OBSESSIVE IN-APP ADDON ADVERTISING ON PAID LICENSE

[system]

Hi.

I have paid for Avast! Antivirus/Avast Internet Security for several years now.

I started to pay for it when I had money because I had been using Avast! Free AV for years and enjoyed the level of security and setup of the user interface and felt like it was the best antivirus.

Over the years, Avast has now been popping up with more and more stuff… buying addon security/system optimizations/VPNs/upgrade to Premium Suite, etc

It’s got to the point where I am likely going to choose a new AV and stop my recurring subscription to Avast.

https://i.imgur.com/DNLzHwx.png

https://i.imgur.com/9Fl1y3a.png

If I click on it, oddly it tells me I have 0 issues and prompts me to “Resolve” this…

https://i.imgur.com/p1r4eAz.png

Upon clicking on Resolve, I’m presented with an in application checkout for a product I don’t desire, nor wish to be advertised to in a product I’m already paying money for.

https://i.imgur.com/HGYR89h.png

when I press the “x” to close this, I’m then presented with a “free trial” for this add-on product…

https://i.imgur.com/zbRHFAe.png

https://i.imgur.com/7muDtPT.png

Further, to add insult to injury and further throw sand in the wound,
Upon registering to post on this forum, I received a popup on your website to install Avast Mobile Security on my Android phone. I’m really not sure how to feel about this.

I feel like you’re driving away customers with all these adverts for add-on software.
I’m really disappointed with what Avast has become.

I hope the remaining 642 days of this subscription won’t be the same as this.

https://i.imgur.com/w9cqGOv.png

[DavidR]

Have you disabled the AvastUI > Settings > General > Popups - un-check the 'Show popup offers for other Avast products ?

Personally this is pretty poor form, the above option should be disabled by default on paid versions of avast.

[system]

I enabled the setting and haven’t observed any popups yet. Thanks for the help. I didn’t know to look for an “anti ad button” on a paid subscription, or even freeware version of a piece of software.

I still feel agitated that this is an option at all.

This goes against what made people like avast in the first place, it was unobtrusive and free, and many customers like me were in middle or high school when we started using it, and switched to paying for subscription when we could afford it a few years down the road.

This along with some of the user interface changes in the last two years haven’t felt the best about… Hope someone from Avast takes my criticism positively.

[system]

The more people that post like this the better (I hope)
Ads in the free version - ok, perhaps.
Paid - never.

[DavidR]

@XLDS post:3

I enabled the setting and haven’t observed any popups yet. Thanks for the help. I didn’t know to look for an “anti ad button” on a paid subscription, or even freeware version of a piece of software.

I still feel agitated that this is an option at all.

You’re welcome.

I would be pretty upset if I was using a paid version. As I said this default setting is wrong for paid users, they shouldn’t have to be looking to switch it off.

[Alikhan]

@DavidR post:5

@XLDS post:3

I enabled the setting and haven’t observed any popups yet. Thanks for the help. I didn’t know to look for an “anti ad button” on a paid subscription, or even freeware version of a piece of software.

I still feel agitated that this is an option at all.

You’re welcome.

I would be pretty upset if I was using a paid version. As I said this default setting is wrong for paid users, they shouldn’t have to be looking to switch it off.

That’s not changing. I’ve brought it up several times on Slack and when we Evangelists went Prague. I do believe there was a mention if you were using the Ultimate bundle, ads would be disabled by default.

[DavidR]

@Alikhan post:6

@DavidR post:5

@XLDS post:3

I enabled the setting and haven’t observed any popups yet. Thanks for the help. I didn’t know to look for an “anti ad button” on a paid subscription, or even freeware version of a piece of software.

I still feel agitated that this is an option at all.

You’re welcome.

I would be pretty upset if I was using a paid version. As I said this default setting is wrong for paid users, they shouldn’t have to be looking to switch it off.

That’s not changing. I’ve brought it up several times on Slack and when we Evangelists went Prague. I do believe there was a mention if you were using the Ultimate bundle, ads would be disabled by default.

Yes, Deaf and blind too the paid users complaining in the forums.