My Three Weeks of Hell from Panda

[bulgin]

Happy New Year Guys

Until 12/06, I used Snorton Semantics antivirus software. After considerable nagging to renew towards the end of the last subscription (and because it slowed things down), I discussed the problem with my regular computer store, who recommended Panda antivirus. All year, throughout 2007, I had no issues with the stuff - until 3 weeks ago when they began literally spamming me to renew. The current subscription ends on the 10th January 2008 and eventually, I sent polite mail to their local distributor, explaining that I will renew, that I will not buy online and that I will load Panda 2008 at a time to suit me.

Their answer? They turned up the wick and INCREASED spamming me with renewal notices - almost every few minutes, displaying the most dire warnings on my screen about the consequences of non-renewal.

What's worse, if you manage to 'unsubscribe' to one warning, another pops up.

I have since bought a new Panda subscription for 2008 but have not loaded it. In fact, I'm planning to exchange it for Kasperski od something similar.

Have you had similar experiences?

bulgin

[mpmarino]

I use the free Avira Antivir. Daily definition downloads and 1 pop-up advertisement per day to buy the premium version. Never had a problem.

[SY]

Ditto. Panda was a nightmare for me. Antivir works great.

A hint my built-in expert told me: Once a week, uninstall Antivir and install a different package (like AVG). Run that to catch anything that Antivir might have missed, then uninstall it and reinstall Antivir. It's a pain to have to go through that, but anti-virus programs don't seem to play wel together.

[theAnonymous1]

I recently installed ESET NOD32 on my girlfriends PC and I am fairly impressed with it.

I personally haven't used any anti-virus programs on my own PC in years, but if I were to install one, NOD32 would probably be it.

[KP11520]

Hi

Try AVG. It is free and available from Download.com. Highly rated and free? Seems like this can't be, but it is!

You won't be disappointed!

Regards//Keith

[I_Forgot]

I've been using Avast! for years. Free! and it works.

I_F

[JRace]

I use AVG Free and now I alos use the AVG Spyware scanner.

Great software, no charge, updates by itself, no ads no spam no nothin!

I honestly cannot see why you would need to pay for a antivisur software when you can legally get them for free.

[KBK]

I have a friend who used to custom design viruses for attacking one person.

Where is he when you need him?

[Nordic]

Lol some good cash potential in that.. only you need to find it a usefull job... like find a specific computer on the internet... and make it self destruct... this would be sold as an anti-theft measurement... I'd sure as hell pay for it.

[bulgin]

Hi All

@ Happy New Year, Sy

I take note of the general consensus here. It's just unbelievable when this lot has built up a customer's goodwill over a 12 month period, how they then systematically destroy it towards the end of a subscription.

bulgin