Todd wrote:

Poor Higgs,

Now we are talking about sausage! My how the conversation
can get of track. What? Me??? I know not whatsoever you
speak of!

Just make sure they are Hebrew National sausage.

On 8/21/2014 7:12 PM, Todd wrote:
On 08/21/2014 04:10 PM, Todd wrote:
Never found a decent Brat in the states since.


Poor Higgs,

Now we are talking about sausage! My how the conversation
can get of track. What? Me??? I know not whatsoever you
speak of!

-T


Ayuh, thread drift. Be it ever so humble.

I had frozen pizza from Aldi's for dinner.
For 99 cents, I can't complain much.

--
..
Christopher A. Young
Learn about Jesus
www.lds.org
..

On 8/21/2014 8:07 PM, Oren wrote:
On Thu, 21 Aug 2014 17:25:52 -0400, Nil

Maybe they'll fix the CD drive my kid just shoved a piece of bread
into?

I'm really glad you clarified this. All this time I thought a CD tray
was a shelf for a beer can. I feel smarter knowing this now. I guess
the CD tray is not a place to hold a pulled pork BBQ sandwich. either.


http://mistupid.com/people/page032.htm

True story from a Novell NetWare Sysop:
Caller: "Hello, is this Tech Support?"
Tech: "Yes, it is. How may I help you?"
Caller: "The cup holder on my PC is broken and I am within my warranty
period. How do I go about getting that fixed?"
Tech: "I'm sorry, but did you say a cup holder?"
Caller: "Yes, it's attached to the front of my computer."
Tech: "Please excuse me. If I seem a bit stumped, it's because I am. Did
you receive this as part of a promotional at a trade show? How did you
get this cup holder?
Caller: It came with my computer. I don't know anything about a
promotion. It just has '4X' on it."
At this point, the Tech Rep had to mute the caller because he couldn't
stand it. He was laughing too hard. The caller had been using the load
drawer of the CD-ROM drive as a cup holder and snapped it off the drive.

On Thu, 21 Aug 2014 19:29:28 -0600, rbowman
wrote:

Poor Higgs,

Now we are talking about sausage! My how the conversation
can get of track. What? Me??? I know not whatsoever you
speak of!

Just make sure they are Hebrew National sausage.

....made in an authentic orthodox Kosher kitchen

Oren wrote:

On Thu, 21 Aug 2014 19:29:28 -0600, rbowman
wrote:

Poor Higgs,

Now we are talking about sausage! My how the conversation
can get of track. What? Me??? I know not whatsoever you
speak of!

Just make sure they are Hebrew National sausage.

...made in an authentic orthodox Kosher kitchen

Fleishig, milchig, all them pots and pans look the same to me. Let me in a
kosher kitchen for 5 minutes and somebody will be buying new cookware. Or
maybe deciding a little soap and water can fix anything.

Todd wrote:
On 08/21/2014 12:06 PM, Higgs Boson wrote:
Salesman DID say very specifically that for $179 a year,
they would
take care of ANYTHING -- I emphasize ANYTHING

You were a victim of a dishonest salesman

no, she was a victim of her own stupidity

Oren wrote:
On Thu, 21 Aug 2014 12:06:53 -0700 (PDT), Higgs Boson
wrote:

Salesman DID say very specifically that for $179 a year,
they would
take care of ANYTHING -- I emphasize ANYTHING


ANYTHING?! Are you sure he was only talking about Avast?
Is there a
twelve-year-old in your neighborhood? He might help just
for the
experience. Depends on what "anything" means. Maybe he
won't.
Unless you provide three paper bags.

That statement alone would send a red flag to any rational
person that they were fixin' to get screwed.
NOTHING!!!!! fixes everything, not even duct tape : )
Simple regular cleanup of your puter and defragin' can do
more than most "payfor" utilities

On 08/21/2014 10:21 PM, ChairMan wrote:
Todd wrote:
On 08/21/2014 12:06 PM, Higgs Boson wrote:
Salesman DID say very specifically that for $179 a year,
they would
take care of ANYTHING -- I emphasize ANYTHING

You were a victim of a dishonest salesman

no, she was a victim of her own stupidity



Fool me once: shame on you. Fool me twice: shame
on me.

I think this was her first time.

On 8/22/2014 12:29 AM, rbowman wrote:

Fleishig, milchig, all them pots and pans look the same to me. Let me in a
kosher kitchen for 5 minutes and somebody will be buying new cookware. Or
maybe deciding a little soap and water can fix anything.


I hate to milk this one, but you hit
that one out of the pork. Of course,
maybe I'm not in the same ball pork.

Woman went to the Jewish Deli. She
had a gallon of milk and some sliced
meat, they refused to kosher out at
the register.

--
..
Christopher A. Young
Learn about Jesus
www.lds.org
..

"Higgs Boson" wrote in message

On Tuesday, August 19, 2014 9:10:59 PM UTC-7, Tony Hwang wrote:
Higgs Boson wrote:

Does anyone know of an "ombudsman" type of person or site where I
could upload my problems with Avast.



They sold me a policy to "fix anything wrong on computer". Not only
do their techs not know their *** from their elbow, but their hours
and hours of unsuccessful efforts have ****ed up my computer so
badly
I have lost valuable programs and documents.



They do not answer Certified Mail and emails, so it looks like they
are blowing me off. Maybe if some entity more powerful than
Consumer
Sucker leans on them?



