McAfee using near fraudulent practices?...

I am a current user of McAfee's security products.  I don't know enough about the area network/computer security to know if I should be using McAfee, Norton or whatever... as far as I'm concerned I just need virus protection.

Today though my McAfee SecurityCenter (the software that administers my various McAfee products) tells me that my subscription is expired.  I have four computers, two laptops and two desktops (home, office, etc.).  I use McAfee on all but one, so when I see this message I believe that it must indeed be correct.

So I logged on to the McAfee web site (www.McAfee.com) and find that it knows I'm a "Dell Customer" and forwards me to a rather bland site (see left) offering what seems to be only the option of purchasing one of two products.  The problem is that my account is actually up to date... the software erroneously (or fraudulently) has led me to believe that it is expired, when in fact (I later find out) I have almost a full year left on my original subscription.  Of course I didn't realize this until I had already bought another one year subscription.

No problem, right?  The email receipt they send suggests that refunds aren't a problem if disputed within 30 days, so it shouldn't be a problem.

After looking around the "support" site at McAfee I finally found the customer service number ((408) 992-8599  for future reference).  I spoke to the agent, who was friendly enough, but she couldn't understand why I didn't want the "extra year" of service.  After running around in a few circles it was only after I asked for her supervisor that she immediately processed my refund.

According to the support agent, what I needed to have done was "re-install" the McAfee products manually as there is no integration of the e-commerce site that gladly takes my money, and the software running on my computer (i.e. it doesn't know I've paid).  This may have seemed the obvious thing for her, but nowhere in the documentation, or email confirmation/receipt or even the e-commerce site (after taking my money) does it mention that a download/re-install is necessary.

Now I consider myself moderately savvy when it comes to computers, e-commerce and web navigation generally, so I can only conclude that McAfee is taking advantage of two things:

1. People (stupidly) assume that software "is always right", in particular when it claims that it is expired.  "No need to check for yourself... I'm expired and you need to buy a new subscription now."
2. If customers do want a refund for any reason, simply make it significantly challenging, obfuscating the process so as to discourage this, and possibly avoid the refund all together.

To be clear: McAfee did at least add my new one-year subscription to my existing subscription, but that is not what I wanted, and I have since confirmed that the subscription is updated (though I won't see the reverse charge on my credit card for another day I'm guessing).

Maybe it's time to look at Symantec's Norton product line-up.

UPDATE (June 1, 2007):   Okay, this "Subscription Expired" pop-up window is driving me nuts.  Even though I have a paid subscription, when I download the program (apparently I need to re-install it) it says that I need to update my subscription.  Wow.  That's all I can say.

UPDATE (June 5, 2007):  This thing won't go away ... It shows in "my account" that I have a subscription that doesn't expire, but when I try to download (like the support agent suggested) a new version of the software it won't let me (expired subscription).  When I phone the "support number" above, I'm told (in the technical support part of the auto attendant) that I can "pay" for telephone support, or use the "free" chat on the website (but the website that I get has NO options for support at all ... and I'm using www.McAfee.com!!).  I finally "surmised" that the URL www.McAfee.com/Support might work (and it did).  There is no mention of SecurityCenter (their premier consumer product, no?) on their help site. 

... Now I'm on the phone with support (I've tried almost every "route" through their auto-attendant to get someone "live"), and he has informed me that there is a "log in" hyperlink in the error message that allows me to log in via another route (apparently this is the only way to do it ... experience the failed update, then somewhere in the error message there's the "secret path" to updating the product).  Anyway the process from there is fairly smooth (if you call no fewer than eight "script errors" calling for a launch of the Windows Script Debugger smooth)...

... after all this?  Same problem.  I've reinstalled three times (even with customer support on the phone) and nothing... "Subscription Expired" ... buy more, buy more, buy more!

I can't believe how "un-integrated" a company like this can be.  It is absolutely maddening... let's see if they follow Technorati tags on their name and try to resolve this problem.  (My guess is that's too advanced for them...)

UPDATE (June 6, 2007): Sadly I'm forced to give up. There seems to be no possible way to make the product work and because I'm beyond my 30 day refund period a large part of my $69 annual subscription (about 10.5 months worth) is forfeit.  I'm very disappointed.  I have, upon the recommendation of a friend, installed Microsoft OneCare... the fact that it installed properly (without script errors, subscription issues, etc.) puts it miles ahead of McAfee.  I'll use it for at least the 90d trial period, then likely buy the annual subscription.

Call to arms!  If you've been burned by McAfee in any way, do yourselves (and the rest of us) a favour and link to this post on your own website or blog.... or at the very least comment and tell us about it.  It has worked for others!