ComplaintsforBitdefender, Inc.

• Initial Complaint

  07/28/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  The service was for protection for my Netgear router. I have discarded the router and no longer require the protection services for this device. I called the ********************** customer support number on 23 July 2024 to cancel the annual subscription after $99.87 was charged to my debit card. The representative then opened a case to have this subscription canceled. I was emailed from the case manager to change my subscription from a 24 month coverage to a month 12 month instead of canceling the subscription. I responded to the case manager and explained that I no longer have the device and that I have sinced moved overseas for a military assignment and asked to again cancel the subscription. I then received a response from the case manager that stated because I took too longer to respond that no changes would be made to my account. On 28 July 2024, I called the Bitdefender customer support number about canceling my annual subscription. The representative stated the case had been elevated to the case manager for cancelation and that there was nothing that could be done further to cancel my subscription. I asked to speak with another representative and was refused. The representative continued to stated that my case was being handled by the assigned case manager. When I was getting nowhere with the representative, I ended the call and called back to speak with another representative, only to again be speaking with the same representative. This representative keeps stating that the case has been elevated, even though the assigned case manager has emailed me that no further changes will occur with my account.

  Customer response

  07/28/2024

  Last response email received from the Bitdefender case manager on 27 July 2024.

  Customer response

  07/28/2024

  Last response email received from the Bitdefender case manager on 27 July 2024.

  Business response

  08/06/2024

  This customer had a Netgear Armor subscription which auto renewed. He was informed about auto-renewal 30 days before it took place. He contacted us and his case was initially handled by the retention team who made him an offer to keep the product, but he didn't agree, so the refund was processed as requested. 

  Customer response

  08/06/2024

   
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me. After the Better Business Bureau compliant was initiated, Bitdefender only agreed to process the refund after I took their company's survey of my experience with their organization. I included those emails with the time and date stamps as proof of that.

  I did accept the issued refund and I thank you Better Business Bureau for taking the time to help me with this case.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***************************

• Initial Complaint

  07/04/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  I have canceled my service with Bitdefender antivirus and vpn software yet they have continued to attempt to charge my credit card for a service I have declined to continue. My credit card company is actively blocking their charges and changing my credit card number with each transaction attempt. I have emailed them multiple times trying to get them to resolve this problem with no success.

  Business response

  07/09/2024

  This customer contacted us initially using one of his email addresses and he didn't mention that he had two other email addresses used for purchase. 
  
  He had different subscriptions purchased with different email addresses and there were some attempts to charge him for renewals. We succeeded in disabling all his subscriptions with the discovered email addresses. 

  Customer response

  07/19/2024

   
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***********************

• Initial Complaint

  07/02/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I no longer have access to the original email address. I thought I had transferred it all as I can assign and download the software. I get notifications of renewal. But I cannot change billing. This is how I found out the billing is under my old email address which I have no access to as it no longer exists. They want an in voice from 2023 since I havent had access to the email since 2022 this is impossible. Then they want me to send an email from teh old account. I can't cause I do not have access to the old email. This is my main issue. Then they want 2023s invoice which they sent to the old email.... or they require an old bankstatement to be sent which I am uncomfortable with nor do I have access to that bank statement from 2023. I sent them the invoice from 2021. No response. I have been trying for over a week.

  Business response

  07/11/2024

  The colleagues from the business department informed us that they contacted the customer and offered the answer below:
  
  "Kindly note that the email address associated with your billing profile has been updated from *********************** to ************************,as you requested.
   You can now access your billing profile by logging in here using the registered email address, ************************.
   Please let us know if there is anything else we may be able to assist you with at this time or if this ticket can be closed."

