Bitdefender, LLC Romanian Security Firm Bitdefender Uses Predatory Practices to Screw Customers Fort Lauderdale Florida

I was a loyal customer of Bitdefender for years. Each year, when my time was up, I would find myself a decent discount on the upcoming year's antivirus purchase, until this year. This year I got slammed with an "autorenewal" purchase. You know it's hard to remain loyal to a company when they screw you the way they did me.

So I get a notice that this company has charged me for a renewal through Paypal that I didn't authorize for, get this, $119.95. But of course they claim it's all on the up and up because "there are notices you agreed to and emails are sent out informing you of your purchase." Yeah, in the fine print, they tell you apparently, but I never saw an agreement to pay $119.95 for an autorenewal, and I began looking around on the Internet where I noticed others have been getting hit like this for years. They get access to your Paypal and bill you when they feel like it for whatever they want to charge, two days before subscription ends, even though my control panel says, even as I write this, "2 Days Left    Buy Now." And when I go to the link, I get offers in the range of $40. That's right, even though they charged me $119.95 without asking first, I've got offers for way less right now in my account which has yet to expire. 

So I look at this email that was sent out. You know when it was sent out? 6:29 pm on a Friday night. That's right, after most folks have gone home and some people can't get to the banks until Monday. Not only that, but it says in the e-mail that if I want to confirm the purchase there's a link I can click. Nothing at all about opting out, however, not that it would've mattered since the withdrawal from my Paypal account was processed at exactly 6:29 pm also. Hmmm... Sounds pretty well thought out to me. Anyone else smell a skunk in here, 'cause it sure stinks to me.

Chatted with the guy who gave me the standard line and said he'd forward it to sales to look at. Gave me the standard line about how I agreed to it and that I was notified by e-mail. I told him I was looking at the email. It says that this email is part of an anti-fraud check system for my protection. Funny thing is that an anti-fraud check system that doesn't give you a link to opt out and doesn't give you time to respond doesn't seem like a real anti-fraud check system. It seems like a legal hoop to jump through to tell the banks that you notified the customer and they didn't stop the transaction or opt out.

Anyway, I'm very upset at this point because they shafted me as a loyal customer of several years and they shafted my family for the month. As a disabled veteran on a fixed income, it makes things really hard on them. Thanks Bitdefender. Thanks for the sarcasm from your chatline as well. You know, Paypal doesn't do recurring payments according to other vendors I've interacted with, so how did they circumvent that protection? I've already disputed the charge with Paypal, and I'm going to my bank tomorrow to deal with that angle as well.