Symantec's Customer Service is Atrocious!

If you are reading this you have probably typed Symantec's name into a search engine and this site has popped up alongside the Symantec page. You may be considering buying a Symantec product. My advice is: DO NOT BUY ANYTHING FROM SYMANTEC.
My experience with them has been very bad. Their customer service is atrocious.

If you have time to spare read on. If not why not check out the McAfee or Grisoft products - I have no interest in either of these companies and neither do I recommend them, except to say their customer service has to be better than Symantec's.

How to annoy someone so much they set up a website to complain about you.

This is a ludicrous tale of a company unable to respond adequately to a simple problem.

It seems that the representatives are trained to fire off a preformatted answer as soon as they see a phrase they recognise. They don't have time to read any further or get any understanding of the problem.

Here is a simple synopsis of the problem. I bought a subscription to Norton Antivirus. I upgraded my computer to Windows XP. Norton Antivirus stopped working. I consulted the website and followed all the instructions. It still would not work. I contacted "Symantec Online Customer Service" and spent two weeks with their technical people trying to solve the problem. We could not. I spent two weeks with the non-technical people trying to get a refund. I did not.

To me the issue is clear, they sold me a product that did not work, they should give me a refund. The refund I might say is worth US$19.95 (AU$31.50), so we are not talking about a huge sum.

Finally I decided to pick up the phone and talk to someone in my own country. I felt sure that the whole thing could be easily understood. That was before I met Diane who claimed to be the Supervisor for Symantec Australia's Customer Service.

Somehow Diane got it into her head that when you upgrade your operating system all other programs are deleted, and so I would have to buy a completely new copy.
Nothing I said could convince her otherwise.

It became obvious that she too was not listening to what I was telling her. I asked for the name of the Marketing Manager. But Diane refused to give it to me. I asked her to supply her answer to my request for a refund in writing. She refused to do that too stating that it was unnecessary all I had to do was quote some reference number.

I still don't have a refund, but I haven't given up yet!

Conclusion ... Friday 13th August 2004

After a month of trying and having sent a fax to Greg Swick the Marketing Manager I finally have my refund. So it seems all you need to do to get a refund from Symantec is to set up a website.

Of course who knows what would be required for an apology or an admission that there may be a problem?

Transcript of Emails

I do not recommend that you read this. I include it only for completeness. If you want to get an idea of what is going on, just scroll through to the red text which is my responses.

Unfortunately my initial contact was made via a form on their website. I had no idea what was about to unfold so I didn't bother making a note of it. But basically I would have told them of the problems I was having.

Here is their first response.

Hello Mel,

Thank you for contacting Symantec Online Customer Service.

In your message you wrote:
>Had a lot of problems when I installed windows xp. Could not get
>antivirus to work. Eventually I downloaded the trial version. Now I
>cannot get it to believe that I have paid for a subscription. Please
>supply the key.

Mel, in order to utilize the subscription, you need to install the Norton product. The steps involved in reinstalling your Symantec software depend on how you originally purchased the product.

-- If you bought a Symantec product CD, simply place the CD in your computer’s CD-ROM drive, and follow the onscreen prompts.

If you bought your software from a vendor other than the Symantec Store, such as Buy.com, MacMall, Yahoo! Shops, Staples, etc, please contact that vendor for assistance. Please note that purchases made from a vendor other than the Symantec Store are subject to the terms and conditions of that vendor.

-- If you purchased your Symantec product online as a download, please be aware that Symantec has stopped downloads of Norton 2003 products.

As the owner of a previous version, you are eligible to purchase our current release, Norton AntiVirus 2004, at a reduced upgrade price. Symantec's Norton AntiVirus 2004 is the world’s most trusted antivirus solution. It protects email, instant messages, and other files by automatically removing viruses, worms, and Trojan horses. New built-in features also detect certain non-virus threats such as spyware and keystroke loggers. To view comprehensive feature information, please visit the Norton AntiVirus 2004 product homepage, at the URL linked below:

http://www.symantec.com/nav/nav_9xnt/

If you would like to upgrade to Norton AntiVirus 2004, you may do so at the Symantec Store's Upgrade Center, located at the following URL:

http://nct.symantecstore.com/0001/upgrade_center.html

Purchasing software through the Upgrade Center requires that you enter the serial or part number of your current version into the order form. If you do not know the serial or part number of your current software, you may use the part number 07-00-03304.

If you wish to upgrade by telephone, you may contact the Symantec Store 24-hours a day, 7-days a week, at the following number:

1-866-285-6460

When purchasing software, please remember the following:

-- Federal and State or Provincial taxes may be applied to your purchase. Please ask the Symantec Store representative for details.
-- Be sure to verify the system requirements before purchasing any software.

After you install your upgrade, reply with both your new and old Account ID numbers and subscription order number. I will be happy to transfer the remaining subscription time, (from your full version product), to your new software subscription. For illustrated assistance locating your Account ID number, please see our online Knowledge Base document, "How to determine your Account ID," located at the URL linked below:

http://service1.symantec.com/SUPPORT/sharedtech.nsf/docid/2001041112112513

I look forward to hearing back from you.

