Avast WEBforum
Other => General Topics => Topic started by: greendogs on August 04, 2010, 03:34:17 AM
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We recently updated our avast after getting hit with quite a bad trojan virus. To get our computer fixed we were directed to IYOGI support. It has been $169, three weeks, 6 phone calls, over 25 hours of having IYOGI take control of our computer and we still have problems. We are looking for help and don't know where to turn. They keep telling us they fix the problem and the next time I open my home page (huffington post) a tab opens telling me my computer is horribly infected and I have to pay for and download software to fix it. We are wondering if IYOGI is a scam and they are actually putting viruses on our computer. Can we contact anyone directly at AVAST? Any suggestions?
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Welcome to the forum greendogs. :)
Sorry to hear about your problems. Doing a simple Google search reveals that there appear to be
many others with similar nightmares. :(
According to the ad, the first 30 days of support are supposed to be free ???
Did you try the forum to solve your problem ??? We know it is free and more times than not,
very successful.
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Well avast have been using iyogi on trial for a while as an alternative support method. There is nothing wrong with using either the support.avast.com site and submitting a support ticket. Or you can use the forums, ideally posting in the viruses and worms forum.
What do you mean by a tab opens (do you mean window or tab on your browser) ?
What browser are you using ?
I have just visited the hXXp://wXw.huffingtonpost.com/ site with firefox (I use NoScript and RequestPolicy add-ons, but did some selective acceptance to get things working) and no avast alerts nor any pop-up windows or tabs, so is that the URL you are having the problem with ?
Do you have this with any other URLs as it is strange only to have it on one site ?
There is a script tag on the source code (see image1) of the huff post home page that to me is a little suspect as the site has a bit of a poor rep, see http://www.mywot.com/en/scorecard/crwdcntrl.net (http://www.mywot.com/en/scorecard/crwdcntrl.net) and http://www.robtex.com/dns/crwdcntrl.net.html (http://www.robtex.com/dns/crwdcntrl.net.html).
So I don't know if this script tag is actually meant to be on the huff post home page, given it is redirecting to a tags sub-domain the tags. bit in front of the domain name. That is running the javascript file cc.js now I don't know what that .js file does or if the tags is in any way related to tabs if it is trying to open a new tab I don't know.
Can you post a small image of this tab that you are getting ?
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According to the ad, the first 30 days of support are supposed to be free ???
According to the ads here http://www.avast.com/free-antivirus-download its supposed to be complety free no for 30 days as i seen nothing mention for 30 days only.
Mr.Agent
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We have had the same issue.....our lap top came loaded with the "free" AVAST and not because of a virus but because of the repeated warnings by AVAST that the "free" period was over.....out of laziness.....we just subscribed. CHarged twice on cc statement....a very long wasted day off (Saturday) was spent on the phone with AVAST....who eventually threw us to the wolves IYOGI for $169.99... (on top of the $59.?? by AVAST)to totally f up both our new lap top and our 1 yr old desk top.......very frustrating and I am on a mission to inform as MANY people as I can so they don't go through what we are GOING through. Right now I can't even use my desk top....so much time wasted on the phone with horrible communication and passed on from one person to another. Sorry I don't have any advice.....I'm going to take both my laptop and my desktop to someone local WHO I TRUST.....and probably pay the max for troubleshooting whatever CRAP IYOGI and AVAST has eroded me with. I feel RAPED. If I save one person from this nightmare......Merry CHRISTmas!
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We can help you here with your problems with your machine if you give us a chance and we are free. Can you tell us in more detail what the problems are? Thank you.
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We have had the same issue.....our lap top came loaded with the "free" AVAST and not because of a virus but because of the repeated warnings by AVAST that the "free" period was over.....out of laziness.....we just subscribed. CHarged twice on cc statement....a very long wasted day off (Saturday) was spent on the phone with AVAST....who eventually threw us to the wolves IYOGI for $169.99... (on top of the $59.?? by AVAST)to totally f up both our new lap top and our 1 yr old desk top.......very frustrating and I am on a mission to inform as MANY people as I can so they don't go through what we are GOING through. Right now I can't even use my desk top....so much time wasted on the phone with horrible communication and passed on from one person to another. Sorry I don't have any advice.....I'm going to take both my laptop and my desktop to someone local WHO I TRUST.....and probably pay the max for troubleshooting whatever CRAP IYOGI and AVAST has eroded me with. I feel RAPED. If I save one person from this nightmare......Merry CHRISTmas!
Dear jjill,
Welcome to the forum and my apologies for your difficulty.
Please contact the CEO of Avast Vince Steckler. He is currently reviewing the service rendered by iYogi to avast! users.
and deserves a chance to intervene in this matter.
You can reach in by email at steckler(at)avast.com (replace the (at) with @ to make it a usable email address)
The 30 days you mentioned refer to the length of time you have to evaluate the product before registration is required.
The registration and program are free for home use.
If you have any other computer issues, all of us here are more than willing to help and as already mentioned, our services are always offered for free by users of this help forum.
Have a Merry Christmas and a great New Year. :)
(I have already sent an email to Mr Steckler alerting him to this post and I'm sure he'll be looking for your email to him.)
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We can fix any issues and better than other online computer repair service
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We can fix any issues and better than other online computer repair service
Welcome to the forum d_man8888,
Would you care to explain and expand your initial remark so that possible issues you may have
with that service can be looked into ???
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We can fix any issues and better than other online computer repair service
SPAM (and reported)
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I too have had a horrible experience with iYogi and am disappointed in Avast as a result. I have sent an email to Steckler with the details with the hope that feedback re: iYogi will lead to some correction and elimination of hard sell, strong-arm tactics and incompetence, ineffective service.
When I contacted iYogi by phone I was told:
A. told by iYogi “support had expired.”
B. I needed to buy tech support to have problem(s)fixed as these “allowed viruses to enter machine, disable Avast and continue”
C. I asked:“it seems I have no choice then do I?” He said he would turn me over to the technician AFTER the transaction. I felt pressured to buy the service as this implied iYogi would not assist me then (or in the future) without a buying a subscription
The iYogi “fix" cost me $169.00 and left my system with additional problems!
In brief --
my system info
Desktop
OS: Microsoft Windows XP Professional
X86-based PC Ver:5.1.2600 Service Pack 3 Build 2600
Hewlett-Packard /Model HP d530 CMT(PB134U)
I suspected a virus/malware had disabled my Avast program (& perhaps others)due to usual indications [but I had not made hardware/software]
could no longer update Avast (my paid antivirus)
could no longer update Microsoft
could no longer update Malwarebytes
running very slowly
Problems AFTER iYogi service:
1. After re-start - unable to reconnect with internet – hence
* could not update windows/Microsoft
*could not update Avast and other programs including Malwarebytes
2. I’ve consistently had a shut down problem:
* last initialed shut down (1/12) @ 3:30 am & had not shut down by 12:30 pm
& need to be shut down manually
+ manually = (i.e., turn off machine)
* error on screen:: “Windows shutting down” until manual shut down
3. Start and run not just very slow but slower than before the service
(the cache & temp files were cleared)
4. Pop-ups purportedly from Avast but never seen before
for $169 iYogi tech:
1. cleared cache & temp files
2. obtained my Avast license # & began downloading it from the website – I reminded him I had the disk – he asked me to insert and run it.
3. downloaded & installed Malwarebytes - already on my system – & potentially compromised; he did not do a clean install
4. told me “all registry errors were fixed automatically.”
I could have done steps 1-3 myself (and in fact did re-install Avast with my disk. (However, I would have done a clean install of both Avast & Malwarebytes)
Although I was finally able to fix the internet connection & acquire Microsoft updates,
the problems with shut down, an even slower start/run and pop-ups that began AFTER iYogi service persist.
I provided this info on a support ticket - however, now even more hours are required.
In the past I have recommended Avast! to others who have purchased it and now will
have to inform them of this incident - warning them of iYogi. Further, I will refrain from recommending or purchasing Avast to others unless this can be resolved.
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lemotjuste,
You did the correct thing by emailing Mr. Steckler and he WILL be following up on this issue. In the future, I would recommend first that you come to the forum for support/help for Avast, and second put in a technical support ticket online since we are quick to respond here on the forum and available 24/7.
I have also been giving feedback to Mr. Steckler and there may be changes in the future when it comes to iYogi. Therefore please consider using Avast as you have in the past, but again come to the forum for support as your first choice. Thank you again for your feedback.
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lemotjuste,
You did the correct thing by emailing Mr. Steckler and he WILL be following up on this issue. In the future, I would recommend first that you come to the forum for support/help for Avast, and second put in a technical support ticket online since we are quick to respond here on the forum and available 24/7.
I have also been giving feedback to Mr. Steckler and there may be changes in the future when it comes to iYogi. Therefore please consider using Avast as you have in the past, but again come to the forum for support as your first choice. Thank you again for your feedback.
