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Sylvia Gramaine Concerning the "Your online security is incomplete" Notification
Hi,
I have been a long-time user of AVG (more than a decade), and have been satisfied so far with AVG products.
However, recently, a pop-up notification has been appearing, saying that "Your online security is incomplete\nInstall online security features for maximum protection". Here is a screenshot:
I have a separate security solution for online, so I click "No Thanks". This closes the window, and yet it returns a few minutes later.
This is completely unacceptable. Besides being pointless, the window disrupts any fullscreen application. It occurred this weekend during my conference presentation, which was both thoroughly embarrassing and disruptive.
I have not been able to find a solution myself, and the consensus seems to be that:
1: General agreement that this is both annoying and unacceptable
2: The resolution by current AVG representatives has been heretofore unsatisfactory, and with any due respect, borderline incompetent. For example, see this thread.
3: Perhaps a method of advertising that only exists in free versions.
Now, as I wrote, I have been a long-time user of AVG, and I would like to continue to be. The problem is that this is actively damaging to the use of my computer for research. This means that I cannot use AVG, if this continues.
I am writing to ask one question: will you please promptly remove this behavior? If yes, then I will be able to happily continue using your product. If not, then please tell me so in plain words so that I can uninstall AVG and seek an alternate solution. Since it is your software, you are of course permitted to make either choice. But I hope you shall elect to remove this notification, as I do not believe you aim to be driving away your user base.
Thank you for reading,
-S
The precise version of AVG is 2015.0.6189, and the OS is Windows 7 Professional.
I have been a long-time user of AVG (more than a decade), and have been satisfied so far with AVG products.
However, recently, a pop-up notification has been appearing, saying that "Your online security is incomplete\nInstall online security features for maximum protection". Here is a screenshot:
I have a separate security solution for online, so I click "No Thanks". This closes the window, and yet it returns a few minutes later.
This is completely unacceptable. Besides being pointless, the window disrupts any fullscreen application. It occurred this weekend during my conference presentation, which was both thoroughly embarrassing and disruptive.
I have not been able to find a solution myself, and the consensus seems to be that:
1: General agreement that this is both annoying and unacceptable
2: The resolution by current AVG representatives has been heretofore unsatisfactory, and with any due respect, borderline incompetent. For example, see this thread.
3: Perhaps a method of advertising that only exists in free versions.
Now, as I wrote, I have been a long-time user of AVG, and I would like to continue to be. The problem is that this is actively damaging to the use of my computer for research. This means that I cannot use AVG, if this continues.
I am writing to ask one question: will you please promptly remove this behavior? If yes, then I will be able to happily continue using your product. If not, then please tell me so in plain words so that I can uninstall AVG and seek an alternate solution. Since it is your software, you are of course permitted to make either choice. But I hope you shall elect to remove this notification, as I do not believe you aim to be driving away your user base.
Thank you for reading,
-S
The precise version of AVG is 2015.0.6189, and the OS is Windows 7 Professional.
Alright then. Farewell, AVG. It has been a good decade or so, but it's time to call it quits. It's too bad you won't reconsider. But . . . well, I truly hope your marketing campaign works out for you somehow.
Best wishes from me and the lab,
Sylvia.
All Answers
AVG Guru
AVG Guru
As I wrote, for technical reasons, dealing with this is not an option. I am simply asking whether it is AVG Technology's intention to leave this behavior as-is, in spite of any complaint.
We are sorry for the delay in responding. We’re sorry to hear that these offers have bothered you. Many of our users find them useful: they rely on them to upgrade to our higher levels of protection. By doing so, they help fund the free version of the product you currently enjoy. But we do understand the repeated appearance of the same message is frustrating and we are working to improve your experience.
Thank you for understanding.
Folks, you really need to make this one a top priority.
Kind regards.
Paul, As per the original poster I assume that you are using AVG FREE AntiVirus?.
AVG Guru
We are glad to know that. AVG carefully monitors the quality of our products and the service we provide, therefore all feedback from our customers is important to us. If you have a specific experience with AVG products that you would like to share with us, we would appreciate hearing about it. Submit your valuable feedback in http://www.avg.com/us-en/product-feedback .Thank you.
1) The message's insistence (yes, I also have the free version). You claim users find it "helpful", but that sounds like marketing stooge's talk. We're not idiots, we don't need to have billboards flashed in our faces to know how to upgrade should we want to, especially when opening the program's window already shows us how to do it.
2) The customer service responses regarding this marketing issue. AVG Tech responds to posters like a robot, and makes excuses justifying a flaw in the product. Worse, the AVG Guru's suggestion is "so ignore it if you don't like it", which proves he didn't bother reading the OP at all. If I wanted this kind of apathy out of my antivirus, I'd have stuck with McAfee, or Trendmicro, or any othe other services that are supposedly not as good.