Regards,

Rajesh
Customer Care Specialist
Symantec Authorized Online Customer Service


I could not get my version of Antivirus to work it kept telling me that some parameters had changed and I had to reboot. Nothing I tried would persuade it to work. I followed the instructions on your Website. No luck. Antivirus 2003 should work with Windows XP. If you are not able to supply a working copy then please refund my subscription.

Regards,
Mel



Welcome back Mel,

Thank you for your response.

In your message you wrote:
>I could not get my version of Antivirus to work it kept telling me that
>some parameters had changed and I had to reboot. Nothing I tried would
>persuade it to work. I followed the instructions on your Website.

Mel, this could have occurred due to technical issues, I would like to inform you that we at Customer Service are not trained to answer any technical queries. I will be forwarding this message to our Technical Support team. Our Product Support Technicians can assist you with technical issues involving the installation and operation of your Symantec software. You should expect a response from the Symantec Authorized Technical Support center within 3-5 business days.

I apologize for any inconvenience this may cause you.

Symantec's support is divided into three areas:

1. General Customer Service
2. Product Support Technicians
3. Virus Consulting Technicians.

You can contact General Customer Service for non-technical issues, including:

-- Orders.
-- Rebates.
-- Refunds.
-- Upgrades.
-- Subscriptions.
-- Questions concerning the Symantec Web site.
-- General product descriptions.
-- Where to purchase Symantec software.

To post a question to Customer Service, please visit the following URL:

http://www.symantec.com/techsupp/asa_cs_contact.html

Customer Service can also be reached by telephone, at:

(800) 441-7234 from 6:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M. Pacific Time, Monday through Friday.

If I can be of further assistance, please let me know.

Regards,

Rajesh
Customer Care Specialist
Symantec Authorized Online Customer Service


Thanks Rajesh, But as I said I went through the problem on your website and none of the suggestions fixed the problem. I was forced to download the trial version. If you are unable to provide the service you advertise and I paid for then please refund my payment.

Regards,
Mel


Hello Mel,

Thank you for contacting Symantec Online Technical Support.

In your message you wrote:
>I could not get my version of Antivirus to work it kept telling me that
>some parameters had changed and I had to reboot. Nothing I tried would persuade it to work. I followed the instructions on your Website. No luck. Antivirus
2003 should work with Windows XP.

Mel, I apologize for any inconvenience that may have caused, in order to resolve this issue we need to gather some more information from you. Please get back to us with the details on the following:

-What is the exact text of error message that you received?
-Do you have any other Symantec products installed on your system? -Do you have any other AntiVirus/Firewall installed on your system? -Were you using any other Symantec products previously? -Did you make any recent changes (like adding a software) to your computer that started this problem? -Any other information about your system that you feel may assist with the troubleshooting process.

In your message you also wrote:
> If you are not able to supply a working copy then please refund my
> subscription

Please note that, if you wish to be reimbursed, I suggest that you contact Symantec customer service department, which is completely dedicated to any issues regarding Refund, Subscription, Download, Rebates. Please note that Customer Service can be reached at:

> Web URL:
> https://secure1.symantec.com/support/gensubol.nsf/nontechnical_questio
> n.html

Or by phone at: 1-(800) 441-7234 from 6:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M. Pacific Time, Monday through Friday.


We look forward to assist you.

Regards,

Santosh Kumar.M
Symantec Authorized Technical Support




I installed windows xp and this is the problem I had ...

http://service1.symantec.com/SUPPORT/sharedtech.nsf/docid/2002080813492706?OpenDocument&src=_mi&product=&version=&language=english&module=1004&error=1&build=Symantec

The instructions posted on your site did not fix the problem.

Why can't you simply transfer my subscription to the new software?

Regards,
Mel





Welcome back Mel,

I understand your frustration and I regret the inconvenience caused.

In your message you wrote:
>I installed windows xp and this is the problem I had ...
http://service1.symantec.com/SUPPORT/sharedtech.nsf/docid/2002080813492706

Mel, please note that this issue has been resolved by a program update, which is available by LiveUpdate, I suggest that you follow the guidelines mentioned in the document link to our Online Knowledge Base provided to resolve this issue:

Title: 'Error: "A settings violation has been detected. The security settings have been tampered with." (1004,1)'
Document ID: 2002080813492706
> Web URL: http://service1.symantec.com/Support/sharedtech.nsf/docid/2002080813492706

In your message you also wrote:
> Why can't you simply transfer my subscription to the new software

Mel, I suggest that you contact Symantec customer service department, which is completely dedicated to any issues regarding Activation, Refund, Subscription, Download, and Rebates. Please note that Customer Service can be reached at:

> Web URL: https://secure1.symantec.com/support/gensubol.nsf/nontechnical_question.html

Or by phone at: 1-(800) 441-7234 from 6:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M. Pacific Time, Monday through Friday.

Should you require additional assistance, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Regards,

Santosh Kumar.M
Symantec Authorized Technical Support






I told you that I have already attempted the correction mentioned but it did not work. Please try to read my emails to save unnecessary repetition.

Regards,
Mel







Greetings Mel,

Thank you for contacting Symantec Online Technical Support.