Thank you for your quick reply & encouragement!
My initial problem I could not find answer in the Avast forum and needed immediate assistance so contacted iYogi -- won't do it again even if it means driving back to the office at 3 am to work.
I have put in a technical support ticket online in addition to the email.
Since I have recommended Avast to colleagues & friends I feel a moral obligation to at least worn them about iYogi.
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Since I have recommended Avast to colleagues & friends I feel a moral obligation to at least worn them about iYogi.
I have also been giving feedback to Mr. Steckler and there may be changes in the future when it comes to iYogi.
I believe when you receive a response back from Mr. Steckler you will be pleased to know how much he cares about Avast as the company and it's users/customers, and does appreciate the feedback, and will take action on it. Although you want to warn them of iYogi, please let them know to contact the forum first for support. Thank you for continued use of Avast and please let us know if there is anything else we can do to assist you.
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I am a reseller for Avast and have had two customers now who have had bad experiences with iYogi. I am appalled to hear one of them charged $250 for them to answer the question - "How do I schedule a scan with Avast?" The customer was asked to install iYogi's remote control software, do a spyware scan and other things. In the end, they never did actually answer the customer's question. This is extortion and a scam in my opinion. I do not think iYogi should be the recommended support option by Avast!
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I am a reseller for Avast and have had two customers now who have had bad experiences with iYogi. I am appalled to hear one of them charged $250 for them to answer the question - "How do I schedule a scan with Avast?" The customer was asked to install iYogi's remote control software, do a spyware scan and other things. In the end, they never did actually answer the customer's question. This is extortion and a scam in my opinion. I do not think iYogi should be the recommended support option by Avast!
As has been said the avast CEO Mr Steckler, steckler (at) avast (dot) com has requested info about iYogi, so if you have time to recount your customers experience.
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During the Evangelists meeting in Prague there was a discussion about - and with the guys from Iyogi as well. We agreed that the Evangelists will test Iyogi, and provide feedback about their experiences to both Iyogi and Avast!
Greetz, Red.
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I am a reseller for Avast and have had two customers now who have had bad experiences with iYogi. I am appalled to hear one of them charged $250 for them to answer the question - "How do I schedule a scan with Avast?" The customer was asked to install iYogi's remote control software, do a spyware scan and other things. In the end, they never did actually answer the customer's question. This is extortion and a scam in my opinion. I do not think iYogi should be the recommended support option by Avast!
Which number did they use to call iYogi? The user should call using this number : http://www.avast.com/support-contacts
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To be honest i never really liked 3rd party but still official support. And for some reason they all end up in India... Not that i have anything against India ppl, but it's just not good.
In my opinion nothing beats specially trained staff that work with avast! and nothing else day after day.
Good example are Evangelists here, those of us who stick around here day after day. We know avast! in depth and we aren't driven by any sales. We just want to help. So if anyone asks how to schedule a scan we answer that directly.
I never had to deal with iYogi but these complaints really aren't that rare from what i can see here.
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@RejZor
People who know nothing, even that the forum exists, might need it. And I too accept that this is the best place to ask things as there are many who are better experienced. But there are some set of people who still want telephone support, who doesn't even know that forums exist. Fyi, I am not anyway related to iYogi.
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3rd party support is crap, 99,99% of the time, if not 100%. Try to call your PC OEM hotline (Acer, Dell etc...) and ask anything ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D It's been like that for years and years. The worse of it all is that they are officially designated by Microsoft as OEM support, with no other alternative phone support for newbies.
As to iYogi >>> lol, as I can imagine ;)
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No offense to anyone, but the real problem is that jill and lemotjuste don't know how to protect/clean a system. And yes, it can be all free! Click on the link in my signature, visit the malware removal section and do EVERYTHING as stated there.
our lap top came loaded with the "free" AVAST and not because of a virus but because of the repeated warnings by AVAST that the "free" period was over.....out of laziness.....we just subscribed
Why not just simply renewed the free license?
I too have had a horrible experience with iYogi and am disappointed in Avast as a result.
Iyogi has nothing to do with avast since iyogi is an independent provider of on-demand tech support and not affiliated with any third party brand unless specified.
Now a little math.
I solve 30 computer (related) problems a week. Times 52 weeks make that 1560 a year.
I am only 1 person, they are with (as they claim) with over 5000.
So 1560 x 5000 would be 7.8 million a year.
And according to them they have solved a little over 2 million problems.
I even have not included that they can be reached 24/7 and I ofcourse not.
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Iyogi has nothing to do with avast since iyogi is an independent provider of on-demand tech support and not affiliated with any third party brand unless specified.
Well, sorry to say, but IYogi has relations to avast...
http://blog.avast.com/2011/02/11/incredible-india/
There are also a couple of posts in the ECC and other parts of the forum.
asyn
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I took it from iYogi's website.
If they do have a relationship iYogi definatly is not trustworthy.
I also just saw on another page on their site they have 4000+ tech people.
Not really consistant.
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yeah there was already some uproar here on the forums when Avast announced this collaboration with iYogi and this was apparently fully justified. I've been ranting against that at the time and I don't regret it ;)
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No offense to anyone, but the real problem is that jill and lemotjuste don't know how to protect/clean a system. And yes, it can be all free! Click on the link in my signature, visit the malware removal section and do EVERYTHING as stated there.
@Eddy
So, I clicked on your link and saw a woman on her hands and knees wearing a thong in an ad for WEBCAMSEX. See attached. That's classy.
It's unfortunate that Avast continues to use Iyogi after hearing some of the reports. Recommendations go a long way and it's sad to hear users associate Avast with a poor if not unethical support company. Avast has come a long way offering a quality, free service with a user base generated by recommendations. Why they continue to allow this dark cloud to form is beyond me.
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@Eddy
So, I clicked on your link and saw a woman on her hands and knees wearing a thong in an ad for WEBCAMSEX. That's classy.
He must be into kinky things ;)
Even WebRep rates the site as Bad
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Free phone support. So what is the catch here? One phone number for free product and one for paid. So if you call the free product phone number is this where they stick it to you? Suppose it is to get you to the more qualified tech for pro and AIS. Free telephone support for installation, configuration, and trouble-shooting is now available for your Avast product. It doesn't mention repairs. After visiting the site it appears like they try to sell you an annual subscription. I might have to take a test run at this to see how things turn out.
They should add on to this, "For FREE, quick, quality malware removal visit our support forum".
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Omg!?! I didn't even know that there's a 30 days grace period. The guy from Avast technical support kept pushing me to purchase the package for $169/yr or $260 for 2 years. So here's his chorus: "you will be helped by 'professional technician', 24hrs a day, 7 days a week. You can ask any question and we will help you." instead of helping me fixing the real problem, which turned out to be
1) download the "uninstall file" from Avast website
2) uninstall
And it took me 2 hours of explanation (mostly on how to turn on my computer??), $169 a total rip off since I'm still in college.
I really hope that avast severe the tie with iyogi. Otherwise, this will be the last time I purchase avast and will be the same with people that I know.
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As mentioned earlier, your quickest way to get support is to use the forum first. We (Avast Evangelists) are here 24/7 and know the Avast products and are very familiar with any issues that come up since we deal with users all the time. You can also put in a support ticket, however this sometimes takes a bit longer to get resolved. There are also knowledge-based articles to read that Avast offers online.
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I just had the most bizarre "tech support" experience of my life with iyogi and I'm a long time pc owner (30 years) so, believe me, I've had a lot of them.
I got a pop-up notice that my avast subscription had expired (by the way it was the FIRST notification I received and I just searched my entire email file)... so I renewed and reinstalled avast... error messages came up with no indication of how to fix them so I called the tech support number and reached an iyogi person, whom I thought was a tech guy.
I gave him access to my computer and watched as he perused my desktop for a while... then the program list... then the log files... continually making comments about how inefficient my computer is... and never addressing the problem with the avast installation. I was patient for a while expecting him to address the issue any moment... he asked where I lived, commented on my name, etc. etc. then after about 10 minutes of poking around and chatting like this, he launched into a pitch for a subscription to "infinite" software and computer support for $399 (3 years) to $169 for one year... After 5 minutes or so of his pitch, I said that all sounds good, but I'm here to get avast installed... let's deal with that and I'll decide about your offer later.. reluctantly (more pitch) he went offline for a while and then said someone else would have to help me with that and after another delay he passed me off to someone else... I expected a swift resolution and some explanation of what the problem was... but this guy (who also was offline for quite a while), he reinstalled avast and changed some settings and rebooted the computer... all in all this took an hour or so.
This is NOT the sort of experience I expected. In fact I would have appreciated the initial contact doing the reinstall... this could/should have been a 15-minute tech call... Afterward I did some searches on "iyogi" and see many, many complaints about them. So now I've lost confidence in avast! as my virus protection. I think you are damaging your reputation by passing off your tech support to a firm like iyogi.
