone that comes to you with a problem?
Here's where I start to get suspicious-on 02-27 I get this message from the Russian guy: Thank you very much for your response.

If you wouldn't like to perform the reinstallation steps, even tho that it would resolve the avast! system issue, could you please generate and send me the support package so that we could investigate the issue?

To generate the support package please follow these steps:

1) Start avast!
2) Help -> Feedback -> scroll to the GENERATE SUPPORT PACKAGE part
3) Tick BASIC INFORMATION, LOG FILES and MINIDUMPS
4) Click the GENERATE NOW button

After generating the support package, please send the generated *.zip file to me as an attachment.

(After clicking on the GENERATE NOW button, the next window will state "The package has been generated to:" and will offer the file path in a blue link.
Clicking on the blue link with the file path will open the folder with the support package from which you will be able to attach it to the email.)


Now, according to my tech guy, that would have given them everything about my comp, something I wasn't about to do. Also, I find it unprofessional that this person uses the word 'tho' instead of 'though'. Anyways, I showed the pic to RR1 and he told me what it was right away, so I messaged back: Thing is, I may have found the problem WITHOUT doing all that-I showed the picture I took of the screen and apparently your product doesn't like my new graphics card (sent a second one that I meant the graphics driver). Any ideas on that one?
Here's where the guy gets defensive and where I found out that they're COMPLETELY unwilling to admit their product is at fault-it's the wording of the email and how I read it: Thank you very much for you response.

avast! antivirus program should not be having any conflicts with your graphic card or the graphic card drivers.

If you would be certain of it tho, please try installing the newest graphic card drivers from the manufacturers website.


The driver was up-to-date and again he asks for that package. Here's my reply-by now I'm pissed: You can close the ticket because I am NOT sending you that information! And the graphics driver is UP TO DATE-I JUST GOT THE CARD!
Here's the kicker-02-28 I get this message:
This email concerns your recent ticket: Avast messing up completely

As part of our commitment to improving your customer support experience, we would like to know how you think we are doing.

You are invited to complete a short satisfaction survey consisting of just a few multiple-choice questions.

It should take you no more than a minute to complete (we promise!).


I'm sitting there staring at that and am thinking: 'after all that bullshit they want me to do a SURVEY?!'

This is what I sent back-I'm BEYOND angry at this point-they didn't help me one bit and they want me to take time to fill out a FRAKING SURVEY?! I told it to them straight and included quite the burnage at the end: You want to know how happy I was with your help?! You seem to promote your product over everything else! You're of the opinion that you product was not at fault in ANY way. So no, I was NOT satisfied at all! Here's a suggestion-GET AN AMERICAN CALL AND SERVICE CENTER!!! As for your constant asking for information, I am NOT sending the specs of MY computer to some complete stranger who can't seem to SPELL properly-which THREATENS your credibility!!! I should have stayed with Microsoft Security Essentials!
(The fact avast! is the superior product here and I'm saying I should have stayed with MSE which doesn't do much? You can't get a deeper burn than that!)

I'll close my rant here-but I am going to be looking for a new antivirus now-if anyone has any ideas, please let me know!
(Oh, and before anyone thinks to bring up AVG, just don't-had a bad experience with them on my other computer so that program's out of the question)
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Re: Just how unprofessional avast!'s customer help is

Post by Tamianth » Mon Apr 20, 2015 9:17 pm

by Guest on Sun Mar 02, 2014 6:45 am
MSE is a good product but not avaiable for win8. when i purchased a new pc after christmas, i got a free macafee. normally i wouldn't consider bloatware, but this version appears to be doing well.... if you are going with MSE, you should get Malware Anti-Bytes
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Re: Just how unprofessional avast!'s customer help is