I apologize for the inconvenience this may have caused.

Mel, I understand form your message that you have Downloaded all available updates, the issue still persists, please note that it is likely that the program itself is damaged, I suggest that you Uninstall and reinstall NAV 2003.

To assist you with the procedure to uninstall the Norton AntiVirus 2003 program, please click on the URL link mentioned below, to read the Knowledge Base document:

Title: 'How to uninstall Norton AntiVirus 2003 or Norton AntiVirus 2003 Professional Edition' Document ID: 2002061016251406
> Web URL:
> http://service1.symantec.com/support/nav.nsf/docid/2002061016251406

Before installing Norton AntiVirus 2003 that was downloaded, I suggest that you prepare your system for a smooth installation. Before installing NAV, you should perform the following procedures in the order provided below:

1. Verify that your computer does not have any viruses.
2. Uninstall any other antivirus programs
3. Uninstall any previous versions of NAV
4. Delete all files in the Windows Temporary folder
5. Close all programs before starting the installation
6. Clean boot your computer.

A clean boot is a restart of Windows with no applications running and with as few extra drivers loading as possible.

Please refer the following document to perform a clean boot on Windows XP:

Title: 'Configuring Windows XP to clean boot'
Document ID: 2001053014402339
> Web URL:
> http://service1.symantec.com/Support/tsgeninfo.nsf/docid/2001053014402
> 339

Please follow the Document:

Title: 'What to do before installing Norton AntiVirus 2003 or Norton AntiVirus 2003 Professional' Document ID: 2002072508561306
>Web URL:
http://service1.symantec.com/support/nav.nsf/docid/2002072508561306?

After preparing your system, you can install the Norton AntiVirus 2003 program, please click on the URL link mentioned below, to read the Knowledge Base document for the installation procedure:

Title: 'How to install a copy of Norton AntiVirus or Norton AntiVirus Professional Edition 2003 that was downloaded from the Symantec Store Web site' Document ID: 2002072314375806
>Web URL:
http://service1.symantec.com/support/nav.nsf/docid/2002072314375806

If you are installing Norton AntiVirus 2003 or Norton AntiVirus 2003 Professional from the CD, please click on the URL link mentioned below, to read the Knowledge Base document for the installation procedure, if you have the installation program in the CD:

Title: 'Installing Norton AntiVirus 2003 or Norton AntiVirus 2003 Professional from the CD'
Document ID: 2002072414263906
> Web URL: http://service1.symantec.com/Support/nav.nsf/docid/2002072414263906

Please let me know if the issue has been resolved.

Best regards,

Santosh Kumar M
Symantec Authorized Technical Support



It looks like you may be getting a little confused, so please allow me to recap ...

I had a copy of Antivirus 2003 with a current subscription ...

I loaded Windows XP and got the error described here ...

http://service1.symantec.com/SUPPORT/sharedtech.nsf/docid/2002080813492706

I followed the instructions to fix the problem, namely running LiveUpdate over and over again.

The problem was not solved.

I downloaded a trial copy of Antivirus 2004, but it did not recognise my subscription.

The trial subscription is about to expire.

I would like you to do one of the following ...

1) Carry over my subscription to the 2004 version.
OR
2) Supply a 2003 version that works on my machine and recognises my subscription.
OR
3) Refund my subscription.

Thank you.



Greetings Mel,

We welcome you to our Symantec Online Technical Support.

Thank you for your response,

In your message you wrote:
>Alternatively why not send me a copy of the 2003 version with all the
>xp updates included so that I can simply install it without get all the
>problems with LiveUpdate.

Mel, please allow me to apologize for the difficulties you have recently encountered. Please note that you cannot transfer the subscription form a retail version onto a trial version.

I suggest that you to Uninstall NAV 2004 which is a trial version and reinstall Norton AntiVirus (NAV) 2003, please check if the issue persists.

Please refer to the following document from our Online Knowledge Base that explains how to remove all Symantec programs from the computer, start the computer without any programs running on startup:

Title: 'Uninstalling Norton AntiVirus™ 2004 or Norton AntiVirus 2004 Professional Edition' Document ID: 2003080311011006
> Web URL:
> http://service1.symantec.com/Support/nav.nsf/docid/2003080311011006

Before installing Norton AntiVirus 2003 that was downloaded, I suggest that you prepare your system for a smooth installation. You should perform the following procedures in the order provided below:

1. Verify that your computer does not have any viruses.
2. Uninstall any other antivirus programs
3. Uninstall any previous versions of NAV
4. Delete all files in the Windows Temporary folder
5. Close all programs before starting the installation
6.Clean boot

A clean boot is a restart of Windows with no applications running and with as few extra drivers loading as possible.

Please refer the following document to perform a clean boot on Windows XP:

Title: 'Configuring Windows XP to clean boot'
Document ID: 2001053014402339
> Web URL:
> http://service1.symantec.com/Support/tsgeninfo.nsf/docid/2001053014402
> 339

Please follow the Document:

Title: 'What to do before installing Norton AntiVirus 2003 or Norton AntiVirus 2003 Professional' Document ID: 2002072508561306
>Web URL:
http://service1.symantec.com/support/nav.nsf/docid/2002072508561306?