BTW, don't you think it is common courtesy to send out an email prior to the expiration date to forewarn your customers? (at least if you prefer to retain them as customers)
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Well, I have no experience with them, but the feedback from customers is not really good. :(
I can only suggest to come to the forum and ask the helpers here. We offer free support. ;)
asyn
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@ sarojg
- The avast CEO, steckler (at) avast (dot) com has requested info about iYogi, so if you have time to recount your experience.
A copy and paste from your post would probably be sufficient.
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To Asyn: thanks for your replay... I realize that now I can request support from the forum; however I was having problems with my computer and was shocked to discover that my subscription had expired. To be honest, I don't peruse avast day in and day out and had not noticed that it had expired; furthermore, my license file was dated May 2010 so I'm still wondering how it expired before May. If I can't expect the avast download site to provide accurate information about support, then what else can I trust or not.
To DavidR: I noticed that in previous posts and did so right after I posted... however, there have been complaints about avast using iyogi dating back 8 months or so; it doesn't appear that Steckler is all that concerned if he hasn't done anything about it in 8 months.
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To Asyn: thanks for your replay... I realize that now I can request support from the forum; however I was having problems with my computer and was shocked to discover that my subscription had expired. To be honest, I don't peruse avast day in and day out and had not noticed that it had expired; furthermore, my license file was dated May 2010 so I'm still wondering how it expired before May. If I can't expect the avast download site to provide accurate information about support, then what else can I trust or not.
You're welcome..!
Not sure, why your license expired before May, but was it legit..?
There has been a lock of stolen licenses lately... ;)
asyn
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Asyn, not sure what you mean by "was it legit?"... I bought and paid for it. How can a license be stolen?
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Unbelievably, now I'm getting phone calls from a "supervisor" from iyogi... first he said he was surprised at how my call was handled and started to offer me free support for a year for avast... isn't support supposed to be free any way? Then he said "well, I'm not going to force you." Good grief!
When I told him that I had no plans to use iyogi again and had posted my experience he called back twice to ask me to remove my post. I told him I would not remove my post as I had accurately described my experience and others deserved to know. This belies a clear culture difference between here (U.S.A.) and there (India).
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Unbelievably, now I'm getting phone calls from a "supervisor" from iyogi... first he said he was surprised at how my call was handled and started to offer me free support for a year for avast... isn't support supposed to be free any way? Then he said "well, I'm not going to force you." Good grief!
When I told him that I had no plans to use iyogi again and had posted my experience he called back twice to ask me to remove my post. I told him I would not remove my post as I had accurately described my experience and others deserved to know. This belies a clear culture difference between here (U.S.A.) and there (India).
Whoah, they called you back to try to get you to remove a post on these forums??? You definitely want to email Vince Steckler about that, as DavidR had previously suggested (if you did so already, this warrants a new one).
I would consider that borderline(if not outright) harassment.
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Whoah, they called you back to try to get you to remove a post on these forums??? You definitely want to email Vince Steckler about that, as DavidR had previously suggested (if you did so already, this warrants a new one).
I would consider that borderline(if not outright) harassment.
+1 :o
asyn
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RE: <<You definitely want to email Vince Steckler about that, as DavidR had previously suggested (if you did so already, this warrants a new one). >>
DONE.
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RE: <<You definitely want to email Vince Steckler about that, as DavidR had previously suggested (if you did so already, this warrants a new one). >>
DONE.
Good..! Please keep us updated..!! Thanks.
Have a nice sunday,
asyn
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Thanks Asyn... I'd like to hear back from you re: stolen licenses... is this something I need to protect myself from? or were you just wondering if I, myself, had a stolen one?
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There have been pirated licensies: http://www.avast.com/pr-avast-software-over-770-000-pirates-plus-2-in-the-vatican
To be sure to buy a legit license here's the list of Local Dealers/Resellers: http://www.avast.com/locate-dealer
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Thanks Asyn... I'm pretty sure I bought it directly from avast.
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Update... well, there isn't an update... by which I mean, I sent 3 emails to the president of avast... I have not heard back and got no "can't deliver" messages). Guess, as I thought, he isn't interested... avast support page continues to refer to "iyogi" as "our partner".
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Methinks you are a drop in the pond, in that regard. But enough drops can make a wave.
Which is to say, I doubt an individual experience will change a company policy by itself. But enough feedback can generate change, so your input is not worthless.
Also, Avast! seems to be light in the feedback/response dept., from what I have seen. But that does not mean you where not heard or taken into account. They are good at listening, just not the best at letting you know they heard you. ;)
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Well... lets hope so.
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Good morning,
Firstly thank you all for your comments on iYogi. Please be absolutely assured that they are all being noted, and that we treat such complaints with the utmost seriousness.
I have recently taken over the management of the avast! - iYogi interaction and as such, I hope that we can isolate these issues quickly and ensure that our customers receive excellent quality support via that channel as well as our other channels and of course this forum.
To make it easier to report any future complaints regarding iYogi you are very welcome to contact me directly with the details at:
riley@avast.com
Many thanks,
Adam Riley
Avast Third-party Support Manager
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Hi Everyone,
My name is Ravi Neb and I am responsible for Avast Customer Support at iYogi, I wanted to assure all of you that both iYogi and Avast strive to provide excellent customer support to all our users. Please feel free to reach me on the below email address about your experience with iYogi and we will ensure that appropriate action is taken to resolve your problems.
In my future conversations with you all, I will also share specific information about iYogi, our policies, processes and procedures which will help address some of the concerns raised earlier.
Thank you and look forward to your feedback..
Regards,
Ravi Neb
Vice President - iYogi
Email: ravi.neb@iYogi.com
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Why was IYOGI not notified about the faulty Avast AV definitions update from yesterday? Their department should have had this as an emergency bulletin. The sales and support at iYOGI knew nothing about it. This is shameful!
In contrast, a compliment to Avast for their commitment in fixing the problem with the faulty definitions update so quickly.
However, if Avast is partnering with IYOGI for tech support, I think concerns need to be raised to the question in my first paragraph in a big way! IYOGI not knowing about the bad update is not a good thing! Can IYOGI provide some specific actions within the company so that they can work with Avast in making sure the updates are good, and should an update be a false positive, IYOGI knows about it?
Jack
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Hi Jack,
Thank you for your posting.
To clarify, as per our CTO's blog posting:
"Virus definition update 110411-1 contained an error that resulted in a good number of innocent sites being flagged as infected. Generally, all sites with a script in a specific format were affected.
Our virus lab staff discovered the problem quickly after releasing the bogus update and immediately started working on a fix. The fix was released about 45 minutes after the problematic update and has version number 110411-2. Anyone who still has this problem is kindly asked to manually update the definitions to the latest version, e.g. by right-clicking the avast taskbar icon (the orange (a) ball), and selecting Update -> Engine and Virus Definitions.
We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience. As this typically only affected remote sites (and not local files), simply updating to the latest definitions should completely solve the issue (no local files have been quarantined)."
As this was of course unexpected, and occurred during the night time, our priority was resolving the issue as quickly as possible. We fed information to iYogi as quickly as we could once the issue was resolved and once the updated version was released so that customers could be informed of this.
We aim to create better processes so that information is fed even quicker in future and again we apologize for any inconvenience.
Best,
Adam
Why was IYOGI not notified about the faulty Avast AV definitions update from yesterday? Their department should have had this as an emergency bulletin. The sales and support at iYOGI knew nothing about it. This is shameful!
In contrast, a compliment to Avast for their commitment in fixing the problem with the faulty definitions update so quickly.
However, if Avast is partnering with IYOGI for tech support, I think concerns need to be raised to the question in my first paragraph in a big way! IYOGI not knowing about the bad update is not a good thing! Can IYOGI provide some specific actions within the company so that they can work with Avast in making sure the updates are good, and should an update be a false positive, IYOGI knows about it?
Jack
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Hi Jack,
Thank you for your posting.
To clarify, as per our CTO's blog posting:
"Virus definition update 110411-1 contained an error that resulted in a good number of innocent sites being flagged as infected. Generally, all sites with a script in a specific format were affected.
Our virus lab staff discovered the problem quickly after releasing the bogus update and immediately started working on a fix. The fix was released about 45 minutes after the problematic update and has version number 110411-2. Anyone who still has this problem is kindly asked to manually update the definitions to the latest version, e.g. by right-clicking the avast taskbar icon (the orange (a) ball), and selecting Update -> Engine and Virus Definitions.
We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience. As this typically only affected remote sites (and not local files), simply updating to the latest definitions should completely solve the issue (no local files have been quarantined)."
As this was of course unexpected, and occurred during the night time, our priority was resolving the issue as quickly as possible. We fed information to iYogi as quickly as we could once the issue was resolved and once the updated version was released so that customers could be informed of this.
We aim to create better processes so that information is fed even quicker in future and again we apologize for any inconvenience.
