Bitdefender
Reviews and Complaints

@jklamar We regret that the product didn't meet your expectations and we really hope you will reconsider BitDefender, that is the new 2011 suite!Our support team aslo contacted you via e-mail regarding your refund request.

Raluca

Hello Sir Anthony -- I'm Nicole with BitDefender and we have reviewed your case very completely within the team and have refunded you per your request. I am so sorry that you had this experience, and please do believe me when I say that we are well aware of our support shortcomings and this continues to be a company-wide priority for us. We are in fact headquartered out of Romania with offices in the US, as well as many other countries across the world and are aligning all our support staff in all areas under new guidelines.

Thank you for your feedback, it is much appreciated, as our quality controller is looking right now into this, the email and the phone conversations that you had, and it will help us improve our service to others in the future.

If you ever have questions about your PC security in the future, please contact us in any of the following ways -

bitsy@bitdefender.com

www.twitter.com/bitsybd

Both of these are monitored closely by the social media department (the team I am on) and I will assist you as quickly as I can.

Thank you!

Nicole B.

BitDefender - North America

Besides Bitdefender being a very poor product, slowing down one's machine and preventing important Java applications from running with no fix, Bitdefender uses FALSE ADVERTISING. Yes, they boast 24/7 free phone support, but they have cancelled their 800 number. They will email you a 900 number for which you pay a fortune to wait on hold! I bet they make more money with you waiting on their 900 number than they doo selling software, like a hooker with her 900 number.

Hi! DJJohns

I am Raluca, a member of the BitDefender team. We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience that we have caused. We understand that running software can sometimes cause different issues, especially a security product which is designed to protect the entire system of any threat. However, according to our refund policy, we can issue a refund within the first 30 days from the date of purchase. You have our entire attention and we will do our best to solve your situation in a professional way, even by refund, if there are on-going issues that our technicians could not solve. Please send us your contact details directly by email, phone or by LiveAssistance http://www.bitdefender.com/site/Main/contactEmail/ so that we can reach you and investigate what happened.
Thank you!

Maybe your bank hasn't transferred the money yet. They have 30 days money back guarantee, so they will probably refund your money if you want that. Contact them and see what happened!

Hi Steven, sorry to hear about what happened to you with the anti-virus software you bought. You know how the "will get your money back " never works as expected, but the anti-virus is a pretty good software solution. I use myself Bitdefender(Internet Security 2009) and I'm considering migrating towards the 2010 version(as I can use the same key for upgrading my product!) so maybe I can help you with the installation.

I use Bitdefender for a lot of time so I pretty much know its qualities and its flaws also. So, if you haven't solved you problem yet, tell me exactly what's the issue with the installation, also what's your computer configuration(if you have less than 512MB of RAM the 2009 version won't work and you need an older one) an what's your OS(if you use Windows 7 you can't install the 2009 version, only the 2010). Hope to hear from you!

I agree with the comments regarding miserable support. I purchased a 3 pc copy of Bitdefender Antivirus 2009 in May of 2009, through Digital River. In August 2009, Bitdefender (through Digital River) sold me the identical product for a second time. I immediately sent three emails via the Bitdefenders support site regarding the issue and was promised a reply. I have yet to receive a reply. I also sent three emails to Digital River regarding the double sale and, despite promises for a response, no response has been received. This company has an office in California and I will file a small claims suit just to prove a point. I will not deal with any company again that is not a United States based entity.

What can I say, it's a real nightmare to wait for an answer from the support. I never happened to me before, but I can only imagine how frustrating is having a problem with my computer and not being able to fix it for days...I am addicted to my computer!:)

Anyway, Bitdefender's 2010 version was released(with improved features, I heard!), if you haven't solve your problem yet you should try it. You can use the same key so there's no additional cost. I use Windows Vista 32 bits so I don't know what possible flaws of the product you might have encountered.

Still, it's a problem with the support, not with the product! I red on some forums about strange behavior of BitDefender 2009 on Vista products, but what can I say...Vista is pretty much like the twilight zone for any software, nothing works as it's supposed to!That's why I think maybe you have a problem with Vista and not with BitDefender. Try the 2010 version to be sure!

Also, it might have been a conflict between Bitdefender and other anti-virus installed on your computer, if that's the case! Or, it might have been just bad luck(it happens to me all the time not being able to work with some products that others use successfully, but that didn't happen with Bitdefender and that's why I love it so much!).

