This month the newsletter is on line, as a PDF corresponding to the printed version.
They're doing it to us again!
Who is doing what?
Software vendors are beginning to bury vague statements in their EULAs authorizing them to automatically renew your subscription by
charging your credit card at the end of the current subscription for yet another year of service.
Symantec Norton Internet Security, Microsoft
Windows One Care, McAfee and Zone Alarm
all do variations, always with some sort of
vague reference in the 6,708-word (Microsoft)
EULA. There is a bare possibly, down one of
the never-clicked options, that you might find
a clickbox that might allow you to find out
how to stop the automatic renewal.
Some don't even give the option to remove the
automatic renewal.
So how do you make the choice of whether you
even want to do business with the vendor?
A general pattern can be to use a variation of
the following GOOGLE-search:
[ Symantec automatic renewal ]
Substitute your intended vendor for Symantec.
Hint: To find the depth of the problem, search
using the suggestion above. Very informative.
In the case of Microsoft Windows Live One-Care, you have no choice but to make a phone
call to 866-663-2273. Good luck with the lottery
about when they will answer the phone.
Have your original license and transaction numbers
handy that you received a year ago in addition to product serial number and email address.
Hint: Create a mailbox called Subscriptions and copy everything associated with a transaction/subscription into the box.
McAfee buries similar wording in its 3280-word EULA but with a twist: the renewal will be at
full list price and specifically excludes promotional
and discount pricing.
Heck, when I am already a customer of a
company and both of us have invested time
and money in the signup process, I expect a
bit of a rake off because the renewal is
cheaper. Indeed, I sometimes will purchase a
license though Ebay just to get the 1/3 cost
licenses available so that I can enjoy the
knowledge that I am satisfied with the product
and thus can continue. Each year the advisability
of renewing a given product is reassessed
at renewal time. Automatic renewal
eliminates that evaluation.
Which of the reasons below would you suspect is the true reason there is automatic renewal:
Further, many of the companies will 'forget' that automatic renewal was turned off at purchase
time and it takes an act of Congress to get your money refunded.
Usually one will receive a 30-day notice of renewal that might give one the option of opting
out but don't miss the message when it comes in the spam deluge.
Minutes on Page 2, PrintScreen Apr 2008