Business Profile

Computer Software Developers

RealDefense LLC

Complaints

This profile includes complaints for RealDefense LLC's headquarters and its corporate-owned locations. To view all corporate locations, see

Customer Complaints Summary

173 total complaints in the last 3 years.
56 complaints closed in the last 12 months.

If you've experienced an issue

Submit a Complaint

The complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business.

Initial Complaint
Date:11/24/2025
Type:Delivery Issues
Status:
AnsweredMore info
Complaint statuses
Resolved:
The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
Unresolved:
The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
Answered:
The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
Unanswered:
The business failed to respond to the dispute.
Unpursuable:
BBB is unable to locate the business.
I was charged for this company's product without notification beforehand. This product was uninstalled nearly a year ago. When I initially ordered the product and paid with ******, I was not aware that they would create an automatic payment with ******.
Business Response
Date: 11/24/2025
Hi ****,

I'm sorry to hear about the unexpected charge, and I appreciate you bringing this to my attention. Our subscriptions renew automatically to ensure uninterrupted service for active customers, but I understand how surprising and frustrating this must have felt given that you had uninstalled the product.
Please allow little time, but I'll make sure your requested refund is processed by our support team. In the meantime, feel free to contact me directly at *********************** with any questions or concerns. I appreciate your patience while we work on a resolution.
Best,
***** *.
Reputation Manager
Initial Complaint
Date:11/12/2025
Type:Billing Issues
Status:
AnsweredMore info
Complaint statuses
Resolved:
The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
Unresolved:
The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
Answered:
The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
Unanswered:
The business failed to respond to the dispute.
Unpursuable:
BBB is unable to locate the business.
On March 9, 2025, we paid $74.95 for one year of services. The next day, they charged us an additional $15 and $43.94 without our permission. Then, on November 5th, they charged us $69.95 without our consent for no reason. It hadn't even been a year since we first bought the yearly service. In the past, they also charged us $19.95 a month without our approval or consent.
Business Response
Date: 11/17/2025
Hello *********,

I'm sorry to hear about the frustrating, unexpected charges. We do not intend for anyone to experience surprise billing, and we try very hard to be clear with our stated terms. However, there is always room for improvement to improve our clarity, as evidenced by your case.

For your trouble, I've instructed the support team to issue your requested refund and for your email to be removed from official marketing communication. I hope this resolution is sufficient, but please feel free to contact me directly at *********************** if you need my personal assistance. I'm happy to help. Again, I'm sorry for all the trouble.

Best,
***** *.
Reputation Manager
Initial Complaint
Date:11/06/2025
Type:Service or Repair Issues
Status:
AnsweredMore info
Complaint statuses
Resolved:
The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
Unresolved:
The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
Answered:
The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
Unanswered:
The business failed to respond to the dispute.
Unpursuable:
BBB is unable to locate the business.
Shady practices. This is the company that sells Iolo System Mechanic. I have previously turned off autorenewal in the past and I keep getting billed every year. There is no way to delete my credit card info from their site. In addition to that the software license is good for 10 devices is really only good for 10 activations. So if you uninstall and reinstall that counts as 1 use. I have just been auto renewed for $80 and cannot even use the product. To make it worse I had originally purchased my key in 2020 and have not received a new one upon renewal. To top it off customer support is also telling me they cannot remove the no longer used activations from the account.
Business Response
Date: 11/17/2025
Hi ******,

Im really sorry to hear about this experience. I can understand how frustrating it must be to deal with unexpected renewals, activation limits, and not receiving a refreshed key after being charged. Thats not the experience we want anyone to have with System Mechanic, and I appreciate you taking the time to call this out.
I've instructed the support team to issue your requested refund for your trouble. You should see that reflected in back into your account in the next few days. I'm sorry that was not easier for you to do earlier in the support process. If you have any problems in the future, please contact me directly at *********************** and I will personally assist you.

