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I've been a user of Kaspersky since 2012. I like it that it isn't interfering much and seems to be doing a good job - although I probably don't really know. I've got a license for three computers. My home computer and two laptops. Not sure how it happened, but somehow Kaspersky got me on an automatic renewal this year, and who knows, maybe there was a little box that was ticked by default when I renewed the last time and that I didn't untick, but I sure as cookies never consented to the auto-renewal.

So this is what happened. And I'm wondering how many other people this has happened to as well. I got my first renewal notice at end of June for subscription expiry at end of July. I'm quite a conscientious payer, like I hate procrastinating on anything, so when I checked the renewal notice I couldn't find a link to make my payment. So I then navigated to the Kaspersky Website for where to pay. It then asked me for my subscription number and subscription e-mail address and I was then able to renew it for a special renewal rate of 30 US$ for two years. I was quite happy with that as the previous renewal rate had been 45 US$ for one year.

Not in my wildest imagination did I think that Kaspersky didn't know I had renewed by subscription. How could it not. There is only one subscription number and one e-mail address. Surely it would have been flagged as being paid.

But this is what happened. Yesterday I received a notification from my bank that 60 US$ had been approved for Kaspersky. In spite of having renewed my subscription it still went ahead with the auto-renewal.

I was livid of course. And then discovered that Kaspersky has two "partners". One is digitalriver.com who were doing the initial subscriptions. Then there is also Avangate.com. The support and renewal links of Kasperksy Website are resolving to the other partner avangate.com. There doesn't seem to be a tie up between the two. Digital river with its auto-renewal was able to use the same subscription number and e-mail address without being stopped that it has already been renewed.

Then when after a detailed complaint to Digital River Digital River is now referring to it as I had made two subscriptions!!!! Digital River sees itself as different from Kaspersky and different from Avangate and the other way round. In the meanwhile the user gets duped as in essence Kaspersky allowed my subscription with a unique number and unique e-mail address to be double dealt and paid twice.

Not only did I pay twice, but the subscription was 15 US $ more than a year before for one year, whereas the renewal I got at end of June was only for 30 US $ for two years. So they have two partners dealing in the name of Kaspersky, one charging 60 US$ for a renewal of one year and the other 30 US$ for renewal of two years!

Hopefully others who have Kaspersky will be careful with their subscriptions. Check whether you're on auto-renewal and make sure if you are to remove it, otherwise even if you're not subscribing you will be hit with a charge that you never expected to happen.

Reason of review: Double dealing and over charging.

Monetary Loss: $60.

Kaspersky Lab Cons: Kaspersky allowing customer accounts to be double dealt in.

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Bryndon Mam

Just to let everyone know the issue has been resolved. I got my money refunded.

The customer services at Kaspersky are very good.

HOWEVER

I still have an issue with Kaspersky.

Like none of the customer services explained that Kaspersky has gone regional. I had to figure it out completely for myself by trial and error.

Like in 2012 when I purchased the anti-virus it resolved to their agent Digitalriver.com in the US. Then in 2016 when I tried to renew it, it went to their regional agent Avangate.

Avangate has a different pricing in the region I am than the US where Digitalriver is. Like much cheaper, but probably relative to the fact that Kaspersky is much less popular where I am than in the US. I was COMPLETELY unaware at the time I renewed my subscription that I was now dealing with a new region. There was no warning.

NEGATIVE 1 (in order of most annoying) There is no link up between the different regions. Like when I renewed my anti-virus 2012 with the same subscription number and original e-mail address, it didn't register that the account was already paid to Digitalriver. So Digitalriver didn't know that it was paid and when I first reported the problem they acted as though I had started a NEW subscription - whereas it had been a RENEWAL. NEGATIVE 2 Auto renewal.

I never consciously ticked a box for auto renewal. I'm almost certain it must have been ticked by default when I renewed the last time round and I didn't notice it to untick it as I am totally against auto renewal of anything. Digitalriver should remove this from their system, or use a special page for reaffirming the auto-renewal. I'm sure I'm not the only one who has been hit with this.

NEGATIVE 3 When one is moved from one region to another (without even being warned one is), then one can't use the activation code on the other region's installation. Like I couldn't use the activation code for Avangate for my new subscription on my existing 2012 installation. Most of all Kaspersky didn't warn me that that would happen. I had to figure that out myself.

Like it wouldn't allow me to key anything in the installation. I then completely deleted the installation, navigated to my subscription confirmation and installed a completely new up to date Kaspersky on my computer. That isn't a renewal though, like it's a completely new installation. And confusing as heck.

NEGATIVE 4 Issue with regional security certificates - when I loaded the new installation Avangate/Kaspersky failed to inform users that one needs to change their Security Certificates, as the Certificates of Kaspersky are unique to each region. Immediately after loading my Kaspersky installation for a new region, my home page wouldn't work. Plus a few other pages. Then after plenty of Googling I found an answer in that one needs to remove the previous security certificate and replace it.

I'd have preferred Kaspersky to have that sorted out right from the start - OR - let me know in the installation instructions. VERDICT All in all Kaspersky still comes with a good reputation for anti-virus, but it has to do something about the links on its home page - like warn a customer when the subscription that is being renewed is a subscription from a different region as if I'd known I may not have wanted to change regions. I'm a Canadian expat working for short term in the Middle East. What is going to happen when I return to Canada for example during the 2-year duration of the license?

Also at a minimum Kaspersky must get the agents like Digitalriver and Avangate to be connected with verification scripts.

Like make it impossible for a renewal to be doubly paid and renewed.

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