After preparing your system, you can install the Norton AntiVirus2003 program, please click on the URL link mentioned below, to read the Knowledge Base document for the installation procedure:

Title: 'How to install a copy of Norton AntiVirus or Norton AntiVirus Professional Edition 2003 that was downloaded from the Symantec Store Web site' Document ID: 2002072314375806
>Web URL:
http://service1.symantec.com/support/nav.nsf/docid/2002072314375806

If you are installing Norton AntiVirus 2003 or Norton AntiVirus 2003 Professional from the CD, please click on the URL link mentioned below, to read the Knowledge Base document for the installation procedure, if you have the installation program in the CD:

Title: 'Installing Norton AntiVirus 2003 or Norton AntiVirus 2003 Professional from the CD'
Document ID: 2002072414263906
> Web URL: http://service1.symantec.com/Support/nav.nsf/docid/2002072414263906

If you wish to be reimbursed, I suggest that you contact Symantec customer service department, which is completely dedicated to any issues regarding Refund, Subscription, Download, Rebates. Please note that Customer Service can be reached at:

> Web URL: https://secure1.symantec.com/support/gensubol.nsf/nontechnical_question.html

Or by phone at: 1-(800) 441-7234 from 6:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M. Pacific Time, Monday through Friday.

If you wish to upgrade your program to Norton AntiVirus (NAV) 2004, please note that as a prior Symantec customer, you are eligible to purchase a new Symantec product at a reduced upgrade price. To view your upgrade purchase options,

Please visit the Symantec Store's Upgrade Center, located at the URL linked below:

http://nct.symantecstore.com/0001/upgrade_center.html

In your message you also wrote
why not send me a copy of the 2003 version with all the xp updates

Mel, please note that, for installing XP updates, you need to contact your System vendor for assistance

Please let me know if the issue has been resolved.

Best regards,

Santosh Kumar M
Symantec Authorized Technical Support






I have already spent a day trying to get this to work. So I'm very reluctant to go through it all again. Why can't you simply transfer my subscription to the software that I have loaded? It does not seem to be hugely different from the 2003 version, it's not like I'm making anything out of it. Frankly I would say that your 2003 software should not go belly-up when I load XP or it should say not compatible with the latest version of Windows.

Regards,
Mel

Alternatively why not send me a copy of the 2003 version with all the xp updates included so that I can simply install it without get all the problems with LiveUpdate.

Regards,
Mel






Thank You Mel,

Welcome back to Symantec Online Technical Support, your customer service at all times.

In your message you wrote:
> I get this error when trying to run live update Windows XP 5.1.2600
> Service Pack 1 Common Client Core 1.0.2 iveUpdate was not able to
> complete this update.

Mel, please allow me to apologize for the difficulties you have recently encountered, please note that this issue is could be due to probable virus attack. To resolve this issue, I recommend you to perform Online System Scan of your system, Un-install NAV and re-install the same. For more information on Online System Scan, please refer to the link provided below:

http://securityresponse.symantec.com/

For more information on How to Uninstall and reinstall Norton AntiVirus (NAV) 2003, kindly refer to the document provided below:

Title: 'Uninstalling and reinstalling Norton AntiVirus 2003' Document ID: 2002122115120906
> Web URL:
> http://service1.symantec.com/Support/nav.nsf/docid/2002122115120906

After completing manual un-installation, to install NAV, prepare your computer before installing. For more information on the same, please refer to the link provided below:

Title: 'What to do before installing Norton AntiVirus or Norton AntiVirus Professional' Document ID: 2002072508561306
> Web URL:
> http://service1.symantec.com/Support/nav.nsf/docid/2002072508561306

If, after you've reviewed the information in the document provided, you still continue to face difficulties, please reply to this message with more accurate information regarding the difficulties that you have encountered. We'll be happy to assist you.

If you need further assistance, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Regards,

Santosh Kumar.M


I get this error when trying to run live update

Windows XP 5.1.2600 Service Pack 1 Common Client Core 1.0.2

LiveUpdate was not able to complete this update.

Please contact Technical Support and provide all information displayed on this screen. For contact information, go to Help->Technical Support from your Symantec product.

