Avira Software Has Gone To The Dark Side

Discussion in 'other anti-virus software' started by hayc59, Jun 13, 2011.

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  1. cm1971

    cm1971 Registered Member

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    +1 That seemed like a lot to spend in tough economic times in the first place.
     
  2. Steven Avery

    Steven Avery Registered Member

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    Avira-Uniblue - an absurd entanglement

    Hi Folks,

    And I wondered if Uniblue gave them some cash up front, making it more discomfiting for Avira to back out. That would be unusual but not impossible. Or got them to sign a contract that intimidates the Avira execs.

    What is very strange is that it is hard to see any scenario where this works, and is anything other than a total disaster for Avira.

    Say that Avira tricks 1000 people to buy into their trusted partner Uniblue's products, so there is about $50,000 or maybe $100,000 revenue involved the first year, to be split between Uniblue and Avira. That is not a lot of help for a company whose reputation is a major asset and is trying to raise millions for buildings and other needs. Then say half, or at least 1/4 of those 1000 really feel taken, used, scammed or hurt through system damage. Even 10 unhappy customers can be a customer service nightmare for a security company.

    ================================

    RECENT AVIRA SUPPORT POST - IRONY-CITY

    TR Dropper.Gen ; TR Crypt TPM gen Need Help Please - April, 2011
    https://forum.avira.com/wbb/index.php?pa…ghlight=uniblue

    USER
    ... i think i downloaded this files SpeedUpMyPC, registry booster and driver scanner from uniblue i scan the computer using that and found many problem and then i fix all.

    AVIRA FORUM SUPPORT RESPONSE
    ... I really dunno what you supposedly "fixed" with the programs from Uniblue, but this may have corrupted your system to the point where we can no longer recover the integrity of the system. ....

    ================================

    Incidentally, the employee, Hilary Rogers, who used to shill for Uniblue on the blogs and forums where folks were describing their disasters, left Uniblue a few months ago after about a five-year stint and set up her own PR company. That vacancy is likely why we don't see a Uniblue attempt to deflect.

    Shalom,
    Steven Avery
     
    Last edited: Jun 15, 2011
  3. The Hammer

    The Hammer Registered Member

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    The complaining isn't limited to people just using the free version. I have also pointed out that there are other options and several free alternatives for the free users to move to. Personally I wouldn't offer a free version anymore with the advent of Microsoft's offering and Panda's. When you buy a license however you also buy the right to complain and if this arrangement persists people with paid licenses may excercise the option to move to another product. However public pressure can sometimes move mountains and that seems to be the hope here. I myself will be monitoring the situation over the coming year and will act one way or another at renewal time depending on what the landscape at Avira looks like.
     
    Last edited: Jun 15, 2011
  4. cm1971

    cm1971 Registered Member

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    +1 I have a paid license so I'm not a freeloader as some have implied in this thread. I definitely don't like these recent events with Avira and when my license runs out they will know it with my wallet when it comes time to renew. I hope they see the light and the backlash that is building will prompt them to change this because as I have said before it is a good product. They just seem to have bad management right now. Paid users have bought the right to complain when Avira does stuff like this as you pointed out. I also won't be recommending Avira to anyone anymore until they change this. I hope you are right and public pressure moves a mountain in this case.
     
  5. Trooper

    Trooper Registered Member

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    +1

    Preach it brother!
     
  6. sbcc

    sbcc Guest

    Re: Avira-Uniblue - an absurd entanglement

    Steven's post shows exactly why this partnership is such a bad idea. Now Avira's Forum Response team will have to "work around" damage caused by Uniblue. How will they do that? Pretend it was caused by something else?

    With the Ask bar in place, do other IAC offerings become prominent in search results? How many installs of MyWay or Zwinky will result from this for non-technical users? Will Avira identify these as a threat?

    More than an annoyance, I see this as deliberately crippling one of the best security tools available.

    Off my list of recommended products unless this is resolved.

    SBCC
     
  7. Ibrad

    Ibrad Registered Member

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  8. JRViejo

    JRViejo Super Moderator

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    Removed Off Topic Post. The subject is Avira. Let's keep on topic. Thanks!
     
  9. Carver

    Carver Registered Member

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    I don't like this situation with UniBlue Registry Booster and the Ask toolbar but I think everybody is over reacting a bit. I have a paid subscription but it is up in a couple of months so I will be monitoring the situation.
     
  10. Noob

    Noob Registered Member

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    Woah they just moved? :)
    I hope the best to Avira :thumb:
     
  11. mick92z

    mick92z Registered Member

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    Sorry for not reading all the posts on this, I couldn't be bothered. So am i right in thinking, if you buy the premium ( which I have ) nothing changes.
    If you have the free ( i also have ) and you choose not to opt for the webguard, the only thing that changes is you get an ad for a registry cleaner ? No installs, thats it.
    So why all the fuss. Savvy people carry on the same. Less savvy people get to install probably their tenth toolbar, and get an extra program they believe is doing their machine good :D
    Avira get more money, improve their product, were all winners :thumb:
    Does anyone seriously think that 99% of free Avira users care about ask.com and uniblue ?
    Ironically its the extreme minority, who actually know how to protect themselves, who are throwing all their toys out the pram
     
