Author Topic: RESOLVED--Fake Renewal Notice???  (Read 10555 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

lindawing

  • Guest
RESOLVED--Fake Renewal Notice???
« on: November 09, 2010, 01:10:36 AM »
Today, in my e-mail, I've received what looks like a legitimate renewal promo, for 30% of the usual renewal fee for my 5-computer-licensed Avast! Pro.

I'm suspicious, however, because of four things:

(1) Though the e-mail came to my correct e-mail address, it was addressed (as you'll see in the copied text below) "Dear avast! customer";

(2) I did click on the link in the e-mail, but now I'm rather wishing I hadn't. Too late, now. It may be legit, but it does NOT have my actual account information in it when I go there. It does tell me I have a license for 5 computers, but it requires me to put in my account information, which I would think would NOT be necessary if this were actually sent out from the real Avast! subscription/billing department;

(3) When I go to the home page for Avast! and do a search, or look through all the support areas, I can find NOWHERE, where there is a "renewal" department, or any pages that come up with "renewal" in them; and

(4) The e-mail says that my license will expire in 30 days (the e-mail is dated November 8, 2010). That's not true. My Avast! information tab tells me that my license won't expire until January 25, 2011--still nearly 90 days away.

So...either something's fishy, or the promo department needs to upgrade its methods a bit! I would appreciate knowing whether or not I should go ahead through the e-mail link, because I really COULD use that 30% discount. That's a big deal when the entire license is going to be nearly $90, otherwise!

In case you need it, here's the text of the e-mail:



Dear avast! customer,

Thank you very much for using avast! antivirus. Your license will expire in 1 month. To stay protected you need to renew your security.

Special offer: If you renew now, you will receive a special 30% discount.

Click on the link below to purchase a new license key. The whole process will take only a few minutes to complete.

Renewal link with 30% discount:
https://dr-store.avast.com/esales/checkout.html?PRODUCT%5B300339582%5D=1&COUPON1=10Q4NEW3579&utm_source=USA&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Renewals

If you need any help please contact our help team at sales@avast.com

Thank you again for choosing avast! antivirus.

We hope your computer and data stay safe and secure.

The avast! team


This email was sent to your e-mail address because this is the address that was used when your avast! purchase was registered. If you did not register the product yourself (e.g. somebody else registered on your behalf), please forward this message to unregister@avast.com
« Last Edit: November 15, 2010, 03:36:54 AM by lindawing »

Offline DavidR

  • Avast Überevangelist
  • Certainly Bot
  • *****
  • Posts: 88895
  • No support PMs thanks
Re: Fake Renewal Notice???
« Reply #1 on: November 09, 2010, 01:56:49 AM »
Well the site link appears to be legit.

It is for Digital River Element 5 that handles the avast on-line payments for licenses. See image for whois look up on the IP of the link.

The email address used "If you need any help please contact our help team at sales (at) avast (dot)com" (modified by me) is correct. So you could enquire there about the expiry dates.

So I believe the email although the renewal/expiry dates don't match is likely to be genuine.

The other thing that I don't know is when you renew your license when that new license starts, as the normal 'initial purchase' of a license starts from the day of purchase. So this is something that you could clarify with sales, though I would imagine it should be from the end of the current license.

However, there is nothing on that page to indicate that, so something else to ask sales.
Windows 10 Home 64bit/ Acer Aspire F15/ Intel Core i5 7200U 2.5GHz, 8GB DDR4 memory, 256GB SSD, 1TB HDD/ avast! free 24.2.6105 (build 24.2.8918.824) UI 1.0.799/ Firefox, uBlock Origin, uMatrix/ MailWasher Pro/ Avast! Mobile Security

Offline jadinolf

  • Avast Evangelist
  • Advanced Poster
  • ***
  • Posts: 1090
Re: Fake Renewal Notice???
« Reply #2 on: November 09, 2010, 02:29:03 AM »
Same here:
Dear avast! customer,

Thank you very much for using avast! antivirus. Your license will expire in 1 month. To stay protected you need to renew your security.

Special offer: If you renew now, you will receive a special 30% discount.

Click on the link below to purchase a new license key. The whole process will take only a few minutes to complete.