The files below could not be updated by LiveUpdate:
-----------------------------------
File: C:\WINDOWS\System32\ccPasswd.dl^
99352 Bytes 12/2/2003 16:11:10 v1.0.10.6.
File: C:\WINDOWS\System32\ccTrust.dl^
95480 Bytes 11/6/2003 8:22:48 v1.0.10.2.
File: C:\PROGRA~1\COMMON~1\SYMANT~1\ccApp.ex^
46784 Bytes 7/16/2002 17:13:06 v1.0.0.68.
File: C:\PROGRA~1\COMMON~1\SYMANT~1\ccEmlPxy.dl^
149184 Bytes 7/16/2002 17:13:12 v1.0.0.68.
File: C:\PROGRA~1\COMMON~1\SYMANT~1\ccEmlUI.dl^
75456 Bytes 7/16/2002 17:13:16 v1.0.0.68.
File: C:\PROGRA~1\COMMON~1\SYMANT~1\ccErrDsp.dl^
120512 Bytes 7/16/2002 17:13:20 v1.0.0.68.
File: C:\PROGRA~1\COMMON~1\SYMANT~1\ccEvt.dl^
177856 Bytes 7/16/2002 17:17:06 v1.0.0.68.
File: C:\PROGRA~1\COMMON~1\SYMANT~1\ccLgView.ex^
140992 Bytes 7/16/2002 17:14:24 v1.0.0.68.
File: C:\PROGRA~1\COMMON~1\SYMANT~1\ccPwdSvc.ex^
59072 Bytes 7/16/2002 17:13:52 v1.0.0.68.
File: C:\PROGRA~1\COMMON~1\SYMANT~1\ccRegMon.dl^
71360 Bytes 7/16/2002 17:13:38 v1.0.0.68.
File: C:\PROGRA~1\COMMON~1\SYMANT~1\ccRegVfy.ex^
30400 Bytes 7/16/2002 17:13:42 v1.0.0.68.
File: C:\PROGRA~1\COMMON~1\SYMANT~1\ccWebWnd.dl^
181408 Bytes 11/10/2003 15:30:48 v2.1.0.610.
File: C:\PROGRA~1\COMMON~1\SYMANT~1\CCEVTMGR.EX^
292552 Bytes 7/16/2002 14:21:18 v1.0.0.25.

Regards,
Mel


Hi Mel,

Thank you for contacting Symantec Online Technical Support.

Thank you for your response,

In your message you wrote:
>Please refund my subscription.

Mel, Please allow me to apologize for the difficulties you have recently encountered, if you wish to be reimbursed, I suggest that you contact Symantec customer service department, which is completely dedicated to any issues regarding Refund, Subscription, Download, Rebates. Please note that Customer Service can be reached at:

> Web URL:
> https://secure1.symantec.com/support/gensubol.nsf/nontechnical_questio
> n.html

Or by phone at: 1-(800) 441-7234 from 6:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M. Pacific Time, Monday through Friday.

If, after you've reviewed the information in the previous document provided, if you wish to troubleshoot the issue, please reply to this message with more accurate information and the exact text of error message that you received. We'll be happy to assist you.

If you need further assistance, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Regards,

Santosh Kumar M
Symantec Authorized Technical Support



I had already performed those actions. Indeed I have been through this process many times. The computer does not have a virus. Live update crashes with the following message.

Windows XP 5.1.2600 Service Pack 1 Common Client Core 1.0.2

LiveUpdate was not able to complete this update.

Please contact Technical Support and provide all information displayed on this screen. For contact information, go to Help->Technical Support from your Symantec product.

The files below could not be updated by LiveUpdate:
-----------------------------------
File: C:\WINDOWS\System32\ccPasswd.dl^
99352 Bytes 12/2/2003 16:11:10 v1.0.10.6.
File: C:\WINDOWS\System32\ccTrust.dl^
95480 Bytes 11/6/2003 8:22:48 v1.0.10.2.
File: C:\PROGRA~1\COMMON~1\SYMANT~1\ccApp.ex^
46784 Bytes 7/16/2002 17:13:06 v1.0.0.68.
File: C:\PROGRA~1\COMMON~1\SYMANT~1\ccEmlPxy.dl^
149184 Bytes 7/16/2002 17:13:12 v1.0.0.68.
File: C:\PROGRA~1\COMMON~1\SYMANT~1\ccEmlUI.dl^
75456 Bytes 7/16/2002 17:13:16 v1.0.0.68.
File: C:\PROGRA~1\COMMON~1\SYMANT~1\ccErrDsp.dl^
120512 Bytes 7/16/2002 17:13:20 v1.0.0.68.
File: C:\PROGRA~1\COMMON~1\SYMANT~1\ccEvt.dl^
177856 Bytes 7/16/2002 17:17:06 v1.0.0.68.
File: C:\PROGRA~1\COMMON~1\SYMANT~1\ccLgView.ex^
140992 Bytes 7/16/2002 17:14:24 v1.0.0.68.
File: C:\PROGRA~1\COMMON~1\SYMANT~1\ccPwdSvc.ex^
59072 Bytes 7/16/2002 17:13:52 v1.0.0.68.
File: C:\PROGRA~1\COMMON~1\SYMANT~1\ccRegMon.dl^
71360 Bytes 7/16/2002 17:13:38 v1.0.0.68.
File: C:\PROGRA~1\COMMON~1\SYMANT~1\ccRegVfy.ex^
30400 Bytes 7/16/2002 17:13:42 v1.0.0.68.
File: C:\PROGRA~1\COMMON~1\SYMANT~1\ccWebWnd.dl^
181408 Bytes 11/10/2003 15:30:48 v2.1.0.610.
File: C:\PROGRA~1\COMMON~1\SYMANT~1\CCEVTMGR.EX^
292552 Bytes 7/16/2002 14:21:18 v1.0.0.25.

Can I be any more precise? I am following the instructions you gave me to the letter.

Regards,
Mel



Greetings Mel,

We welcome you to our Symantec Online Technical Support.