  12. markusg

    markusg Registered Member

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    this is the risk, most users have no ideas what problems can registry cleaner make to the pc.
    and have no idea about the bad history of ask and uniblue.
    when i have an antivirus, i do not want a registry cleaner shows me "400 critical errors" get hour cleaner for $$$$ to clean your pc.
    i want no toolbar, my malware scanner have to protect me not more.
    when i look for early posts from moderators and avira stuff, 1 month ago, most time you see,
    uninstall toolbars, uninstall reg cleaner, and now, this tools are usefull.
    how culd this be?
    sure, most user do not take care about this, they are using the pc to work and thinking "my av will not install such" so i think we have to "talk" with this users so they are able to get an opinion about this topic, because from avira you will only get marketing blablabla
     
  13. carat

    carat Guest

    Advertisement for a scareware registry mega power booster is just crappy. What would you think about your doctor if he would make an advertisement for a gravedigger? :ouch:
     
  14. Steven Avery

    Steven Avery Registered Member

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    Avira Support Forum - get rid of Uniblue

    Hi Folks,

    While selling you high-potency hemlock and making a 45% commission.

    ===========================

    This page now has a bunch of specific Avira Support Forum entries.

    [Off-topic] Uniblue scareware ads (hello Uniblue, goodbye Avira)
    https://forum.avira.com/wbb/index.php?page=Thread&threadID=131604&pageNo=2

    ===========================

    Shalom,
    Steven Avery
     
  15. markusg

    markusg Registered Member

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    its better to find newer posts, i can see the argument "this posts are from 2011 and the programms are better now" "they make no damage" such or similar :d
     
  16. cm1971

    cm1971 Registered Member

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    Because it is concerning when a security company promotes a rogue scareware product. Also some of the pay customers have received emails from Avira about said rogue scareware product. This is not behavior I want to see from a security company. :thumbd:
     
  17. mick92z

    mick92z Registered Member

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    I have recieved no such mail

    So go elsewhere, simple.
     
  18. cm1971

    cm1971 Registered Member

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    I guess you failed to read the post where I said I was when my license runs out. :rolleyes:
     
  19. Malcontent

    Malcontent Registered Member

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    For those users who have time left on their Avira licenses (some with multi-year) it's a bitter pill to swallow to walk away. They have money tied up in this software.
     
  20. littlebits

    littlebits Registered Member

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    Even if Avira removes with partnerships with Uniblue and Ask.com, the damage is done.

    Many security sites have already begun to removing Avira products.
    It was a very stupid decision for Avira to make partnerships with rogue companies that they once detected as malware in the past.

    Some may ask Avira why is these products no longer detected? Oh, it's because you signed an agreement with them to make money. Who's side are you on?

    I can understand advertisements in the free version to an extent, but not for known rogue products. There are many trusted vendors out they could have used for a toolbar like Google, Microsoft, Yahoo, etc.

    There are many trusted companies that could have advertised like TuneUp Utilities, Acronis, jv16 PowerTools, Auslogics, Ashampoo, Yamicsoft. etc. to name a few. But no they choose one of the worst Uniblue.

    This even affects their paid users who still received emails to install Uniblue products and the fact that they paid for Avira and it's not detecting these rogue products because they are not getting quality protection. How may more products are they no longer detecting for payoffs?

    What surprises me even more is there are several threads on the Avira forum asking for help because Uniblue products mess up their systems long before Avira made this partnership.

    I even read one thread where a user claimed that Registry Booster corrupted Avira's installation. ;)

    From what I know about Registry Booster, not only does it not help your system in any way but causes errors and corruptions much like a virus would.
    It deletes many important registry keys needed by Windows OS as the end result you get errors, BSOD, corruptions, etc. So it is more than just rogueware, it is dangerous like a virus.

    All Uniblue products are complete crap. There are many freeware products which are better and more safe to use.

    Thanks.:D
     
    Last edited: Jun 15, 2011
  21. trjam

    trjam Registered Member

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    LMAO.. I say more power to you Avira. Do whatever it takes to stay sucessful. You are the best and if anyones feelings got hurt because their free little product has a toolbar, the hell with them. Buy software if you want it to be pretty.


    Avira does and will always ROCK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


    So to the rest of you hurt little toads, acccccccccccccchoooooooooooo
     
  22. cm1971

    cm1971 Registered Member

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    Wow so you condone anything they do. What you fail to realize is not everyone that is down on Avira has the free version. Avira loves you because they can peddle this crap off on you and you won't care. :thumbd:

    Avira use to rock until this came up. Now they are a company to avoid.
     
  23. Kerodo

    Kerodo Registered Member

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    I wouldn't call what they're doing staying successful..... :rolleyes:
     
  24. trjam

    trjam Registered Member

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    I aint avoiding them. My licences are good till May and I intend to use them then renew them.

    You want to talk about shady practices that I know about in the last 2 years that you dont,,,,will only get me banned from here but Aviras little burp is minor to some you never hear about.:cautious:
     
  25. dw426

    dw426 Registered Member

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    Says the guy who originally bit**ed himself on the first page. You're cool with them using shady companies, fine, but don't switch opinions like you switch products, especially when the facts haven't changed. And as for calling everybody else out over legit concerns and not just over a free product, like some of these people still can't seem to get through their heads, either agree to disagree or don't bother posting in the thread...toad. Geez, this coming from one of the most respected members here too, pretty sad.
     
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