  Customer response

  07/24/2024

   
  Complaint: 21931225
  
  I am rejecting this response because: tho my email address was finally changed. it took me complaining to the bbb and leaving bad reviews to finally get my email changed. The customer service lied and is horrible. The product works that about it. It should not take weeks to get something as simple as an email changed. And get no response for days. 
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *****************************

  Business response

  08/06/2024

  The colleagues from the business department informed us that they contacted the customer and offered the answer below:
  
  "Kindly note that the email address associated with your billing profile has been updated from *********************** to ************************,as you requested.
   You can now access your billing profile by logging in using the registered email address, ************************.
  
  

  Customer response

  08/07/2024

   
  Better Business Bureau:
  Not happy at all with the business. It took complaints on multiple website and it took weeks and me complaining to the bbb and other sites. They lied when I called. Not satisfied and do not want this to show as a satisfied solution. This should have been a simple customer service email or call. NOT that they wanted me to email things I never received nor that I would have to send an email froma non existing email address nor that they referred me tot heir billing partner who then sent me back.  
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *****************************

  Customer response

  08/07/2024

  I do not want this to show as a resolved issue nor that I am satisfied. 

• Initial Complaint

  05/27/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Subject: Dispute Regarding Unauthorized Charges from Bitdefender **** I'm writing to formally dispute unauthorized charges on my account by ********************** **** Initially I activated the account is *** of 2021 as a non-recurring account but later learned my phone and computer were already being protected from viruses and threats by internet provider and phone carrier. I thought since it was a non-recurring no other charges would be charged at the end of the 1-year team. However, not sure when it became an automatic renewal subscription but when I discovered such the following year, I initiated a cancellation. Despite my cancellation of their automatic renewal service, apparently, I have continued to be billed. I canceled the automatic renewal service on a date that I do not precisely recall. but I am confident that the cancellation was completed. My problem is that I didn't do my due diligence ensuring the subscription was cancelled. Therefore, due to my oversight in regularly checking my credit card statements, I did not notice that Bitdefender **** continued to charge my account. I reviewed my credit card account statement Monday, *** 27, 2024, and was able to login my assigned Bitdefender account, which I didn't know still existed. There I discovered these ongoing charges were unauthorized, I'm requesting that Bitdefender refund the full amount of these charges and ensure that my account is permanently removed from their billing cycle. Viewing from other customers' complaints auto-renewal is a big issue for this company in which I feel these are deceptive practices. I would like to highlight that in January 2023, the **** issued a warning that automatic subscriptions renewals, also known as "negative options," programs, may violate the law if they are unfair, deceptive, or abusive and clearly without customer's consent which is unethical. They state billing shows up as Bitdefender but it discloses as 2com.com. (I'm requesting 2022, 2023 and 2024 refund.

  Business response

  06/11/2024

  'The order has been automatically renewed since you had the automatic renewal option enabled at your first purchase via our website.
  
  The auto-renewal option is enabled by default when purchasing to not compromise device security and allows you to conveniently retain protection when the Bitdefender subscription expires. At the same time, it is a widespread option in the antivirus industry and has been implemented as a result of customer requests.
  
  However, we understand that some users do not want this option to be active,and that's why we provide our customers with many ways to disable it:
  
  -following automated notification
  -by contacting the support team at anytime
  -following the steps available on our official website: *******************************************************************
  
  Also, we try to ensure maximum transparency on the auto-renewal process, both through the information available at the time of purchase and through multiple email notifications before the renewal is performed. It is always the client's decision if he wants to keep the auto-renewal on or off. However, if within one year of the initial purchase the customer does not manually deactivate or does not contact us to disable it, it is reasonable to consider that the customer agrees to the auto-renewal.
  Each year you have received a renewal notification to the e-mail address used for the initial purchase, an order confirmation and an invoice. 
  
  As per Bitdefender's refund policy, I can issue a refund within the first 30 days from the date of purchase. Your orders from 2022 and 2023 have exceeded that period, and I am unable to process a refund.
  
  Your purchase under order number #********* (from May 11, 2024) is now fully refunded. Depending on the issuing party, you will see the amount of ***** USD back in your account in up to 7 working days. Also,the automatic renewal for your subscription has been canceled.'
  
