Advice Request Total AV - Is it a Scam?

[roger_m]

They accept PayPal payments now. You can go to your PayPal account and cancel the recurring payment, so that you won't be charged again when your subscription expires. Not that I recommend using it.

 

[Angryman]

I agree that TotalAV is rubbish. In spite of all the hype, in reality it brought my iMac to a halt with its scans etc. I tried to get my money back and they just block you. They did offer to help by taking over my pc but I didn’t like that idea. The software is rubbish and they don’t care when they have your money.

I wish I'd read this before I bought it.

 

[roger_m]

I tried to get my money back and they just block you.

I had no trouble getting a refund for Scanguard, four years ago, when it was a very new product. For some context, TotalAV is also published as ScanGuard and PC Protect. While I believed it was a terrible product, I wanted to try the full version, which I bought cheaply. The real-time protection was not working properly, so I contacted support and asked for and was issued a refund.

They now accept PayPal payments, which in theory should make it easy to get refunds, if the publisher refuses to. But I had a bad experience with PayPal recently, where it took a fair bit of persistence to get a refund when a seller scammed me. If not for my persistence, the scammer would have kept the money.

 

[nadalandrea]

TotalAV should be renamed to TotalSCAM. Worst product ever. Downloaded it on my computer and it immediately started wreaking havoc; even filled up my 1TB memory with God knows what. Luckily, I was able to clean it out completely with the help of Apple Support and download a REAL anti-virus program. Requested a refund for purchase and have been given the run around ever since. So, I reported them to BBB and they have until Feb 27 to respond.....

 

[Vostradamus]

Same problem - cancelling subscription. They charged me for an unauthorized renewal at an enhanced price without warning. Protesting to them and to credit card company resulted in 2 absolute lies in emails from this sleazy company: 1) they said I had been issued a refund and would get it within 48 hours; subsequent communication revealed hey had not issued a refund; 2) they then said that a refund could only "become available" if I closed the dispute case with the credit card company; this is total bs, as confirmed by conversation with credit card company. DO NOT DO BUSINESS WITH THIS SLEAZY, DISHONEST COMPANY!

 

[roger_m]

They charged me for an unauthorized renewal at an enhanced price without warning.

When you signed up at discount price, I'm sure it would have been mentioned that you are paying for a subscription service that will renew at the regular price next year. However, it certainly is easy to miss details like these and a reputable company would have refunded you. Whenever you sign up for a subscription service, typically you will be rebilled at the end of the subscription period and more often than not it will be at the full price. I like paying with PayPal where possible, as you can log in to your PayPal account and turn off rebilling, so that you don't have any unexpected charges in the future.

I happened to me a few months ago where I was charged for an expensive renewal for an AVG Ultimate subscription that I originally purchased very cheaply, and I received no emails from AVG advising me about the upcoming payment. However, I chatted with their support, and I was refunded.

 

[Cortex]

As above PayPal if possible is a good way to pay, I use them a lot & they have always treated me well - So many software payments are now reoccurring payments & if you can't use PayPal use a short term throw away card as you will often be charged for renewal at an inflated cost - You may be told but often after the charge.

 

[Lozpops17]

Yes Total AV is a scam , I payed for 1 license 2 years ago , it never worked on my mac, I try to stop auto payment. Was not possible, Had to pay for the following year. Send them email , got some of it refunded, Ask them to stop my auto payment. They never did, was still active. Ask them several time to cancel but never happened. I cancel my visa card. Year after I got new reminder mail about payment, that had not work because of the cancel visa. I unsubscribe the email, but it still pop up nagging about payment and offers discount until 80%.... Stay away from this... Use antivirus that follow windows.

Yep dodgy alright. charged to expired cards even. Tried s couple of time somehow it got through. Bank raised dispute charged back to them

 

[ForgottenSeer 67480]

I never trusted TotalAV and his cloned-brothers called: PCProtect and ScanGuard.

 

[Behold Eck]

As above PayPal if possible is a good way to pay, I use them a lot & they have always treated me well - So many software payments are now reoccurring payments & if you can't use PayPal use a short term throw away card as you will often be charged for renewal at an inflated cost - You may be told but often after the charge.

