Author Topic: They won't let me purchase avast! Professional!  (Read 14600 times)

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unbob

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Re: They won't let me purchase avast! Professional!
« Reply #15 on: March 05, 2009, 09:05:51 PM »
Vote with your feet - buy from a supplier who is user friendly.
Absolutely! I can guarantee element5 will not be getting my business - ever!

If I do decide to purchase a Pro upgrade, it will be from another reseller/distributor of ALWIL Software.

Just wish ALWIL Software would drop element5 as their online reseller. 

unbob

  • Guest
Re: They won't let me purchase avast! Professional!
« Reply #16 on: March 06, 2009, 05:44:58 PM »
Finally received a response from element5 this morning. In part, here's what they said:

"We apologised for all inconveniences caused.

The order you attempted to place is incomplete, and your PayPal account
has not been charged. A new order will need to be placed ..."


also ...

"We recommend when placing an order that you enter the email address
associated with your PayPal account. If the email address entered on the
Billing Information page does not match the email address associated
with your PayPal account, your order may not process completely."

 
"The order you attempted to place is incomplete" Huh? What does that mean? I entered all required information and entry of the completed input fields was accepted. So why is my order "incomplete"?

And their requirement that the e-mail address I entered be the same e-mail address used on my PayPal account!? What's up with that?

I use a service called spamgourmet.com that allows me to use disposable e-mail addresses when ordering from merchants or registering for message boards, etc. It's basically a way to manage and prevent my "real" personal e-mail address from being scattered all over the internet and used by scammers and spammers. Works very well and I highly recommend! (Am I the only spamgourmet user on the planet?) And there are many other such disposable e-mail address services available on the 'net.

So, I always use a different disposable e-mail address for each account I set up on the 'net. That's for my protection. But that obviously does not meet element5's "requirements". Again, I've been using the spamgourmet service and disposable e-mail addresses for years and never, ever encountered this problem!

Bottom line: element5 has a bogus customer purchase verification process and is refusing legitimate business of their clients.

I surely hope this incident is made known to the management of ALWIL Software and they take action to force element5 to modify their payment verification process or sack element5 and find another payment processor!

Meantime, I have been kindly contacted by other ALWIL Software resellers & distributors offering to accept my order and gladly take my $$$.

I will henceforth never, ever do business with element5 and I will make sure they are informed. I recommend all other customers of ALWIL Software do the same.

Let's make sure element5 either changes their business practices or ceases to exist! 
 
« Last Edit: March 06, 2009, 05:52:39 PM by unbob »

CharleyO

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Re: They won't let me purchase avast! Professional!
« Reply #17 on: March 06, 2009, 08:37:30 PM »
***

Quote
And their requirement that the e-mail address I entered be the same e-mail address used on my PayPal account!? What's up with that?


This is to protect your PayPal account from malicious use and I am sure PayPal will require that the email address match or else PayPal will reject the order also.

When you are ordering such things that require authorizing, you must use valid addresses (as well as other valid information) or else it apppears to them that a malicious attempt is being made to access your personal accounts. For obvious reasons, disposable email addresses are not valid addresses.

In the 7 years that I have used avast, they have never misused my personal information and neither has element5. In my very recent order, Element5 sent me at least 3 emails notifying me of the progress of my order ......

1- to notify me of the order being made.
    (this is something I would want to know in case I did not make the order and can not be done with disposable addresses)

2 - to verify the order was processed.
    (of course, you would want to know this)

3 - a reminder that the order would show as "DRI*www.avast.com" on my credit card account.
    (also something I would want to know and can not be done with disposable addresses)

If you feel you can not trust a security company, who can you trust? You have to trust that they use a reputable company to process the orders and they do.

So, what is the problem? The problem is they see an attempt to use your account and they have no idea who you are. The attempt looks malicious because email #1 is returned because a disposable address is used. They now have no way to contact you nor anyway to verify the order.