Post by Tamianth » Mon Apr 20, 2015 9:18 pm

by CelticDragon on Sun Mar 02, 2014 9:57 am

Uh Guest, two things:
One, I only said that to basically piss them off-i am not actually going to go back to MSE because it doesn't protect for anything. Saying that was to get the point across that I might have been better off STAYING with MSE because then I wouldn't have been dealing with this bullshit! I already had another antivirus screw up my old comp and am NOT about to have it happen again!
Two, I'm running Win7, NOT Win8-I don't know where you got that I was (sorry if that wasn't clear)
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Re: Just how unprofessional avast!'s customer help is

Post by Tamianth » Mon Apr 20, 2015 9:33 pm

by Guest on Sun Mar 02, 2014 10:03 am
my statement wasn't really pointed at you, it was more a general "you" like the royal "we".

by CelticDragon on Sun Mar 02, 2014 10:05 am
Sorry about that-I literally just woke up and am not alert yet...damn I need a soda!


by Guest on Sun Mar 02, 2014 10:06 am
no worries - I have my diet pepsi beside me at all times...even for breakfast, I have DB with my coffee.... strange eh?

by CelticDragon on Sun Mar 02, 2014 10:08 am
Uh...what's DB?

by Tamianth on Sun Mar 02, 2014 10:17 am
Wow! I haven't had any problems with it. I tend to uninstall and re-install when there's a glitch for one reason. Downloads don't always download right. Sometimes something will go south with the downloads or the download isn't right to begin with. :shifty:

Its a PITA.. but I've seen it with a lot of programs, even Microswisscheese..


by CelticDragon on Sun Mar 02, 2014 10:20 am

Then explain why it was fine until I got the new graphics card?


by Tamianth on Sun Mar 02, 2014 10:28 am
I'm not saying its the graphics card. It actually shouldn't be. Its not unusual to get bad cards/equipment though either. But it wouldn't be the first time I've seen programs and new equipment clash either. It sounds like a big glitch in Avast to me also. :wideye:

Maybe try uninstalling it then re-installing it. Or do both and see what happens? :thinker:


by CelticDragon on Sun Mar 02, 2014 10:41 am
I had my tech guy (RoadRager1) check the card-he's the ONLY person besides my brother that I allow to work with my comp. Card checks out fine-it's when avast! SCANS the driver for the video card that it (avast) crashes it!


by Tamianth on Sun Mar 02, 2014 11:47 am
UGH! :shifty: What brand of card is it?

The one thing that irritated me with avast this go is the dang thing automatically blocked livefyre which is the platform the news uses for their comment board. Had to go manually reset it so I could even post or like comments. It gave me one of the WTH moments!


by CelticDragon on Sun Mar 02, 2014 11:56 am
Had that trouble with the adblocker-I can select what I want active with sliders though. The card is a Sapphire Radeon Dual-X R9 270X-it's a good mid-level card.


by Tamianth on Sun Mar 02, 2014 12:21 pm
I recognize the name. I have a nvidia set up myself. I spent the day yesterday (well most of it) updating this and my netbook - still have some stuff to run through and bring up to date. I keep forgetting to turn the netbook on and update it. :rolleye:


by CelticDragon on Sun Mar 02, 2014 12:32 pm

So you saw in the one message how they got defensive and were basically claiming the graphics driver was at fault and they weren't as well huh...I mean, how unprofessional right?


by Tamianth on Sun Mar 02, 2014 4:05 pm
Yup.. would not be the first time I've seen a antivirus glitch of false positive BS!


by CelticDragon on Sun Mar 02, 2014 4:08 pm
And don't even get me started about the false positive 'decompression bombs' it kept finding in trusted files...wonder how fast avast would fix it if they saw this thread...


by Tamianth on Sun Mar 02, 2014 4:22 pm
LOL! Well, your not the only one with a glitch in the works. Think my old corded mouse is having brain farts.. its been acting up the last few day's and its giving me heck. I might change it over to my bluetooth one I have for my netbook and see if that is what it is.

It behaves for a bit and then I practically have to hold the thing down to click on something or it zooms through it the next! Suspect Its only 12 years old.. gee,must be ready for retirement?


by Guest on Sun Mar 02, 2014 4:25 pm
Or the cat....

by CelticDragon on Sun Mar 02, 2014 4:29 pm
Tami, is the mouse an optical (does is have a red light)? If it does, that might just be dirty-take a q-tip, stick it in the hole where the laser is and turn-do this about once a month to keep it working well.

