Complaints

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:11/16/2023

  Type:Service or Repair 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.

  The date of the issue is November 16, 2023. It started at 1:05 a.m and ended and 2: 06 a.m with no response from them. I tried to contact a technician at first, got nothing. **************** next, nothing there either. I waited over 1 hour to chat with someone! I just wanted to be able to scan my Ipad/tablet without turning on my location or the **** I did the scan last week, why can't I do a regular scan this week? That device NEVER leaves this apartment, and no one has access to it but me! I just want a simple scan of my device. No one should have have to wait that long and get to talk to no one! I want no phone call an email is fine. And an apology!!!

  Business Response

  Date: 12/07/2023

  Dear ******,

  This is ************************* again, with McAfee's Executive Customer Assistance Team

  Thank you for speaking with me regarding your complaint. I am happy to hear that our technicians were able to reach you to help clarify details of your protected device on your account, ensure your device is protected, and provided additional details of your McAfee subscription and its features. Again, we apologize for the experience you had during your initial attempt to resolve your product concerns, and look forward to assisting you in the future when needed.

  If you have any additional questions or concerns regarding McAfee, please feel free to contact me directly.

  Sincerely,

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

  Executive Customer Assistance Team

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

  Business Response

  Date: 12/18/2023

  Dear ******,

  This is ************************* again, with McAfee.

  Our technicians have informed me that they were able to reach you regarding the technical issues you were facing with our software, as well provided clarity on the additional features that come with your subscription. Again, we sincerely apologize that you were unable to connect with a member of our support team during your initial attempts to resolve the scanning issues you were facing.

  If you have any additional questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me directly.

  Sincerely,

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

  Executive Customer Assistance Team

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

  Customer Answer

  Date: 12/18/2023

   
  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. I will contact ****************** as he said he would already do so after the technician called.  Thank you for your help!

  
  Sincerely,
  
  *************************

• Initial Complaint

  Date:11/14/2023

  Type:Service or Repair 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 bought this service McAfee+ Premium - Individual Unlimited Devices at the price of $64.99 starting Monday, July 3, 2023 and valid until July 3, ****. After having installed this service on my computer, I have started to experience a lot of issues with my computer and it took me months to figure out the root cause of the issues. I had wifi technician coming over, my computer support person on the phone, my university IT on the phone/email. It took me months to figure out why my computer would suddenly require to be rebooted every 10 mins or so. Also McAfee VPN, even when shut down manually, will turn on automatically interfering with my wifi, blocking my university learning mgmt system and other sites. I could not figure out what was going on for months. Finally I de-installed this McAfee spam nightmare from my machine and boom all the sites works and my computer does not need to be restarted every 10 mins. McAfee has caused me disruption and incredible waste of time. I am requesting the company to reimburse, I called in and spoke with technical support and billing reference #1-165205491 today Nov 14, 2023. I was told the policy does not allow refund, but I explained that the service has caused me the described unacceptable issues. This is not the intended purpose of the product and surely not a satisfactory customer experience.

  Business Response

  Date: 11/27/2023

  Dear *******,
  
  This is ************************* again, with McAfees Executive Customer Assistance Team.
  
  Per our conversation on November 16, I processed a refund for your McAfee+ Premium - Individual back to your payment instrument. Please allow up to 5 business days to see the refund reflected in your bank account.

  If you have any additional questions or concerns regarding McAfee, please feel free to contact me directly.

  Sincerely,

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

  Executive Customer Assistance Team

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

  Customer Answer

  Date: 11/27/2023

   
  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:11/14/2023

  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.

  I have a paid subscription active on my computer for small business antivirus with McAfee. For the last several months, even though I have disabled information alerts in my McAfee settings, and blocked McAfee from using cookies and site data in my browser, I get popup ads solicitations from McAfee almost daily on my DESKTOP (never in my browser). These solicitations are advertising for additional services offered by McAfee. They appear randomly on TOP of whatever I am working on, on my computer's desktop, in Windows 10. This is Spam, and there is no way to prevent it from popping up on top of my work. It is annoying, distracting, and I should not have to tolerate this. I want this to stop. I will never again purchase virus protection from McAfee. What a terrible way to treat a customer who has been subscribing for years, and up until this Spam started, had been on Auto-Renewal, which I cancelled a couple of weeks ago, when I first decided to document this spam..

