PC-Cillin 2005 License Renewal

The first year of use running out, I would like to renew my Trend Micro PC-Cillin Internet Security 2005 license.

As much as I try, I'm unable to buy a license renewal. All I can get from the many Trend Micro sites I came across is the offer to purchase PC-Cillin 2006 at twice the price of the 2005 renewal fee advertised in their Online-Shop when I purchased 2005 last October. In the answer to my email, Trend Micro sent me a few links to the same unproductive sites I have already been over.

Am I unable to carry out such an elementary task or did Trend Micro just cancel the 2005 renewal option less then one year after my purchase of the (then) current version?

Thanks in advance for any clarification.

 

First of all, you can use your PCC 2005 serial key to upgrade to any future PCC version, including 2006.

Now, as for renewal, I found a few links:

European PCC upgrade link:

http://www.digitalriver.com/dr/v2/e...773934&CUR=826&DSP=&PGRP=0&ABCODE=&CACHE_ID=0

American PCC upgrade/renewal link:

http://www.trendmicro.com/buy/us/pcc-us-serial.asp

Australian PCC upgrade/renewal link:

http://www.digitalriver.com/dr/sat5...d=48065&CUR=36&DSP=&PGRP=0&ABCODE=&CACHE_ID=0

I hope these links help!

 

I found another link, I think it should work for any PCC user across the world:

http://www.trendmicro.com/en/products/desktop/pc-cillin/buy/upgrade.htm

However, it seems to redirect me to my regional Trend Micro homepage, so I'm not sure if it will load or not.

 

Maybe you can buy PCC 2006. There is a good offer at newegg.com:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E1681413471SF

and then you can upgrade free to PCC2007 soon

^Ale

 

Hello Firecat and Ale,

Thank you for your suggestions. Those links are part of the story: they mostly only let you buy PCC 2006. In one place the renewal of PCC 2005 is indeed offered (bingo!), but after I submit the 2005 SN as prompted, I'm taken to the cart content which shows I'll be in fact buying 2006.

I don't like this Trend Micro's attitude one little bit. I don't need a Jack of all trades security suite, since I have the other departments already covered with dedicated software I'm used to and happy with. What I need is a plain decent AV program and as I see it now, my next one certainly won't be a Trend Micro product.

Fool me once - shame on you, fool me twice - shame on me.

 

As far as I know, Trend Micro never has had a separate renewal procedure. Basically, the upgrade used to come as part of the renewal.

I think you can purchase the PCC 2006 upgrade, and then you can use the new serial number you get with your existing PCC 2005 installation, since the product keys should be compatible from 2004-2006.

As a second option, you can try the following link from the Australian PCC website:

http://www.trendmicro.com.au/consumer/products/products.php?prodgroup=4&family=7&id=78&rightnav=0,0

Basically they are offering a PCC 2006 AV-only package for about AUD 49.95 (approx. USD 37.67) for a one year license.

So that way you can have only the PC-cillin AntiVirus package.

 

Hi again Firecat,

What you tell me now is news to me and quite different from what was shown on the list of items in their Online-Shop. A one-year license renewal for 2005 was about half the price of the first-time license and (I'm almost sure) there were also discounted two- and three-year renewals to buy. Nothing was said about upgrades being included in the renewals (the low renewal prices certainly did not reflect that) and the gentlemen who replied to my mail didn't bother to give me an explanation.

Thank you for your help, Firecat. The AV-only package may really make an option. Though I must admit loosing my affinity to Trend Micro with all the uncertainty and different pricing built in such a routine operation.

 

As I remember it, when I renewed PCC 2002 long time ago, I too was charged only half my original purchase price for the "renewal". But PCC 2003 came along with it. AFAIK it has always been like that; renewals include program upgrades.

I also got confused with their marketing strategies. The same product is marketed as different packages in different countries. For example, PC-cillin Internet Security 2006 is called PC-cillin Internet Security 14 in Europe, with slight changes in the UI. In Hong Kong, its simply called PC-cillin 2006. In Japan, its called Virus Buster Internet Security

 

Hi again Firecat,

You were right.

I received yesterday a more personal response from Trend Micro with a special link to a shopping place with the proper item for me (at the correct price) already placed in the cart.

It so turns out that to merely prolong my license for PC-cillin 12 I should purchase an upgrade to the version I already have. I must admit I didn't search in that direction to carry out a renewal.

But before receiving this last link I got tired jumping through Trend Micro sites all over the globe, readinig notes how on-line purchase was only for America and Canada and how this other site I was often redirected to was for Australians and New Zealanders only. The Renew-Now button from the program menu itself also led me to a shopping place with prices in Australian dollars. I never knew if what I eventually purchased would work on my installed edition (was it European?-I am; did that matter?) or not.

I liked how PC-cillin worked, but didn't like the way Trend Micro was doing business with me. Therefore, I uninstalled PC-cillin before my license expired and I'm now on Avira AntiVir. The free version, mainly to avoid such turmoils in future.

My first impression with AntiVir is a very good one. The amount of customisation suits me better than what I saw in NOD32.

Thanks again.

 

As a European customer, I think you should have gone through the European Trend website at http://www.trendmicro-europe.com

Of course, it doesn't matter anyway now that you are on AntiVir. AntiVir, IMO is much better than PC-cillin IS in detection rates.

You could go for purchasing the AntiVir Premium edition, but the only caveat is that the "renewal" for AntiVir Premium is actually just the same as purchasing a whole new license and appending it to your current one, i.e. the prices for the renewal and original purchase are the same.

 

Out of curiosity I followed your last link.

I've been there too, more than once. For me it starts as a Slovenian (my place) home-page, with the contents under all the tabs being international, with the standard options - no difference.

The real solution was in the special link they sent to me - too late.