Either way, be persuasive and don't get mad, it will only shorten a few minutes of your life and it's not worth it!Your problem will be solved one way or another, I'm sure! Hope to hear from you!

From what you've said I guess you had a minor problem that they knew the solution to. It is a different story when it is a problem they don't have an answer to. Then support is a black hole.

Bitdefender Total Security 2009 stopped doing scans on my Vista 64 bit Home Premium HP laptop.

No response from support after an initial request for more info from me bothered me a lot more than the initial problem, but in any case I guess once they knew what OS I was using I suppose they decided to ignore me until they found a solution.

Oh, and when I wrote to them telling them that I'd switched to AVG they finally responded with an apology immediately upon receiving my e-mail. Odd how quick a response I got when I wasn't asking for help.

When I complained to the store where I bought Bitdefender (London Drugs) they informed me that they had gotten similar complaints and now only sell it with a caution about their support issues.

I'm surprised to hear that you had trouble with their support service. I also use BitDefender and I had some problems with the product 2 years ago, but the support department solved my problem within a few hours and I never had any other issues since. Did anything changed in the meantime with their client support service?Were they rude to you or just ignoring your complaint?I really hate when somebody doesn't treat me with respect!

Now I'm using BitDefender Internet Security 2009 and I'm very happy with it, that's why I was thinking to purchase a license for Total Security in fall, when they release the 2010 version. I heard that they solved the bugs they had so far and I'm pretty into the Tune-up feature which I don't have in the Internet Security version.

So, what issues did you find in Total Security?

They have done this 2 yrs running to me even though auto renewal was disabled on my account way back in early 2018 they still did again this January 2019, they have also contracted a third party as in 2co.com to do the dirty work for them.
Avoid buying products from this company or spend the next several weeks fighting for a refund.

I never had any Bitdefender product but in my latest creditcard statement shows unauthorized purchase of $79.95. When the 'purchace' was made I was visiting family member and did not have internet access. I also had my creditcard on me all the times. Also there was no emails about the purchase.

Apologies to Bit Defender
Have to come back to say that I got the mails saying that they would return the money to my credit card account and they were as good as their word, all money was returned. Bit Defender could do a better job of letting customers know how to contact them directly and to make the default on automatic renewal a NO that you can change to Yes if you choose. Am happy camper thanks to Bit Defender.

I have exactly the same experience, I got a mail notifying me that they would automatically renew if I didn't cancel. Its been two years since I bought the product so they probably did renew last year without notifying me.. Anybody got ideas as to what I can do to force them without going legal. Would never touch them again, this shows extremely poor business morals and practices

This is an option used by many companies to offer continous protection for their customers. You should check with the company that autorenewed your subscription what happened exactly in your case and also the status of your refund.

I too have been charged without my permission. I have MANUAL RENEWAL and still got charged and they over drafted my account. I wasn't set to renew anyways for 6 days and when I went to cancel via Live Chat I was told that a cancellation ticket would be sent. I recieved an email the next day stating they can't cancel and a refund would have to be sent. They charged me without my permission. They are a SCAM COMPANY and need to be SHUT DOWN!

Hi! The company taking care of this procedure sends several notification emails regarding the auto renewal, 30 days before the charge . From the link that you find in that notification email - www.findmyorder.com - you can find all the details about this option and also how to opt-out, if you choose to. The opt out procedure has been significantly improved and it is now very easy to use.
If you wish, you can also contact the BitDefender customer service team and they will cancel the autorenewal order:
https://myaccount.bitdefender.com/site/MyAccount/myPage/3/
Auto renewal is an option trough which the customers benefit from continuous protection and upgrades. It is used by many companies to offer service continuity, so that they do not have to manually renew their subscription every year.

Bit Defender has the WORST customer and technical support I have ever experienced. If you are not a computer expert don't buy their product.

Brought Total Security 2015 last year and the application its self is really great, I can't stress that enough. After my year was nearly up I cancelled the subscription due to not having a job at the time. A few months ago when my financial situation improved I brought total security 2016 everything was working great until I see an email saying that my subscription to 2015 has been renewed. Checked my CC's recent transactions and it I've been charged 89 dollars.