Thank you for your response,

In your message you wrote:
>continue with my request for a refund.

Mel, I apologize for any inconvenience that may have caused, please note that Symantec's support caters to all issues and for your convenience it is divided into Technical and General Customer Service, please note that Symantec Technical Support concentrates on issues regarding Symantec products installed , Non-technical, General Customer Service is dedicated for Non-technical issues regarding Activation, Refund, Subscription, Download, Rebates, please note that, in order to resolve this issue, you need to contact Symantec Customer Service, please note that Customer Service can also be reached by telephone, at:

(800) 441-7234 from 6:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M. Pacific Time, Monday through Friday.

Please let us know if we can be of any further assistance to you in using Norton AntiVirus.

Regards,

Santosh Kumar.M
Symantec Authorized Technical Support




Okay I give up. I have been trying to get this to work I have uninstalled and reinstalled the software at least a dozen times. Each time I get an error, which I have reported to your technical people. They provide me with a long list of tasks which are supposed to fix the problem. I follow the tasks and the problem is not fixed. I have wasted many hours on this. Frankly I have had enough. Please refund my subscription.

Regards,
Mel




Hello Mel,

Thank you for contacting Symantec Online Customer Service. I apologies for the inconvenience this may have caused.

In your message you wrote:
> Please refund my subscription. Please do it now without me having to
> send you another 6 emails.

Mel, please note that Norton AntiVirus (NAV) subscription allows access to the Symantec LiveUpdate servers for the duration of the subscription period. It is considered a service, and the price of a subscription renewal is non-refundable. However, Symantec may make exceptions to this rule in the following specific situations:

1. If, through accident, two subscriptions were purchased for the same product. If you feel that this has occurred, please obtain a written statement from your bank reflecting the actual charges that you are disputing. Once you have obtained this statement, please contact Symantec Customer Care Representative.

2. If a subscription renewal was purchased for the wrong product. In these cases, a refund will be authorized, and a charge will be made for the correct product renewal. To make this exchange, it will be necessary to contact a Symantec Customer Care Representative directly by telephone, as we do not keep customer credit card data on record. Symantec Authorized Customer Care can be reached Monday through Friday, between the hours of 6:00am and 5:00pm Pacific time, at the toll-free number below:

1-800-441-7234

3. You are eligible to obtain a refund of your subscription renewal price if you upgrade to a new retail version of your product within 60 days of the renewal. To view your upgrade options, please visit the Symantec Store’s Upgrade Center Website, linked below:

http://nct.symantecstore.com/0001/upgrade_center.html

After you have upgraded your software, please call Symantec Authorized Customer Service at the number listed above to obtain your refund.

For faster service, please have the following items available when you call:

-- The credit card that you used to purchase the subscription renewal. For security reasons, we do not keep this information on file, and will require your card number and billing information to process a credit.

-- A copy of your Subscription Order Confirmation email.

-- Proof of purchase of your product upgrade. If you downloaded your product, the proofs of purchase are the order confirmation email or the electronic receipt. If you purchased a boxed product, please provide the serial or part number printed on the box.

Please note this refund offer has the following limitations:

-- A Subscription Order Confirmation does not qualify as proof of purchase of a new product.

-- Reinstallation of the same product does not qualify you to receive a refund of your subscription purchase.

-- If you were charged a processing fee for renewing your subscription over the telephone, this fee will not be refunded.

If I can be of further assistance, please let me know.

Regards,

Shilpa
Customer Care Specialist
Symantec Authorized Online Customer Service

Please refund my subscription. Please do it now without me having to send you another 6 emails.

Regards,

Mel


Hello Mel,

Thank you for contacting Symantec Online Customer Service. I apologies for the inconvenience this may have caused.

In your message you wrote:
> Please refund my subscription. Please do it now without me having to
> send you another 6 emails.

Mel, please note that Norton AntiVirus (NAV) subscription allows access to the Symantec LiveUpdate servers for the duration of the subscription period. It is considered a service, and the price of a subscription renewal is non-refundable. However, Symantec may make exceptions to this rule in the following specific situations:

1. If, through accident, two subscriptions were purchased for the same product. If you feel that this has occurred, please obtain a written statement from your bank reflecting the actual charges that you are disputing. Once you have obtained this statement, please contact Symantec Customer Care Representative.

2. If a subscription renewal was purchased for the wrong product. In these cases, a refund will be authorized, and a charge will be made for the correct product renewal. To make this exchange, it will be necessary to contact a Symantec Customer Care Representative directly by telephone, as we do not keep customer credit card data on record. Symantec Authorized Customer Care can be reached Monday through Friday, between the hours of 6:00am and 5:00pm Pacific time, at the toll-free number below:

1-800-441-7234

3. You are eligible to obtain a refund of your subscription renewal price if you upgrade to a new retail version of your product within 60 days of the renewal. To view your upgrade options, please visit the Symantec Store’s Upgrade Center Website, linked below:

http://nct.symantecstore.com/0001/upgrade_center.html

After you have upgraded your software, please call Symantec Authorized Customer Service at the number listed above to obtain your refund.