This upgrade message is unnecessary, doesn't seem to actually do anything useful, and comes with some of the most apathetic customer service I've ever seen. Get your act together.
We could certainly understand your concern. Please accept our sincere and unreserved apology for any inconvenience this may have caused you. As we mentioned above we are working on the issue regarding the repeated appearance of the upgrade popup and it will be fixed as soon as possible.
Thank you for your understanding.
Thumbs down accross the board. Better REMOVE this popup soon or loose ALOT of customers:
https://support.avg.com/answers?id=906b0000000bneE
https://support.avg.com/answers?id=906b0000000bngjAAA
https://support.avg.com/answers?id=906b0000000bn1CAAQ
https://support.avg.com/answers?id=906b0000000DA01AAG
And here are some helpful reviews. Please do not ask me to stop this, I can't, it's part of my "marketing" campaign. I do undreservedly apoligise though and I understand any concerns you may have.....
http://www.consumeraffairs.com/computers/avg.html
I hope that AVG will not re-add a similar functionality in the future, otherwise we'll just be back to square one. Perhaps, I might gently suggest, more adequate user testing could be conducted before releasing UI changes, especially on the free version?
Anyway, it is good that I can still recommend AVG to my colleagues in good faith. Thanks all,
-S
I get it every time I turn on my PC after shutting down.
We are glad to know that the issue has been resolved. Thank you so much for letting us know. Thank you for your kind message and for your support of AVG products. It is customers like you that are helping to make AVG a household name. Please share your valuable feedback in http://www.avg.com/us-en/product-feedback .Thank you.
We are sorry to know that the issue persists. Did you try reinstalling your AVG program? Did you download the latest updates? Thank you.
No I have not tried re-installing, but after this fiasco the time I could spend re-installing I will instead spend uninstalling.
There are plenty of free versions of paid softwares that don't have any nag-popups ever. Everything from Visual Studio C++ to Finale Music Notation. It's just a mark of professionalism. But if a software wants to do it, that's its perogative (just as it's our perogative as users to therefore uninstall it). AFAICT AVG has taken my advice and removed the pop-ups (or at least the vast majority of them), an action I applaud. If it comes back every week/month I won't be thrilled, and it will still be pointless and annoying, but at least it won't cripple my research the way it was before.
They definitely have not removed the pop-ups at this stage.
I checked that I have the most current version, and the application tells me that I do.
However the pop-ups are still there, for me, today (the 18th of March, 2016)
You can find answer to your question together with your another post.
Please try keep whole conversation in one question/thread to speed up resolution.
Thank you.
Look. You already have ads in your GUI. Using popups also isn't going to accomplish anything. I already know about your Internet Security product. Pestering users every few days about it won't make them buy it, any more than will pestering them every hour. It will probably have the opposite effect. As proof, why do you think I'm here?
Monday, one of my students (completely without my permission, by the way) uninstalled AVG and replaced it with a different antivirus software (he didn't say which). He said (and I quote) "I can't deal with this [expletive]." I just thought you might like to know that.
Butting into userland to annoy your users with product ads they've already decided not to buy is unprofessional, and in our case, technologically incompatible.
I was serious when I said I would ditch AVG if the popups weren't removed. And, at this point, my confidence as a user is shaken by this horrendous marketing myopia. Again, I want to continue using AVG, but it cannot be at the ruination of the user experience. So, I'm going to ask again, nicely, but for the last time: will you please remove these popup ads, entirely?
Thanks,
-S
We certainly understand your concern. We would one again like to inform you that these pop ups are part of our legitimate business campaigns. They are distributed to all our free version users in concern to encourage them to try our PRO features. We appreciate your taking the time to provide your valuable feedback here. We assure you that your feedback will definitely be taken into consideration changes will be made in the coming days. Unfortunately, we can not guarantee you the exact time frame at the moment. Appreciate your understanding. Thank you.
- There's a setting in options->advanced settings "Display Tray Notifications". I realise this isn't a system tray notification, so add an option for disabling all popups.
- Put a "Don't show me this again" checkbox on the popup.
We apologize for the inconvenience caused.
Thank you for sending us your valuable feedback. You can also send us your feedback via the following link http://avgclick.me/AVGfeedback and it will reach our development team.And they will add in the upcoming updates. AVG carefully monitors the quality of our products and the service we provide, therefore all feedback from our customers is important to us. If you have a specific experience with AVG products that you would like to share with us, we would appreciate hearing about it.
Thank you.