***

unbob

  • Guest
Re: They won't let me purchase avast! Professional!
« Reply #18 on: March 06, 2009, 09:42:25 PM »
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This is to protect your PayPal account from malicious use and I am sure PayPal will require that the email address match or else PayPal will reject the order also.

Wrong! I have placed orders online previously with a disposable e-mail address using my PayPal account and I had no problem! 

Quote
When you are ordering such things that require authorizing, you must use valid addresses (as well as other valid information) or else it apppears to them that a malicious attempt is being made to access your personal accounts. For obvious reasons, disposable email addresses are not valid addresses.

Again wrong! Of course disposable e-mail addresses are valid! I use them all the time sending and receiving email! And using one does not mean a malicious attempt is being made - nothing of the sort! Any online merchant refusing business on the basis of identifying the customer's e-mail address as "disposable" is a fool and is losing legitimate business! 

Quote
In the 7 years that I have used avast, they have never misused my personal information ...
My beef is not with ALWIL Software - only element5.

Quote
a reminder that the order would show as "DRI*www.avast.com" on my credit card account.
    (also something I would want to know and can not be done with disposable addresses)

Wrong again! I frequently place orders online using one of several credit card accounts and using one of my disposable e-mail addresses - with no problem whatsoever! 

Quote
If you feel you can not trust a security company, who can you trust? You have to trust that they use a reputable company to process the orders and they do.

All well and good. However, why should I not take every precaution to protect myself online by never disclosing my "real" e-mail address. It's just not necessary (unless you're ordering from element5!).

Quote
So, what is the problem? The problem is they see an attempt to use your account and they have no idea who you are. The attempt looks malicious because email #1 is returned because a disposable address is used. They now have no way to contact you nor anyway to verify the order.

They have no idea who I am? How does anyone know who anyone is just by looking at their e-mail address? Can you explain that?

In the case of placing an order for a product, the merchant knows who I am because I supplied all the requested information during the order process - credit card number, expiration date, security code, etc etc. And I also point out that all my credit card and PayPal account have "disposable" e-mail addresses in my account profile!

Sorry, but your comments on the use of a disposable e-mail address just don't wash!

streetwolf

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Re: They won't let me purchase avast! Professional!
« Reply #19 on: March 06, 2009, 11:04:45 PM »



not worth the aggravation.

CharleyO

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Re: They won't let me purchase avast! Professional!
« Reply #20 on: March 07, 2009, 08:41:21 AM »
***

Ok ... you are right and I am wrong. But, which of us is having a problem?


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Offline RejZoR

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Re: They won't let me purchase avast! Professional!
« Reply #21 on: March 07, 2009, 09:59:30 AM »
Seriously, if this was happening all the time, ALWIL would have changed the service long ago. So it's most probably a problem from your side. You seems to have decided not to buy it anyway, so why all the heat?
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YoKenny

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Re: They won't let me purchase avast! Professional!
« Reply #22 on: March 07, 2009, 12:06:03 PM »
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Ok ... you are right and I am wrong. But, which of us is having a problem?
They are probably of the Ferrous Cranus troll type:
http://redwing.hutman.net/~mreed/warriorshtm/ferouscranus.htm

unbob

  • Guest
Re: They won't let me purchase avast! Professional!
« Reply #23 on: March 07, 2009, 04:17:34 PM »
Ok ... you are right and I am wrong. But, which of us is having a problem?
Sorry Charley if I was a bit brusk. But I was stating the truth with my experience using so-called "disposable" e-mail addresses.

In any case, my problem with element5 is over as far as I'm concerned. I've made known their business practices and vented my anger at the way I've been treated. Mission accomplished.

I'm not going to upgrade to Pro - decided I really don't need it. And, poor 'ole ALWIL Software has lost a paying customer (for now). Love their free stuff though - keep it coming! Free is good!

While it's possible I may become a future paying customer of ALWIL, I will never, ever do business with element5!!! >:(

All is well now and life goes on ...  :)
« Last Edit: March 07, 2009, 04:39:28 PM by unbob »