As you can imagine I was surprised, Log into my Bitdefender account and see that the only subscription is for 2016 which I still have 200 days left. After spending quite some time searching the internet I come across a second bitdefender login page, this shows the 2015 sub and my recent 2016 one.

How could it just restart its self after months of being canceled? and more to the point why the hell would I want 2015 when I already have 2016.

I've tryed contacting them with no luck, its impossible to get an email address or contact form on the website, you click the contact button, click email, and get redirected elsewhere.

If your reading this becasue you're considering choosing Bitdefender I suggest you look elsewhere

Service was charged to my credit card after a "back door" transaction after I purchased the Security Software through Avangate. Never received the service. Never used it. Been trying to get a refund for 3 weeks and they just keep saying that they are working on it. This is a scam and both the vendor and the software publisher ought to be held accountable for the lousiest customer service I have ever seen.

There really needs to be a Class Action against Bit Defender. Absolute Fraud! They sent me a notice they were going to auto renew. I responded that that DID NOT HAVE MY AUTHORITY TO CHARGE MY CARD! I got a response the next day that they would not. A week later they did it anyway, and put an unauthorized charge on my card of a ridiculous $89. That is the legal definition of CREDIT CARD FRAUD!

Bought this product 10 days ago, used the e-mail link to install the product. The product installed fine but when I go to activate it, I am taken to bit defender central, which I can't log into. I get an error message: "unexpected error, please make sure connected to internet", which I am? I have sent close to twenty e-mails regarding this problem but I know when I am being fobbed off. Will try and get a refund! Worst service ever!

Same problems as those already described. I received my 'Auto-renew' email today and have since been given almost a complete run-around by both the BD and Digital River (DR) websites who either don't recognise various bits of info or lead you circuitously back to where you started. Everything possible - it would appear - is done to disguise/hide the method of cancellation or switching off of the 'Auto-renew' option (which I'm convinced I turned off a long time ago...funny that!). Appalling customer service. I might have returned to BD at some point in the future, but after this experience? I don't think so.
Where am I at...

First, using the link to the DR 'Terms of Sale' at the bottom of the BD 'Customer Service' page (see https://shop.bitdefender.com/store?Action=DisplayCustomerServiceOrderSearchPage&Locale=en_GB&SiteID=defenduk), I emailed DR with all my details and a cancellation request (see item 1.4 on the DR page for the email link). I'm not holding my breath here...I think I'd only die.

Second, again on the BD 'Customer Service' page (link above), I put in my order# (had to ask for a new password?!?) and managed to pull the order up. Hallelujah! I was now offered the chance to switch Auto-renew On/Off. (why is it hidden away like this BD? Disgraceful.) Choose 'Accept' and wait...eventually it accepts your choice. You're then advised that you'll receive a confirmation email...an hour later I'm still waiting. The first time EVER that I can recall not receiving such a promised email. Again, I'm not holding my...
(as a backup, I copied the Auto-renew screen - using 'Snippingtool' - just in case)

I have absolutely no faith in either of these companies and sadly expect that I will be charged regardless of my attempts to stop it. Fortunately (I think) I have paid via Paypal & will simply reclaim the dosh. I will retain all documentation.

A good product; terrible, terrible, terrible customer service...

Wow, almost 6 years later and Bitdefender is still deceiving customers out of their money? I never opted in for auto renewal, but they still tricked me into opting in without my knowledge. I also like how they send renewal promotions via email months before your license expires, even though they fully know that they already suckered you into auto renewal when you first signed up. You take the renewal offer, and a few months later they're charging you for a second license you didn't want. They also purposely make your customer service experience the worst possible so that you give up on the issue, and they get away with theft. You can't even get in touch with an actual person who can refund your money via the phone, it's all done through an inefficient email system that responds to your inquiries every 2 to 3 days. It's a "genius" scam on their part. Beware, and never do business with this company or its affiliates.

Dealing with the same problem, Avangate is responsible for auto renewals and Bitdefender for refunds. Getting refund is like pulling teeth. Going to wait another few days and disputing the charge. This is insane, like everyone on here I think product is good. Logistics need serious work. Another example of a company that grew too quickly and it is going to be their downfall.