Best,
***** *.
Reputation Manager
Initial Complaint
Date:11/04/2025
Type:Product Issues
Status:
AnsweredMore info
Complaint statuses
Resolved:
The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
Unresolved:
The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
Answered:
The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
Unanswered:
The business failed to respond to the dispute.
Unpursuable:
BBB is unable to locate the business.
The company puts you on automatic renewal/payment without your permission/choice. (They send an email notice of the impending renewal charge that you have to respond to in 24 hours. If you don't see the email too bad but, you still have a hassle to cancel in any case - they don't make it easy). Then you have to go to all the hassle to cancel and get a refund. You can waste a lot of your time trying to cancel on the phone (long wait times) and get the refund. No doubt they are hoping that most won't bother. The amount of money they want for the product on renewals is outrageous; often more than four times what you paid for the same item the first time.They also try to upsell you to their "new and improved product" when the old one will do just ******* my opinion the way they do business is unscrupulous.
Business Response
Date: 11/07/2025
Hello ****,
First, Im very sorry for the difficulty and frustration surrounding your refund. Ive shared your comments with our team so we can identify where improvements can be made.
We work hard to coordinate billing and product operations to prevent service interruptions, but balancing the fast pace of online security with consistent customer service can sometimes lead to situations like this. We truly appreciate your patience and understanding.
Our support team confirmed that your full refund has been processed, so you should see the balance reflected in your account within the next few business days.
If you need any further assistance, please dont hesitate to contact me directly at ***********************************.

Best,
***** *.
Reputation Manager
Initial Complaint
Date:10/24/2025
Type:Product Issues
Status:
ResolvedMore info
Complaint statuses
Resolved:
The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
Unresolved:
The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
Answered:
The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
Unanswered:
The business failed to respond to the dispute.
Unpursuable:
BBB is unable to locate the business.
I cancelled my subscription and was still charged. I am requesting a refund.
Business Response
Date: 10/27/2025
Hello *******,

Thank you for reaching out. I'm sorry to hear about you were billing despite cancelling, but I'm happy to assist you with a resolution. As such, I've contacted the support office to process your refund.

Please allow me some time, but I will follow up here as soon as I have more information for you.

Best,
***** *.
Reputation Manager
Customer Answer
Date: 10/30/2025

Better Business Bureau:

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.

Sincerely,

******* ********
Initial Complaint
Date:10/21/2025
Type:Order Issues
Status:
AnsweredMore info
Complaint statuses
Resolved:
The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
Unresolved:
The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
Answered:
The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
Unanswered:
The business failed to respond to the dispute.
Unpursuable:
BBB is unable to locate the business.
I was auto-renewed without any warning on 10/14/25 for a product called IOLO SYSTEM MECHANIC for $74.32. I didn't want, nor would I ever use any product from this company, as they have, in my opinion, very questionable and untrustworthy business practices. I'm a disabled senior citizen on a fixed income and watch my finances very closely. I utilize tools like Rocket Money and Experian to monitor things and avoid surprises. I do not believe I ever signed up for auto-renewal for a product that I've never used, nor ever planned to use. I canceled this so-called autorenewal immediately after being made aware of it, and also requested a refund at that time. I'm very upset by the unprofessional response by this company and wouldn't recommend that anyone do business with them.
Business Response
Date: 10/27/2025
Hello *****,

I'm sorry to hear about your experience. I understand how upsetting it can be to be charged unexpectedly, especially if you didnt plan to renew or use the product. While our annual renewal process is outlined during purchase, I'm sincerely apologize if this wasnt communicated clearly in your case.

I'd like to offer you a refund as a resolution. Please allow me some time to meet with the support team to process everything, but I will follow up with more details as soon as I have them.

Once again, I apologize for the inconvenience and frustration.

Best,
***** *.
Reputation Manager
Initial Complaint
Date:09/17/2025
Type:Sales and Advertising Issues
Status:
AnsweredMore info
Complaint statuses
Resolved:
The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
Unresolved:
The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
Answered:
The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
Unanswered:
The business failed to respond to the dispute.
Unpursuable:
BBB is unable to locate the business.
I have asked this company numerous times, via email, via phone call, and via website to stop emailing me, but I am being totally ignored and the problem still persists,. I want emails to stop NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Business Response
Date: 09/22/2025
****** ******
*****************