Best,
Adam
Why was IYOGI not notified about the faulty Avast AV definitions update from yesterday? Their department should have had this as an emergency bulletin. The sales and support at iYOGI knew nothing about it. This is shameful!
In contrast, a compliment to Avast for their commitment in fixing the problem with the faulty definitions update so quickly.
However, if Avast is partnering with IYOGI for tech support, I think concerns need to be raised to the question in my first paragraph in a big way! IYOGI not knowing about the bad update is not a good thing! Can IYOGI provide some specific actions within the company so that they can work with Avast in making sure the updates are good, and should an update be a false positive, IYOGI knows about it?
Jack
Thank you Adam,
I apologize if my comment may have been harsh. I was concerned about the severity of the issue and I want to thank you and Avast for acting very kindly and supportively to a quick and correct resolution to this problem.
Best of luck to you, to Avast, to all, working as a team to help each other. Good luck today and in the many years to come!
Jack
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It would probably be a good idea to notify iYogi as soon as a problem is discovered.
Letting them know that it does exist and that you are working on a fix. That way this information
can be passed on to the Avast customers that may be calling iYogi for help.
Once the fix has been applied, iYogi should receive a second call letting them know that fact.
Just my 2 cents. :)
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Just my 2 cents. :)
That are at least 2$. ;)
As, what you said is exactly how it should work, imo.
asyn
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Yes if you have 3rd party support they have to be kept in the loop right from the start or you get complaints about them not being aware of any problem or being able to suggest what to do or how to fix.
I'm sure there must be a to do list by now of actions to take in the event of something like this or other such emergency (if not then there should be) so that staff know what to do and the order/priority to contact people, etc.
So iYogi need to be near the top of that list so that they can take some of the load. The forums were virtually inaccessible for a couple of hours and at snails pace for an hour or more as users flooded the forums looking for a solution, bringing the forum to its knees. iYogi could have reduced that load.
One of the actions to limit the damage blocking the update servers, would also have had an affect on the forum load as people tried to update their systems. Again if iYogi were aware of this it could have taken some of the load off the forums.
As they say, no point in buying a dog and barking yourself (excuse the terrible example), but that is the very reason you are paying for 3rd party support, to take the load off avast software.
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Thieves, thieves, tramps and thieves.
I recently was hit with a virus, and was using the free avast. I decided to upgrade to the pro version. When I received my key, there was no way to open it, so I had to phone tech support. Well, I connected with iYogi ..... I was informed that my computer was so infested that it was not possible to even activate the avast without having iYogi go through my computer.
After being raped for $169.99 and two and a half hours on the phone, I feel like a complete fool for falling for this scam. I lost all of my photos plus many programs will not operate. Of course nothing was really fixed. All that was done were things that I could have done myself.
So frustrated with the language problem, hell, I am hard of hearing to start with, and trying to understand the techs made things nearly impossible.
This is the list I was given that had to be done before they would even give me the license key
1.remove all the infections from the pc
2.do a pc optimization
3.browser optimization
4.fix all the conflicting softwares
5.remove all the junk files
6.registry clean up
7.remove all the unwanted softwares
8.remove all the malicious content
9.do a full pc scan
10.remove all the other antivirus softwares
11.fix all the services
They screwed with my computer for hours but fixed nothing. I had gotten it back up in safe mode and a system restore. Oh, I was also told that I couldn't defrag either.
Well, I found the photos, all in hidden files, and was able to get them back up.
My trust for Avast is completely ggone. I am being billed today from iYogi, and cannot get anything changed because I can't understand a damned thing they say.
DON'T UPGRADE AVAST -- DON'T GET TAKEN LIKE I DID WITH IYOGI
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Send a copy of your report to riley at avast dot com and reference this thread. He has been charged by Avast! with investigating and resolving Iyogi complaints.
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<snip>
After being raped for $169.99...
You may have recourse (stop payment rights) with your bank or credit card issuer if you report it promptly.
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My trust for Avast is completely ggone. I am being billed today from iYogi, and cannot get anything changed because I can't understand a damned thing they say.
I've just sent an email to Adam. Let's see if he can get iYogi to straight out this complaint. :'(
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I sent a PM to him when this Reply #55 came out yesterday, but I guess he won't get that or the email until Monday.
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Good morning,
Thanks to the forum members for alerting me to this posting.
I have just sent an email to the gentleman who has had the experience with iYogi, and as always with such complaints I will investigate this fully.
Furthermore, as way of explanation of how I investigate such complaints to demonstrate how seriously I take such matters, I typically follow this procedure:
1: Contact customer to ascertain the full details of their call
2: Contact iYogi and request the full call logs and detailed breakdown of the situation
3: Analyze both to draw a conclusion to what happened
4: Feedback to the customer and assist in any further troubleshooting
5: Feedback to iYogi and make recommendations on such occurrences
6: Log the full details and situation and incorporate the feedback into future training sessions
All of the above is designed to get a fast resolution for the customer, and also to be productive and pro-active in that feedback is given to try to prevent re-occurrence.
Best regards,
Adam
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Thanks Adam for your quick response. :)
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Thanks to the folks on forum and Adam. I was contacted by Adam very quickly.
As to stopping payment to iYogi at the bank, it is too late. My screwup.
It does not appear that using iYogi for Avast support will stop any time soon though. And with the language problem and time involved, I just have to accept that I was had for the money to iYogi.
A very simple fix to this would be that when someone upgrades to Avast Pro from free, that simply send the license information. That way I could have upgraded without iYogi telling me how infested my computer was and that it was not possible to install Avast Pro until they fixed it.
Also, I have two more licenses and Adam has said he will send me instructions on how to load them onto my other two computers. However, I am really gunshy now, and still contemplating going back to McAfee.
Again, thanks to the forum members and Adam, at least now I know that someone else understands my dilema.
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Since I was quick to complain, let me say that I was contacted via telephone by iYogi. Since it appeared that I would not be able to get a refund I went ahead and allowed them to work on my computer remotely again. This time I had a technician named Ashish Pandey. We did spend 3 1/2 hours, but he was very pleasant, and went above and beyond what is usually expected from a tech. I am very happy with the results after he worked on it, and even though I still don't like spending that amount of money, I will continue the service with iYogi (although I will probably not need it again during the time I have paid for).
Still, I do believe that the first representative from iYogi misled me, and that the first tech was not very thorough. The whole problem could be solved if there were a way that a person could just type in their license number when they purchase an upgrade.
Because I had used Free Avast, when it came time that I knew I needed more protection, I went with Avast. It is only fair, if they allow me to use it free, when I must pay, it should be them that gets paid.
Thank you to the folks on this forum, from the threads that I have had time to look at, it seems that there are some very dedicated people who are here, and my case was not the norm.
Thanks again
Oh, lol, is there any way I can change my log in name?
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Oh, lol, is there any way I can change my log in name?
Go to: Profile - Account Related Settings
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I need help! My husband purchased avast for his computer. it came with a licence for 3 computers. I tried to install it on mine. I called avast and a friendly woman gave me a case number and talked me through. She then proceeded to convince me to let them help me by remote access which I grated. still very helpful she told me that my laptop was full of bugs and unnecessary temp files. (showed them to me) She explained that they could fix it as part of the service. Great! THEN came the price tag. I explained that I even if I wanted to, we just did not have enough money at the moment as business was slow. She then tried to sell me a one year version. I kept explaining that we really could not afford it at the moment. She was nice and said that the technician would clean up my laptop as a once off. By then I was worried but the technician worked for over an hour. I said thank you and hoped for the best.
Since then my laptop is really, really slow. It freezes when I use audio on webcam. (maybe unrelated) I am reluctant to ring again as it took hours last time. I cannot believe that they would do this to paying customers. My husband's pc seems to have no probs. just me who refused to be talked into buying the maintenance pacckage, what to do??? :'(
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Hi there let me take a look at the computer and see if I can find where the logjam is
Download OTL (http://oldtimer.geekstogo.com/OTL.exe) to your Desktop
- Double click on the icon to run it. Make sure all other windows are closed and to let it run uninterrupted.
- Select All Users
- Under the Custom Scan box paste this in
netsvcs
%SYSTEMDRIVE%\*.exe
/md5start
explorer.exe
winlogon.exe
Userinit.exe
svchost.exe
/md5stop
CREATERESTOREPOINT
- Click the Quick Scan button. Do not change any settings unless otherwise told to do so. The scan wont take long.
- When the scan completes, it will open two notepad windows. OTL.Txt and Extras.Txt. These are saved in the same location as OTL.
- Attach both logs
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@ evita
As has been said in a number of posts in this topic - Adam Riley, riley (at) avast (dot) com Avast Third-party Support Manager, has requested info about iYogi, so if you have time to recount your experience (copy and paste your post, etc.), give the link to your post this topic.
