Digital River

[WolfGoddess77]

My subscription renewal is coming up, but I wanted to renew it early rather than waiting until the last minute. When I tried to buy another year, it said that they couldn't bill me, so I got in touch with an agent via chat. He eventually sent me a Digital River link to buy the subscription.

I did a little research and found out that Digital River has an 89% one-star review rating, and that sent up a lot of red flags. Is going through Digital River really the only way to renew my subscription? And if it is, why are so many people saying it's a scam?

[DavidR]

First I don't work for Avast and use Avast Antivirus free version. What Avast Product are you using ?

In essence buying from Digital River or from any other company, you wouldn't be renewing your subscription (from its expiry date), but buying a new one starting on the date of purchase.  So care needs to be taken not to lose the time remaining on your existing license.  Digital River has been used by Avast for many years, usually on auto renewal mandates).

Let your current subscription get a little closer to its expiry (not to close), how long left ?

Do you have an auto renewal mandate set up where the subscription would be automatically update (and payment actioned) ?

[WolfGoddess77]

I use Avast Premium Security. My subscription doesn't expire until the beginning of November, but I have autorenew on, which should warn me a couple of weeks before it expires.

I just don't understand the almost exclusive one-star ratings from Digital River, and I don't know if I want to risk the same thing happening to me.

[DavidR]

Whatever you do don't do it too soon or you are effectively paying twice, possibly worst leave it too late and the autorenew will kick in.

I have never used Digital River, so I can't speak from personal experience, but in the time that I have been on the Avast Forum as a voluntary helper.
To my recollection I haven't seen much related to Digital River.  Presumably you are able to go into your Digital River account and change your option not to Autorenew ?
The renewal reminder from Digital River I guess should also give the option to cancel as this is a pretty standard requirement I would have thought.

As I said I use Avast Antivirus free version, but were I to be using a paid version of Avast I would follow this advice, I have never setup a renewable mandate for software, I prefer to manage that myself.  Be assured the program will remind (nag) you when your subscription renewal is close, you may even get a discount offer to renew. 

I did purchase two lifetime licenses for software in the past one is still going strong the other (for a firewall) ceased trading, but I still feel I got a good deal having used it for many years.