Free upgrade?

[Marko 0]

This evening, I receive a prompt from NOD32 regarding a free upgrade to a better version, with an install button, a remind me later button, and a 'learn more' link in the blurb.

 

Clicking that 'learn more' link takes me to the Eset Smart Security product page, where the only visible option is a 30 day free trial.

 

My question is, is this a free upgrade offer as the prompt on my desktop suggests, or free as in '30 day trial' as the webpage suggests?

 

Marko.

[Nedim 9]

Existing customers with a valid license for an ESET product may upgrade to the latest version of the same product for free.

[Marko 0]

I find this quite disappointing, not because I'm looking for something for free, but because I've always thought Eset above this kind of behaviour. I have been an Eset customer for around ten years now and have never seen these practices adopted before.

 

The desktop prompt indicates that the upgrade is free. If a user keeps blind faith and clicks the install button, you're answer suggests that they would not receive a free upgrade, rather a free 30 day trial, after which, they would be pressed for an upgrade fee. That is not free.

 

I am surprised that a company I have come to respect and recommend to others should choose this rather dubious, bordering on the deceptive, way of generating revenue from customers.

[shocked 60]

you don't understand.

 

all customers with a valid license can upgrade to all versions of the product they have for free.

 

for example, I have the eset smart security, my license is valid for 2 more years and I can upgrade to all new versions of smart security for 2 more years.

 

if your username/password expires you must buy a new one.

[DinGo 22]

It does prove that the Product Update is working far better than it used to though.

I take the opposite attitude to Marko on this and say a big thumbs up to Eset, nice work

[Arakasi 549]

Even if you only have a 30 day trial, you still get a FREE upgrade to the latest product version , ie verison 6 to version 7 , however your trial still remains in effect.

The product was indeed free. The account subscription to receive sig updates regularly is not.

There is no way to twist this. lol

Edited November 6, 2013 by Arakasi

[SweX 871]

Is is like everyone in this thread have said, as long as you have a valid license you can upgrade to a newer version for FREE, or continue to use the version you have installed. The choice is all yours. With a valid license you can use wich version you want from the old 3.x to newest 7.x 

[Marko 0]

There's an apology coming...

 

So I'm using NOD32 Anti Virus 7.0.302.0, it is already the latest version. Upon receiving the desktop prompt, which was offering Eset Smart Security as a free upgrade, that didn't appear to be free at all, I jumped on my soapbox, megaphone in hand...

 

The truth is, for me, it would be a free upgrade because I have a three year ESS license. So, I apologise for the noise and will get back in my pram!

 

I use NOD32 AV because Smart Security gave more trouble than I was willing to troubleshoot, and at renewal time, there's no path to downgrade, and the ESS renewal fee is still cheaper than a new NOD32 subscription.

 

Boy, I sure wish I'd sussed all that out before wasting everyone's time with this... deary me!

[Arakasi 549]

Its no problem, glad its all figured out and your still happy with ESET.

 

Thanks for posting and sharing.

[bluwiz 1]

Today one of my machines running NOD32 (version 7.0.302.0 running under Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit) prompted me about a "free upgrade" in a pop-up window - clicking the "learn more" button/link directed me to the Smart Security page which implied that ESET was offering a free upgrade to Smart Security...

 

About a week ago (November 10th according to that machine's ESET logs) one of my other machines also running NOD32 (version 7.0.302.0 and also running under Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit under the same licence name) advised me (via a pop-up bubble or warning icon - can't remember which) that a PRODUCT UPDATE was available - the update being to version 7.0.302.26... A very, very different message and no implied free UPGRADE to Smart Security

 

So what changed in the last week?

 

And why was there a "free UPGRADE " to Smart Security implied when I clicked the "learn more" link when it should have been a free "PRODUCT UPDATE"?

 

A subtle case of wording (UPGRADE versus UPDATE)...

 

A free UPGRADE to Smart Security would have been nice - not that I would have accepted it on all of my machines covered by my licence...

 

I just wonder what my NOD32-using clients (who are not as technically savvy as me) will think if they also see this "FREE UPGRADE" window pop up?

 

I suggest that your programmers examine the source code and cross-check all references for "free upgrade" and make sure it reads "free update"...

[Peter Randziak 1,130]

Hello Bluwiz,

 

I tried to reproduce it on my VM with ESET NOD32 Antivirus 7.0.302.0 and it offered me a free upgrade to ESET NOD 32 Antivirus.

Screenshot is attached.

 

In case you spot offered upgrade to wrong product, please let us know (please give as as much info as possible.).

[Phil_S 3]

Peter, I had the same pop-up you show above open yesterday on booting one of my machines running a licenced copy of EAV 7.0.302.00

On clicking the "extra benefits" link my browser opened the ESS page. Install upgrade prompted me to install 7.0.302.26. I hadn't bothered to upgrade previously as I'm sure I recall DWomack and Marcos saying in this forum that the only difference between the two versions was an updated EULA?

[Marko 0]

That's the one. Same as I received. Phil is correct in that if you click on "extra benefits" link, the browser opens at a page offerring Eset Smart Security, but nowhere on that page does it mention a free upgrade.

 

I figured that the program was clever enough to know that I was using an ESS license and was therefore prompting me about the upgrade that would, for me, be free.

 

Unless Phil is in the same scenario as myself, running EAV using an ESS license, then I guess my original post is completely valid in that despite suggestions I did not understand the subscription model, if running EAV and the program is prompting the user regarding a free upgrade to ESS, a different product with different pricing, it's surely reasonable for the user to expect to be able to migrate from EAV to ESS for free as indicated by the software itself?

[Phil_S 3]

Sorry, I still can't quote or cut or past in this forum. I think it's an IE11 issue.

 

I have an EAV licence, not ESS.

[toxinon12345 32]

 

I have an EAV licence, not ESS.

Could be that you had installed ESS before?

I dont know, maybe youve installed EAV on top of ESS

[SweX 871]

 I hadn't bothered to upgrade previously as I'm sure I recall DWomack and Marcos saying in this forum that the only difference between the two versions was an updated EULA?

That is how I understand it too yes. 

 

But if the issue is that the link in the upgrade popup in both NOD32 and ESS goes to the ESS download page then it needs to be fixed so NOD32 -> Nod32 page, and ESS -> ESS page.

 

Or else it's rather confusing since people think they receive a free upgrade from NOD32 - > ESS wich of course is not the case.

 

Edit: I did see this popup yesterday but I didn't click on the link button so I don't know what page it would have directed me to.

Edited November 18, 2013 by SweX

[Phil_S 3]

Hi Toxinon,

 

No, I've never installed ESS, licenced or as a trial.