For faster service, please have the following items available when you call:

-- The credit card that you used to purchase the subscription renewal. For security reasons, we do not keep this information on file, and will require your card number and billing information to process a credit.

-- A copy of your Subscription Order Confirmation email.

-- Proof of purchase of your product upgrade. If you downloaded your product, the proofs of purchase are the order confirmation email or the electronic receipt. If you purchased a boxed product, please provide the serial or part number printed on the box.

Please note this refund offer has the following limitations:

-- A Subscription Order Confirmation does not qualify as proof of purchase of a new product.

-- Reinstallation of the same product does not qualify you to receive a refund of your subscription purchase.

-- If you were charged a processing fee for renewing your subscription over the telephone, this fee will not be refunded.

If I can be of further assistance, please let me know.

Regards,

Shilpa
Customer Care Specialist
Symantec Authorized Online Customer Service



If you are unable to supply the service I paid for, then I am legally entitled to a refund. I have done everything your technical support people told me. They were unable to fix the problem. You can do the right thing and save us both a considerable amount of wasted time. If I cancel my credit card payment you will incur chargeback fees.

Regards,
Mel

Welcome Back Mel,

I'd be glad to help with this issue. I apologies for the inconvenience this may have caused.

In your message you wrote:
> If you are unable to supply the service I paid for, then I am legally
> entitled to a refund.

Mel, for further assistance, I suggest that you contact Symantec Authorized Customer Service directly by telephone, at 1(800)441-7234. Our Customer Care Specialists will be happy to assist you Monday through Friday, from 6:00am to 5:00pm Pacific time. Please be ready to provide them with a brief description of what is happening.

If there is anything else that I can do, please let me know. I will be more than happy to address all your issues and concerns at the earliest.

Regards,

Shilpa
Customer Care Specialist
Symantec Authorized Online Customer Service


That's not hugely convenient for me. I am in Australia.

Regards,
Mel


Your last message was a little ambiguous. Could you please confirm if you are going to give me a refund or if I need to go via the credit card company. I do not wish to phone anyone. I have been trying to get this sorted for three weeks. I have sent a dozen emails (probably more), reloaded the software 5 or 6 times, downloaded 3 or 4 upgrades. I still have no virus protection. Getting a refund from the credit card company is more time consuming for me and much more expensive for you. So lets do each other a favour shall we?

Regards,
Mel

Welcome Back Mel,

We welcome you back to our Symantec Online Customer Service. I apologies for the inconvenience this may have caused.

In your message you wrote:
> Could you please confirm if you are going to give me a refund or if I
> need to go via the credit card company.

Mel, as mentioned in my previous mail, please note that Norton AntiVirus subscription allows access to the Symantec LiveUpdate servers for the duration of the subscription period. It is considered a service, and the price of a subscription renewal is non-refundable.

However, for further assistance, I suggest that you contact Symantec Authorized Customer Service directly by telephone, at 888-366-5487. Our Customer Care Specialists will be happy to assist you Monday through Friday, from 6:00am to 5:00pm Pacific time. Please be ready to provide them with a brief description of what is happening.

If you need further assistance, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Regards,

Shilpa
Customer Care Specialist
Symantec Authorized Online Customer Service


Is it possible that you could read beyond the first sentence of my emails? Is that asking too much?
I will cancel my credit card payment this will cost your company my refund plus around US$30. You have not provided the service I paid for. And despite many requests from me you have failed to provide a refund. Calling the number in the USA is prohibitively expensive.

Regards,
Mel

Welcome Back Mel,

I'd be glad to help with this issue. I apologies for the inconvenience this may be causing.

In your message you wrote:
> You have not provided the service I paid for. And despite many
> requests from me you have failed to provide a refund.

Mel, again please note that our subscription database lists the subscription for Account ID number 435468807 as active through 17-APR-05.

Your subscription renewal is already applied to your account and it is already active.

LiveUpdate synchronizes with our subscription servers only when you receive an alert that your subscription is going to expire, so your System Status window may not immediately reflect your true expiration date. When you receive this alert, please run LiveUpdate. Your System Status screen will be updated to reflect the time we have added to your new subscription.

I suggest that you run LiveUpdate three or four times so that the subscription information synchronizes with the subscription server.

For detailed assistance running LiveUpdate, please see our online document, "How to run LiveUpdate," located at the following Web address:

http://service1.symantec.com/SUPPORT/sharedtech.nsf/docid/1999121613163206

If you face any difficulties running LiveUpdate, please contact our Symantec Authorized Technical Support directly. Our Technical Support agents are specially trained on your software, and will be happy to assist you.

To view your Technical Support contact options, please visit our Service and Support Webpage:

>Web URL:
http://www.symantec.com/techsupp/

Again, please note that Norton AntiVirus (NAV) subscription allows access to the Symantec LiveUpdate servers for the duration of the subscription period. It is considered a service, and the price of a subscription renewal is non-refundable.

I would also like to thank you for your valuable feedback.

Should you wish to provide additional comments regarding any Symantec product or service, you can post your message at the Website linked below:

http://www.symantec.com/feedback/

Our feedback database is reviewed by management directly, and provides a forum for our customers to send feedback regarding enhancements to any Symantec product or service.