Date: 9/22/25

Complaint ID: ********
E-mail: ******************************

Dear Ms. *******

Thank you for contacting us through the Better Business Bureau. We take these complaints very seriously and appreciate the time you have taken to let us know about your experience.
We regret that you have received unwanted marketing offers from our company. I have removed your contact information from our Real Defense/**** marketing databases. Please allow 3-4 weeks for these changes to take effect. We apologize that your previous attempts have appeared unsuccessful. It can take a few weeks for the unsubscribe request to stop all emails.
Sincerely,
****** *.
Contact Center Operations Director
Initial Complaint
Date:09/08/2025
Type:Billing Issues
Status:
ResolvedMore info
Complaint statuses
Resolved:
The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
Unresolved:
The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
Answered:
The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
Unanswered:
The business failed to respond to the dispute.
Unpursuable:
BBB is unable to locate the business.
I purchased a year subscription for system mechanic on discount, however in the fine print it also comes with a ***** reoccurring charge that I obviously was not aware of. I am sure it was somewheere in the fine print, however these hidden charges need to be more present at purchase, such as a link confirming you are willing to pay the monthly fee of *****. I am sure this is happening at an alarming with so many customers being blind sided. The email to my account with them is *******************
Business Response
Date: 09/17/2025
******** *****
*********************************************************************

Date: 9/16/25

Complaint ID: ********
E-mail: *************************************

Dear Ms. ******

Thank you for contacting us through the Better Business Bureau. We take these complaints very seriously and appreciate the time you have taken to let us know about your experience.

We apologize for any misunderstanding regarding the special promotional offer for an iolo System Mechanic Ultimate Defense license you purchased in March. This discounted offer included a one-month free trial of our LiveTech 24/7 ************************* which automatically renews monthly at the price of $19.95 if not cancel before the end of the free month.

We make every effort to be forthcoming regarding our promotions and offers for our System Mechanic Ultimate Defense software. Information regarding the terms of any offer (including auto renewal) is provided in the online shopping cart before any personal information is entered. These terms are also included in your order confirmation email.
We regret if you found the offer unclear in any way.

Our records reflect that both your LiveTech support service and System Mechanic Ultimate Defense were cancel per your request on September 1st.

Although the terms of your purchase which state that monthly and annual subscription fees are not refundable as an exception a refund has been issued for the last ******** renewal fee charged on August 29th. Please allow 3 5 business days for the funds to post.

If you need further assistance, please contact customer service at?**************.?

Sincerely,

****** *.
Contact Center Operations Director
Customer Answer
Date: 09/19/2025

Complaint: 23824071

I am rejecting this response because:
I have been a customer for many years and in the past this never occurred, I feel that an exception needs to be made. You offered one month refund I would be content if you were to offer an additional month.
Sincerely,

******** *****
Business Response
Date: 10/03/2025
******** *****
*********************************************************************

Date: 10/03/25

Complaint ID: ********
E-mail: *************************************

Dear Ms. **************** appreciate the opportunity to respond to your concern. As a way to fully resolved this matter, we have issued a refund of the July 29th renewal fee charge. Please allow 3-5 days for the funds to post.

If you need further assistance, please contact customer service at?**************.?

Sincerely,

****** *.
Contact Center Operations Director
Customer Answer
Date: 10/08/2025

Better Business Bureau:

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.

Sincerely,

******** *****
Initial Complaint
Date:09/08/2025
Type:Billing Issues
Status:
ResolvedMore info
Complaint statuses
Resolved:
The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
Unresolved:
The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
Answered:
The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
Unanswered:
The business failed to respond to the dispute.
Unpursuable:
BBB is unable to locate the business.
Forced auto renewal for charged service that I had no intention of renewing. I never agreed to auto renewal and was never given an option to turn it down when it was forced on me.
Business Response
Date: 09/17/2025
**** *******
************************************************************************

Date: 9/17/25

Complaint ***********
E-mail: ******************************

Dear Mr. ********

Thank you for contacting us through the Better Business Bureau. We sincerely apologize for any miscommunication. We take these complaints very seriously and appreciate the time you have taken to let us know about your experience.

Our records reflect that you took advantage of a special promotional offer of a 1-year iolo System Mechanic Ultimate Defense license on October 4, 2024. Like most of the special offers this included automatic annual renewal at the then-current price unless cancel prior to the renewal.

We make every effort to be forthcoming regarding our promotions and offers for our System Mechanic Ultimate Defense software. Information regarding the terms of any offer (including auto renewal) is provided in the online shopping cart before any personal information is entered. These terms are also included in your order confirmation email.
Your credit card will be charged up to 35 days prior to the renewal date for annual subscriptions. Also email reminders are sent prior to the renewal date for software licenses. We regret if you found the offer unclear in any way.