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Hi.
iyogi is "for real" in that they are a service that is supposed to help you with computer problems. They seem to try to help remotely. If they can't, they post to a few technician boards to send a person to the site.
I saw a listing by them to go out to a podunk town, reinstall Win7 and all updates and install other software for a grand total of ....$65. This is HOURS of time, so they are paying about $20/hr and nothing for drive time. Now who do you think is picking up this work? Highly skilled, knowledgeable technicians, or the "I'm a kompyooter xpurt" guy who works at burger king? Yes, it is the BK guy.
Everybody and their brother pretends to be a "computer expert". Almost none are, even those with certifications. They are "plug and play" techs....they try something, it doesn't work, they try something else. It is nearly random. This is in contrast to someone who understands technology and problem solving. Plumbers and electricians are professionals. They charge about $100 for the first hour on site. If someone is saying they will "fix your PC" for $20/hr or $50 total, something is not right. They MAY be knowledgeable, but likely are not, and that is why they ask for such a low fee. Talk to the person. If they spew a lot of jargon or they speak as if uneducated, you are asking for trouble by hiring them. They should be able to clearly and concisely explain your likely problem and the most they will charge. I find "PC repair" to be the easiest thing I do. Many find it difficult, because they do not understand technology or how to know the problem is resolved.
For example, it is COMMON for someone to "remove a virus", collect money, then the user experiences the EXACT same problems within minutes or days. This is because the virus was NOT removed. "A" virus was removed. Most infections today install other infections and/or are stealth programs that put themselves back by writing values to the registry. Once an infection is found, the tech should be "googling" the infection to see others' experiences with it, should be looking for odd registry behavior and/or programs running in memory. They should run multiple spyware/av products. I had one client with a virus. Every AV/spyware program found something different. One could wipe hands and say "SUCCESS!". The fact of the matter is, by checking the registry, it was clear the root problem had not been fixed. It took time and thinking, but was finally resolved.
Question: why do people choose the cheapest option, then act surprised when they get what they pay for? Certainly, we all want to get a good value and deserve to get a service for our money. Why not just find a reputable local service, instead of driving wages down AND getting the worst service? I'm not trying to be rude or nasty, but if you pay for a yugo, how can you complain that you didn't get a bmw? Don't be part of driving PROFESSIONAL wages into the toilet, or all you will get are people who have no idea what they are doing.
Best wishes for you and your computing!
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Iyogi is not for real. I've been using and recommending Avast for years to my customers. When one of them chose to Purchase AIS and mistakenly tried to run the license file before installing AIS they of course went no where with the install. Times are tough and the customer decided to call the 800 number for the free support. What proceeds has left a terrible taste in my mouth in regards to Avast:
An hour after I recommended Avast Internet Security to my customer I got a call from them. They informed me, in a paniced voice, that their computer has registry, services, memory and possibly virus issues. After asking for an explanation they informed me iYogi logged into their computer and ran several "tests" from which derived the grocery list of problems.
I went to the customer's home to investigate, discovered what they had done wrong and had AIS running within minutes. Not being a layman, I decided to run my own tests to see if the iYogi sales machine had a point (virus scan, memory check, registry scan, event log). It didn't, I don't want to make this post too long but nothing the iYogi support person recommended was actually needed. This was a computer that is no older then 12 months, never has had a virus before and only used for business purposes.
I understand Vlad's point about paying for professional help as I am one myself. However if the underhanded tactics of iYogi represent the professionalism Avast shoots for then I will gladly stand apart from them and Avast...
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please read all of this, iyogo fraudulantly scared me into joining for $400.
i used the free version of avast for a few years and then more then a year ago i decided to pay the $40 approx. to get the payed version.
i had a problem with my computer and avast didnt fix it so a number came up saying tech support, i phoned and an iyogi rep. used hard sell techniques telling me i could have iyogi for 3 years, $400, a lot of money, i am 55 and have carpul tunnel so i cant spend hours improving my skills by clicking hear, there and everywere until i click the correct thing.
the iyogi rep. told me where to click and we went to a place in my comp. i had never been and he said see these alerts and warnings that is why you are having all these problems, i was amased at his abilities, he then said he would fix it if i payed $400 for a 3 year subscription, i payed, he then worked at lightning speed, i could barely follow him.
2 days ago i received a call from a (i tech world) rep, he did the same hard sell as the i yogi rep, he also directed me to a site and said, see all of these alerts and warnings this is slowing down your computer, slowly i realized he had directed me to the same site as the iyogi rep.
since i already had iyogi i told the itech world rep. no thanks, but he wouldnt take no for an answer, he kept up his hard sell as i became more angry, i finally hung up the phone, he called back and started to sell some more, i hung up again.
i called i iyogi and showed the rep. the site with the alerts and warnings, he said this is the event viewer and the alerts were only saying that certain errors had happened and it was nothing to worry about.
in a nutshell, the i tech world rep. used the exact same fraudulant scare tactic to get me to part with my money as the iyogi rep. did.
i am looking for a site where there is a class action against iyogi so i can get my money back
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First step is contacting Adam, see my post Reply #67 above.
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I couldn't load Avast last night because it said my subscription expired (it doesn't expire until 2013 because subscribed for 3 years in 2010). I was unable to log on to tech support or the forum. When I called the 877 number listed on the avast web site, I got this support guy in India who, after he got on to remotely scan our computer, said we had some kind of hacker attack and he needed to remove these infected files, which he showed me as he was scanning my computer files. In order to fix it they hyped me into this $170 per year plan ($169.99) with iYogi and these technicians got on and cleaned up the drives on our computer. I sensed a con job but their technicians were exceptionally polite and I was watching the whole time (it took 3 hours and 3 different technicians to accomplish the tasks of cleaning up these infected files and removing unnecessary files) and at least I knew enough about computers I could follow what they were doing -- but I don't really know if any of the "infected" files they deleted were really that harmful. When they finished, they redirected me to this survey where I wrote "either you are really accomplished master criminals and have just managed to steal my life savings, or you have cleaned up my computer. I won't know until I see what happens in the morning." I had just been through 3 hours of sweating it out hoping I was doing the right thing. How do we know anything is real in the cloud world? Opinions on these forums are all over the map, so who is right? Our computer is a little zippier now, I'll have to check my bank accounts on Monday. Since last night we've gotten back online and found that iYogi is a legitimate computer support service based in Gurgaon, India, and that they are in cahoots with Avast and that they get a lot of complaints because of their high pressure tactics (and now we've checked the chat room at Avast as well as reviews from PC and other online computer journals). Once you get online with their technicians you are kind of stuck in this web of circular logic which is hard to fight your way out of. According to a PC online article iYogi is the cheapest internet computer support service out there, but they aren't necessarily the best or the most ethical. I'm going to leave their charge on my Mastercard for the one year subscription because I'm kind of afraid to challenge it (who knows what an angry yogi is capable of?)..... but we'll let it expire next year when it does (one of the complaints to the better business bureau is they renew your subscription automatically, since they have the credit card number..... glad my credit card is about to expire soon). I feel ripped off, but after finding that iYogi is not a criminal enterprise I'm optimistic about this just becoming another learning experience. My concern is why is Avast connected with iYogi and why the con job at the beginning about my subscription "expiring?"
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iYogi are the 3rd party support for avast, some have felt pressured into taking out a support contract, which is why we give them a contact to recount their experience, Reply #67 above.
Personally I am concerned that they stray away from the task that you sought help for, e.g. the license expiry (which isn't a con but genuine a problem) and you don't say if they actually fixed that ?
I couldn't see how this would be related to the hacker attack they are meant to have found on your system, most likely the system date being incorrect (?) or avast requiring a repair using the add remove programs interface.
I don't know if you tried the forums or just the support.avast.com site, but I would try this as your first port of call.
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I have had all the same problems everyone else had and the process went much the same way.
We were told we needed to upgrade Avast.
We did and received a progam to run the upgrade.
Tried the program 2x and didn't work.
Called the 877#. (Iyogi)
Told they needed to login remotely. (slightly suspicious at this point)
Politely told and shown we had virus problems and the reason for the problem (slightly re-assured)
Told we needed to pay a min. $170 susbscription to have somone remotley fix the problem (suspicious again)
I said I will call my local tech and if we decide to use iyogi, I will call them back
Then came the pressured sales tactics, we are cheaper, we are safe, who knows what you local it is doing to your computer your not watching them. You can watch us while we work.(still suspicious)
Trying to weigh the seriousness of the infections we clearly had vs. suspicions of Iyogi, the fear of infections won. (Iyogi plays on this fear) We paid the $170.
I couldn't google 'is Iyogi legit' because the tech was logged in and watching my screen. I started googling on my smart phone...and then got the alarming mixed bag of search results. Immediatly hung up the phone and disconnected the online session. Contested the credit charge to Iyogi, and like others praying no other information was stolen and our life savings are in tact.
