The set-up is extremely, excruciatingly SIMPLE: Recently for technical reasons I was forced to reinstall my personal computer's entire operating system which was "protected" by several products bought from Symantec:
Take particular notice of the DATES: Norton AntiVirus 2003 with complimentary Nortion Utilities 2002 (11 November); Extended Download Service for the PAST product (22 DECEMBER); Norton AntiVirus Professional Edition/Norton Personal Firewall Upgrade 2003 Bundle SIMULTANEOUSLY along with Extended Download Service for these products (4 March); Norton Ghost 2003 Upgrade and Norton Internet Security 2003 Upgrade (18 March); Extended Download Service for these past products (1 July).
Problem: Once my personal computer system was duly reinstalled I discovered at the Symantec site that extended download service BUTTONS displayed solely for those products bought SIMULTANEOUSLY with the service on 4 March. NO BUTTONS DISPLAYED for extended download service bought immediately for PAST products purchased (accessible through a Symantec warranty link transferred from a backup document to my new operating system) though Symantec obviously didn't mind accepting payment for that service at all in all such cases (Dec. 2002 and July). Get the easy, simple picture?
So I tried laboriously to contact Symantec's so-called "support" staff at its site which is obviously deliberately designed to discourage and dissuade any such contact—specially DIRECT contact with literate "support" staff even remotely capable of reading and understanding plain, written English.
Once I did finally get a direct contact link I clearly spelled out the problem (like here) with excruciating detail, including both DATES AND ORDER NUMBERS, so that even the most IDIOTIC OF MORONS could comprehend it.
So the first Symantec IDIOT replies, after having read or understood NONE of my first communication, advising me to purchase extended download service ALREADY PURCHASED!!!
I re-contact the store "support" at a different time of day and the next at least HALF-literate staffer reads and understands at least HALF of my first communication and she actually sets up an extended download "program" for the products purchased November which I actually successfully download to my computer. Bravo for GIRL POWER!
I re-contact the store "support" at yet another time of day about the extended download service I bought in JULY for the past products purchased in March.
Now here's where simply COMPREHENDING THE DATES IS SO CRUCIAL: the first Symantec IDIOT insists that extended download service ("ESD" was his incorrect acronym so he's evidently on SOMETHING) must be purchased "in conjunction with the order needing service in order for it to work" even though his co-support girl HAS ALREADY PROVED THAT TO BE INCORRECT by setting up a simple "program" enabling me to download a past product purchased!
If that weren't enough, the first illiterate Symantec IDIOT then insists that "no PREVIOUS purchase of an Extended Download Service can be applied to a NEW purchase" when the COMPLETE OPPOSITE PROBLEM WAS BEING POSED: A LATER purchase of Extended Download Service was supposed to be applied to a PAST product purchase! But this inept, illiterate IDIOT just couldn't GET IT!
In yet another communication he STILL insisted that Extended Download Service (which he still acronymized as "ESD" not once but FOUR times)"does not work the same way if you have already purchased the ESD for another product, then order the product."
Again, the exact OPPOSITE OR REVERSE was the actual true situation: the product was purchased FIRST, the Extended Download Service was purchased NEXT—NOT THE OTHER FRICKIN' WAY AROUND! But this inept, illiterate IDIOT just couldn't GET IT!
So FINALLY I got hold of the girl-power support staffer once more who again attempted to set up a simple "program" by which I could download the remaining products already purchased in March—only this time, unfortunately, her download wouldn't work. So I try unsuccessfully to contact her to let her know.
The next Symantec IDIOT replies saying that the Symantec "Store" cannot assist me with "technical issues" (although the girl-power staffer already HAS assisted me with "technical issues") and insists that I must contact Symantec's "technical support" staff.
I make several attempts to re-contact the girl-power staffer who successfully assisted me in the first place and ALL my requests to directly contact her are either ignored or outright refused.
Next the first Symantec IDIOT replies and likewise insists that the Symantec "Store" cannot assist me with "technical issues" and likewise insists that I must contact Symantec's "technical support" staff which I finally break down and do out of nothing else but outright DESPERATION.
Now you're not going to believe THIS: once I do contact Symantec's technical support staff GUESS WHAT THEY suggested that I do to resolve my downloading "issues." You got it! They instruct me to RE-contact the Symantec STORE to re-install a "replacement copy" of my product, which come to find out, I'm supposed to be able to download "two more times at no additional charge" anyway!!! Oh yeah, he also suggested the "option to purchase Symantec's Extended Download Service!!!"
Unf*king believable!!! Are these people illiterate or just outright fricking retarded???
AND THAT'S NOT EVEN THE END OF THE OUTRAGEOUS STORY: I filed download forms for refunds of all products which Symantec returned for clarity since my printer's COLOR ink ran low so the Symantec graphics were slightly unclear, insisting that the "information must be entered in a clear and legible fashion, " which it WAS—EVERY LAST TYPED WORD OF IT!
So now Symantec's UNESSENTIAL AND UNNECESSARY COLOR FORM GRAPHICS comprises the company's latest EXCUSE AND ALIBI for failing to correctly and responsibly RESOLVE these outstanding "issues."
Symantec's so-called "support" system is absolutely the most illiterate, ineffectual, inept and outright RETARDED that I've ever experienced ANYWHERE.
These BUNGLERS AND SWINDLERS should be sorely and severely SUED for outright INCOMPETENCE if not business MISPRACTICE!
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