ABSOLUTELY TERRIBLE CUSTOMER AND TECH SERVICE

[Scrittore]

Have waited - BY THE CLOCK - over two hours listening to flutes, etc., waiting for technical support on the 877-204-9327 number (Saturday  Feb 01, 2014) which joined the over two hours combined waiting in between tech reps working, disengaging, me having to call back each time after some process completed (AND THE MESSED UP MY COMPUTER SO BADLY IT WOULDN'T START WINDOWS ALL LAST NIGHT!!!

Then - there's the "Customer Service" matter - wherein AVAST in all its wisdom has NO PROVISION for a "customer service representative to contact a Level 2 technician to give a phone number and name to to call back to finish what they started (see above problems covering now two days) - all because the above "technical support" line seemingly just doesn't have near enough staff (as per my over an hour wait time just today alone).

Also - I bought the VPN (Jan 02, 2014) and the license file was never sent.

Customer service says I didn't buy it because they can't find any record of the purchase - BUT I'M LOOKING AT THEIR CHARGE FROM THEIR RE-SELLER (Digital River) ON MY CREDIT CARD!

Needless to say - I'm very, very, VERY dissatisfied with AVAST !!

Quick to take the money - but slow as the lead turtle in a turtle race to service 

[Asyn]

...waiting for technical support on the 877-204-9327 number...

That's not the official support number..!!
-> http://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=111435.0

[thekochs]

Have waited - BY THE CLOCK - over two hours listening to flutes, etc., waiting for technical support on the 877-204-9327 number (Saturday  Feb 01, 2014) which joined the over two hours combined waiting in between tech reps working, disengaging, me having to call back each time after some process completed (AND THE MESSED UP MY COMPUTER SO BADLY IT WOULDN'T START WINDOWS ALL LAST NIGHT!!!

Then - there's the "Customer Service" matter - wherein AVAST in all its wisdom has NO PROVISION for a "customer service representative to contact a Level 2 technician to give a phone number and name to to call back to finish what they started (see above problems covering now two days) - all because the above "technical support" line seemingly just doesn't have near enough staff (as per my over an hour wait time just today alone).

Also - I bought the VPN (Jan 02, 2014) and the license file was never sent.

Customer service says I didn't buy it because they can't find any record of the purchase - BUT I'M LOOKING AT THEIR CHARGE FROM THEIR RE-SELLER (Digital River) ON MY CREDIT CARD!

Needless to say - I'm very, very, VERY dissatisfied with AVAST !!

Quick to take the money - but slow as the lead turtle in a turtle race to service 

I've been where you are on "phone support"...........Avast or not.
However, another suggestion is to start a thread on the Forum for help.....more details the better.
There are so many great and experienced people on the Forum and hopefully address your exact issue.
Even when you get the alot of times on these calls the Level 1 support folks start at step #1....."is your PC plugged in ?".
....you know the deal....
Anyway may be good to use the Forum....

[AdrianH]

...waiting for technical support on the 877-204-9327 number...

That's not the official support number..!!
-> http://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=111435.0

Umm ............. http://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=96766.0 

[Asyn]

...waiting for technical support on the 877-204-9327 number...

That's not the official support number..!!
-> http://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=111435.0

Umm ............. http://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=96766.0

Thanks Adrian, I didn't know about this number.

[Scrittore]

First - I've read the responses - and thank those who have taken their time to comment.

Secondly - although using AVAST for several years now, haven't used these boards much during those years and therefore not sure how to 'respond' __directly__ to a responder (don't see a 'Reply' button for each entry, etc) so any guidance appreciated.

Third - as to the 'that's not the (right) phone number' (877-204-9327) response - that's the number listed on the webpages seen. One of my chief complaints with AVAST in general (other than this specific complaint.- entry) is the difficulty in finding phone numbers for someone to talk with about an issue)

Finally - my issue with the 2nd level tech that messed up my computer so badly it STILL isn't all corrected (even though three other techs have since worked on it) I have to doubt the issue(s) are going to be solved with a 'community' blog (with all due respect to all) in this instance.