I understand such "ombudsman" or whatever you call them, do exist,
so
maybe you resourceful people can direct me.


I wonder what kinda issues you have with your computer?

Tony, first I must apologize for being unclear about my problems with
Avast. There are TWO completely separate issues.

1. When I purchased Avast virus protection, I experienced a lot of
problems with the phone and on-line people about registering my purchase
properly.

2. I bought a "policy" for lack of a better word, from what now appears
to have been a salesman for an outside vendor. Not an uncommon
phenomenon, but one which completely fooled me, since I thought I was
talking to AVAST.

Salesman DID say very specifically that for $179 a year, they would take
care of ANYTHING -- I emphasize ANYTHING

So you have maligned avast! for something with which they had nothing to
do.

Can't comment about registering the paid version of avast! as I have
always used the free version; registering it is simple...open avast!,
enter the registration number.

BTW, did the salesman have a heavy accent?


--

dadiOH
____________________________

Winters getting colder? Tired of the rat race?
Taxes out of hand? Maybe just ready for a change?
Check it out... http://www.floridaloghouse.net

dadiOH wrote:

BTW, did the salesman have a heavy accent?

No, he was one of the telemarketers that work out of the state prison. Maybe
a slight Bronx accent...

On Wednesday, August 20, 2014 10:25:58 AM UTC-7, dadiOH wrote:
"Higgs Boson" wrote in message



Does anyone know of an "ombudsman" type of person or site where I could

upload my problems with Avast.



They sold me a policy to "fix anything wrong on computer".



Have you a link to whatever it is you bought?

I have the invoice on computer but d/k if there is a "link".

I've used avast! for many years...AFAIK, they have no such product. They deal in software, not "policies".

Hi - I tried to explain earlier in this thread, but maybe it didn't go through? Sorry, in my first "vent" I conflated TWO SEPARATE ISSUES:

1. I bought Avast anti-virus and found their customer service terrible. That is NOT what I was venting about.

2. On a call to Avast, a salesman-type sold me a "policy" by which for $179/year Avast would "fix ANYTHING that went wrong with the computer.". Well, being naive, I bought it. Tried them once; they didn't fix (minor) problem, but after tying me up for an hour with "chat" at computer, they did a System Restore -- which I could have done myself -- and lost data.

Much later,t fed up with a rash of (minor but annoying) problems, I decided to try Avast "policy" again. This time, I spent ***a good part of two days*** sitting at computer during "chats" with succesion of techs who ***ed up even worse; finally bailed without notifying me.

Result: REALLY SERIOUS PROBLEMS which are messing me up badly. If I took the electrons to list details, you would agree!

Sent email and wrote Certified letter to the local HQ in upper CA (parent company in Germany; hard to reach). Gave DETAILS of techs' sorry performance and demanded that computer be restored to previous status.

Nothing.

Nearly two weeks later, yesterday unintellible phone msg. followed by email.. I answered by email. Awaiting developments. Computer still barely functioning.

Other kind posters on this thread opine that I was just suckered by outside vendor. But he made the sales pitch on a call to Avast months ago about something else entirely!

Hope this makes things clear?

I STILL would like to know where in the computer world a person could go to complain about what seems like shoddy business practice Ombusman? Magazine? Regulatory body???

TIA

HB

I STILL would like to know where in the computer world a person could go to
complain about what seems like shoddy business practice Ombusman? Magazine?
Regulatory body???


You still didn't provide any details, so it's hard for
anyone to assess the situation, but it sounds to me
like you got what you paid for. You've apparently
taken hours of their time and they were able to do
a system restore for you. No one could guarantee
to fix your PC and rcover your data in all cases.

You really should just try to find someone local,
or a friend who can manage your PC for you. With
phone support you might get someone from India
reading from a list. You might even get someone
who really know what they're doing. But even then
there are limits to remote support. And you're not
likely to get great support for $179/year. How much
time can they afford to spend for that cost? I know
people who get tech support for $200 *plus service
calls*. The $200 only covers a visit once per year
to renew AV, renew a Carbonite backup subscription,
etc. The tech support people are basically getting
the customer to buy various protection and backup
services so that tech support won't be needed.

On Friday, August 22, 2014 12:57:13 PM UTC-4, Mayayana wrote:
I STILL would like to know where in the computer world a person could go to

complain about what seems like shoddy business practice Ombusman? Magazine?

Regulatory body???





You still didn't provide any details, so it's hard for

anyone to assess the situation, but it sounds to me

like you got what you paid for. You've apparently

taken hours of their time and they were able to do

a system restore for you. No one could guarantee

to fix your PC and rcover your data in all cases.



You really should just try to find someone local,

or a friend who can manage your PC for you. With

phone support you might get someone from India

reading from a list. You might even get someone

who really know what they're doing. But even then

there are limits to remote support. And you're not

likely to get great support for $179/year. How much

time can they afford to spend for that cost? I know

people who get tech support for $200 *plus service

calls*. The $200 only covers a visit once per year

to renew AV, renew a Carbonite backup subscription,

etc. The tech support people are basically getting

the customer to buy various protection and backup

services so that tech support won't be needed.

