Rude and unhelpful customer support

[disappointed 0]

Hello,

First of all, I apologize if this is not the right place to make such a post.

Recently I had a question regarding renewal of my license, so I contacted an ESET representative from my country, who refused to provide any information and accused me of "piracy" because my key was bought in another country. I include the full chat (translated) below. Very disappointed with their behavior and hoped someone from ESET can reach out to me and help me solve this situation. I couldn't use the contact support form, because I am automatically redirected to my country's website, so I am posting here.

Consultant: Hello, how can I help you?
5:52:56 PM‎ Me: Hello, I wanted to renew my ESET internet security license. On the website it's written that when renewing a license, the new license should be cheaper, but on the last step the price remains the same as when buying a new license, e.g. 92.37€ for three years.
5:53:55 PM‎ Consultant: give me your key
5:54:10 PM‎ Me: EAV-********** [edited]
5:54:32 PM‎ Me: License ID: ***-***-*** [edited]
5:55:18 PM‎ Consultant: that's not your license
5:55:39 PM‎ Consultant: looks like a pirated key
5:55:45 PM‎ Me: What do you mean? It is mine, and it has been registered on my computer for 2 years.
5:55:52 PM‎ Consultant: where did you buy?
5:55:59 PM‎ Me: I haven't used any cracks.
5:57:02 PM‎ Me: I bought it online, unfortunately, I don't recall where specifically, but after buying the key I entered it into the software downloaded from eset.com and it was successfully registered.
5:57:03 PM‎ Consultant: but not in Lithuania, this is not our country's key, and discount does not apply to it.
5:57:52 PM‎ Me: So I should renew it on eset website of another country?
6:00:42 PM‎ Me: Can you send me a link to information about how keys are delegated to countries? That's the first time I'm hearing about this. I registered the key using Internet Security downloaded from eset.com while being in Lithuania.
6:00:49 PM‎ Consultant: unfortunately, we only provide information for purchases in our country.
6:01:13 PM‎ Consultant: eset is sold worldwide
6:01:39 PM‎ Consultant: if you bought it cheaper and something is not working, you should contact the seller
6:02:56 PM‎ Me: That's great, but I don't understand why you refuse to provide information when I am now trying to purchase the key here, and on top of that you are accusing me of piracy, when the key is clearly purchased legally. You still haven't sent me information when it would be written that it's not allowed to use a key purchased in another country in Lithuania.
6:03:03 PM‎ Consultant: now you can purchase only a new license, because we can't renew that key
6:03:15 PM‎ Consultant: eset is sold according to regions
6:03:36 PM‎ Consultant: and we can't renew foreign license, unfortunately
6:03:44 PM‎ Me: Show me where is says on your website that using a key purchased in another country is "piracy".
6:04:23 PM‎ Consultant: we won't discuss this, I am only telling you what we can do
6:05:04 PM‎ Me: Thanks for nothing, you lost a long-time client.
6:05:15 PM‎ Consultant: I am not accusing you of piracy, but there are situations when the same foreign key is sold to several customers
6:05:23 PM‎ Me: You just did accuse me.
6:05:42 PM‎ Consultant: "looks like a pirated key"
6:05:49 PM‎ Consultant: this is not an accusation
6:06:04 PM‎ Me: We won't discuss this, good luck.
6:06:11 PM‎ Consultant: Have a good and safe day!

Some thoughts regarding this.

It's absurd to claim that:

Consultant: that's not your license
Consultant: looks like a pirated key

<...>

Consultant: this is not an accusation

Even if it's true that "there are situations when the same foreign key is sold to several customers": 1) how is that my problem? and 2) I highly doubt this was the case, because I registered the key using Internet Security downloaded from eset.com and successfully used it for 2 years.

Notice that even after me asking several times, the consultant refused to show me information where it would be written that it's not allowed to use a key purchased in one country in another country, and I didn't manage to find such information anywhere on ESET website, so I am assuming they just made that part up.

[Marcos 4,694]

While we normally do not allow quoting private communication with other persons, we'll make an exception this time so that users can make up their mind about it.

To start off, I'd like to ask you to provide me with your public license ID so that I can look up your license details. At least I was unable to find any license registered to your forum email address,

As for purchasing a license from another country, this is possible but not always. Some partners may limit certain licenses to be used only in their countries, e.g. if they have a promotion and provide licenses with a bigger discount as part of the promotion. Otherwise it should be possible to purchase abroad but the seller would become your point of contact for future technical issues or license renewal.

It happens that users purchase a cheap license from unauthorized sellers, e.g. on ebay. These licenses are often leaked and sold to multiple users. License overuse then causes the licenses to be cancelled. At this point I can't tell whether your license was purchased from an authorized seller or not but I'll check it out when I get you public license ID.

[disappointed 0]

Sent my license details in PM.

[disappointed 0]

Also, my license was never canceled, that's not what my post is about at all. I did not purchase it on ebay, I purchased it on an online store.

[Marcos 4,694]

The license was initially sold to a person from Afghanistan. A renewal was then sold to a person from the US. You seem to be from Lithuania. The license has been used on almost 130 machines while it was issued only for 1 machine. The new anti-piracy system doesn't allow activation of licenses with overuse.

The license could be renewed through ESET LLC from the US provided it wasn't overused.

