Will NEVER Be Using SuperAntiSpyware Anymore! - Here's Why

[MikeLierman]

This all started at the beginning of last month. I get an email thanking me for renewing my SuperAntiSpyware. I have not purchased or renewed in years. I used to sell this product to customers years back, but I started to find that slowly, the performance and detection rate of the software dropped. Then they were bought out by support.com, changed to a subscription model, and even started offering toolbars with SuperAntiSpyware.

I emailed back and explained I did not renew and wanted to know what was going on.

Mike,

Someone placed a renewal order using this name and email address.

This is a manually placed order, not an auto-renewal... Maybe check with your friends/family/colleagues, and reply back to this email if you need us to issue a refund.

Then

Mike,

I am being completely honest with you, this was a manual order, placed by human interaction… And I figured out how:

http://www.superantispyware.com/renewal.html?code=346-[REMOVED]-4870

That’s the renewal purchase link that would pop up for a user who follows the prompt from inside SUPERAntiSpyware software.

So apparently when a reseller buys keys, those keys are then linked to a credit card information database where the end-user can easily click renew and the card is charged!!

However, here is where I am drawing the line. On my credit card statement and on the email that was sent to me, was the following website:

---------
Frustrated with your Android(TM) Smartphone Battery Life? Try our Free App, Cosmos(TM) for Smartphones at http://go.sammsoft.com?linkid=101146
---------

Sammsoft! Nope! Nope! Nope! Nope! If you are unfamiliar with Sammsoft, they are the makers of a bunch of junkware, including ARO 2014, which I have had to clean off from a lot of customer's PCs. Their advertising is extremely aggressive and deceiving.

What does everyone else think?

 

[Encrypted Existence]

I don't blame you. I no longer use SAS but thanks for the heads up.

 

[Bubbajoe]

I was a SAS reseller. I've never had an issue of one of my customer's renewals being billed to me...

And yeah, support.com sucks IMO...

 

[MikeLierman]

Then you're lucky, though it's probably rare cause back when we did sell them, I probably sold at least 20 copies maybe more. So far this is the only time it happened.

 

[gunslinger]

I still run the free portable version on cleanups. I have never and will never pay for an anti-spyware or anti-malware program, or an AV for that matter.

 

[JustInspired]

I still run the free portable version on cleanups. I have never and will never pay for an anti-spyware or anti-malware program, or an AV for that matter.

Does it still install and leave behind services/drivers? That's one of the things that I found unnecessary and annoying.

 

[gunslinger]

Does it still install and leave behind services/drivers? That's one of the things that I found unnecessary and annoying.

Not the version I use. It still updates just fine. I guess I'll stop using it when it stops updating.

 

[CLC]

Not the version I use. Its still updates just fine. I guess I'll stop using it when it stops updating.

I quit using SAS years ago, the only thing I ever liked was the fact it was portable.

 

[gunslinger]

I quit using SAS years ago, the only thing I ever liked was the fact it was portable.

Yeah, I also like the repair tools hidden in it but tweaking.com tools has pretty much replaced that for me.

 

[JustInspired]

Does it still install and leave behind services/drivers? That's one of the things that I found unnecessary and annoying.

I found the portable version leaves services and or drivers installed.

 

[Bubbajoe]

I still run the free portable version on cleanups. I have never and will never pay for an anti-spyware or anti-malware program, or an AV for that matter.

If you're using that version for anything other than personal use, then you are in violation of the license terms.

Not the version I use.....

Are you sure about that? Check Device Manager for Hidden Devices: SASDIFSV and SASKUTIL

 

[gunslinger]

If you're using that version for anything other than personal use, then you are in violation of the license terms.
Are you sure about that? Check Device Manager for Hidden Devices: SASDIFSV and SASKUTIL

If they want to sue me over a 4 year old hacked up version of their software and try to prove I use it on any computer thats not mine, by all means let them have at it...lol Good luck with that.


I started to second guess myself on the drivers so I just checked and I'm good. No installed drivers.