We don't know the specifics of the plan she bought. But clearly no plan
can guarantee that they can fix any PC problem over the phone. Are they
going to send a new MB or hard drive throught the phone, if that fails?
And from just a software standpoint, if certain things get corrupted, at
some point, the only logical thing to do is restore the system back to the
as-shipped condition. Virtually all systems sold today have a backup image
on the drive to allow you to do that.

If I were HB, and the system is really screwed up, I'd backup the files
I want to save to either some local
media or the cloud, then execute the procedure where you interrupt the boot
and have it wipe the thing clean and reload the as-shipped state.

ChairMan posted for all of us...

And I know how to SNIP


Todd wrote:
On 08/21/2014 12:06 PM, Higgs Boson wrote:
Salesman DID say very specifically that for $179 a year,
they would
take care of ANYTHING -- I emphasize ANYTHING

You were a victim of a dishonest salesman

no, she was a victim of her own stupidity

She(it) proves it again and again. I haven't k/f it yet because it amuses
me at times. Cheap thrills.

--
Tekkie

Higgs Boson posted for all of us...

And I know how to SNIP

I've used avast! for many years...AFAIK, they have no such product. They deal in software, not "policies".

Hi - I tried to explain earlier in this thread, but maybe it didn't go through? Sorry, in my first "vent" I conflated TWO SEPARATE ISSUES:

1. I bought Avast anti-virus and found their customer service terrible. That is NOT what I was venting about.

2. On a call to Avast, a salesman-type sold me a "policy" by which for $179/year Avast would "fix ANYTHING that went wrong with the computer.". Well, being naive, I bought it. Tried them once; they didn't fix (minor) problem, but after tying me up for an hour with "chat" at computer, they did a System Restore -- which I could have done myself -- and lost data.

Higgy when you going to follows rules and limit your bloviating to 80
nonsensical characters? You obviously called Dell or Hp or... that's what
they always tell the nut-cases to clear the call out.



Much later,t fed up with a rash of (minor but annoying) problems, I decided to try Avast "policy" again. This time, I spent ***a good part of two days*** sitting at computer during "chats" with succesion of techs who ***ed up even worse; finally bailed without notifying me.

Result: REALLY SERIOUS PROBLEMS which are messing me up badly. If I took the electrons to list details, you would agree!

Sent email and wrote Certified letter to the local HQ in upper CA (parent company in Germany; hard to reach). Gave DETAILS of techs' sorry performance and demanded that computer be restored to previous status.

Nothing.

Nearly two weeks later, yesterday unintellible phone msg. followed by email. I answered by email. Awaiting developments. Computer still barely functioning.

Other kind posters on this thread opine that I was just suckered by outside vendor. But he made the sales pitch on a call to Avast months ago about something else entirely!

Hope this makes things clear?

I STILL would like to know where in the computer world a person could go to complain about what seems like shoddy business practice Ombusman? Magazine? Regulatory body???

TIA

HB

Once they know whom they are dealing with, no one.


--
Tekkie

On 8/22/2014 7:03 AM, Stormin Mormon wrote:
On 8/22/2014 12:29 AM, rbowman wrote:

Fleishig, milchig, all them pots and pans look the same to me. Let me
in a
kosher kitchen for 5 minutes and somebody will be buying new cookware. Or
maybe deciding a little soap and water can fix anything.


I hate to milk this one, but you hit
that one out of the pork. Of course,
maybe I'm not in the same ball pork.

Woman went to the Jewish Deli. She
had a gallon of milk and some sliced
meat, they refused to kosher out at
the register.


Put in the same bag!
Verboten.

Love it how a thread deteriorates.
HB's probably having paroxysms.

On Fri, 22 Aug 2014 15:26:34 -0400, Tekkie®
wrote:

Being from the Philly area it was nice to have to team to root for. They
lost last nite so they're out.

I can't watch pro teams anymore, many players have spoiled it for me.

Mo'ne Davis is model for other black youth. She sure likes baseball.

Nevada has two more games. If they win Saturday, they may win Sunday.

Saturday, Aug. 23 (Championship Games)

Game 27: South Korea vs. Japan, 12:30 p.m. ET (ABC)

Game 28: Nevada vs. Illinois, 3:30 p.m. ET (ABC)

Sunday, Aug. 24 (World Series Championship)

Game 29: Int. Loser of Game 27 vs. U.S. Loser of Game 28, 10 a.m. ET
(ESPN)

Game 30: Int. Winner of Game 27 vs. U.S. Winner of Game 28, 3 p.m. ET
(ABC)

Good kids.
--
"Dodgeball in Burkas" -- Greg Gutfeld

Oren wrote in news:7j3dv999lmkbbcbr14ejvtl04rmu60bib1@
4ax.com:

On Thu, 21 Aug 2014 23:37:12 +0000 (UTC), Red Green
wrote:

Todd wrote in :

On 08/21/2014 12:11 PM, Higgs Boson wrote:
is EXACT WORDS -- that for $179 per year they would fix ANYTHING --
repeat -ANYTHING

Dishonest salesman. There is no such thing for $179 per year.
You would be in the thousands for such a thing.

OK, so he sucked as a salesman.

Oh stop. You're killin' me Red. What would she pay for Duct Tape on
an annual basis?

Apples to oranges Oren. At least Duct Tape works and has value.

On Friday, August 22, 2014 9:57:13 AM UTC-7, Mayayana wrote:
I STILL would like to know where in the computer world a person could go to

complain about what seems like shoddy business practice Ombusman? Magazine?

Regulatory body???