So again - tks to those who have responded - and stay tuned as I continue to try and get things resolved.

[thekochs]

First - I've read the responses - and thank those who have taken their time to comment.

Secondly - although using AVAST for several years now, haven't used these boards much during those years and therefore not sure how to 'respond' __directly__ to a responder (don't see a 'Reply' button for each entry, etc) so any guidance appreciated.

Third - as to the 'that's not the (right) phone number' (877-204-9327) response - that's the number listed on the webpages seen. One of my chief complaints with AVAST in general (other than this specific complaint.- entry) is the difficulty in finding phone numbers for someone to talk with about an issue)

Finally - my issue with the 2nd level tech that messed up my computer so badly it STILL isn't all corrected (even though three other techs have since worked on it) I have to doubt the issue(s) are going to be solved with a 'community' blog (with all due respect to all) in this instance.

So again - tks to those who have responded - and stay tuned as I continue to try and get things resolved.

Use the "quote" button on top right of post to respond to specific comment.
Also, I have no real insight to Avast Phone Support but I guess like most you go thru either Junior folks to get to some-one whom knows much about anything and you also spend TONS of time getting there.  Also, most of those people are working off scripts prepared by someone else rather that really digging into a specific issue.  Regardless, you can still go down the "phone" path but at least in parallel start a new thread with your original issue and the current state of the machine and its issues.  You would be surprised how senior the folks are on this Forum and the tools they have that can help.  Remember to post as many details on what is going on, what you see, your system setup and all software loaded...especially current security software, software firewalls, or even old security software you had previously and removed.....a lot of times they really aren't gone and cause issues with new A/V.

Anyway, if you do...start a new clean thread with clean topic....this one has become a discussion topic not a problem & solution one.

[Scrittore]

Use the "quote" button on top right of post to respond to specific comment.
Also, I have no real insight to Avast Phone Support but I guess like most you go thru either Junior folks to get to some-one whom knows much about anything and you also spend TONS of time getting there.  Also, most of those people are working off scripts prepared by someone else rather that really digging into a specific issue.  Regardless, you can still go down the "phone" path but at least in parallel start a new thread with your original issue and the current state of the machine and its issues.  You would be surprised how senior the folks are on this Forum and the tools they have that can help.  Remember to post as many details on what is going on, what you see, your system setup and all software loaded...especially current security software, software firewalls, or even old security software you had previously and removed.....a lot of times they really aren't gone and cause issues with new A/V.

Anyway, if you do...start a new clean thread with clean topic....this one has become a discussion topic not a problem & solution one.

Thank you for the tips and comments.

I don't want to "beat-this-to-death" but the forum couldn't have helped me given the problem the Level 2 Tech caused when he ran "HitmanPro" which corrupted something to the point that (a) Windows would not load [thus could not access this board of anything else] and (b) Safemode - nothing worked [not w/Command Prompt, not w/Networking, not with ANYTHING] and (3) finally had to use the "restore" to factory settings to begin again - SOMETHING I COULD HAVE DONE MYSELF without having had to pay AVAST for "total support" to mess it up and then to fix what they messed up!

So - still don't have full use of my computer because now it is downloading 200+++ "updates" (from the intervening time between its 'birthday config' and now') which are still going on so the computer isn't usable while that process is going on.

Now AVAST has told me that "once technical support has been rendered nothing is refundable" - EVEN THOUGH that process broke it and at THAT point there IS no "accountability" on the part of AVAST for the fact that I was charged for something that messed the computer but that 'was not refundable' + that all service is done "on a best efforts basis" - THUS NO GUARANTEE IT WILLWORK - and NONE of which was described during the process of buying the service! (Oh - and "customer service" further stated that the two preceding points were in their TOS as "disclaimers" - which I reminded the rep I COULDN'T SEE BECAUSE THEY MESSED UP MY COMPUTER!)

Getting the idea here? that AVAST is a good product in many ways BUT their "customer support" and policies as described above ARE NOT O.K. !!