 

[phaZed]

Are you sure about that? Check Device Manager for Hidden Devices: SASDIFSV and SASKUTIL

Ya, SAS leaves those two drivers everytime, perhaps Gunslinger can let us know which version of SAS he is using as I also use the latest portable version and it definitely leaves these entries everytime.

 

[gunslinger]

Ya, SAS leaves those two drivers everytime, perhaps Gunslinger can let us know which version of SAS he is using as I also use the latest portable version and it definitely leaves these entries everytime.

Version 4.49.1000


Double checked, no drivers.

 

[Bubbajoe]

If they want to sue me over a 4 year old hacked up version of their software and try to prove I use it on any computer thats not mine, by all means let them have at it...lol Good luck with that.


I started to second guess myself on the drivers so I just checked and I'm good. No installed drivers.

Nice, you just admitted in a public forum that you willfully violate licensing terms. I added a suggested change to your website:

"Is your computer running slow? Are you getting pop-up ad's and spam? Chances are you could be infected or your computer just needs cleaned up a bit. Don't suffer with a slow system. We use a 4 year old hacked up version of SuperAntiSpyware portable to clean your computer. Yes, that's a violation of the licensing terms, but we don't care..."

 

[gunslinger]

Nice, you just admitted in a public forum that you willfully violate licensing terms. I added a suggested change to your website:

"Is your computer running slow? Are you getting pop-up ad's and spam? Chances are you could be infected or your computer just needs cleaned up a bit. Don't suffer with a slow system. We use a 4 year old hacked up version of SuperAntiSpyware portable to clean your computer. Yes, that's a violation of the licensing terms, but we don't care..."

So we are turning this into a personal attack on me vs. talking about the program installing drivers? Typical.

 

[Bubbajoe]

So we are turning this into a personal attack on me vs. talking about the program installing drivers? Typical.

Hey, I'm just stating facts as presented in writing by you. If you take that personally, then maybe you should do an integrity check...

A SAS technician's portable license only costs $99/year if you pay retail and it can be used on unlimited client computers with a clean conscience...

 

[gunslinger]

Hey, I'm just stating facts as presented in writing by you. If you take that personally, then maybe you should do an integrity check...

A SAS technician's portable license only costs $99/year if you pay retail and it can be used on unlimited client computers with a clean conscience...

When you get completely off the subject being talked about to rant and check my website, yes I take it a bit personal. You seem to be calling my ethics into question. I assure you my conscience is fine and I sleep well at night. Thanks for your concern. For future reference if you need any more dirt on me you might want to try these:

Things I have done in the last 10 years as a tech

I have used a keygen on more than one occasion to play with an app.

I once used a hacked version of OSX in a virtual machine

I cracked Vista in 2007 to run it in a VM after 3 days

I may have installed AVG on a customers computer back in 2005 (clearly a violation of their EULA)

I sometimes use images I find on Google

I have visited porn sites to test the security of a bone stock Windows install (but I never touched myself!)

 

[phaZed]

Ouch Gunslinger, why such an old version? 4.49.1000 was released in 2/21/2011

The driver entries left behind certainly apply to the current and newer versions and AFAIK has been a silly issue for the past 2-3 years - as long as I can remember now lol.

You really should upgrade that old dog - lot's of product improvements and improved detection - although, SAS is pretty useless nowadays as it mostly just seems to find Cookies. Been thinking of dropping it from my toolkit, but keep it out of nostalgia lol.

 

[gunslinger]

Ouch Gunslinger, why such an old version? 4.49.1000 was released in 2/21/2011

The driver entries left behind certainly apply to the current and newer versions and AFAIK has been a silly issue for the past 2-3 years - as long as I can remember now lol.

You really should upgrade that old dog - lot's of product improvements and improved detection - although, SAS is pretty useless nowadays as it mostly just seems to find Cookies. Been thinking of dropping it from my toolkit, but keep it out of nostalgia lol.

Its just part of an automated process I run off my drives and I suck at coding and have been too lazy to remove it. I'm in the process of revamping my tool kits and SAS most likely wont make the cut.