You still didn't provide any details, so it's hard for

anyone to assess the situation,

If I provided "details" of hours and hours of fumbling on the part of these so-called "techs" it would take a book that nobody would want to read.

but it sounds to me like you got what you paid for. You've apparently taken hours of their time

WhAAATTT!!! They (incompetents) took hours of MY TIME

and they were able to do a system restore for you.

Did you miss where I said SEVERAL time in this thread that I can do a System Restore myself! I contacted the people I bought this service from to repair specific problems on my PC.

No one could guarantee to fix your PC and rcover your data in all cases.

Ah, but that's EXACTLY what the silver-tongued salesman said, as I have posted SEVERAL times in this thread!! If I was naive or inexperienced enough to believe them, have you never made a mistake in YOUR life!!!

You really should just try to find someone local, a friend who can manage your PC for you. With phone support you might get someone from India reading from a list. You might even get someone who really know what they're doing.. But even then there are limits to remote support. And you're not likely to get great support for $179/year. How much time can they afford to spend for that cost? I know people who get tech support for $200 *plus service calls*. The $200 only covers a visit once per year to renew AV, renew a Carbonite backup subscription,
etc. The tech support people are basically getting the customer to buy various protection and backup services so that tech support won't be needed.

I haven't been out on the support market before, so I would have no way of knowing about the price structure you discuss above. Knowing no better, I believed the salesman, and it sounds like you're blaming me for doing so!

The local person I have hired in the past isn't up to the job, so I will have to look for a better person; I don't want to put my neighbors through this! If I have to pay someone, I'm taking "Avast" or whoever the outside provider is, to Small Claims to recoup my damages.

HB

trader_4 wrote:

If I were HB, and the system is really screwed up, I'd backup the files
I want to save to either some local
media or the cloud, then execute the procedure where you interrupt the boot
and have it wipe the thing clean and reload the as-shipped state.

Hi,
It makes me wonder how come OP has so much trouble with computer?
Avast is in U.K. if I remember right. I know they come into your PC
trying to fix(mess?) up you problem. I'll never let any one peek into my
PC under any circumstances.....

On Fri, 22 Aug 2014 15:09:35 -0700 (PDT), Higgs Boson
wrote:

The local person I have hired in the past isn't up to the job, so I will have to look for a better person; I don't want to put my neighbors through this! If I have to pay someone, I'm taking "Avast" or whoever the outside provider is, to Small Claims to recoup my damages.

LMAO. You don't get it.

Tell you what. Post the phone number and e-mail address you sent for
support. Post it here so "I" can see it.

You can't tell us the problems with the computer, so you expect to
beat Avast in court. Do you even know how to file a smalls claims in
court? You have stated they are frauds. They will eat your lunch in
court with a counter claim.

What the hell do you expect in court when you cannot answer basic,
simplistic questions here. Tell US what standing you would have in
court. Tell me the date, so I can watch the Judge kick your ass to
the curb. You don't even have a freakin' case. You'll not recover
anything - period.

All you are doing is trolling and PLAYING a goddamn victim. Everything
you post, in all threads, is that you have been violated or cannot
stand up for yourself. Can't figure out simple things or you never
tell us details of the events.

No wonder you can't get a man to **** you real good. It is against the
law to have sexual intercourse with an idiot!

Oren wrote:
On Thu, 21 Aug 2014 12:47:13 -0700, Todd wrote:

On 08/21/2014 12:11 PM, Higgs Boson wrote:
is EXACT WORDS -- that for $179 per year they would fix ANYTHING -- repeat -ANYTHING

Dishonest salesman. There is no such thing for $179 per year.
You would be in the thousands for such a thing.

Hmm,
179.00 is good enough to buy a used Desk top or laptop in good working
order. Yes, I sold my old Thinkpad T61 with charger for 100.00. Is there
any honest salesman in the world?

On Fri, 22 Aug 2014 17:36:27 -0600, Tony Hwang
wrote:

Oren wrote:
On Thu, 21 Aug 2014 12:47:13 -0700, Todd wrote:

On 08/21/2014 12:11 PM, Higgs Boson wrote:
is EXACT WORDS -- that for $179 per year they would fix ANYTHING -- repeat -ANYTHING

Dishonest salesman. There is no such thing for $179 per year.
You would be in the thousands for such a thing.

Hmm,
179.00 is good enough to buy a used Desk top or laptop in good working
order. Yes, I sold my old Thinkpad T61 with charger for 100.00. Is there
any honest salesman in the world?

Wrong attribution. Todd made the comment.

I could never be a salesman. I have a conscience!

On Friday, August 22, 2014 7:13:47 PM UTC-4, Oren wrote:
On Fri, 22 Aug 2014 15:09:35 -0700 (PDT), Higgs Boson

wrote:



The local person I have hired in the past isn't up to the job, so I will have to look for a better person; I don't want to put my neighbors through this! If I have to pay someone, I'm taking "Avast" or whoever the outside provider is, to Small Claims to recoup my damages.



LMAO. You don't get it.



Tell you what. Post the phone number and e-mail address you sent for

support. Post it here so "I" can see it.



You can't tell us the problems with the computer, so you expect to

beat Avast in court. Do you even know how to file a smalls claims in

court? You have stated they are frauds. They will eat your lunch in

court with a counter claim.