Renewal link with 30% discount:

It really expires on Jan 30, 2011. That's a little more than a month according to my calendar. ;)
« Last Edit: November 09, 2010, 02:33:51 AM by jadinolf »
printed on 100% recycled bytes

Offline DavidR

  • Avast Überevangelist
  • Certainly Bot
  • *****
  • Posts: 88895
  • No support PMs thanks
Re: Fake Renewal Notice???
« Reply #3 on: November 09, 2010, 03:13:36 AM »
So I would suggest that you both contact sales about this so they can get on to Element 5 to find out what they are doing when the expiry dates don't match. Otherwise it appears nothing more than a scare tactic (not good PR for avast, whom they represent) to make you renew early. Especially if you do renew and it is for the dates they give not the actual renewal dates recorded on your installation, losing you time.
Windows 10 Home 64bit/ Acer Aspire F15/ Intel Core i5 7200U 2.5GHz, 8GB DDR4 memory, 256GB SSD, 1TB HDD/ avast! free 24.2.6105 (build 24.2.8918.824) UI 1.0.799/ Firefox, uBlock Origin, uMatrix/ MailWasher Pro/ Avast! Mobile Security

Offline Vladimyr

  • Avast Evangelist
  • Super Poster
  • ***
  • Posts: 1639
  • Super(massive black hole) Poster
Re: Fake Renewal Notice???
« Reply #4 on: November 09, 2010, 05:33:59 AM »
I got the same email today. My subscription also expires late Jan 2011. Such lame attention to detail is bound to arouse suspicion.
I tried making an online enquiry via Element 5 website but at no stage did it prompt me for my actual question! ???
Can someone at avast! get on to Element 5 and politely encourage them to get their act together?

Also, while we're at it, under which large rock has their currency exchange department been hiding?
Currently on planet earth, 1 x USD = 1 x AUD - but on 'Element 5', avast! renewal retail, USD $59.95 vs AUD $99.95! :o
« Last Edit: November 09, 2010, 05:43:28 AM by Vladimyr »
There is a way that seems right to a man,
       but in the end it leads to death
.” - Proverbs 16:25

Offline RejZoR

  • Polymorphic Sheep
  • Serious Graphoman
  • *****
  • Posts: 9406
  • We are supersheep, resistance is futile!
    • RejZoR's Flock of Sheep
Re: Fake Renewal Notice???
« Reply #5 on: November 09, 2010, 08:42:19 AM »
Well i haven't checked anything else you're talking about, but the webpage is legit and is 100% avast.com, meaning you can be sure it's safe. You can check it yourself, go to www.avast.com, select a product, select buy and download and you'll be redirected to dr-store.avast.com. The same page you're mentioning. As far as other stuff goes, you have to contact sales department.
Visit my webpage Angry Sheep Blog

Offline ersmith

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Posts: 2
Re: Fake Renewal Notice???
« Reply #6 on: November 09, 2010, 11:32:05 AM »
I just upgraded a couple of my licenses and the expiration date was set to 1 year from the renewal date not the prior expiration date.  I have submitted a support request and will update here when I hear back.

Offline Rednose

  • Pirate Party Member
  • Avast Überevangelist
  • Massive Poster
  • *****
  • Posts: 3739
  • Bits of Freedom : https://www.bof.nl
    • Nederlandstalig Avast! forum
Re: Fake Renewal Notice???
« Reply #7 on: November 09, 2010, 11:43:30 AM »
Hi lindawing :)

Although a bit off topic, at the moment there is a 55% discount offer on Wilders for both Avast! IS and Avast! AV Pro :

http://www.wilderssecurity.com/showthread.php?s=07294f0e8e14d2fa2d61212f93520fd5&t=285920

The discount is not only for Wilders members :

The discount is for anyone who wishes to use it.  :D

... but we have no idea how long the discount will remain valid :

http://www.wilderssecurity.com/showpost.php?s=07294f0e8e14d2fa2d61212f93520fd5&p=1778634&postcount=48

I hope it will help you :)

Greetz, Red.
« Last Edit: November 09, 2010, 11:46:07 AM by Rednose »
OS: Win 10 / iOS 17 / Debian 12 / Tails 5
Real Time: Avast Premium Security
On Demand: Malwarebytes
VPN: NordVPN ( NordLynx ) with Threat Protection ( Lite )

YoKenny

  • Guest
Re: Fake Renewal Notice???
« Reply #8 on: November 09, 2010, 01:57:33 PM »
Hi lindawing

Please go to PROFILE then Modify Profile then Forum Profile Information then select your country in Please select your country: then update your Signature: with information like my signature as this helps the helpers offer pertinent advice.