While we strive to stay within advertised guidelines for consistency, which state that monthly and annual subscription fees are not refundable, as goodwill gesture a refund has been issued for the August 30th annual renewal fee of $84.95. Please allow 3 -5 days for the funds to post.

Your iolo System Mechanic Ultimate Defense Software subscription remains cancelled per your request,?and nothing further will be billed to you. If you need further assistance,please contact **************** toll free at?**************.?

Sincerely,

****** *.
Contact Center Operations Director
Customer Answer
Date: 09/19/2025

Better Business Bureau:

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.

Sincerely,

**** *******
Initial Complaint
Date:09/02/2025
Type:Billing Issues
Status:
ResolvedMore info
Complaint statuses
Resolved:
The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
Unresolved:
The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
Answered:
The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
Unanswered:
The business failed to respond to the dispute.
Unpursuable:
BBB is unable to locate the business.
Unauthorized charges $19.95/month since April ***** October Iolo charged me $79.95 for an unauthorized renewal; they refunded that charge, but now there are 5 new unauthorized charges.)Emails to/from Iolo uploaded
Business Response
Date: 09/22/2025
****** ******
********************************************

Date: 9/22/25

Complaint ID: ********
E-mail: ************************************************

Dear **********
Thank you for contacting us through the Better Business Bureau. We sincerely apologize for any miscommunication. We take these complaints very seriously and appreciate the time you have taken to let us know about your experience.

Our records reflect that you took advantage of a special promotional offer on April *******, for a new 1-year iolo System Mechanic Ultimate Defense license for just $19.95. This special offer included a one-month promotional free trial of our LiveTech 24/7 ************************** which renews monthly if not cancelled prior to the renewal date.

We make every effort to be forthcoming regarding our promotions and offers for our System Mechanic Ultimate Defense software and LiveTech 24/7 service. Information regarding the terms of any offer (including auto renewal) is provided in the online shopping cart before any personal information is entered.

The online offer states: System Mechanic Ultimate Defense automatically renews yearly at the price of $84.95 or the then-current price.If you do not cancel LiveTech Technical Support before the end of the free month, it will automatically renew monthly at the price of $19.95 or the then-current price. Your credit card will be charged on the renewal date for monthly subscriptions and up to 35 days prior to the renewal date for annual subscriptions. You may cancel prior to the applicable renewal date by calling us at ***************** (Powered by USTechSupport) or via online chat, email or contact form. These terms are also included in your order confirmation email. By submitting your order, you agreed to the terms and conditions of the purchase and provided your authorization of future charges associated with automatic renewals of the services/software purchased. We regret if you found the offer unclear in any way.

While we strive to stay within advertised guidelines for consistency (which state that monthly and annual subscription fees are not refundable) as an exception refunds have been issued for the July and August monthly renewal fees of $19.95. Please allow 3 -5 days for the funds to post.

Your iolo System Mechanic Ultimate Defense Software license and LiveTech 24/7 Support subscription were both cancelled on August 19th. Nothing further will be billed to you. If you need further assistance, please contact **************** toll free at?**************.?

Sincerely,

****** *.
Contact Center Operations Director
Customer Answer
Date: 09/23/2025

Complaint: 23793496

I am rejecting this response because:
Your records are wrong. I DID NOT purchase anything from Iolo, on April 12 or any other time since I renewed in December of 2020.
I have no need for monthly renewing 'Live Support'... at $240 /year... for a product I haven't used in several years. I DID NOT agree to that.
This is the second time in less than a year that Iolo has made unauthorized charges against my credit card. I can't see this as anything other than intentional, fraudulent behavior.
I have explained all this to your 'Support' team; there's no need to go through it all again.

Sincerely,

****** ******
Business Response
Date: 10/28/2025
Hello,

I apologize for the frustration regarding your auto-renewal, as well as the inconvenience of making several attempts at a resolution. We try very hard to be clear in our terms and conditions about auto-renewals, but there is always room for improvement. Furthermore, I've noted your complaints and will take your request for a full refund to the leadership team.

Once again, I apologize for your poor experience and I'm here to help. Please allow me some time, but I will follow up with more information for you as soon as I have it.

Best,
***** *.
Reputation Manager
Customer Answer
Date: 10/29/2025

Better Business Bureau:

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.

Sincerely,

****** ******

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RealDefense LLC is BBB Accredited.