Yes Bitdefender are still at it, I've just been billed twice for the same product? 2015 Total security so I have opened up a dispute in PayPal will have to wait 9 days to get my money back, I reported it to Bitdefender support but all they had to say was
I have taken note of your refund request; unfortunately, we cannot process your refund request since your bank has opened a chargeback procedure on Bitdefender Total Security. People steer clear, don’t get me wrong it's a good Security suite but it managed by a bunch of crooks.

I have had exactly this problem. I have been hit by the re-newal charge on my credit card few days ago after I bought BitDefender Antivirus! Also last year I was very carefull and cancelled my auto-renewal (I still have the email confirmation) and still this year I had been charged for the auto-renewal. I wrote to Bitdefener and they have not replied to my email within 48 hours as they claim on their website! In my eyes BitDefender is a SCAM! Stay away from BitDefender!

This is very strange. I can't understand how come the BitDefender had access to your bank account. However, they had some trouble with customers support (which they admitted in public) so I can understand your frustration. Now I hear that they are back on track.
Still, it's a very good product, with innovative technology, multi- awarded, I used it in the last 2 years and I can say that I'm very satisfied with it.
I'm curios, what other anti-virus did you use?Were you more satisfied with it?And what kind of trouble did you have with the computer?

I had BitDefender for about 8 months but as I had serious problems on my computer (not BitDefenders fault) I had a professional in to sort it out. I bought another anti-virus programme through him, which he installed and disconnected BitDefender. I was shocked to find about 4 months later that BitDefender had charged me for another years subscription for something I don't even use now. I could not contact them by telephone ( unobtainable sound) asthey had not answered a previous email. I then managed to get on to a Customer Service chat line (which I since have not found) who said they would reimburse me and send me a confirming email. This has not happened. It is very difficult to get in touch with them. I found this website whilst trying to find a means of contacting them again. I am very annoyed that they should take money from my bank account without my knowledge and I am sure it must be illegal. I will now be contacting my bank to hopefully, make sure they cannot do this again. I may have to just cut my losses this time. Dee

Did you try contacting the support team by email? I have tried the online chat feature and it's working. Do you still have the computer infected with that virus, maybe I can help you. Andrew

I have paid by Debit Card the full amount for this service. I have received nothing. No email, nothing. Please check you have the correct email address ps0223414@gmail.com The deal was paid for on the 13,09,2023. I paid Online. My Order Number is: [protected]. Please let us resolve this.

Today I bought Bitdefender Total Security for 10 installations. They send me a code for 5 installations and not 10 that I paid for. Bitdefender has gone downhill in recent years when it comes to customer friendliness. Time for me after many years to say goodbye to Bitdefender, a gang of crooks!

Unistalled bitdefender antivirus plus becauseitwas preventing me from resetting my computer to an earlier time. When I try to reinstall it I get presented with all the appropriate installing procedures but it doesn't install. Nothing happens.

Can you please resolve this hiccup,

Yours

Anthony Halligan

I purchased Bitdefender online 2/15/2023. Since then, I been charged $196.96 so far and I'm receiving email daily stating that my subscription will expire "Tonight at Midnight"

Please let me know what is going on with the billing, this is unaffordable!

Please cancel my service - Your VPN service had crippled my computer. I have uninstalled the program

and now thunderbird is almost useless...unless I reinstall it... their is no way to remove the mod as stated at install and they do not respond to support tickets. If I ever find a bitdefender employee, I'll beat their [censored].

I was charged for Bitdefender and did'nt receive product. I want my money back!

After using previous Bitdefender versions with pleasure the 2011 Range has to be the Worst AV produkt there is on the Market.

And I am really sick and tired of uninstalling and reinstalling this crap every week!

The scans are freezing, the Icon in the system tray doesnot start up, the Harddrive filling up out of its own,

Bitdefender stopped working please contact custumor service (but you never get a reply besides uninstall/reinstall which is the Slogan on the forum and from the Helpdesk?, Google Email not working Etc, Etc, Etc...

check out their forum and read for your self,

If you own Bdefender you are a paying BETA tester

A total waste of Money

The sprinkle of bitdefender praise on this site must be from bitdefender employees.

DO NOT BUY BITDEFENDER. It is a useless antivirus which causes errors. I uninstalled it 9 months ago. I got my automated renewal automatically charged to my credit card which is another friggin sham from this company. several calls to their customer line ended up in going in circles with no response. BITDEFENDER sucks. Do not buy it.