In Account Related Settings select Hide email address from public? to prevent scammers and spammers harvesting your flyingacres.com email address.

lindawing

  • Guest
Re: Fake Renewal Notice???
« Reply #9 on: November 09, 2010, 10:45:42 PM »
OK...I will go to the Avast! sales department to get a definitive answer about the timing. I AM glad to know that I didn't inadvertently start some sort of SPAM chain or worse by clicking on the link in the first place. :o

Thanks for the info, ersmith, that you followed through and the RENEWAL dates became the new date. That is NOT good. I will go to the Sales Dept. FIRST, then.

I'm glad to know that I'm not the only one that this thing bothered, anyway! It's very poorly handled!

lindawing

  • Guest
Re: Fake Renewal Notice???
« Reply #10 on: November 09, 2010, 10:51:48 PM »
Hi lindawing

Please go to PROFILE then Modify Profile then Forum Profile Information then select your country in Please select your country: then update your Signature: with information like my signature as this helps the helpers offer pertinent advice.

In Account Related Settings select Hide email address from public? to prevent scammers and spammers harvesting your flyingacres.com email address.

YoKenny--my e-mail address can be found all over the internet, I'm not worried about that one. I have others that I don't ever let anyone see. That's my "junk" collecting address, basically.

I will, though, the next time I have a question ABOUT Avast!, relating to my usage of it, on my computer, put the appropriate information in my sig. Thanks for cluing me in on that.  :)

lindawing

  • Guest
Re: Fake Renewal Notice???
« Reply #11 on: November 09, 2010, 11:00:21 PM »
Rednose--I have sent an online ticket to the sales department, referring them to this thread. I hope to receive an answer soon. If I can't get the answer I'm looking for (that my renewal at that promo price would, indeed, begin when my current subscription is REALLY ended), then I will be checking out your link, for sure--hoping it won't be too late.

I would prefer that Avast! get this whole snafu corrected, of course.  ::)

Offline jadinolf

  • Avast Evangelist
  • Advanced Poster
  • ***
  • Posts: 1090
Re: Fake Renewal Notice???
« Reply #12 on: November 10, 2010, 12:53:01 AM »
lindawing, I never questioned that this email was legit but I went through the same thing earlier this year. I had data showing that my license expired in April, 2010  and they said NO-IT ends January 30.

I lost but I'm not going to lose this year.

edit- I forgot to mention- I got the same email again today. >:(
« Last Edit: November 10, 2010, 12:58:55 AM by jadinolf »
printed on 100% recycled bytes

lindawing

  • Guest
Re: Fake Renewal Notice???
« Reply #13 on: November 11, 2010, 07:07:06 AM »
I got a letter from the sales department today:



Dear Linda,

Thank you for your interest in avast! antivirus products.

We apologize for this unpleasant issue, our system generated an automatic renewal email in advance. Your current avast! Pro Antivirus license is valid until 25 January 2011 and there was no need to renew it.

In case you have already purchased a new license, we can now merge your new subscription with the current license, or issue a full refund of your last purchase. Please confirm to do so! Again, we apologize for any inconvenience caused.

If you need further assistance, please do not hesitate to email me.

Best regards,

Iveta Paterova

AVAST Software, a.s.
www.avast.com



I wrote back asking if the promo deal would be good if I wait until 30 days from my REAL due date. Haven't gotten an answer back yet.

lindawing

  • Guest
Re: Fake Renewal Notice???
« Reply #14 on: November 11, 2010, 07:15:15 AM »
So if any of you HAVE purchased this promo package and lost about 60 days of your rightful time, be sure to write to the sales department. I'm sure they'll make it good!