As we recently saw, automatic subscription renewals seem to have become de rigueur for antivirus software vendors. But one reader recently discovered that the practice is creeping into the anti-spyware category as well.
"Should I be outraged or not?" the reader headed his message to me. "I purchased copies of PC Tools' Spyware Doct
And, the reader wondered, how do you find out for sure which anti-spyware vendors don't use autorenewal? And if they don't now, how will you know when they start? "I realize that there are ways to prevent this sort of abuse, but am I just out of touch?" the reader concludes. " Is it now an accepted business tactic to be able to charge someone's credit card for a product they did not request, as long as the product is 'renewable?' And if so, will utility companies, phone companies, and insurance companies start charging my credit card automatically, instead of asking my permission as they do today?"
So what do you think -- does the reader have the right to be outraged at PC Tools for its automatically renewing his subscription? Or, like the credit card rep told him, should he just now accept the fact that this is the norm? Post your comments below or write me at Foster@gripe2ed.com.
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