  Thank you!

• Initial Complaint

  04/23/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I have asked Bitdefender to cancel my subscription for their services and they keep adding me and billing me. I want them to stop billing me, to stop emailing me and I want and additional $50 added to my refund for the time I have had to spend asking them again to cancel my service that should have already been cancelled.

  Business response

  04/24/2024

  Upon checking the order *********, I can confirm that it has already been refunded on April 23rd 2024, following the dispute that you opened with PayPal. The duration of the transfer of the funds back to your account depends on PayPal's processing procedures and it may take up to 5-7 business days, therefore we appreciate your patience in the matter.
  I have also tried to locate the previous cancellation requests that you mentioned, and I could not find any such request associated with any of your email addresses used in relation with Bitdefender.
  
  If you could send us an example of such a request, either as an attachment or a screenshot, with the sender and the recipient visible, I could investigate what happened.

• Initial Complaint

  04/14/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Customer Service Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  I purchased a subscription for Bitdefender Total Security as well as the Premium ***. I have receipt for my purchase and the activated subscription can be viewed within my online account with ********************** Central.And yet, I continuously have issued related to the *** only providing the free version of their service. There is a constant button within the software to upgrade, despite having already upgraded to Premium from the very beginning.The free version has caused issues with my state certification process for work in ****** (which requires weeks of online training including video) and I am about to be booted from the program due to the issues of connectivity and bandwidth. I will not be able to afford rent or utilities including internet and phone if I lose this job.I continue to attempt to reach customer service or possibly make a ticket. There is no customer service and no ability to make a ticket. Their support and contact us options continue to loop back to the beginning which is likely done on purpose. They list no phone number or support email. I am also contacting my bank on Monday to dispute all charges as well as filling out complaint forms with both the *** and the ****

  Customer response

  04/15/2024

  While a refund would be nice I need to clarify that I did receive 10 months of my subscription in which about 8 months of the time the *** service worked as advertised.  But at least 2 months including this recent month I was only getting their free version which created major issues concerning getting training needed for my job.  (I spent countless hours troubleshooting why my video couldn't work correctly for Zoom meeting as well as internet speed issues.  I am certain I spent over 100 hours in the course of two months trying to trouble shoot.  The *** kept reverting to a free version despite showing as activated in my account.  This could be due to having to do factory resets on my PC for windows 11 and a network hacking issue almost a year ago...
  

  The primary complaint is that I was unable to make a support ticket or contact any customer service due to the help section on their website looping back to the start each time I made an attempt by following the websites instructions.  Bitdefender is a large company.  This should not happen. 

  I have 2 months left of their service but can no longer use the *** service in which I paid ***** dollars if I recall correctly.  (I have a digital receipt in back emails) If I don't get a refund I understand and am not worried about that aspect so much as I just want to report to an agency concerning their lack of adequate customer service...a trend in the digital age by companies that can certainly afford it.
  

  Thanks for your time and have a nice day.
  

  Customer response

  04/15/2024

  I also forget to mention that I am not disputing any charges with my bank since I did get 7 to 8 months of VPN Premium as advertised.  A refund would be deserved...but it's not something to contact my bank over.

   

  Thanks.

  Customer response

  04/16/2024

  I can drop this complaint after the company responded.  While I am not going to take them up on extra subscription time, they did offer to reimburse me with additional months at no cost.  So I will let this go and move on without requesting any further assistance.

   

  I appreciate the time and help in resolving this matter.  Thank-you for the help.

   

  Sincerely,

  *******************

• Initial Complaint

  04/05/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  I went to cancel my subscription before it renews, and during the automated process my reason was "Too Expensive". I was then offered the option to renew it for only $54 for the year. I accepted this offer and made the payment... but I was charged the FULL $99 + tax instead of the special offer of $54!!! I contacted customer support and they said they need to escalate this to a different department and i MAY hear back from them today.... This is TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE, and now I am done with this company forever! I am going to call the bank and initiate a charge-back.

