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Irritation from Webroot marketing


Userlevel 3

I opened SecureAnywhere this evening to find that the usual cheerful green color of the app had turned into a sort of diarrhea brown.

The app is giving me a dire warning that if my webroot expires then I will not be protected from all the ills of the world.

It tells me my subscription runs out in 27 days. That's almost a month before I need to pay.

It urges me to "Renew now to extend your protection period."

Why?

Do the marketing people think that subscribers are stupid enough to give them money a month before it's due?

I don't mind a gentle reminder, say a week before payment is due.

But this rather juvenile and thoroughly obvious attempt to scare me into paying early is, frankly, plain irritating.

Just stop it.

Everybody agree?

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Best answer by TylerM 10 April 2023, 15:16

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10 replies

Userlevel 3
Badge +8

Note that, unless the policy has changed, renewing will tack on the the end. You lose nothing by renewing a bit early… and gain the confidence that your subscription is actually extended ;)

 

Also note, in my experience they don’t just cut you off when you hit the deadline. There’s some grace there :)

Userlevel 7
Badge +24

😉

Userlevel 3

@Tyler, @TripleHelix

Well, well, well. Someone has been listening, if not to me then to you guys.

Today on my laptop, no warning pop-up, and SecureAnywhere has gone back from diarrhea colour to being green.

Warnings about the massive damage I might suffer if I don’t renew - and immediately - have disappeared. Instead, it now tells me ”Protected (Subscription Expiring Soon)” and notes, “...your subscription will expire in 23 days. Renew now to extend your protection period.”

No. Not yet. I’ll renew when it’s due.

But this is a big improvement.

:)
Alasdair

Userlevel 7
Badge +63

Sorry to hear @Alasdair if you want contact Webroot sales to see what’s going on!

 

Purchases, renewals, and upgrades

Mon - Fri 7 AM to 7 PM (MDT)

wr-customersales@opentext.com

Tel: 1-866-350-6089

 

Thanks,

Userlevel 3

Triple Helix,

Thanks. This just gets worse.

This morning when I opened my laptop I had a pop-up pushing me to pay in advance.

On my phone I had a notification that my subscription “has expired”.

That’s a bald lie. 

This is all so desperate that I’m beginning to wonder whether Webroot is in financial difficulties.

A

Userlevel 7
Badge +63

Understood! I did a community search and you can read some of them: https://community.webroot.com/search?q=30%20day%20notification%20to%20renew

Userlevel 3

TripleHelix

Thanks.

I am not against reminders. Although I agree with you at 30 days is far too long.

What really gets my goat is this sad attempt to frighten me into paying early.

Last time round I paid early because I got 3 months free on top of the subscription.

This time all I'm offered is what amounts to a sort of threat.

On my phone, it doesn't even mention 27 days. It just says my subscription is about to expire and gives me a box to put in the new keycode.

I don't know. Does this really work with the majority of subscribers? Or does it just piss people off? 

But certainly the marketing people seem to regard subscribers as gullible in the extreme.

Not a good look.

Userlevel 7
Badge +63

Hi @Alasdair 

 

It's always been that way and I know some don't like it but it's just to notify the user that the 30 day notification to renew when you want and that's all it is. I've suggested years ago to make it a week and they thought it was to short of time and I was chatting with the Developer's at the time so they kept it at 30 days. WSA otherwise is unaffected unless it runs out then the UI will turn Red and say expired.

 

Hope this info helps!

Userlevel 3

Thanks Tyler.


Webroot’s a great software but the front office are a load of idiots.

Marketing people who thinks customers are gullible and can be frightened into paying early. They need to go back to school.

Support staff who were totally useless the last time I had a problem, simply parroting back at me what I had just said. They repaid me in the end, but no one said, “Yes, you have a point, We’ll fix it.”

On the other hand, you and the Community are excellent!!

Alasdair  

Userlevel 7
Badge +24

@Alasdair Thanks for your feedback! I can relay it to marketers 

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