  Business Response

  Date: 11/15/2023

  Dear ************,
  My name is **************************  I am on the Executive Customer Assistance Team at **********************. I have not attempted to reach you directly by phone or email since your complaint requested no further contact from the business.
  I was not able to locate any subscription with the details provided, but I appreciate the screenshots that you have attached. At this time there is not a way to completely disable all McAfee alerts, but based on your feedback, it seems that you might be seeing them more frequently than expected.
  I recommend contacting the McAfee support team to investigate this issue. Tech support agents are available 24/7 by calling *************** or by chat at ********************************************************;
  I have also provided your feedback regarding the notifications and notification settings internally for consideration in future releases. If you have any additional concerns or if you would like to reach me directly, please feel free to contact me by phone at ***************. I am available Monday-Friday, from 7am to 4pm Central Time (US). If you would prefer to communicate by email, you may reach me at ****************************************.
  Thank you for contacting McAfee.
  Sincerely,
  *************************

  Customer Answer

  Date: 11/15/2023

   
  Complaint: 20868854
  
  I am rejecting this response because: Thank you for the prompt response; however, the answer does not help me. The popups I am getting are not "alerts, they are solicitations. I have alerts turned off in my settings, so I do not get alerts on my desktop screen, but I do get these advertisements/solicitations - what I call spam. These solicitations are asking me to use McAfee services that I do not want or need. If I want additional services, I can sign up for them (if they would cost an extra fee) or activate them (if they are included in my small business subscription) at any time without the need for this harassment from McAfee. I had not mentioned before that this spam always appears bottom right-hand corner of the screen, and as I have said, they appear on top of everything I am working on. I chose "no further contact," meaning I do not want this spam "contact" that I have been experiencing. Since there is no way to turn these off (I believe that is what you meant), then tech support would not be able to assist with this. All I want is for these to be turned off, today if possible. I have also filed a consumer complaint with ********** Attorney General. I feel this is an incredibly serious issue. McAfee is trespassing in my personal, private space, with no opportunity for me to make that stop.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *******************

  Business Response

  Date: 11/27/2023

  Dear ************,
  Although you can update your notification settings from the installed McAfee software, there is no way to disable every McAfee alert without uninstalling the software. Based on your description it sounds like you may be seeing the same alerts over and over which is not per design. I have sent you an email directly to schedule an appointment with the senior tech support team. If you prefer to reach the McAfee technical team at your convenience, you can reach an agent at any time from **************.
  If you have any additional concerns in the future regarding this complaint, please feel free reply to reach me directly using the contact info in my previous email. I am available Monday-Friday, from 7am to 4pm Central Time (US).
  Thank you for contacting McAfee.
  Sincerely,
  *************************

• Initial Complaint

  Date:11/13/2023

  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.

  Business sent me an email with an Annual Maintenance Contract(AMC) Amount $425 that they were going to debit my account, after calling the number on the email ************ an asking questions the person kept hanging up on me.

  Business Response

  Date: 11/15/2023

  Dear **************,
  
  My name is **************************** I am on the Executive Customer Assistance Team at **********************. We have received your complaint that was submitted to the Better Business Bureau, and I would like to get in touch with you regarding your concerns.
  
  I am unable to locate a McAfee account associated with ********************** Based on your description, we suspect the email received is a phishing attempt using the McAfee name. The price referenced is much higher than even our ********** services prices, and we do not charge for an Annual Maintenance Contract. Additionally, the phone number provided is not a McAfee phone number.
  
  Emails originating from McAfee will come from a sender with a mcafee.com domain, and our official support contact information can be found and verified at *************************************************;
  
  We have received reports from McAfee customers and non-customers of phishing emails being sent to their email boxes using the McAfee name. We urge you to not click any links included in those emails and to report them as spam/phishing per your email providers reporting process.
  
  Unfortunately, it is not uncommon for bad actors to leverage the name and goodwill of reputable companies when attempting to scam consumers.McAfee takes reports of such fraud seriously and has a robust internal program to address such scams with appropriate enforcement action. I have reported the phone number that was provided to our team for handling.
  
  If needed you can always reach out to our support team at **************************************************.
  