My advice don't use Avast or other free companies. Go with WEBROOT and stick with your local support even if they are more $$$. The age old saying you get what you pay for is soooo true!
The fact that Dell uses Iyogi means nothing. Dell is not the company it once was either! And never,never, never let someone log into you remotely unless it is someone you would trust your own children with!
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I have had all the same problems everyone else had and the process went much the same way.
We were told we needed to upgrade Avast.
We did and received a progam to run the upgrade.
Tried the program 2x and didn't work.
Called the 877#. (Iyogi)
<snip>
Please contact Adam Riley:
As has been said in a number of posts in this topic - Adam Riley, riley (at) avast (dot) com Avast Third-party Support Manager, has requested info about iYogi, so if you have time to recount your experience (copy and paste your post, etc.), give the link to your post this topic.
It would certainly been better had you come to the forums first, it would certainly have saved you a lot of grief and time.
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I take the point that it is a while since there has been a posting on this topic, but I discovered the forum and this topic only because my experience a few hours ago matched that of sarojg's posting on it dated March 12, 2011 "Re: is IYOGI For real?" in astonishing detail.
The importance difference was that he had the experience & the good sense to back off, whereas I did not :'( I have just sent an attempt to withdraw my authorisation of payment for their future services.
On the afternoon of Wednesday 21st December 2011 I bought the Internet Security upgrade that I had on trial in place of the free version of Avast that I had been running previously.
There was an unexpected problem when the fresh automatic installation of the programme appeared to stop part way through. Being an 82 year old, tired and relatively unskilled in dealing with such problems, by telephone I requested assistance, from Avast I thought.
I was somewhat surprised to find this assistance was being provided by an organisation called iJogi, of which I had never heard.
I was connected to a technician, Ashish Hajela, a pleasant man who was to deal with the problem by remote control of my computer, to which I had agreed. However, this became also a discussion about my computer and all the faults on it he said he was finding, and the need for it to be regularly serviced. There were the same breaks while he "consulted someone senior" mentioned by sarojg.
After an hour and a half of this, during which I was being slowly steered toward the advantages of using iJogi's services for such servicing,already short of sleep I was exhausted and stupidly agreed to pay for two years of this supposedly excellent service. I told the other technician to whom I was then passed that I must take a break and would telephone again when ready to proceed with whatever servicing had been considered necessary.
In fact, when rested and refreshed, I did a quick search for information about iJogi and the services it provided.
Some of it, you will realise, was alarming enough for me to belatedly attempt cancellation of payment. Once "authorised" the credit card company are not entitled to with hold payment.
The email from iYogi Sales 21 December 2011 16.06 tells me that my card "will be charged 3 days from now on successful resolution of your technical problem". Implication there is that at that time it had not yet been done, and I have not now any intention of returning for more finding of faults eventually to be remedied. I just don't think I would believe a word that was said to me.
Avast itself has such a good reputation that I cannot understand how they can steer us into using a service company that behaves in this way. Persuasion by advertising is one thing, but this is quite another. Just as sarojg said, it leaves one feeling unsure about Avast as well.
It certainly doesn't contribute to a Merry Christmas.
The Avast Internet Security upgrade, for which I had already paid separately, was installed. Beyond that only a list of "faults" in my computer had been begun, so no technical problem beyond that new Avast installation has been resolved.
I can now only hope for the best. At least my PC seems to be functioning still and I most certainly need it to do so in order to finish all I need to do during the rest of this year.
Quite possibly I should read further on the topic, certainly on this thread where I think I shall find who has a personal responsibility in these matters.
Any advice meanwhile would be appreciated.
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:o
I cant beleive...i as a indian extremely apologize for such poor services...as u know we are a diversified country and stand out to business...as i say that the services here in india are a little poor but i will contact IYOGI soon to see if i can do something sorry for all the trouble caused to u guys...
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Any advice meanwhile would be appreciated.
Welcome to the forum. :)
The best advice is posted directly above your post.
May I suggest that you follow it and get in touch with Adam Riley.
He is the liaison and is responsible for making sure that iYogi lives up to
it's part of what ever the agreement might be between the iYogi service and Avast.
Let us know when your problems have been addressed and resolved.
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Any advice meanwhile would be appreciated.
Welcome to the forum. :)
The best advice is posted directly above your post.
May I suggest that you follow it and get in touch with Adam Riley.
He is the liaison and is responsible for making sure that iYogi lives up to
it's part of what ever the agreement might be between the iYogi service and Avast.
Let us know when your problems have been addressed and resolved.
I have to disagree with bob's suggestion. Since Shy Fox is trying to cancel the deal, and considering that his main point for this is that the supposed assistance was not even started to be provided in fact, then he has no reason to contact Adam Riley.
Adam should be contacted only when the service was not satisfactory and Avast Software could do something about it. In reality, such cases may help Avast Software, but not necessarily the final user, who is left to deal with iYogi by himself anyway.
My suggestion would be, as Shy Fox said, to cancel the contract with iYogi, on the basis that no actual action was taken / started, so no service was provided yet. The "path" to effectively achieve it? First the credit card, then iYogi (only if the credit card way is not enough).
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Lets put it this way Adam will have the ability to get involved at a higher level and have access to the logs if he gets the information and holds a bigger stick to try and speed up a refund.
So I completely agree with Bob as it doesn't matter if Shy Fox is trying to cancel the deal and get a refund from iYogi.
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It is rarely that I have posted in any forum and did not even know this one existed, so it is a surprise to have received replies already and helpful ones at that.
I am sorry that you, true indian, feel that all this is in some way a reflection upon your country, because here I have sometimes received very good and sometimes very bad service from English people. Even so, it may well be no bad thing for iJogi to learn that you feel that way.
Helping a friend years ago who had fallen into a trap set by an outfit that regularly calls from Florida to telephones in the UK, I learned that once a payment from a credit card was authorised by the holder of the card, the card issuer has to allow payment to proceed.
However, if you can prove misrepresentation or breach of contract the card issuer is equally liable to repay the card holder, though they are likely to insist upon strong evidence.
Taking brief legal advice today on this case it was suggested (no more) that if it were not necessary for a computer to have regular servicing and I had been persuaded to buy a service on the basis that it was necesary, then I might have a case. I thought it tricky to pursue that line anyway unless I had recorded the conversation!
When I surfaced eventually today my first visit to my PC was to check whether there was any reply to the email that in the early hours I had sent to customer service@ijogi.net but there was not.
In it I had explained the circumstances that had brought me to iJogi in the first place, what went on in the hour and a half that their technician had control of my computer, and what I discovered on the web later that convinced me not to allow the "servicing" to continue that was not the reason for my being transferred to them by Avast in the first place.
I ended with "Therefore, I do not want to proceed with the purchase of iYogi 2Yr for AVAST and, therefore, I hereby cancel my authorisation of a payment of £188.99.
Please confirm your acceptance of this cancellation immediately. A copy of this email is being sent to my Credit Card company."
(I am not really clear what their terminology includes "...for AVAST")
Still no reply by 19.00 today, but then customer services called me from India, just as I was looking at the website that gives the address and contact numbers of their head office in Canada and wondering whether it would be worth sending a copy to them.
Another long conversation - ten or fifteen minutes at least - pressing me to explain again and again why I wanted to cancel the contract
(I mentioned this forum as a place to look), why was I dissatisfied, why would I not be interested in continuing if they gave me an additional three months plus six months cover for a second computer. The latter was also offered by the technician who talked me into signing up, but neither mentioned that the only brands they support, according to the website that was still in front of me, are Dell, HP, Microsoft & Samsung. No other computer I have beside this Dell is of any of those brands.
Finally, I pointed out that if at a later date I did become convinced that the type of servicing they offered was worth while, and the best deal available, there was nothing to stop me joining then. Putting her on the spot I asked whether she the authority to cancel my authorisation and, if so, was she going to do it. Otherwise I would be writing to their Head Office with a copy of the email.
The answer was that the money authorised will not be taken or, if it is, it will be refunded within 2 to 5 business days. I was given a confirmation reference number and, at my request, promised that would all be confirmed by email. It was. So need to contact anyone else it seems. That was an hour or two ago.
Also included was "Please take a minute to provide us feedback which will be instrumental in improving our service." Any succinct contrbutions that I might include??? ;D I am in no hurry to reply to that!
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I was present at one of the meetings where 2 representatives from iYogi told us
that if any customer was not satisfied with their service or wanted to cancel their contract for
any reason, their request would be honored.
Judging from your final outcome, I would have to say that iYogi has fulfilled the promise they made to us during that meeting at the beginning of this year as far as your case is concerned.
The fact that they tried to convince you to stay with them and offered you certain incentives
isn't something I can fault them for. After all, they are in business to make money.
I still don't like the methods they use but, I don't work for them and don't dictate their
customer relations policies.