More information on this topic can be found in our Customer Service Knowledge Base, at the following URL:

https://www-secure.symantec.com/feedback/index.html

For information on Symantec's liability limitations, please refer to the legal notice at the following Web Address:

http://www.symantec.com/legal/legal_note.html

For further assistance, I suggest that you contact Symantec Authorized Customer Service directly by telephone, at 888-366-5487. Our Customer Care Specialists will be happy to assist you Monday through Friday, from 6:00am to 5:00pm Pacific time. Please be ready to provide them with a brief description of what is happening.

If there is anything else that I can do, please let me know. I will be more than happy to address all your issues and concerns at the earliest.

Regards,

Shilpa
Customer Care Specialist
Symantec Authorized Online Customer Service


How many times do I have to explain the same problem? Are you incapable of reading beyond the first sentence? I have installed windows xp and since then have not been able to access the subscription. I have spent 2 weeks with your technical people trying to find a solution. They were unable to fix the problem. Your software should work for xp. You have already spent my subscription many times over in the labor costs of your staff trying to avoid my refund. I have spent many hours trying to get your software to work. Not to mention many hours trying to get someone to comprehend my situation.

Regards,
Mel

Welcome Back Mel,

We welcome you back to our Symantec Online Customer Service. I apologies for the inconvenience this may have caused.

In your message you wrote:
> I have spent many hours trying to get your software to work. Not to
> mention many hours trying to get someone to comprehend my situation.

Mel, as mentioned in my earlier mails, for best assistance, I suggest that you contact Symantec Authorized Customer Service directly by telephone, at 1(800)441-7234. Our Customer Care Specialists will be happy to assist you Monday through Friday, from 6:00am to 5:00pm Pacific time. Please be ready to provide them with a brief description of what is happening.

Again, please note that Norton AntiVirus (NAV) subscription allows access to the Symantec LiveUpdate servers for the duration of the subscription period. It is considered a service, and the price of a subscription renewal is non-refundable.

If you need further assistance, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Regards,

Shilpa
Customer Care Specialist
Symantec Authorized Online Customer Service


Dear Shilpa,
As I have explained many times I am in Australia. Australia is a foreign country. It has different time zones from the USA. It costs a considerable amount of money to call the USA from Australia ... 1800 numbers are not free if called from another country.

Is it possible for you to pass this on to your supervisor? Could you ask them to read the 423 emails that I have already sent regarding this matter? Could you ask them not to ask me to phone them? Could you ask them to resolve the issue themselves and not simply try to pass it over to some other department?

I would be so grateful, if you were able to do these things.

Regards,
Mel

Welcome Back Mel,

I'd be glad to help with this issue.

In your message you wrote:
> Australia is a foreign country. It has different time zones from the
> USA. It costs a considerable amount of money to call the USA from
> Australia ... 1800 numbers are not free if called from another
> country.

Mel, I suggest that you contact Symantec Authorized Customer Service directly by telephone in Australia at +61 2 8879 1005 . Our Customer Care Specialists will be happy to assist you Monday through Friday, from 6:00am to 5:00pm Pacific time. Please be ready to provide them with a brief description of what is happening.

If you need further assistance, please do not hesitate to contact us.
Regards,

Shilpa
Customer Care Specialist
Symantec Authorized Online Customer Service



I would prefer that you pass my previous message on to your supervisor. Together with all the other communications.

Regards,
Mel



Needless to say they did not do this, or if they did the supervisor chose not to respond.

So I picked up the phone and spoke to Symantec Australia.
The first person I spoke to informed me that they only give refunds for subscriptions in two situations, and that a non-functioning product did not fall into either category.

I tried to explain that they were legally obliged to supply a working product or give me a refund.

They suggested that I should contact Technical Support. I explained that I had been communicating with them for two weeks without success. She explained that there were ONLY TWO SITUATIONS WHERE THEY WOULD GIVE A REFUND. I believe she said that several times.

What can you do in these situations but ask to speak to the supervisor?

I spoke to Diane - the Supervisor for Symantec Australia's Customer Service.

Somehow Diane got it into her head that when you upgrade your operating system all other programs are deleted, and so I would have to buy a completely new copy.
She kept asking me how I was able to use the program after it had been deleted, and explaining that my computer had been "reset to it's factory settings". Nothing I said could convince her otherwise.

It became obvious that she too was not listening to what I was telling her. I asked for the name of the Marketing Manager. But Diane refused to give it to me. I asked her to put her responce to my request for a refund in writing. She refused to do that too stating that it was unnecessary; all I had to do was quote some reference number.

I still don't have a refund, but I haven't given up yet!

I believe the name of the Marketing Manager is Greg Swick. My plan is to try faxing him directly. Come back next week and I'll tell you if he responded.
Dear Mel,

Thankyou for contacting Symantec.

We have received your refund request and your refund has been processed.

If you have any further enquiries, please contact Customer Service on 1800 680 026 (Australia) or 0800 174 089 (New Zealand) and please press option 6 to come through to an operator.

Thankyou.

Kind Regards,

Perri Garland-Lloyd