CD


by Tamianth on Sun Mar 02, 2014 4:45 pm
@ Guest.. :affraid: :lol: :lol: :lol:

Cd, done! Yes, its optical.. I usually wipe it down every so often.. tends to get a white hair in it now and then (see snypers pic above Suspect ) I may go in and look at the settings also. Sometimes when I click on something, like the smiley's, I get two or three instead of one also. Its just acting a bit too weird.

by Tamianth on Sun Mar 02, 2014 5:14 pm
Mouse is wearing out. Right click button.. Miranda said she still has her corded optical mouse and I can have it! :tiphat:



by 1-C on Sun Mar 02, 2014 6:52 pm
Miranda to the rescue!

Tami, it almost sounded like the trouble I had with a mouse I was using (as in past tense :wink: ) ... with mine it had something to do with the cord. I ended up getting a new one and tossed the old one.

LOL @ Guest post. That cat would have to be an exceptional and unique mouser to want to catch that kind of mouse :tngraz:
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Re: Just how unprofessional avast!'s customer help is

Post by Tamianth » Mon Apr 20, 2015 9:41 pm

by CelticDragon on Sun Mar 02, 2014 6:57 pm
Ok Tami, never hurts to check that-glad you have a working mouse! I've been debating on going back to corded-got a Logitech M510 currently.


by Tamianth on Sun Mar 02, 2014 7:29 pm
We run logitech also. The keyboard gave out two years back, but a friend of mine gave me a microsoft keyboard that came with his PC that is almost exactly like the logitech.

Just took the time to hook it up, its definitely the mouse! Problem fixed! Glad Miranda had this one still stashed. Cleaned it first, was a bit dusty. She went with the cordless for her laptop. At least its not doing crazy stuff now!

Does the cordless one eat battery's CD?


by CelticDragon on Sun Mar 02, 2014 7:32 pm
I use a Microsoft Ergonomic 4000 currently but am thinking of switching


by Tamianth on Sun Mar 02, 2014 8:00 pm
I was over on ebay looking through keyboards and mice. I was eyeballing these gaming boards and mice, not that I need one for my set up, but I like the thought of the back light on the boards.
I have a internet keyboard right now. Wish they made one that was back lit for normal users.It would be great on those nights I have insomnia and don't want to turn on the light. I did eyeball the ergo boards and mice also.


by CelticDragon on Sun Mar 02, 2014 8:19 pm
Tami, DO NOT get a keyboard or mouse on ebay-you never know WHAT could be wrong with electronics-I check Best Buy myself


by Tamianth on Sun Mar 02, 2014 9:44 pm
Best buy sells on ebay now, its where I got my TV. I tend to actually only buy my series box sets there cause they are cheapest and have buyer protection. I bought the NCIS series there 1-10 new, Everything was really good except season 8 disc 2 - it looks like a factory screw up, could watch the first two, but the 3rd was sticky and 4th ep wouldn't play. Got a hold of the guy who had a 100% rating and he refunded the whole price to me. Had closed out his shop even. So I only have to replace that one disk - taking it into town to this shop and see if they can fix it or get me a new one. I thought it was kinda weird. No questions asked, he just refunded. That was a strange one on me.. I figured he just didn't want to deal with it ..

Today I nabbed Voyager 1-7 for 125.00 and Season 2 of TOS for 22.00. So I'm pretty happy on that. Otherwise, I shop Amazon - those are the only two places I deal with. And I always go look and read through the complaints vs the good.. I don't think I'd actually buy computer parts or accessory's through them, but it does give me a idea what stuff is going for.


by CelticDragon on Sun Mar 02, 2014 9:45 pm
Ah...I'm just wary of places that allow you to sell used items I guess-I'm going to be looking into Zone Alarm-a friend I talk to has it and it's a free product


by Tamianth on Sun Mar 02, 2014 10:02 pm
Well, its just my experience but I have bought a couple of used DVD's.. both places have been great so far - When I started collecting the Hercules and Xena sets, I found out when I was scoping them out that with Hercules, the new release does not include the movies. To get the movies, you have to get the first issue release. I also do Bones, ebay has the better prices for series sets and individual, but if its a older movie.. then Amazon is the best bet price wise. Usually get most of my used books there also.