[disappointed 0]

This does not make any sense. The license key was activated on my machine 2 years ago, and is still active (but will expire in 5 days). I have never used any cracks or modified ESET Internet Security in any way, I have no pirated software on my computer whatsoever, my computer is constantly online, and I receive antivirus definition updates each day. How was I able to activate and use this key for 2 years if it is indeed "pirated"?

[Marcos 4,694]

Probably you have

4 minutes ago, disappointed said:

How was I able to activate and use this key for 2 years if it is indeed "pirated"?

The anti-piracy system was put into action earlier this year. Unless you attempt to activate an ESET product with the license key you won't encounter any issues since the license was not cancelled. The system only prevents activation of products with overused license keys.

[disappointed 0]

Respectfully, I still don't agree that I "pirated" anything. I have purchased the key and activated it on software downloaded from eset.com, and have used it to this day. How is that "pirating"?

[Marcos 4,694]

We do not blame you at all. Most likely you felt a victim to fraud or counterfeiting. We strongly recommend purchasing only from authorized sellers via www.eset.com.

[disappointed 0]

Thank you. That consultant did indeed blame me, and that's what my post was mainly about. When trying to buy from eset.com I am automatically redirected to shop.eset.lt and I would rather buy a key directly from eset.com, so I wouldn't have to deal with the rude Lithuanian customer support again. How do I avoid being redirected?

[itman 1,538]

1 hour ago, disappointed said:

I would rather buy a key directly from eset.com, so I wouldn't have to deal with the rude Lithuanian customer support again. How do I avoid being redirected?

Since it appears you have a license specific to the U.S., try to renew directly from within Eset itself.

Refer to the below screen shot. Mouse click on the Change license tab. On the next displayed screen, mouse click on Purchase license. At this point, you should be redirected to Eset U.S. web site. You can verify this by examining the URL show in the browser; e.g. https://store.eset.com/us/renew/............... If you are not redirected to the Eset U.S. web site, you can leave whatever Eset web site you were redirected to.

 

Edited October 22, 2020 by itman

[disappointed 0]

It opens www.eset.com/us/license-renewal/, but when I select the product and the number of years and click "Add to cart" it then redirects me to shop.eset.lt

[itman 1,538]

7 minutes ago, disappointed said:

It opens www.eset.com/us/license-renewal/, but when I select the product and the number of years and click "Add to cart" it then redirects me to shop.eset.lt

This would be indicative of Eset U.S. LLC restricting issuing of licenses only to U.S. residents. Or at least, those whose browser beacon indicates the connecting device is based in the U.S. If you were using a VPN, you might be able to configure it to appear your device was in the U.S. by using a DNS server located in the U.S..

Edited October 22, 2020 by itman

[disappointed 0]

I took your advice and changed my IP to an U.S. one. For whatever reason, it then redirected me to a Romanian (?) ESET website (eset.ro), where I was able to make the purchase. Didn't receive my key yet, so maybe you could check on it? Order No. 135330576

Thanks!

[Marcos 4,694]

5 minutes ago, disappointed said:

I took your advice and changed my IP to an U.S. one. For whatever reason, it then redirected me to a Romanian (?) ESET website (eset.ro), where I was able to make the purchase. Didn't receive my key yet, so maybe you could check on it? Order No. 135330576

Unfortunately I'm not from Romania and I'm not a sales person with access to orders. I'd recommend contacting the Romanian sales support (https://www.eset.ro).

[disappointed 0]

I don't speak Romanian, and as I said I would have preferred to purchase from eset.com directly, but it kept redirecting me.

Are you saying that I won't be able to get support from eset.com? Not just regarding this, but in general, if I ever have any issue?

Edited October 22, 2020 by disappointed

[disappointed 0]

I just received my key, but can you please confirm I will be able to use eset.com support in the future (not eset.ro)?

[Marcos 4,694]

Technical support is provided by the license seller.

[disappointed 0]

And can you confirm I will be able to renew my key on eset.com when it expires this time?

[disappointed 0]

What do you mean? YOU are the license seller. You literally told me to use a VPN and change my IP to U.S. one and that's where I was redirected when I went to eset.com

This has been a horrible customer experience so far.

[Marcos 4,694]

1 minute ago, disappointed said:

What do you mean? YOU are the license seller. You literally told me to use a VPN and change my IP to U.S. one and that's where I was redirected when I went to eset.com.

The seller is the Romanian partner. We are ESET, s r.o. based in Slovakia. Also I didn't instruct you to use VPN in order to purchase from the US.

[disappointed 0]

1 minute ago, Marcos said:

The seller is the Romanian partner. We are ESET, s r.o. based in Slovakia. Also I didn't instruct you to use VPN in order to purchase from the US.

"This would be indicative of Eset U.S. LLC restricting issuing of licenses only to U.S. residents. Or at least, those whose browser beacon indicates the connecting device is based in the U.S. If you were using a VPN, you might be able to configure it to appear your device was in the U.S. by using a DNS server located in the U.S.."

[disappointed 0]

And this was after I clearly indicated several times that I want to purchase directly from eset.com

Edited October 22, 2020 by disappointed

[Marcos 4,694]

Eset.com redirects to a local authorized distributor. It is not possible to purchase directly from there unless you are a US citizen.

[disappointed 0]

So why did you tell me to use a VPN then?