What the hell do you expect in court when you cannot answer basic,

simplistic questions here. Tell US what standing you would have in

court. Tell me the date, so I can watch the Judge kick your ass to

the curb. You don't even have a freakin' case. You'll not recover

anything - period.



The first major problem in a situation where you're dealing with a
company that isn't local is how and where can you sue them? The local
baker or car dealer, I can sue in the local court. AVAST, IDK? I think
figuring that out is probably harder than figuring out how to restore
the PC to the as-shipped load. Could be a long trip to small claims
wherever AVAST's corporate presence is. Actually it's not even clear
it's AVAST that she purchased the contract from. And I agree with the
rest of your analysis, that they'd probably win because I doubt that
whatever it is she bought guarantees that they can fix "anything" that's
wrong with the PC. She better have some expert testimony as to what is
wrong with it too. How much is that going to cost? LOL

Oren wrote:
On Fri, 22 Aug 2014 17:36:27 -0600, Tony Hwang
wrote:

Oren wrote:
On Thu, 21 Aug 2014 12:47:13 -0700, Todd wrote:

On 08/21/2014 12:11 PM, Higgs Boson wrote:
is EXACT WORDS -- that for $179 per year they would fix ANYTHING -- repeat -ANYTHING

Dishonest salesman. There is no such thing for $179 per year.
You would be in the thousands for such a thing.

Hmm,
179.00 is good enough to buy a used Desk top or laptop in good working
order. Yes, I sold my old Thinkpad T61 with charger for 100.00. Is there
any honest salesman in the world?

Wrong attribution. Todd made the comment.

I could never be a salesman. I have a conscience!

Hi,
In my working days, marketing(salesmen) always gave us lots of
headaches. Promising near impossible or impossible things on
mulit-million $$ large scale systems. Even at they were the ones getting fat
commissions, for us, only lots of hard work. Marketing ruined
Honeywell's computer business really, pushing dying OS against
Unix(Linux) for the short term gain disregarding long term outlook.
system sales.

On Fri, 22 Aug 2014 17:18:35 -0700 (PDT), trader_4
wrote:

The first major problem in a situation where you're dealing with a
company that isn't local is how and where can you sue them? The local
baker or car dealer, I can sue in the local court. AVAST, IDK? I think
figuring that out is probably harder than figuring out how to restore
the PC to the as-shipped load. Could be a long trip to small claims
wherever AVAST's corporate presence is. Actually it's not even clear
it's AVAST that she purchased the contract from. And I agree with the
rest of your analysis, that they'd probably win because I doubt that
whatever it is she bought guarantees that they can fix "anything" that's
wrong with the PC. She better have some expert testimony as to what is
wrong with it too. How much is that going to cost? LOL

We'll see if she posts the phone number and the e-mail address I
requested. My bet is that she won't. She'll sit on her pity potty
crying crocodile tears. Sobbing poor me. Bush did this to me

She hasn't even answered me about the version of her OS.

On 22 Aug 2014, Higgs Boson wrote in
alt.home.repair:

1. I bought Avast anti-virus and found their customer service
terrible. That is NOT what I was venting about.

2. On a call to Avast, a salesman-type sold me a "policy" by
which for $179/year Avast would "fix ANYTHING that went wrong with
the computer.".

You contradict yourself. You already admitted that the "company" that
sold you this (bogus) "policy" was NOT Avast. Please keep your fables
straight.

Avast does not sell any product such as you describe. You have not and
can not show us any official reference to any such product... because
it doesn't exist.

If you payed by credit card you can easily see who collected your
money. You might even be able to dispute the charge. I'm quite sure you
will see that you didn't pay Avast for this (bogus) service.

But in the end, I predict you will never get restitution. Deal with it,
take note of the lesson learned, and stop whining.

I STILL would like to know where in the computer world a person
could go to complain about what seems like shoddy business
practice Ombusman? Magazine? Regulatory body???

Scammers like the one who suckered you don't have "ombudsmen."

On Friday, August 22, 2014 9:01:31 PM UTC-4, Nil wrote:
On 22 Aug 2014, Higgs Boson wrote in

alt.home.repair:



1. I bought Avast anti-virus and found their customer service

terrible. That is NOT what I was venting about.



2. On a call to Avast, a salesman-type sold me a "policy" by

which for $179/year Avast would "fix ANYTHING that went wrong with

the computer.".



You contradict yourself. You already admitted that the "company" that

sold you this (bogus) "policy" was NOT Avast. Please keep your fables

straight.



Avast does not sell any product such as you describe. You have not and

can not show us any official reference to any such product... because

it doesn't exist.



If you payed by credit card you can easily see who collected your

money. You might even be able to dispute the charge. I'm quite sure you

will see that you didn't pay Avast for this (bogus) service.



But in the end, I predict you will never get restitution. Deal with it,

take note of the lesson learned, and stop whining.



I STILL would like to know where in the computer world a person

could go to complain about what seems like shoddy business

practice Ombusman? Magazine? Regulatory body???



Scammers like the one who suckered you don't have "ombudsmen."


This is an example of the major differences in approaches to problems
between libs and conservatives. Libs think there should be an ombudsman,
a regulatory body, someone they can turn to because they are disatisfied
with a service. We should have people just sitting around, collecting
salaries, to be there for this kind of thing. Conservatives just say,
well, I probably shouldn't have bought that $179 support contract, learnb
from it and move on. Or, being more self-reliant, they may not have
bought it to begin with. I don't understand how anyone could honestly
believe that a phone support contract could be guaranteed to fix "anything" that's wrong with her PC.