You might want to pop into the xxx thread.. we have a live one going.. WW#3


by CelticDragon on Sun Mar 02, 2014 10:03 pm
I saw...and have posted


by Tamianth on Mon Mar 03, 2014 12:25 am
Got ya! The next page was really getting down and dirty there.. :affraid:

I sure hope you get the problem solved CD! Seems like several of us are getting problems with the ol pc! Deleted Media has been having some also! Hope this isn't contagious! :|


by CelticDragon on Mon Mar 03, 2014 12:27 am
Zone Alarm's a firewall, so I still need Antivirus-and I can't use it with avast because my friend has that and the two programs bitch at each other


by Guest on Mon Mar 03, 2014 2:54 am
CD - I think I'm missing something here so let me see if I have an understanding.
You have a paid version of Avast which seems to be complaining about your video card so you want to find an alternative to Avast or something that will work along side of it? To my knowledge, you should never have two AV applications running because some of them are set to trigger on the dll's of the other. Since moving to Win 8, I'm using MacAfee but when I was back on Win 7, all I ever used was the windows firewall an MS Security Essentials. I had Malware Anti-Bytes and Adaware for spyware just in case.

And ZA used to be a good product, but like so many free products these days, it has migrated into what I call bloatware, not to be mistaken for the crapware that comes with a new PC.


by CelticDragon on Mon Mar 03, 2014 2:58 am
*sighs* No snyper, I have the free version and I want to get RID of it and get something that won't be conflicting all the time-or at least not like this


by Guest on Mon Mar 03, 2014 3:02 am
Well why not use Security Essentials? It's a pretty good AV and has a smallish footprint. You just need another spyware program to back it up.

What is the XXX thread you and Tami were talking about? I wanna see my peeps at work


by CelticDragon on Mon Mar 03, 2014 3:05 am
MSE doesn't block shit-I only said that to piss off avast


by Guest on Mon Mar 03, 2014 3:08 am
have you ever considered using VM software like Oracle's and then if you can find an XP ISO somewhere, you can create a Windows XP machine on your local and use it for all your browsing. If you end up with spyware or a virus, it's isolated to the VM and your main system remains bug free.


by CelticDragon on Mon Mar 03, 2014 3:11 am
I AM USING WINDOWS 7-NOT XP!


by Guest on Mon Mar 03, 2014 3:33 am
I know that. What I was suggesting was that you create a virtual machine on your windows 7 box and use that for your surfing. That way it's totally segregated from your main system.


by CelticDragon on Mon Mar 03, 2014 4:05 am

Ok, you DO realize Oracle and MSE are one and the same right? And according to my tech guy, it's NOT segregated-it's still using the SAME hard drive!


by Guest on Mon Mar 03, 2014 4:08 am
I think I'm missing something. I'll re-read this thread later when the cobwebs from the painkillers have been swept away.

Have good day


by Guest on Mon Mar 03, 2014 10:20 am
CD have you considered Avira Antivirus ? I'm running Win7 & have nvidia. There are no conflicts, and on initial scan, it caught a few things that AVG missed.

My own setup is fairly similar to guests.