1) This thing keeps coming back. The options to either install or be reminded later are not what I want to do. I understand this is the free version and you will show me ads, but when I turn something down that should be the end of it.
2) This popup interrupts full screen applications and game mode. I don't recall any other pop up ad doing that from AVG. It is very frustrating when I am playing a game to be constantly interrupted by this ad.
These two issues combined are pushing me to consider a new product. Which means no more referrals of friends to AVG. Has AVG taken the position it wants to compete with McAfee in the annoyance arena?
We are sorry for the difficulties you are currently experiencing.
Could you please provide us the screenshot http://avgclick.me/getscreenshot of the pop up you received? so that we are happy to check this for you and assist you better.
Please feel free to contact us for any further assistance. Thank you.
Matt, For your info, just in case that you are unaware, you can post the screenshot here in your topic. Click on 'Answer' & then click on the 'Image' [mountain symbol] & follow the instructions.
AVG Guru
If you are getting the same "Online security" popup from AVG then it is our legitimate business campaign and it cannot be stopped. This popup is to try the trial version of AVG internet Security. This is our only way of marketing our products. We request you to submit us the feedback to us via http://www.avg.com/product-feedback .
Matt, As per the Balasubramanian (AVG Technologies) posting please provide AVG Technologies with the required feedback (http://avgclick.me/AVGfeedback).
AVG Guru
Alright then. Farewell, AVG. It has been a good decade or so, but it's time to call it quits. It's too bad you won't reconsider. But . . . well, I truly hope your marketing campaign works out for you somehow.
Best wishes from me and the lab,
Sylvia.
I am glad I came across this feed, I too have AVG Free Adition on 2 of my computers, 1 of which is my Media Centre, and AVG has this popup which comes up almost every few hours interrupting my Movies. It is starting to piss me off, so what did I do, I contacted the head of Microsoft department and filed a complaint because I disabled ALL NOTIFICATIONS within the AVG Software and also disabled ALL notifications through the Microsoft Action Centre, which should hide ALL Notifications from AVG, but AVG have by-passed this somehow and have violated Microsoft Terms and Conditions and will get a nice letter from their legal team in the comming days/weeks advising them to change their script and remove this notification or they will be persuing legal action against AVG. Kind Regards! Better pass up to your developers ASAP to redo their sneaky little coding of their popup string that by-passes ALL Microsoft Notification Disabling Services!!!
I have been an AVG user for well over a decade. As suggested, I tried to submit product feedback about this nuisance pop-up and got the error Access Denied You don't have permission to access "http://www.avg.com/us-en/product-feedback" on this server.
Reference #blah blah blah. Great.
I recall when the pay/ free versions were consolidated. It was explicitely stated that the free version would continue. Are these tactics designed to get the free users to leave voluntarily? I'm not sure how AVG wins by creating inconvenience and bad feelings. I'm sorry to say but unhappy former users don't tell others to try a product (people who might be in a position to pay).
It supposed to have a "Game Mode", and I relied on that, but suddenly Ive been playing in online servers and this horrible Ad popup covered a chunk of the screen... It's so freaking frustrating.
@Lance: Product Feedback form is working fine for me. Can you please try it now? If it's not working then try Private Mode in your browser or clear cookies and cache and let me know.
Regards
Going to drop AVG over this until your marketing department can pull their collective heads out of you-know-where. Avast here I come, and I have to pay for my antivirus protection I'd rather go with Vipre which consistently finds more than AVG can any ways.
Wait no, sorry... I said it was ok 'cause it had been 3 days without no ads showing up during an online match, but today ther it was again... What a shame.
Not to worry, Jan. I am in the process of uninstalling AVG and installing another product. Thank you for the 10+ years but, with the pop-ups occurring more than once daily now, it's time to go. Whoever the brainiac is who thought this up should get a promotion if getting rid of free users was the goal!
It is one thing to have an ads on freeware, and quite another to have those ads pop up incessantly, interrupt, AND reduce performance.
I have spent quite a lot of time this morning already after months of irritation, and I see your responses on this and other threads. I hope you come up with a different "legitimate business campaign" as well as responses to customers who bring legitimate problems with your product to your attention.
Now to go out and find a reasonable alternative!
We apologize for the inconvenience caused. Did you uninstall the 'trial' version of AVG programs which had expired? Have you changed your pop-up frequency settings as per http://avgread.me/29lFofA ?Do you use a latest version of AVG(2016)? Could you please provide screen-shot (http://avgclick.me/getscreenshot) of the pop-ups you receive? Thank you.
Jordan, For your info, just in case that you are unaware, you can post the screenshot here in your topic. Click on 'Answer' & then click on the 'Image' [mountain symbol] & follow the instructions.
AVG Guru