I would think that maybe they could at least talk her through backing up
her files she wants to save, then doing a full restore of the PC to the
as-shipped load. That should fix any software problems, but she will have
to re-install any software. It's actually not a bad idea after several
years to get rid of all the crap that slowly winds up clogging and slowing
down most PCs. When I've done it, I've been amazed at how fast the PC
suddenly is.

trader_4 wrote:
On Friday, August 22, 2014 9:01:31 PM UTC-4, Nil wrote:
On 22 Aug 2014, Higgs Boson wrote in

alt.home.repair:



1. I bought Avast anti-virus and found their customer service

terrible. That is NOT what I was venting about.



2. On a call to Avast, a salesman-type sold me a "policy" by

which for $179/year Avast would "fix ANYTHING that went wrong with

the computer.".



You contradict yourself. You already admitted that the "company" that

sold you this (bogus) "policy" was NOT Avast. Please keep your fables

straight.



Avast does not sell any product such as you describe. You have not and

can not show us any official reference to any such product... because

it doesn't exist.



If you payed by credit card you can easily see who collected your

money. You might even be able to dispute the charge. I'm quite sure you

will see that you didn't pay Avast for this (bogus) service.



But in the end, I predict you will never get restitution. Deal with it,

take note of the lesson learned, and stop whining.



I STILL would like to know where in the computer world a person

could go to complain about what seems like shoddy business

practice Ombusman? Magazine? Regulatory body???



Scammers like the one who suckered you don't have "ombudsmen."


This is an example of the major differences in approaches to problems
between libs and conservatives. Libs think there should be an ombudsman,
a regulatory body, someone they can turn to because they are disatisfied
with a service. We should have people just sitting around, collecting
salaries, to be there for this kind of thing. Conservatives just say,
well, I probably shouldn't have bought that $179 support contract, learnb
from it and move on. Or, being more self-reliant, they may not have
bought it to begin with. I don't understand how anyone could honestly
believe that a phone support contract could be guaranteed to fix "anything" that's wrong with her PC.

I would think that maybe they could at least talk her through backing up
her files she wants to save, then doing a full restore of the PC to the
as-shipped load. That should fix any software problems, but she will have
to re-install any software. It's actually not a bad idea after several
years to get rid of all the crap that slowly winds up clogging and slowing
down most PCs. When I've done it, I've been amazed at how fast the PC
suddenly is.

Hi,
More than that. Every one is responsible for his(her) actions.
If I ever did make this dumb mistake coughing up 179.00, I'd just
tick it off as a learned lesson and move on rather than crying
out LOUD to the world; all the people around the world can read the
OP, some laughing, some feeling sorry, some wondering about her IQ
level. I wonder if there is an invoice and payment receipt?

On 22 Aug 2014, trader_4 wrote in
alt.home.repair:

This is an example of the major differences in approaches to
problems between libs and conservatives.

You are an example of right-wing horse****.

On 8/22/2014 11:42 AM, Higgs Boson wrote:

Hi - I tried to explain earlier in this thread, but maybe it didn't go through? Sorry, in my first "vent" I conflated TWO SEPARATE ISSUES:

1. I bought Avast anti-virus and found their customer service terrible. That is NOT what I was venting about.

2. On a call to Avast, a salesman-type sold me a "policy" by which for $179/year Avast would "fix ANYTHING that went wrong with the computer.". Well, being naive, I bought it. Tried them once; they didn't fix (minor) problem, but after tying me up for an hour with "chat" at computer, they did a System Restore -- which I could have done myself -- and lost data.

Much later,t fed up with a rash of (minor but annoying) problems, I decided to try Avast "policy" again. This time, I spent ***a good part of two days*** sitting at computer during "chats" with succesion of techs who ***ed up even worse; finally bailed without notifying me.

Result: REALLY SERIOUS PROBLEMS which are messing me up badly. If I took the electrons to list details, you would agree!

I doubt that you could properly explain anything regardless of how many
electrons you wasted.

Your subject line was "Avast fraud" You may well have two separate
items to complain about but the thing that stands out is "Avast fraud"
which you now say it isn't. I don't recall anywhere in your ramblings
that you identify the real culprit, the guy who got you to trade your
sack of gold for some magic beans.

Fortunately for you, it's probably not actionable by Avast, since in
order to make a case they have to prove harm.

The inane ramblings of a semi-literate goof hardly count.

OTOH, if they were a comedy act, they might have something to go on
about, i.e. the comedic value of your ramblings.

You are either a troll or an idiot.

Todd wrote:
On 08/20/2014 11:44 AM, Nil wrote:
On 19 Aug 2014, Higgs Boson wrote in
alt.home.repair:

They sold me a policy to "fix anything wrong on computer".

I don't believe that they sell any such product. Please cite a specific
reference to it.

There are many things that can go wrong with a computer that they
couldn't, shouldn't and wouldn't fix. It would be idiotic for a company
to make that claim.


Ya, no fooling.

I had a customer buy a custom computer from me and expected me
to warrant every screw up she did on it. I was very clear
that I only covered the hardware, not the usage. She
got pretty ****ed when I insisted. Oh did she screw things up!

Some people shouldn't own computers.