Avira for antivirus.
Malware Bytes for Spyware
CCleaner for general cleanup


by CelticDragon on Mon Mar 03, 2014 12:22 pm
Is that a free product? I'll give that a look-see. Thanks Guest!


by Guest on Mon Mar 03, 2014 1:45 pm
It is free Smile

http://www.avira.com/en/avira-free-antivirus
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Ahr'lhonaema ihirer hotaessraei hwiunaier iarr'voi ortaihkhevha na sienov!
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Re: Just how unprofessional avast!'s customer help is

Post by Tamianth » Mon Apr 20, 2015 9:46 pm

by CelticDragon on Mon Mar 03, 2014 2:07 pm
I'll do some checking later on today or tonight-helping around the house currently.
CD


by Tamianth on Wed Mar 05, 2014 3:37 pm
CD did you get your problem all sorted out?


by CelticDragon on Wed Mar 05, 2014 3:41 pm
Still looking Tami-I might end up going with Kaspersky even though I have to pay for it; but from what I hear it is more bang for the buck.


by Tamianth on Wed Mar 05, 2014 5:46 pm
I've heard its good also CD.. I think Panda was another one I'd heard was pretty good also.


by Guest on Wed Mar 05, 2014 6:00 pm
kind of ironic that the ad on this page is for Avast


by CelticDragon on Wed Mar 05, 2014 7:19 pm
I wouldn't know as I have an ad-blocker on, but that is extremely ironic!


by Tamianth on Wed Mar 05, 2014 8:50 pm
LOL! Yeah it is! I wouldn't know either, I run ad blocker as well!


by CelticDragon on Wed Mar 05, 2014 9:08 pm
Insane...good catch Guest!


by Guest on Thu Mar 06, 2014 2:33 am
Hi, I have a facebook ad blocker but what do you guys use...I'm assuming it's browser non-specific?


by CelticDragon on Thu Mar 06, 2014 6:09 am
Actually, the ad-blocker is WITH avast-so the program is BLOCKING it's OWN ad!


by Tamianth on Thu Mar 06, 2014 10:30 am
Adblock plus - I run firefox. So you can get it from Mozilla. I also use flashblock as well.


by CelticDragon on Thu Mar 06, 2014 10:36 am
Mine's more ironic!


by 1-C on Thu Mar 06, 2014 10:52 am
LOL! You can say that again, CD. An Avast ad blocker that blocks it's own ads... truly ironic.


by CelticDragon on Thu Mar 06, 2014 10:53 am
You'd think that would be the ad it would let through, but I suppose that might be hard to do...


by 1-C on Thu Mar 06, 2014 10:56 am
Yup. Another glitch in their system/design perhaps.


by CelticDragon on Thu Mar 20, 2014 8:16 pm
Just an update-logged onto my computer today and had avast! pick something up so I called my tech friend to convinced me to run a quick scan. Strangely enough, it didn't screw up the video driver this time-so either avast! fixed the problem or it depends on the scan. Will update the next time I run a quick scan.


by CelticDragon on Sun Jun 29, 2014 10:49 am
Looks like it was a one-time deal-currently looking at Zonealarm-my friend Bugga has that and loves it!
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Ahr'lhonaema ihirer hotaessraei hwiunaier iarr'voi ortaihkhevha na sienov!
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Re: Just how unprofessional avast!'s customer help is

Post by Tamianth » Mon Apr 20, 2015 9:47 pm

by Slim on Sun Jun 29, 2014 10:13 am

Image
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Ahr'lhonaema ihirer hotaessraei hwiunaier iarr'voi ortaihkhevha na sienov!
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Re: Just how unprofessional avast!'s customer help is

Post by Tamianth » Mon Apr 20, 2015 9:49 pm

by Tamianth on Sun Jun 29, 2014 11:13 am
:lol: Nice one Slim! Reminds me of the time we first got internet and first computer. Took a class with the internet provider for using a scanner. They didn't cover anything we hadn't already figured out. :sleep: In fact, they actually made it harder. And using lingo most didn't understand. Spent more time explaining to people in simpler terms.

I still want to know where the any key is... :lol: !



by CelticDragon on Sun Jun 29, 2014 12:38 pm
LOL Tami!
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Ahr'lhonaema ihirer hotaessraei hwiunaier iarr'voi ortaihkhevha na sienov!
It is cowardice to be reluctant to take up the sword for a just cause!

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