Downloaded Software: Save That Receipt

SAN FRANCISCO (02/02/2000) - When Bob Bieber of Bradenton, Florida, upgraded to Norton Anti-Virus version 5.0, he saved himself a trip to the store by purchasing and downloading the software from Symantec Corp.'s Web site. His only concern was that he couldn't save the upgrade to a floppy disk for safekeeping.

But Symantec assured him that he could download the software and virus signature updates again if he needed to.

Six months later, Bieber's PC crashed and--you guessed it-- he had to reformat his hard drive. When he asked Symantec for replacement software, however, he wasn't able to download the files he needed, and the company wanted $20 for a CD-ROM. "This is why many of us don't trust e-commerce," says Bieber.

When you buy software as a Web download, how can you make sure you'll still have it if your hard drive fails--or if you buy a new PC? Ideally, the process is relatively painless. Online software vendors give you a confirmation number for your purchase; if you later need a new copy of the software, you can download again and use this number to activate it.

Replacement policies aren't always clear, however; and it isn't always apparent where to turn if you have a problem. For example, Symantec's download section is actually operated by Beyond.com, a Web-based software reseller. Although Beyond.com offers free replacement downloads, Symantec told Bieber otherwise.

My advice? Read return and replacement policies carefully before you download, and save the confirmation number after your purchase. If you later decide you want a CD, be prepared to pay for it. And as always, back up your hard drive with religious zeal.

As for Bob Bieber, Symantec admits that he should have been able to download a replacement copy of his software. The company apologized and sent him a free CD-ROM of Norton Anti-Virus 2000, along with a year of free virus upgrades.

Free PCs No Longer: Free-PC, the company that gave PCs and Internet service to consumers willing to endure on-screen advertising, will merge with low-cost PC vendor EMachines. The free PC offer will end, but EMachines plans to use Free-PC's ad technology in its own system. Owners of Free-PC systems should be unaffected by the merger... AOL to Users: Are You Sure? Several readers have written to complain that America Online forced them to restate their preferences to avoid receiving unwanted marketing promotions. Subscribers who'd already opted out of the promotions got an e-mail from AOL asking them to reiterate the request. AOL's terms of service require users to renew their preferences annually, but as one disgruntled reader said, "Preferences do not expire."... RAM Update: I'm still hearing from Dell customers who bought Dimension XPS M200 PCs advertised as upgradable to 128MB and then discovered that this upgrade won't boost performance and may actually hurt it. (See www.pcworld.com/nov99/oys.) Dell's response: The problem stems from the design of the Intel Pentium VX chip set and affects systems from all vendors, so customers shouldn't expect restitution. (For more information, see www.pcworld.com/jan00/ram.)Letter of the MonthI purchased airline tickets from Microsoft Expedia's Web site on October 6 for travel on October 22. When the tickets didn't arrive by October 13, I began telephoning and e-mailing Expedia and was told the tickets were on their way.

The Expedia tickets still hadn't arrived on the day of my flight, so I had to purchase new ones. Expedia's response to my refund requests: "You'll have to obtain a refund from the airline."

--Scott B. Ehrlich, San Diego

On Your Side responds: Expedia product manager Suzi Levine says that Ehrlich's tickets were issued on time but apparently got lost in the mail. Expedia has reimbursed Ehrlich, and it now provides free overnight replacements to customers who haven't received tickets on time. Still, Levine says it's best to use e-tickets whenever possible. If you order paper tickets online, check the missing ticket policy first--some require you to pay the airline's replacement fee of about $70.

Gotten a Raw Deal?

Or a great one? E-mail the details to onyourside@pcworld.com. We'll investigate complaints and publish items of the broadest interest. Anne Kandra is a contributing editor for PC World.

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