This is one giant scam as mentioned before.
I was innocently led into this mess by contacting support of a "major" TV/Internet sports broadcasting company. I don't know if there is a tie-in or shared ownership or not.
Who knows?
I was trying to watch their free live sports programming and my video was stalling, breaking up re video. I have watched in previos 2 wks w / minimal issues. I noticed a feedback/support button in lower Right (sorry-my computer is such a mess I can't look).
I thought I'd never hear anything. I was surprised to get a quick response via email. Suggestions were:
1) Check my CPU speed
2) Run free speedtest with website listed.
Per my results vs "the nation" and "the world" my downlaod/upload speeds were way slow. Actually, I think this about the best my internet provider can do w / DSL. They refuse to run a high-speed internet cable down our road because of only 8 houses.
So the free speed test offers you a computer scan and ranks 5 (?) areas up to "critical" and then offers to fix them. Click "Fix" and
you are asked to "register".
Turns out it's with CleanMyPCPro who wants $34.95USD to fix.
Note: only good for 6 mos, not one yr as with most programs. And most programs are free.
OK. I bought into it.
Their website boldly displayed a 4/4 (5/5) TUCOWS rating in upper left
and showed they are a Microsoft affiliated company.
Next I'm told I MUST have Malwarebytes... For for $100USD.
"They all have it", "all use it", "he just had his father install it".
Doesn't matter what you have... This is the best and will catch everything.
Of course! I now know it's a sister company! The service representative/sales agent discussed the gravity of the my CPU running too high, too many programs running at start up (I have never known which to disable or delete... He said" of course not, that's for a technician to do, not the average computer owner",
and when he had me type in type in "msconfig" in the command box (I hadn't looked in a while...) there were a number of entries in the report file with a red critical mark.
At that point (this is where he got me!!!) he said big problems and suggested I take my computer to a big box store or office store like Best Buy, Staples.."all of them have good people who work on Windows OS".
I mumbled about cost (he said $250), how long (he said 3-5 days), and the drive to the store (well... His father was not able to get to store easily so he had him use Advanced Tech Support".
He didn't hammer me with it but said it's an excellent (or similar words) online tech support company.
It's very handy for people who either have issues that make it hard for them to get to one of the stores or if one lives someplace where the stores are a long ways away (like N.D.). He said they can do a deep scan and have have it up and running in 3-6 hrs. They are only "$220USD and then $14.95USD per month for any issues that come up". He rec'd having a deep scan done every 90 days - quot;put it on your calendar right now". I asked why pay the $14.95 per month in between. "That's for any other issues that come up and so you can get the scan done every 90 days".
Staring at 6pm on Wednesday June 19, they made me a client.
They said I really needed better AV protection.
I had lifetime Trend installed on my laptop.
They use Panda there and all use it at home.
They could get a lifetime key that day for $300 good for all computers in house.
I didn't bite then. It was after ~6 hrs and still having IE crash and close, and Firefox crash and close AND Windows Explorer crash and close that they said I must have a deep infection that they couldn't even name but they really pushed Panda. I balked at the price.
He said, "every day my supervisor gets coupons. He is probably out since the day ends at midnight and he gets new ones every day. If it was earlier I could probably get a couple. I can go and check but it's almost midnight...".
Me-Well, can't we wait a few minutes until a new day starts and then you know he'll have them?
Agent - quot;We started today so the Panda offer is only good through midnight".
Well! He just happened to have ONE LEFT (lucky me!) for $50 off the ridiculous price of $300.
It was late. I wanted my computer fixed. Traffic is a nightmare and I didn't relish driving or giving up my computer for 3-5 days so I was already tired and hooked.
Today: it has been 61 hrs and what I asked them to fix is still not working.
It's after 1pm on Saturday June 22.
Last night at ~ 6 pm (21 June) when I was livid and wanted a supervisor,
I supposedly was transferred to the "director" of the customer satisfaction (vs the customer service/first line of "hook you" technicians) who said he would refund all my money but let a Level 3 tech try.
Ummm...
I thought I had been having Level 3 techs all along. I requested their most senior Level 3 tech on Thursday and was assured I was getting one of their best.
Today when I booted my computer and clicked on my home page which is email there went IE explorer again and closed the program so I still couldn't even glimpse at the info I desperately needed off my email.
I am so far beyond mad I can't put it into words. I was up all night long Wednesday night the 19th working with them.
I dozed off after 0100 and they called ay 0510 Thursday AM only to watch IE crash and Windows crash right after login.
Today,
I talked to some entry level person and just said I wanted a refund.
He went to the mysterious previously not mavailable in their dept supervisors I have not yet found when calling 800 978-4501. I have been told repeatedly that I could get to "my tech" easily by typing in
"chatats.com".
That chat box hasn't worked in 3 days.
I have had a couple of employees admit it's
new and not reliable.
I asked for a full refund of everything including the CleanMyPCPro.
They said they needed to give me a number to call them.
I said, "Funny, he connected me directly to YOU". (I should have hung up 3 days ago). I was told they are a "sister company" who took money for them so why do I now need to call Clean MY PC Pro for a refund?
I asked for copies of the LogMeInRecue chats (not the "chat online box that doesn't work... This scrolls down as they are doing work so toy can see who is working on what. I have a lot of it written down).
These are logs of what they are doing step-by-step w / the time and their name but I could also interject comments and ask questions. I want this info so I can tell the next people what was said/done. I was told after the chat those are not saved. What!?!? Are you kidding me?
A tech is asking me re my problems and that is not saved or morphed into my account?
At that point I told this "nice" gentleman I couldn't deal with him anymore and to have a supervisor call me.
Supposedly, I will get notice of a full refund within 24 by email (I can't open).
Please, no one else fall for this group!
I watched them do the same things I had done to my computer over and and over prior to ever calling them.
When I logged on, programs were not reintalled (like the Adobe suite), the Panda they sold me, etc.
When I tried to watch the sports network last night and today, I got a plug-in crash report every time I tried to load a video
(for NCAA Baseball finals and the NBA
final games. All missed because of their ineptitude).
Oh! My CPU did sttle down and was ranging below 25% depending on what I was trying to load... Essentially nothing bec everything crashed but at least when I looked at it initially, it was happier. Other than that, I have no clue what they did to help.
Certainly not what I asked.
Please... Spread the word to protect others!!!
Put it on Facebook, tweet it, whatever so that no one else gets scammed by the free speed test that leads to hundreds of dollars out the window in lost data, computer time and cash.
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