Monday, September 2, 2013

I've been had and taken for a ride!!

You think a deal is deal....NOT
Over a week ago I blogged that I was having some trouble with my home PC and was getting this error message whenever I wanted to run some ham software. I was not able to open the software at all I was just shown this error message. I did lots of searching on the web to see if there was a work around or a solution other than re-formatting my hard drive. In my travels on the web I came across this site that said their software dealt specifically with removing Windows error codes. I did some reading and they did have a free trial software so I downloaded it and gave it a go. Sure enough it did identify the problems on my PC and namely it pointed out that ERROR 2908 was a big one and could be cleared......BUT.........to do so the software had to be purchased! Well I did some looking around the net again about this software in particular and it did get some good reviews. So I sent the money via PayPal  and soon after had a email with what I thought would be the key code to unlock the program and allow me full access. Well a 1-888 number was given and I was asked to call the get the key code. So I did and sure enough a person answered and gave me a code and the program was up and running. While on the phone with me this person wanted to make sure I knew how the program worked and the problem I had to want me to purchase the program. I thought "well this is customer service" After about 10 minutes on the phone with me and paying 50.00 for the software' I was told that my problem was "complex"........BUT........he could fix my problem via having control of my PC in about 20 minutes. Again I thought "this is great customer service"........BUT........then he added for 200.00 via PayPal it could be all looked after!!!!
Well that was the end of that call and my PC was not fixed at this point, as a matter of fact he never even used this software to see if a fix could be done. So I ran the software and it finished, it removed my ham programs and would not allow me to download them again. I have contacted PayPal to dispute this product and get my money back so we will see what happens there. They are in the final steps so I should know soon.
My solution was to re-format my hard drives and get a good Mal-ware/spyware tool!!

7 comments:

PE4BAS, Bas said...

Hello Mike, that is a good lesson for us all. Sometimes it's tempting to purchase software commercially to fix a problem that keeps you out of your sleep. I purchase very seldom any software as most can be found for free although hard to find sometimes. What you encountered I heard before various times. In the end "customer service" took over the computer fixed the problem and install a simple data logger to track your paypal password and other passwords. You can loose a lot of money that way. Luckely you did the ultimate solution and re-format the drives. It's a pity you lost some data but at least you got rid of the error. It's a lot of work to start all over again, I know I had a computer issue some years ago. Good luck, 73, Bas

VE9KK said...

Good morning Bas, I never saw this one coming and most of the time I catch on to this kinda stuff very fast. It was good that I re-formatted all my hard drives as well. That way if anything was on there it's gone now. I hope to find out this week from PayPal what the outcome will be.
Have a good week.
Mike

Dick said...

Reminds me of an old Warner Brother cartoon.

Porky checks into a swank hotel run by Daffy. Porky can't get over the low rates and checks in. Hits the sack and is immediately disturbed by a noisy mouse. Calls desk, Daffy answers and says he can help...for a price. OK by Porky and Daffy delivers a cat. Cat gets rid of mouse but creates problems of his own. Porky calls desk again. Daffy answers and says he can help..for a price. OK by Porky and Daffy sends up a dog...which chases cat, but then, creates even more noise. Again, Daffy, for a price, sends up another solution, an elephant who chases dog, but, of course, brings elephant problems along. Finally, Daffy delivers, for a price, a final solution to Porky's room....a mouse!

Seems like this provider of yours read the cartoon scenario and adapted it to his business..

VE9KK said...

Good morning Dick, yes it seems that if I had stayed on the phone with this person I would have come full circle and not found a solution other than less money in my Paypal account.
Mike

Paul Stam PAØK said...

Hi Mike horrible story. Fortunately, you can always block a transfer when necessary. I had it once with Paypal, someone took money from my account. I could block the transfer. 73 Paul

VE9KK said...

Good evening Paul and very nice to hear from you, PayPal has been very good to me and have really had no complaints with them. I am interested to find out how they resolve this issue for me.
Mike

W7DTG said...

Sorry to hear that Mike. I thought for sure you were going to say it was kidnapware. The type of program where it tells you that you have all sorts of problems, then locks you out of your computer and makes you pay to get out of it.
Hope you get it ironed out soon, and keep us informed as to your progress. Also, what was the name of the software program, so others can be warned ?