  Sincerely,
  ***************************
  Executive Customer Assistance Team, **********************

• Initial Complaint

  Date:11/12/2023

  Type:Order 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.

  Signed up for their service when I bought a new HP computer. I was under the impression that this was a normal service, but there are a ton of hidden charges. So when my subscription was about to renew I went into the app to cancel auto-renew and was unable to do it myself, I had to call the company to have it done. When I called the company I was told I could not get a refund and if I wanted to get out of the 3-year contract I had to pay more money to convert it to a manual subscription. Then, I was told it was a 3-year service contract costing over $400 and that I had a $150 charge coming up soon for something called an "optimizer". This is nothing but a scam whereas it's an abnormal business practice to have someone sign a 3-year contract for virus protection. I'm surprised that HP put its customers in this situation. I'd like a full and total of $107.99.

  Business Response

  Date: 11/15/2023

  Dear *******,

  This is ************************* again, with McAfee's Executive Customer Assistance Team. Thank you for speaking with me regarding your complaint.

  As discussed, the details regarding your experience were unfortunately linked to an unaffiliated third party posing as McAfee. It is unfortunately common for bad actors to pose as trusted, widely used brands such as McAfee, to perpetrate any number of fraudulent activities.  McAfee takes reports of these activities seriously as a threat to both our customers and brand and works to stop such activities when we are made aware of them. Thank you for bringing this to our attention.

  I am happy that you were able to establish contact with our support team, and received assistance with your subscription renewal. If you need further support, please feel free to contact our support team at ************.

  Sincerely,

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

  Executive Customer Assistance Team

  McAfee

  Customer Answer

  Date: 11/15/2023

   
  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.
  

  Futhermore, after I called the correct number for McAfee customer service, I had a great experience with a very professional and knowledgeable representative that explained my options in great detail and I am very satisfied with the outcome. 
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *******************************

• Initial Complaint

  Date:11/09/2023

  Type:Customer Service 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.

  This is about annoying popups. They are trying to get me to sign up. Don't need their product. I try to X them out and they just come up with another bigger popup. I cannot get anything done! I have tried going on their website and they make it so difficult to get this resolved. I tried to call them and could not speak with a person. I don't know what else to do. Please help me by contacting them and letting them know that this is NOT the way to sell a service. I know there are a lot of other people with the same problem. I dont want any money. I just want the popups to go away. Please help. You are my last resort. Thank you

  Business Response

  Date: 11/15/2023

  Dear **********************,
  
  My name is **************************** I am on the Executive Customer Assistance Team at **********************. We have received your complaint that was submitted to the Better Business Bureau, and would like to get in touch with you regarding your concerns.
  
  I am unable to locate a McAfee account associated with *********************** McAfee will only send you alerts to your desktop if you have the software installed on the device. You can stop ********************** alerts by uninstalling the software. If our software is not installed on your device, it's likely the messages you are receiving are not official McAfee alerts. Based on your description, it sounds like you may be receiving browser push notifications using the McAfee name.
  
  If needed, you can always reach out to our support team at **************************************************. The regional support number for customers calling from the US is **************, and agents are available to assist 24/7.
  
  Sincerely,
  ***************************
  Executive Customer Assistance Team, **********************

• Initial Complaint

  Date:11/07/2023

  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.

  I received the attached email indicating my order was filled of which I DID NOT order or authorize any payment. When I called the number he would not tell me what card they billed or cancel. He insisted I would have to be in my computer for him to walk me through the process and see what card was in my browser, which I found suspicious. I did not order this product and only want whatever card they charged to be cancelled and refund if necessary.

  Business Response

  Date: 11/08/2023

  Dear ******************,
  My name is ***************************. I am on the Executive Customer Assistance team at **********************.

  Just to confirm, the email you provided to the Better Business Bureau did not originate from McAfee, and we suspect it may have been crafted in a phishing attempt. The information included in the email are not official McAfee details, and the phone number provided is not a McAfee phone number. Emails originating from McAfee will come from a sender with a mcafee.com domain, and our official support contact information can be found and verified at *******************************************. Additionally,I am unable to locate a McAfee account associated with **********************       

  We have received reports from McAfee customers and non-customers of phishing emails being sent to their email boxes using the McAfee name. We urge you to not click any links included in those emails and to report them as spam/phishing per your email providers reporting process. You can read more about phishing emails in the article found here *****************************************.

