Putting Mcafee On New Laptop.

[carolegif]

I bought a new laptop from Curry's.  They said I would need a McAfee card to download. Cost£79.  When I took the laptop home, it said I already had 30 days cover which could be renewed.  I tried several times to put the code in from the card, as I had paid for it.  Was told it had downloaded successfully.

After the 30 days, I was told my membership had expired.  I was worried that the card had not worked.  Then this week I was offered a half price offer from McAfee to resume my free 30 days for a year.  I decided to pay it and get my money back from the card.  
I received the receipt from McAfee saying I had paid in my GMail account.  However, when I try to download it, it says my 30 days has expired!  I tried again and they said they would send a passcode to my email.  Nothing!   Now I have a message from them saying I have not downloaded the renewal!  When I put my email number in to download it, I get a message saying they don't recognise my gmail address!  Yet they sent the receipt to it!  I don't seem to be able to call anyone and I am going round in circles getting very stressed.  Please can anyone help?

[barry1010]

Firstly, did you intend to buy McAfee when you went to Curry's or ask their advice about security software?

[barney4444]

Had similar experience, persevere and eventually you will speak to mcafee, he got my permission to take over my computer remotely and I sat back and watched stuff appearing and disappearing that I had no idea even existed! all sorted worked well for a 12 month, when due for renewal don't take any renewal deals online from mcafee, uninstall the mcafee and buy from argos for about £10 a new one and then install that,I do it every year all works well.

[tommy39]

windows defender is as good as any anti virus out there,save you money it's free

[Giggsie]

i second that tommy39 used it now for years. and carolegif defender will already be installed on your new laptop.

[-SharonA-]

You only need Windows defender & malwarebytes.

[Peter Pedant]

we all seem to have experienced that Macafee are crap

I use ESET - excellent protection and much more user friendly. that is they can now cope with  - - put computer A on ESET Jan 1 and then ctr B on Mar 1 - when it recharges it can cope with the two dates

[theshedman]

I never believe anything the sales reps tell me in Currys.  I am not that great with computer stuff but each time I have dealt with them I find I seem to know more.  Bought new laptop last year and first thing I did was to take off McAfee, that and Norton have never worked that well for me.  I then installed Avast free and find that to be quite good.  Currys told me that my old Office Pro would not work on new windows 11 and needed to purchase new version.  Got home and old one works perfectly.  They are not computer experts as they claim but sales people.

[10ClarionSt]

McAfee and Norton are a complete waste of money. I had McAfee a few years ago and was browsing in Toys R Us when a message panel came cascading down and said my computer was infected with a virus but if I paid £39.99 via the link in the panel, I could get access back. I got a techy friend to sort that out for me and I then put Norton on. That was a complete waste of space because every time I opened anything, Norton scanned it and said it was infected, so I uninstalled Norton. I now use Avast Free and have never had a problem. 

Norton and McAfee make money by trying to scare the bejesus out of everyone. 

[barry1010]

The only advice I can give is to uninstall it and try to get all your money back.

 

[ichkeria]

Many articles will insist that Windows Defenfer is not good enough but they are usually by tech geeks who test it to destruction doing things that the ordinary user probably wouldn't. 
I use McAfee and am happy enough with it but I am currently using a spare laptop on which McAfee has expired (as it keeps reminding me?).  If I decide to use it permanently I'll probably transfer the cover I already pay for. 
What you need to watch out for is Curry's staff trying to palm you off with McAfee when you already have it! 

[ichkeria]

"Currys told me that my old Office Pro would not work on new windows 11"

That's quite shocking. I usually get chatting to the people in Curry's to test them out a bit. In fairness some of the staff are pretty good: but you do need to beware the sales pitches 

[gingejbee]

When will people learn that Currys is best avoided because their sales tactics are, at best, dubious?

[barry1010]

Currys is fine if you know what you want and the price is right.  Treat it like shopping from from Argos or Tesco, nobody asks their staff for advice.

And refuse the add ons they insist are essential 

[10ClarionSt]

ichkeria @ 07.45:

"Currys told me that my old Office Pro would not work on new windows 11"

That's quite shocking.

Actually, I'm still using MS Office Professional 2000 on this computer but it won't install with Windows 10. I'm still using Windows 7 and haven't had any problems since MS withdrew the technical support. Mind you, I don't use it for any banking or financial transactions.

[theshedman]

It's Office Pro 2003 I am using on windows 11 and have had no problems.  Used it on windows 10 too.

[barry1010]

So does anyone know how carole can get her £79 back from Curry's and the money she paid to McAfee?

[10ClarionSt]

Send "the boys" round!

[theshedman]

I think they should go back to Currys with the laptop and get them to put the version they sold them and if they can't do that then demand the money back.

[10ClarionSt]

I agree with shedman. Go back to Currys'. That's where it all started for you. Might not get the result you want but at least give it a go and see if they can help, if not getting your money back.

[barry1010]

Carole said "They said I would need a McAfee card to download. Cost£79"

That's fine if carole asked for McAfee but it is misselling if Curry's told her she needed McAfee.  Nobody 'needs' McAfee on any machine.