  Business response

  04/11/2024

  This customer was charged for the automatic renewal which took place at the full price. The auto-renewal cannot take into account all the ongoing campaigns/discounts available. He was also informed that the auto-renewal will take place at the full price 30 days prior via email.
  
  My colleagues already processed a refund for his transaction and informed him.

  Customer response

  04/11/2024

   
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.  However, the response was incorrect.  I was not yet charged for the auto-renewal, and I was in the process of cancelling it when I received the 1/2 off notification... which I accepted. Then when I completed the process of renewing I was charged full price, NOT the offer I accepted. The refund was issued a few days later and I was provided a link to subscribe at the discounted price, so I have re-subscribed. There is no need to be misleading in your response when the situation was already rectified... be honest in your responses!
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *****************************

• Initial Complaint

  03/19/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I contacted a customer service rep in November 2023 and advised i no longer used a netgear orbi router and their bitdefender antivirus software. And to not charge any yearly subscription fees due in January of 2024. They did charge me I attempted to contact cust service and was unable to resolve i emailed them and requested that the monie be refunded to my CC. They advised it would take 90 days to review the matter and make a decision. I contacted my CC and advised them of this fraudulent charge and cust service advised to file a dispute. I today received a response back from an email from **************** which i requested a refund be processed prior to the ******************** that emial he advises i must cancel my dispute for them to process a refund he was advised that will not happen upon advice of teh CC cust service ***** I also advised i would be filing a complaint with the BBB and ************* as well. I am requesting that you investigate this improper business practice and that an immdeiate refund be issued as they did not wait 90 days to get paid.

  Business response

  03/21/2024

  We couldn't identify any request from the customer for the cancellation of the product, leading to an auto-renewal of the subscription.Subsequently, the customer has initiated a chargeback through their bank for the transaction.
  
  Given this situation, our colleague informed him that our system shows no record of a cancellation request from the customer's end. As a result,the auto-renewal occurred as scheduled. The chargeback initiated by the customer has led to complications in the refund process.
  
  Currently, the dispute is between the customer's bank and our payment processor, 2Checkout. We are unable to initiate a refund directly as the chargeback was opened by the customer. The resolution of the dispute may take ****** days, during which the funds will be held until a decision is reached.
  
  If the customer had contacted us beforehand to arrange the chargeback with the bank, we could issue a refund for his transaction, but now he has to wait for a solution from his bank.

• Initial Complaint

  03/12/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Sales and Advertising Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  In January and February 2024 Bit Defender auto billed me for the renewal of two products but I have no recollection of ordering a second product. Because of an email change I am no longer able to access the original order placed with this vendor to verify what I ordered. And both methods of turning off auto renewal seem to require the use of this old email address. Please add my complaint to the long list of similar complaints with the BBB about Bit Defender's auto renewal process.

  Business response

  03/13/2024

  We have contacted the customer to better explain the history of his subscriptions and auto-renewals and to offer him the desired refund.

• Initial Complaint

  03/05/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  I requested a refund on the same day as the purchase went through because I was dissatisfied with the service, but customer support refused to honor the money back guarantee and instead only offered a discount. They will lie and trick you for money, be very careful!

  Business response

  03/20/2024

  The customer contacted us with a refund request, but initially,his request was handled by the retention & loyalty team, and they offered him a good offer to remain a customer.
  
  The customer refused the offer and the refund was initiated and processed almost 2 weeks ago.

  Customer response

  03/21/2024

   
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
  

  However, I would like to clarify that I filed this complaint before the refund was offered. The retention team mentioned in the business response presented the discount offers as my only option after I had already specifically requested a discount. The business quite clearly tried to mislead me in order to avoid issuing a refund and only relented because I ignored their options and reiterated my original request.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *************************

*Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business. ↩