Tks again for taking the time to repsond. This will be my last entry on this thread - but everyone should take notice of the points being made in my complaint and reasons for thereof.

[DavidR]

The people responding in this topic are all avast user like yourself, not avast employees.

We do take note and have complained about 3rd party support. However, I and many other avast users in this forum wouldn't recommend 3rd party support as the first port of call but these forums.

@@@@
Contacts relating to poor 3rd party support - riley@avast.com - Adam Riley, Manager, Global Services - includes 3rd Party Support
Third-party Support Manager, Vojta (nekvapil (at) avast (dot) com) has requested info about 3rd party support issues, so if you have time to recount your experience (copy and paste your post give the link to this topic, etc.), and see the post below.
Reference forum response post http://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=111683.msg877605#msg877605

[Scrittore]

Very interesting @David R - and thanks for the comment.

Actually - there was NO indication that what I purchased as a "support package" was a 3rd party! All phone numbers were associated with an AVAST webpage. I of course understand that if a 3rd party provider (such as "Digital River" is an authorized reseller of AVAST - STILL - resellilng the software is one thing - CLOAKING THEY ARE PROVIDING TECH SUPPORT AND NOT AVAST ITSELF - is b s in my book! __If__ that is to be the case (a 3rd party and not AVAST doing the tech work) then AVAST should be posting a clear disclaimer that a 3rd party is being contacted and __not__ AVAST.

Tks again for providing additional insight

[DavidR]

You're welcome.

I strongly advise you to use the contacts I have given as they 'may' well be able to do more about getting a refund, given that they A) didn't resolve your problem and B) screwed your system up.

[Scrittore]

Will do David R - tks

[thekochs]

Also.....and I am not including myself but I am a techy enough to know........many of the senior guys on this Forum are better than most top level techs...not to mention a Level 2.  My point is, I personally go to Forums (not just Avast) first.....not last....I have found 99% of the time the issue has been encountered and the fixes are there.....and if not the guidance surely is for proper next steps.  Other than Microsoft.....which I have had to engage with once....I would trust NO tech support phone guy with my PC.....they are guessing.....perhaps educated guesses....but guessing none the less.

Good luck.........

[Scrittore]

Great and helpful comments - thanks

Perhaps my "error" in all this is that I haven't had enough experience with the board-members otherwise I would probably have gone that direction instead of the 'paid' tech service. What actually transpired - was that I was getting hit 24/7 by malware attacks (which I alternately tracked to Russia and to China when twice an IP address was [I'm sure inadvertantly] left visible) and had taken EXTENSIVE screen-shots which I had approach AVAST with even a year ago - all with a big yawn or no response at all from AVAST.

I guess THAT should have been my first clue to look elsewhere!

In this latest round - the tech ran HitMan Pro and when he restarted the computer - that was when something had gotten sooooo screwed up that not only would Windows not load - but nothing in Safe Mode would load either (no w/networking; not /w/command prompt; etc).

I was never called back (the 'notes' say the guy 'tried but failed to reach me' - even though I was sitting by both phone and computer the whole time). When I finally called in myself - I was told there was no record I had purchased any support - and from there everything just continued to go downhill to the point that I lost three days use of my computer and spent those HOURS on hold listening to flute music as previously stated.

Soooo many things I was NEVER told by those representing AVAST in all this as well as by the Tech who finally directed restoring the computer to it's factory settings (never told me [I should have known I guess] that the backup done was NOT going to backup existing installed products like Photoshop, MS Office, and numerous other programs - so - now I have to dig for those original discs and reinstall all of that PLUS hassle with those compaines about activation since their records show they are are already installed on my computer.

I sure as hell didn't need to pay someone to tell me how to run "restore to factory settings" etc.

Anyway - tks again to all for the VERY helpful suggestions (and advice about coming to the boards before again looking to AVAST or any 3rd parter provider [which I never knew I was dealilng with because no such notice was ever given].

[bob3160]

that the backup done was NOT going to backup existing installed products like Photoshop, MS Office, and numerous other programs

That requires doing an Image Backup which, depending on your operating system, can be done within Windows or, may require a separate program.