  Unfortunately,it is not uncommon for bad actors to leverage the name and goodwill of reputable companies when attempting to scam consumers. McAfee takes reports of such fraud seriously and has a robust internal program to address such scams with appropriate enforcement action. I have reported the information provided to our team for handling.

  We apologize for any frustration or concern the phishing email may have caused you.

  Sincerely,
  ***************************
  Executive Customer Assistance Team, **********************

• Initial Complaint

  Date:11/06/2023

  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 Mar 24 an auto pay payment was made to McAfee for $158.99 again it was paid on May 16 for the same charge, thru Pay Pal. Pay *** says anything over 60 days is not their job.I never authorized an auto payment. They got my payment info because in 2019 I bought a ****** laptop and they put auto pay on it (without my knowledge).I have been being charged ever since. I am disputing the last two charges because the Laptop has been broken.They say i have been notified of the charges. but i never got any email about auto paying.I want a refund for the last two charges - they are a duplicate charge in any case.

  Business Response

  Date: 11/28/2023

  Dear ************,
  
  My name is **************************  I am on the Executive Customer Assistance Team at **********************.
  
  I am not able to provide any account details publicly, but I have contacted you directly by email with information specific to your account. If you have any additional concerns in the future regarding this complaint, please feel free reply to reach me directly using the contact info in my email signature. I am available Monday-Friday, from 7am to 4pm Central Time (US).

  
  Thank you for contacting McAfee.

  
  Sincerely,
  *************************

• Initial Complaint

  Date:11/06/2023

  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.

  I got a computer virus on my computer in July of 2023, where a Mcafee pop-up appeared on my computer. The only way to get out of the screen was to push the McAfee button. I was charged $***** on 7/20/23, again charged ***** on 7/28/23, and on 8/11/23 i was charged $95.95. I took the computer to Best Buy and purchased Geek Squad. i told them what happened and they say I did not have Mcafee on my computer. It was not covered by Mcafee. I just spoke to "****", from Mcafee, and he refuses to refund these charges, and refuses for me to speak to his manager.

  Business Response

  Date: 11/27/2023

  Dear ****************,
  
  My name is **************************  I am on the Executive Customer Assistance Team at **********************. I'm sorry that I was unable to reach you regarding your concerns.
  
  I am not able to provide any account details publicly, but I have contacted you directly by email with information specific to your account. If you have any additional concerns in the future regarding this complaint, please feel free reply to reach me directly using the contact info in my email signature. I am available Monday-Friday, from 7am to 4pm Central Time (US).
  Thank you for contacting McAfee.

  
  Sincerely,
  *************************

• Initial Complaint

  Date:11/06/2023

  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.

  On my computer I was getting pop *** from McAfee stating I needed to update. I kept on clicking to update, but it would not update. So I called in. The Tech was removing all the installed ******* products I had on my computer. They created a ticket. While they were working remotely on my computer. My wifi was disconnected. I had to then contact **** to get reconnected. I was able to then update my computer and while McAfee said they would contact me back. They sent an email and I responded that I did need help. I received another email stating my ticket has been resolved. I am calling back several times. I am being asked the same questions. I still don't have McAfee on my computer. I still cannot get the support I need. It is difficult to understand who I am talking to. And of course the last call I had I was hung up on and no call back. If it is best I look for another company. I will be glad to do so. I would like a call back from the company. I would like this issue resolved and if not, please reimburse me for my subscription and I will be glad to look for another company willing to help me.Sincerely,

  Business Response

  Date: 11/27/2023

  Dear ******,

  This is ************************* again, with McAfee's Executive Customer Assistance Team.

  Per our arrangement, our technicians reached out to you on November 16, and assisted with the installation of McAfee on your device. As a goodwill gesture, I have added an additional 30 days to your McAfee LiveSafe subscription.

  If you have any additional questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me directly.

  Sincerely,

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

  Executive Customer Assistance Team

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

  Customer Answer

  Date: 11/27/2023

   
  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.   Hi sorry, I did respond.  It has been fixed.  Thank you!

  My sincere apologies.

  
  Sincerely,
  
  *****************************