Safe Price Addition To Avast - Are You Kidding Me?

[REDACTED]

My problems are that Avast is

• promoting adware
  
• not giving Firefox users an option to Remove (not disable) said adware
  
• more concernerd with spin than solving this problem
  

Please re-read my post if you are unsure of the above.

horton,

besides not having read this thread and not have learned about the options/settings that avast is offering...
What is your question/problem ?

[Eddy]

Let's see...

1]
avast is not promoting adware

2]
avast sure is giving you the option to install/remove safe price
It is your own choice as user if you want to have it installed or not.

So, the real problem here is a pebkac one.

[REDACTED]

I have used Avast! since last century and installed it on hundreds of clients, relatives, friends, and neighbor's systems over the years.

Avast! is a very different product from what it was even 5 years ago.

Sales pop-ups happen all the time, there is 'gotcha' trickery in every program update sequence, the interface is now a clickable ad, and so on.

I used to tell folks that Avast! was a safe install. Now I tell them it's tricky and they have to pay attention.

I assume that the data we send to Avast! is mined for marketing value... There is no indication that it wouldn't be and given all the rest I assume the worst.

Now out of the blue I am asked to approve SafePrice.

Why the heck would I want my AV program messing about in my shopping?

I declined the installation yet there it is in Firefox add-ons and disabled.

That's like declining Windows 10... You still wind up with it on your hard drive.

So all in all I beg to disagree...

My real problem is that my trusted AV company has been taken over by marketeers.

[lakrsrool]

I have to say as a long time user and supporter who has recommended to easily many 100's of people over the years, Avast is now starting to embarrass me.

Okay this stuff can be disabled, so what, why is it there in the first place as an opt-out, it should be at the very least an opt-in and ideally not there at all....

[midnight]

Avast isn't forcing anyone to use Safe Price.

@lakrsrool,

 "Avast is now starting to embarrass me."

If it embarrasses you why are you still using it?   

[REDACTED]

After installing an update to my (paid subscription) Avast Internet Security tonight, I was a little surprised when I opened Firefox after restarting my computer, and found an additional tab saying "Another program on your computer would like to modify Firefox with the following add-on: Avast SafePrice 10.3.5.13."
I had a vague idea what it was, and I seem to remember kicking it off my computer a year or so ago. I searched on "SafePrice," and this thread was one of the first results. I read only the first and last pages of the thread, but I will not allow SafePrice to install, and I hope I don't see it in the add-ons the next time I check.
As others have said, if users want such a "feature," it should be opt-in. The present situation amounts to opt-out. (I don't play "unsubscribe" games with spammers, ether.) Maybe it's nice for those who want it, but I don't want it. Add me to the list of AIS users who think it's an unnecessary, somewhat intrusive "non-feature."

[lakrsrool]

Avast isn't forcing anyone to use Safe Price.

@lakrsrool,

 "Avast is now starting to embarrass me."

If it embarrasses you why are you still using it?   

I'll tell you what also embarrasses me; that is how there are some on this board who apparently take the view that some of us that have been happy with Avast for a very long time should for some inexplicable reason not be allowed to express our heartfelt disagreement with the direction Avast has more recently taken that should intuitively be understood to have very little to do specifically with "Safe Price" actually.

Perhaps I've been using Avast longer than you've owned a computer considering it has easily been 15+ years. Regardless of whether this is the case, the fact is that for the vast majority of this time I've highly recommended Avast to many 100's of people including family, friends and students during these many years going back to a time when Avast was relatively unknown.

What I do not understand is why someone is apparently unable to understand how a long-time Avast user might want to remain a loyal and steadfast customer simply because Avast does an excellent job in the realm of AV protection but at the same time might be of the opinion that the direction Avast is headed outside of AV protection is arguably misguided.

What is it you and others who hold this point of view think we, who still continue to like and want to use what Avast provides in the way of AV protection, should do in regards to specific issues that we disagree with outside of AV protection, simply REMAIN SILENT?!?!  How about considering the possibility that some of us past decade plus loyal Avast customers would prefer to express our disagreement regarding certain aspects of Avast in the hope that we might help persuade a change in direction for what we in all sincerity believe, right or wrong, would be a more productive approach to take.  Or is this something that any of you have not even considered at all?

Again, I have to say that it is this confrontational approach that some on this board often take using sarcastic platitudes to incessantly defend what in many ways is the indefensible and in so doing fail to comprehend the concept of "constructive criticism" that at least has minimally some level of merit that I find to be very sad indeed.     (I know, just one more "novel" among many) 

[REDACTED]

In response to this unsolicited disproportionate add-on install without my permission, I've decided to immediately change my e-mail address to a junk e-mail address, as well as a junk username. Next time, I'll stop using Avast! altogether.

US based Avast! should learn that not everybody in the world shares your American opt-out perspective or view on privacy. You have been warned.

[davexnet]

The regular install does add many "value-added" components.  This install, most commonly used by novices, is more to avast's advantage
rather than yours.  If you want to take control of the situation, choose the customized install.  Not just avast doing this.

[Eddy]

j2708787

before posting, do some reading please.


avast does not install things without your permission as has been explained many times.
This has also nothing at all to do with where avast is based.
Besides, avast is not US based but European.

[davexnet]

j2708787

before posting, do some reading please.


avast does not install things without your permission as has been explained many times.
This has also nothing at all to do with where avast is based.
Besides, avast is not US based but European.

In Europe, do the privacy settings default to "opt-in", as they do in the USA ?

[REDACTED]

I still do not understand why is this "plugin" included in Avast. What is the next step? Plugin for car dealers?
Your product was developed (I believe) for protection against intrusion/harm from internet and removal viruses from computers. Now explain what security enhancement this n"plugin" adding to ANY computer?

I believe the plugin not only points to cheapest but also to safe and reputable purchases.

The plugin should be disabled by default, if you don't want it then don't use it.

Because of my experience with the Avast WebRep tool and things being decided by a popular vote, just what determines 'safe and reputable' with this tool... is it once again a flawed data compiling that can be manipulated by VR host machine instances telling Avast Analytics a site is safe?

Just for reference the Avast WebRep tool was reporting FBI.gov and the IC3 (Internet Crime Complaint Center) as highly unreputable through manipulated analytics.

I will admit I do not have this portion of Avast installed any longer just over this 'safe and reputable' flawed analytics process.  And I totally understand the OP's frustrations.

[some_yahoo]

so, NOT ONLY did this stupid SafePrice crap load itself on my machine, but ALSO, Avast let something from somewhere add the Conduit Toolbar, Add Conduit to my search engines, AND change my home page to Yahoo Search!

Great job, guys!

[bob3160]

so, NOT ONLY did this stupid SafePrice crap load itself on my machine, but ALSO, Avast let something from somewhere add the Conduit Toolbar, Add Conduit to my search engines, AND change my home page to Yahoo Search!

Great job, guys!

You've got something else going on.....
I opted to allow SafePrice. I don't have the Conduit Toolbar and my search engine is Chrome.
Follow the directions here if you want help: https://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=53253.0

[REDACTED]

I spent hours trying to find a way to remove Safe Price from IE 11 browser.  I have Windows 10.  I went to the settings in the Avast program to no avail.  The various responses on where to find it in the program did not  help.  I checked every single setting in the software and there was NOTHING there to uncheck for Safe Price.  I had already checked the "Manage add ons" in IE and of course there was nothing there to disable either, even after clicking into areas that are not immediately visible.  So as a last resort, after searching the internet and finding no way to uninstall, or disable SAFE price, I went to the registry, searched for Safe Price, found it, deleted it and now the problem is no longer there.   Whooohooo...