Higgs! Look at an iPad. They are pretty easy to use and
pretty hard to screw up. They are great for receiving
information, but horrible for creating things. You can
get a keypad for them if you do a lot of typing.



Hi,
Some have a knack for breaking every thing they touch. It does not
matter what it is, LOL!

"Higgs Boson" wrote in message

On Wednesday, August 20, 2014 10:25:58 AM UTC-7, dadiOH wrote:
"Higgs Boson" wrote in message



Does anyone know of an "ombudsman" type of person or site where I
could

upload my problems with Avast.



They sold me a policy to "fix anything wrong on computer".



Have you a link to whatever it is you bought?

I have the invoice on computer but d/k if there is a "link".

I've used avast! for many years...AFAIK, they have no such product.
They
deal in software, not "policies".

Hi - I tried to explain earlier in this thread, but maybe it didn't go
through? Sorry, in my first "vent" I conflated TWO SEPARATE ISSUES:

1. I bought Avast anti-virus and found their customer service
terrible.
That is NOT what I was venting about.

2. On a call to Avast, a salesman-type sold me a "policy" by which for
$179/year Avast would "fix ANYTHING that went wrong with the computer.".
Well, being naive, I bought it. Tried them once; they didn't fix
(minor)
problem, but after tying me up for an hour with "chat" at computer,
they
did a System Restore -- which I could have done myself -- and lost data.

Much later,t fed up with a rash of (minor but annoying) problems, I
decided to try Avast "policy" again. This time, I spent ***a good part
of
two days*** sitting at computer during "chats" with succesion of techs
who ***ed up even worse; finally bailed without notifying me.

Result: REALLY SERIOUS PROBLEMS which are messing me up badly. If I
took the electrons to list details, you would agree!

Sent email and wrote Certified letter to the local HQ in upper CA
(parent
company in Germany; hard to reach). Gave DETAILS of techs' sorry
performance and demanded that computer be restored to previous status.

Nothing.

Nearly two weeks later, yesterday unintellible phone msg. followed by
email. I answered by email. Awaiting developments. Computer still
barely functioning.

Other kind posters on this thread opine that I was just suckered by
outside vendor. But he made the sales pitch on a call to Avast months
ago about something else entirely!

Hope this makes things clear?

I STILL would like to know where in the computer world a person could go
to complain about what seems like shoddy business practice Ombusman?
Magazine? Regulatory body???

One place would be the avast! user forum. There are also sites that
publish consumer horror stories, mostly consumer products but some
services. Some of the sites seem to be monitored as there are replies
from the vendors. Here's a link that may get you to some...
https://www.google.com/search?client...est&gws_rd=ssl

Regarding your specific complaint, I did find a page at avast! that
mentions a "paid-for Premium Support Services" down near the bottom of the
page. It mentions things that are included butI didn't find any price
info nor a way to buy it. Is this what you bought?
http://www.avast.com/en-us/total-support

I also found a page discussing a third party support operator for avast!.
Does this sound familiar?
http://www.itnews.com.au/News/294047...e-fake-av.aspx


--

dadiOH
____________________________

Winters getting colder? Tired of the rat race?
Taxes out of hand? Maybe just ready for a change?
Check it out... http://www.floridaloghouse.net

"Nil" wrote in message


Avast does not sell any product such as you describe. You have not and
can not show us any official reference to any such product... because
it doesn't exist.

Bottom of the page...
http://www.avast.com/en-us/total-support


However, avast! Total Support is more than just technical support for
avast! As part of our paid-for Premium Support Services you can get
unlimited support for all of the following items:
Issues:

Virus, malware and spyware related issues
Slow computer
Root cause diagnostics
Browser configuration
Network connection
Set-Up/Configuration:
Email client accounts
Wireless networks
Software programs
Peripheral devices (tablets, smartphones, printers, etc.)
Browser - configuration & support
Data backup assistance
Network file sharing

--

dadiOH
____________________________

Winters getting colder? Tired of the rat race?
Taxes out of hand? Maybe just ready for a change?
Check it out... http://www.floridaloghouse.net

"dadiOH" wrote in message


I also found a page discussing a third party support operator for
avast!.
Does this sound familiar?
http://www.itnews.com.au/News/294047...e-fake-av.aspx

More detail on the above:
http://krebsonsecurity.com/2012/03/a...iyogi-support/

--

dadiOH
____________________________

Winters getting colder? Tired of the rat race?
Taxes out of hand? Maybe just ready for a change?
Check it out... http://www.floridaloghouse.net

On Friday, August 22, 2014 11:14:20 PM UTC-4, Nil wrote:
On 22 Aug 2014, trader_4 wrote in

alt.home.repair:



This is an example of the major differences in approaches to

problems between libs and conservatives.



You are an example of right-wing horse****.

No, I'd say you're an example of lib denial. Do you deny that conservatives
believe more in self reliance, responsibility for one's own actions, while
libs believe that more govt agencies, more govt programs, more govt spending
will fix everything? How's that working with say, welfare and the war on
poverty?

On Saturday, August 23, 2014 7:00:11 AM UTC-4, dadiOH wrote:
"dadiOH" wrote in message





I also found a page discussing a third party support operator for

avast!.