AVG Tuneup has a scammy type of setup in that it charges 0.00 for the 60 day trial but then charges you for the year even if it`s been uninstalled.

Easy enough to cancel automatic payments though through PayPal so all is well that ends well.

Regards Eck

 

[Natalie Hulbert]

Unsatisfied with service

 

[jaydeebliss]

I'm pretty sure this is some marketing scam but have you guys actually tried it?

https://www.antivirustop10.com/

https://www.totalav.com/

Mod Edit: De-Linked Potentially Unsafe URLs.

I downloaded the freeware but somehow TotalAV managed to debit my account. Now I keep receiving emails that my account has been disabled because money is owing when I had uninstalled TotalAV.

It's a scam. How did they get my debit card details?

 

[Allego]

I saw their commercial a long time ago and I immediately thought of them as shady just like SpyHunter5. Off-topic but what's up with these "one message per account" accounts. Like they joined and last seen in the same day.

 

[glory2theLord999]

FYI - TotalAV was written by a former malware author. I remember doing some research several years ago on the guy that started the company. (a different name at the time)

He's changed the name a few times, but has a bit of a shady past. While his previous incarnations weren't terrible, I really wouldn't trust my loot to a former black hat to be honest.

I'd avoid it, like the plague.

I'm pretty sure this is some marketing scam but have you guys actually tried it?

https://www.antivirustop10.com/

https://www.totalav.com/

Mod Edit: De-Linked Potentially Unsafe URLs.

just got scammed by this for $29.99
if i call my bank can i get my money back? or it to late??

 

[roger_m]

just got scammed by this for $29.99
if i call my bank can i get my money back? or it to late??

Contact TotalAV and ask for a refund. Most likely they will do so. If they won't, then contact your bank.

 

[ForgottenSeer 67480]

Contact TotalAV and ask for a refund. Most likely they will do so. If they won't, then contact your bank.

I hope that you've noticed how many persons from TrustPilot tried their best to get a money back. Only some of them was lucky, but most of them is really unlucky and Total AV is keep scamming them over and over by stealing more money. TotalAV is the same scam-thing what PCProtect or ScanGuard because all of these products has the same UI, but with a different name. Marketing strategy: The same. They just created 3 of these FAKE products to easily earn money by scamming innocent people with FAKE "PROMOTION! Deal."

 

[roger_m]

I hope that you've noticed how many persons from TrustPilot tried their best to get a money back. Only some of them was lucky, but most of them is really unlucky and Total AV is keep scamming them over and over by stealing more money. TotalAV is the same scam-thing what PCProtect or ScanGuard because all of these products has the same UI, but with a different name. Marketing strategy: The same. They just created 3 of these FAKE products to easily earn money by scamming innocent people with FAKE "PROMOTION! Deal."

They are not fake products. They are legitimate antiviruses which do offer protection against malware, even if It's not very good. I purchased a license for TotalAV (or perhaps it was one of the rebrands) at the start of 2017, when I first heard about it. I didn't have any great expectations, but wanted to try the full version. I found it to be terrible, and as a result asked for a refund, which I had no trouble getting.

 

[ForgottenSeer 67480]

They are not fake products. They are legitimate antiviruses which do offer protection against malware, even if It's not very good. I purchased a license for TotalAV (or perhaps it was one of the rebrands) at the start of 2017, when I first heard about it. I didn't have any great expectations, but wanted to try the full version. I found it to be terrible, and as a result asked for a refund, which I had no trouble getting.

Good to hear that you've managed to get your money back, but the others are very unlucky and can't get their money back. A whole company of these products must fix their mistakes and change marketing tactic on more legitimate, so a buyer will not accusate TotalAV for unwanted charges.

 

[Shadowra]

Hello guys,

Sorry, I'm digging up the subject, just to announce that I've been investigating TotalAV, ScanGuard and cie for 2 months...
It's coming soon in video ! I discovered some interesting things....

I also asked Avira if they were a partner, but if I don't get an answer, I know how to get them

https://support.avira.com/hc/en-us/community/posts/4413536928401-TotalAV-steals-Avira-s-database-

 

[Popolitus]

If u go to OEM

u can see that they are there, as partners