Enjoy avast! :) and if you ever need any help, you know where you can get it for FREE. ;D
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ok i spoke to the IYOGI guy yesterday in the evening he says they ahve been providing services properly and people are happy with thier services may be the avasy guys can give me a response to this topic. :-[ :-\
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When I surfaced eventually today my first visit to my PC was to check whether there was any reply to the email that in the early hours I had sent to customer service@ijogi.net but there was not.
Please note that email address you posted is probably incorrect. I don't know if it is just some typo here, or you actually used this same email address too.
In any case, for future reference, try to use some "coded" email address, like for ezxample:
_ _ | _ _ _ _ _ __|_ _ _ ._ _
_\(_||(/__\ (a) (_|\/(_|_\ | o (_(_)| | |
or
sales At avast d 0 t c 0 m
or some simpler form, but avoid posting complete email addresses, so to reduce spam traffic.
I'm glad you solved the problem, and as Bob said, we (common avast users) are here too :).
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Shy Fox, just to point out in plain english it is not ( ijogi ) the correct spelling is iyogi which is why you probably never recieved a reply.
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ok i spoke to the IYOGI guy yesterday in the evening he says they ahve been providing services properly and people are happy with thier services may be the avasy guys can give me a response to this topic. :-[ :-\
I dont know why you are contacting iyogi on behalf of someone else as the issue has absoloutly nothing to do with you anyway, plus iyogi would not be able to divulge any information about the OP's problem to you as that would breach privacy laws and i also wouldn't think that avast would reply to you about any such issues in this thread as like i said before it has nothing to do with you ::)
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Quote from: ady4um: Today at 06:49:04 AM
Please note that email address you posted is probably incorrect. I don't know if it is just some typo here, or you actually used this same email address too.
My apologies for using the incorrect spelling of iYogi in my first posting.
It may have been the result of my seeing during my search for information about them one website of ijogi.net/pchealth offering what appear to be exactly the same services as those of iYogi says they provide. Indeed, I took it to be the same organisation and even quoted later the range of computer brands it says there that they cover. I did not investigate that site beyond the opening page. If it is not iYogi's site it is an uncomfortably close imitation. Does anyone else know anything about it?
When addressing my email to iYogi's customer service, I followed my usual practice when the address is not already on my email system: I copied & pasted the correct address from their own material to avoid any risk of a typo.
Quote from:craigb on Today at 08:30:23 AM
Shy Fox, just to point out in plain english it is not ( ijogi ) the correct spelling is iyogi which is why you probably never recieved a reply.
As I said at the end of my posting yesterday, I received a reply to my email to iYogi's customer service first by telephone. and then the conclusion reached in that discussion was confirmed by an email to me.
Quote from: craigb on Today at 08:37:50 AM
I dont know why you are contacting iyogi on behalf of someone else as the issue has absoloutly nothing to do with you anyway, plus iyogi would not be able to divulge any information about the OP's problem to you as that would breach privacy laws and i also wouldn't think that avast would reply to you about any such issues in this thread as like i said before it has nothing to do with you
It is not clear to me from true indian's postings whether his original reaction was to what I had posted or to the whole of what was on this thread about iYogi, but he does refer to "all the trouble caused to u guys" rather than to me. I do not know whether he spoke to them specifically and only on my behalf, though I hope not.
Making a general complaint to iYogi based upon what he read on this website or elsewhere about their allegedly poor service seems to me to come under the heading of free speech, and personally I think that it is unreasonable to say that the matter has nothing to do with him.
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sorry but i needed to talk to them as they arent giving good services to avast users and we have the right to speak ;)
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sorry but i needed to talk to them as they arent giving good services to avast users and we have the right to speak ;)
I didn't realize that you work for Avast or, had a personal problem with their service ???
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No bob as i know what i am doing i would want to know the IYOGI department is working as i know some of their guys so just for sake of helping i asked them about their service provision and i have lodged a complain on the improper service provision. :)
since they have been made aware of this issue they should take it seriously!
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No bob as i know what i am doing i would want to know the IYOGI department is working as i know some of their guys so just for sake of helping i asked them about their service provision and i have lodged a complain on the improper service provision. :)
since they have been made aware of this issue they should take it seriously!
They where made aware of the issues way before you started on this forum. :)
Since you seem to have a personal relationship with iYogi, maybe your intervention
will do some good. For the sake of Avast customers who wind up with their sevice, I certainly hope so. ;D
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Since the same forum's username is used by more than one real person, and the permissions and member types are determined automatically, we will all have the pleasure of shearing all the info in ECC with them just in a few months from now. After awhile the same forum member(s) will get to be überuser. Isn't it great? :P ;D
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:o nice catch ady4um
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After awhile the same forum member(s) will get to be überuser. Isn't it great?
"It ain't necessarily so." ;D ;D
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In have noticed a great deal of improvement in the recent posts from IYogi. They started off absolutely horribly but they are getting better. Would I ever use the service or recommend that anyone else does? NOPE.
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Yogi may be for real but I question their competence. I'm due to pay for another year soon, but the program screwed up completely and so I went for support. iYogi. They did the usula remote takeover, predicted armageddom if I didn't take out a contract with them - spent almost an hour analyzing my computer but doing nothing except sell, sell, and pressure sell. Okay, I wouldn't mind a service like theirs and said later when I went completely 64 bit. But in the meantime I wanted my anti-virus (which I pay for!) operational. In the meantime, I use MS free security, as Avast x'd out on the taskbar.
Then the situation changed. From the live chat, I was duly despached to type-chat. But told it would take some time. By now iYogi's people (3 by now) had done nothing but doom talk and sell. They could have, I feel, fixed the problem.
But here's the BAD part. I had to leave for a meeting (all that wasted time)and tried to go on line. iYogi had completely screwed up my internet connection. So I had to pay a tech to come and sort out whatever they'd wrecked while finding out what I should spend my money on. I feel Avast has a duty to those of us who pay to make the product work. If I were just using the free version, I'd not complain. But my advice? Don't let these people near your computer. They only made it worse. I like avast - anyone know if they have an alternate way of dealing with problems - other than iYogi? This is BAD Karma, guys.
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I think it would be easier to deal with users here on forums by us, than leaving them all alone to the iYogi guys. No hard feelings but i'm still questioning their competence...
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I think it would be easier to deal with users here on forums by us, than leaving them all alone to the iYogi guys. No hard feelings but i'm still questioning their competence...
+10
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I think it would be easier to deal with users here on forums by us, than leaving them all alone to the iYogi guys. No hard feelings but i'm still questioning their competence...
+10
Agreed, the forums should be the first port of call. As far as competence goes, I can't comment on user experience other than that shown in the forums. But what we have seen from the iyogi reps who have posted on the forums doesn't show a high degree of knowledge of avast products and you would thing that they would be the best that they have.
Then again we still haven't had it spelt out exactly what support an avast user is entitled to under the avast/iyogi support contract. I suspect it is very limited and as such shouldn't take a rocket scientist to provide that limited support, anything after that and they are going to try and sell you a support package.
Personally I'm more concerned with the business ethics of some of its employees and why it hasn't been stamped out management.
The practice of trawling the windows event viewer for what are essentially trivial errors to support the case for there being something wrong with their system and to strong arm the user into purchasing a service contract. This is bordering on the rogue/scamware applications that we hate so much.
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@ozted forget about iYogi, do not renew your subscription, from what I've read and heard (just check their videos on YouTube)these guys have no competence whatsoever about anything. If you have an issue, just come to the forums.
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@logos, he has no subscription with iYogi. He has a paid version of avast.
BTW, I agree that the best known method to receive avast support is this forum with many avast users advicing (for free), and with the developers also participating (according to what they can).
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As I noted in another thread:
You can call IYogi and if you are not satisfied, tell them you are going to file a chargeback. This gets them moving quick because the payment gateway they use is Paypal and if there are enough complaints, Paypal will put a stop on their transactions if they exceed the allowed threshold of chargebacks.
https://cms.paypal.com/us/cgi-bin/?cmd=_render-content&content_ID=security/chargeback_guide
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I think it would be easier to deal with users here on forums by us, than leaving them all alone to the iYogi guys. No hard feelings but i'm still questioning their competence...
+10
I have been following this thread for a while and Yogi may be for real (a real group), but their competence is another matter.
I have dealt with a number of home users and retirees that have subscribed to IYOGI and have called us virtually in tears because of a host of problems after they have had iyogi support connect "assist" them. The most laughable account was they wanted a extra fee to help resolve a "Virus" problem of, AV won't update, lockups and so on, which would take a lot of extra time according to the online tech, which he validated by opening the Event Viewer and indicating the red and yellow icons. The short story is that the events weren't read, the problem being "can't read/write to HDD), Hard drive faulty, replace Hard Drive, clone, reboot and no errors. Surprise surprise.
I have seen several similar instances of true lack of competence by IYOGI that I could NEVER have faith in them. I believe that the majority of their tech support staff sit behind a console and read a script and have no technical competence at all, it's all about extracting money and that's it.