Does this sound familiar?

http://www.itnews.com.au/News/294047...e-fake-av.aspx



More detail on the above:

http://krebsonsecurity.com/2012/03/a...iyogi-support/



--



dadiOH

____________________________


As I said in the other thread you started, I agree it looks like this
is almost certainly what HB bought. What's interesting is that in the
other thread, AVAST is quoted as saying that they were ending their
relationship with iYogi. Yet here they are, still offering the service,
so I wonder if it's with a different support company now? First red flag on
whatever this one is, it doesn't have a price anywhere, but instead you
have to call to find out. That is always a red flag for me that they have
something to hide, want you to get you online for a high pressure pitch, etc.

HB and others apparently wound up there by calling the AVAST support
number for their antivirus product. Based on what you posted in those
other links and this current link that shows they are still offering a
service where they won't even put up the price online, I say stay away
from anything and everything to do with AVAST.

but it sounds to me like you got what you paid for. You've apparently taken
hours of their time

WhAAATTT!!! They (incompetents) took hours of MY TIME

and they were able to do a system restore for you.

Did you miss where I said SEVERAL time in this thread that I can do a System
Restore myself!


I did see where you said that, but that's still their job:
To do what they can. If not a fix then a system restore.
I don't know what transpired, of course, but from the
company point of view you took up several hours of
employee time. Whether or not they were incompetent,
they did fulfill their part of the bargain by providing a
tech person for you to talk to. None of us can judge
who was at fault there.

Maybe the whole thing is not a loss, though. You
should have backup sufficient that you can afford
to lose your system. Given that you wanted to avoid
a system restore I'm guessing you had data to lose
and therefore didn't have adequate backup.

Unfortunately, it requires a lot of information to really
manage a PC and do adequate backup. The first thing
I would do in your case now would be to create disk
images -- compressed copies of your C drive that can
be stored on DVDs and reinstalled if necessary. Then
create two external copies of your important data to
store elsewhere in the house and at another location.
Otherwise, next time you run into trouble System Restore
might not work and then you could be faced with buying
a new copy of Windows... and losing all of your data.

But it sounds like you really need to find someone handy
to set that up for you.

Knowing no better, I believed the salesman, and it sounds
like you're blaming me for doing so!

I don't see any value in blame, but I do think you might
have unrealistic expectations. Just like with home repair, it's
not always easy to tell whether a contractor is being honest.
But in computers as in home repair, there are limits to what
can be done.
Rather than blaming them or yourself, I think you should
use the opportunity to figure out a repair and backup plan
for the future. You should be able to lose your computer
tomorrow and not lose family photos, tax records, or anything
else of value that you have on it.

On Saturday, August 23, 2014 10:04:13 AM UTC-4, Mayayana wrote:


but it sounds to me like you got what you paid for. You've apparently taken

hours of their time



WhAAATTT!!! They (incompetents) took hours of MY TIME



and they were able to do a system restore for you.



Did you miss where I said SEVERAL time in this thread that I can do a System

Restore myself!





I did see where you said that, but that's still their job:

To do what they can. If not a fix then a system restore.

I don't know what transpired, of course, but from the

company point of view you took up several hours of

employee time. Whether or not they were incompetent,

they did fulfill their part of the bargain by providing a

tech person for you to talk to. None of us can judge

who was at fault there.



Read the other thread that DaddiOh started. It sounds like there is a
scamming company behind this.....




Maybe the whole thing is not a loss, though. You

should have backup sufficient that you can afford

to lose your system. Given that you wanted to avoid

a system restore I'm guessing you had data to lose

and therefore didn't have adequate backup.



You have to be careful to define what you mean by system restore.
There is Windows system restore, which uses restore points it creates
that you can try to use to return you system to the state the system
software was in anywhere from a few days to months ago. And then
there is restoring the system in the sense of using the backup image
that is typically provided which will wipe out everything and return
the system to the as-shipped state.




Unfortunately, it requires a lot of information to really

manage a PC and do adequate backup. The first thing

I would do in your case now would be to create disk

images -- compressed copies of your C drive that can

be stored on DVDs and reinstalled if necessary. Then

create two external copies of your important data to

store elsewhere in the house and at another location.

Otherwise, next time you run into trouble System Restore

might not work and then you could be faced with buying

a new copy of Windows... and losing all of your data.



If it's returning the system to it's originaly state, that can
be accomplished by using the image that almost every system comes
with today that's on a separate drive partition. And they also
typically tell you and bug you for a long time to make a further
copy on DVDs, in case the drive fails too. And even if you don't
have that, you don't have to buy a new copy of Windows. The major
PC manufacturers will sell you a copy of the as-shipped software
for some reasonable fee, eg $40. For that you get not only Windows,
but also any other software that was bundled in, eg MSFT Office, etc.





But it sounds like you really need to find someone handy

to set that up for you.



Knowing no better, I believed the salesman, and it sounds

like you're blaming me for doing so!



I don't see any value in blame, but I do think you might

have unrealistic expectations. Just like with home repair, it's

not always easy to tell whether a contractor is being honest.

But in computers as in home repair, there are limits to what

can be done.

Rather than blaming them or yourself, I think you should

use the opportunity to figure out a repair and backup plan

for the future. You should be able to lose your computer

tomorrow and not lose family photos, tax records, or anything

else of value that you have on it.

Yes, that's what I suggested days ago. Figure out how to save what
needs to be saved, then restore the PC to the as-shipped state. Given
that this also now does appear to be an actual fraud by a third party
company, HB could also file a complaint with AVAST and the FTC.