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I think it would be easier to deal with users here on forums by us, than leaving them all alone to the iYogi guys. No hard feelings but i'm still questioning their competence...
+10
Agreed! After a bad experience with iyogi I found very competent help right here on this very forum.
At first I was hard headed but I learned. I have said this before many times...I would like to see avast
cut iyogi loose. They love to take your money if only to look at your "event viewer". Which generally has nothing to do with a users issue. :)
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I'll join everyone here who questions IYOGI's competence.
Wish I had known about these forums earlier.
The iyogi genius who insisted a remote session was needed to install the new license I purchased ended up wiping out all the picture, document, and data files on my computer before I could stop him. I saw what he typed in with the delete command but it was too late. Then the jerk told me the files were not deleted, but that those were "temp" files with the same names (supposing I'm entirely stupid since I was dumb enough to call them). When I proved to the genius that the actual files were deleted, he tried to tell me that was because the files had been tagged as infected by a virus. He had no other answer for me or his supervisor (who he only flagged down because he was trying the upsell we are now familiar with from this board) when I pointed out that he had not even run a scan on my computer to detect infections.
End of the day was 6 hours later when the genius, then his supervisor, spent 4.5 hours trying to recover my files with free software downloads. The supervisor was apologetic and urged me to take my computer to a professional to get a better recovery.
Avast should take some responsibility for the unprofessionalism iyogi displays with their b.s. nonsense and pressure to sell us.
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Good afternoon
Thank you for taking the time to post on our forum. I am horrified to hear about your experience and I would like to look further into this for you.
May I please ask that you contact me directly by email to: riley at avast dot com and I will escalate this to the highest possible position until it is resolved for you.
If you could send the reference number from your call this would be very helpful and allow me to trace the exact call.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Best regards,
Adam Riley
avast! Third Party Support Manager
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Well, today I read that Avast is no longer using iyogi for tech support. The part that gets me is that the Avast people said it is because of recent complaints.
That is total B.S. -- My first post here was May 28, 2011, stating how I got screwed out of $169.99. I did my rant, and was contacted by abast via email. Promised that I would receive instructions so I could use my avast pro on two more computers. Well, being quick to react, I posted again stating that Avast was just super to work with. My mistake again. First out $169.99, then I apologize, but never did get the license information.
Consequently I paid for a product I used for a couple of months on one computer. I was never able to install it on my others.
Now, my Avast pro expires. Pop-up after pop-up telling me to renew.
The computer it was installed on is now a standby computer, but had a lot of good apps, like Adobe, hundreds of photos, etc. etc., well over $1,000 worth of programs on the computer.
Well, new story!!! I did an uninstall for avast pro. Seemed to go alright, so now I install AVG. While AVG was running it's course I went to bed. The next morning my computer was totally dead. No bringing it back. Tried everything but mouth to mouth ... then had to do the dreaded recover. Well, guess what, it won't recover. The damned thing is shot, shot, shot, deader than a door nail.
Did Avast do this? Of course not. Did iYogi have anything to do with it? Who knows. But it does seem sort of fishy that just as soon as I uninstall the avast, my computer is dead.
Oh, BTW, that computer was never right after I installed the pro and followed the directions to go to iYogi service.
I could say I am disappointed, but that would be an understatement. I quit recommending Avast after the first incident ... now I will be screaming for people to not go near it for anything. None of this would have ever happened if I had just stayed with McAfee. But feeling that since I had used the free version of Avast that I owed it to them to purchase the one for real money.
Well, no sense in ranting and raving anymore, no one even knows what I am talking about unless they go back to page 4 of the thread and find my original posts
So for now, and probably forever, I HATE AVAST
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@ the3 avast hater,
If I understand you correctly, you installed AVG and then your computer wouldn't work any more and it must be avast!'s fault.
Is it possible that maybe you didn't properly uninstall avast! before installing AVG ???
Is it possible that there was already a problem on your system before all of this happened ???
At this point, can I suggest that you use the avast! Removal tool:
http://www.avast.com/uninstall-utility (http://www.avast.com/uninstall-utility)
See if that helps. If not, Maybe it's time to start from scratch.
Remove AVG through the add/remove function and then remove the remainder by using their removal tool which you can find at:
http://singularlabs.com/uninstallers/security-software/ (http://singularlabs.com/uninstallers/security-software/)
Once that's done, your system should be clean of the installed AV's and you can now install which ever Antivirus you choose.
(I'd suggest downloading what ever you choose before removing any protection you currently have or, download and have it ready on a usb drive.)
Good luck.
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No, if you read the post I did not state that it is Avast fault that the computer no longer works after trying to uninstall it and install avg.
The problem is that until now I did not know that there was a SPECIAL way to uninstall Avast.
iYogi has been a source of problems for at least a year that I have seen and all you people keep doing is defending Avast over the issues, and giving riley's email, and nothing at all was done about it for a year.
So the problem is probably that I did not PROPERLY uninstall Avast, crap, no where did I see anything saying that I needed to go to find an uninstall-utility.
The problem I have is I paid for Avast because I had been using the free version and needed a pay version. I felt that was only fair. After I paid I was sent a license that needed your friend (and avast's friend too apparently) to install it. I was scammed (embarassed about that, but true nontheless) out of $169.99.
During the past year I read countless posts from people who were fleeced out of their hard earned money, and all the forum did was have a couple of lackys teling people to contact adam riley (who didn't appear to do much) and that he would take care of it.
Never did I see anywhere that Avast was standing behind their product and their mishandling of suport, and even attempting to reimburse the people for the money and time they lost.
Also, you don't seem to understand, my computer is SHOT, DEAD, DONE, GARBAGE, TOAST. Can't even do recover either through the recover sector, or through the recovery discs.
So, to be short, why doesn't avast let people know that they need to find a special tool to uninstall the program, it would be easy enough to do this when the dun popups are coming. That way people won't destroy their product. My biggest problem was the trust in Avast (still a good product, but piss-poor management) and purchase the product, then allowing the iYogi scammers to steal my money. BTW, did I say that Adam and iYogi contacted me after my first post last year .... then when I said things seemed okay,that was all I ever heard from the, except for iYogi to try a couple of times to allow them to scan my computer again.
Soooooo, is it the fault of AVG that I didn't realize that it took special programs to uninstall Avast? Of course not. Is it Avast's fault that my computer is dead, same, never said it was their fault, it is my fault. Heck, everyone knows that you need to search the web to find a special tool to uninstall avast.
Thanks you for the advice, seriously. But it's too late for this one.
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It's never to late.
Why can't you format your hard drive and if you don't have recovery CD's or DVD's, you could always install
Windows 8 Consumer Preview which is available from:
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows-8/consumer-preview (http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows-8/consumer-preview)
Who knows, you might enjoy it as much as I do.
There are also many tips available for Windows 8 right here on the forum:
http://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=85094.0 (http://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=85094.0)
http://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=93544.msg755282#msg755282 (http://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=93544.msg755282#msg755282)
There are also many users on here willing and able to help you with many problems you may run into.
We neither work for Avast or iYogi but are avast! users who enjoy helping others.
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Hi Bob. Again thank you for your advice. Following is what appears on my screen after boot.
"Your system has reported a configuration error. Please report this error to Customer Care using the phone number found on the warranty and support guide that came with your PC Unless corrected the error will prevent your PC from operating properly. Turn off your PC by pressing and holding the Power button. After a few seconds your PC will automaticaly turn off. (Code Purple)"
After the initial failure, which was just a blank screen after boot, I tried safe mode, c prompt, everything. Then finally did the recovery console. When that didn't work I dug out the old backup disks and did a reformat along with the recovery. This is the final result after trying it four different times.
Again, I am not saying Avast destroyed my computer, but after using the iYogi 'service' I cannot convince myself that all of this is not just coincidence.
thanks again
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Since you where able to do a reformat, there would have been nothing left of iYogi.
Are you sure there isn't a hardware problem with the system ???
Once formatted, there shouldn't be any reason to not be able to install another OS
Windows, Linux etc. unless there is an underlying hardware problem.
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I took your advice and put Bill Gates Nightmare 8 on it. So, I am still betting that the problem came from the iYogi-Avast combination.
Well too late for that now anyway, like millions of others I have lost all of my previous data .... lol, maybe we should go back to smoke signals.
Thanks Bob for your advice.
Unfortunately, since Avast sicked me to iYogi, and adam riley did not fulfill his promises to me, I remain IHateAvast.
Thanks again
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Your welcome.
I can only give you advice. I can't make you change your position or your outlook toward either iYogi or avast!
I hope you'll take a look at the 2 references I supplied to make you enjoy Windows 8 and not make it quite as strange as you think it is.
The following makes windows 8 a pleasure.
Download Classic Shell (http://sourceforge.net/projects/classicshell/files/latest)