Complaints
This profile includes complaints for RealDefense LLC's headquarters and its corporate-owned locations. To view all corporate locations, see
Customer Complaints Summary
- 168 total complaints in the last 3 years.
- 47 complaints closed in the last 12 months.
If you've experienced an issue
Submit a ComplaintThe 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:07/17/2023
Type: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.
System ******************************** are now one company but ******* my email as separate ones making me quite confused. I want out! I do not want anything to do with these/this company. 6/1149.95 iolo system mechanic (IS THIS ANNUAL?)6/1115.00 iolo system mechanic ultimate defense no time upgrade (ANNUAL?)7/11 ***** ***** activation then ***** ea. month live tech support (DON'T WANT)7/9 ***** renewal A RENEWAL FOR WHAT??? i just paid $54.00 on June 11?No indicator these are monthly subscriptions.The webpage has no Register/Login link. I had to ****** for it. My current charges are not listed; just 2019 and earlier. Refund policy is vague. " Your purchase today includes 30 days of unlimited remote tech support for one computer or one mobile device. After 30 days, your service will be automatically renewed each month for a monthly charge of $*****.On the renewal date, your credit card will be charged for the subscriptions. If you wish to avoid any of these initial or recurring charges, you may cancel your subscriptions at any time prior to the applicable renewal date by calling us at ************** (Powered by USTechSupport) or via online chat, email or contact form. RealDefense may offer other products and services when you call us."You call and the agents are rude, unhelpful, and tell you about a subscription you never signed up for!
Business Response
Date: 07/24/2023
Hello!
We apologize for the delay but we will handle the billing adjustment ASAP.Initial Complaint
Date:07/17/2023
Type: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 cancelled mysubscription and have not be refunded despite sending numerous emails to Iolo Support. I was not informed that it was renewing and have been ignored by them.Business Response
Date: 07/17/2023
Hello, we will process this customer refund asap and we apologize that the customer did not have a good experience.Initial Complaint
Date:06/22/2023
Type: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 was alerted on May 26, 2023 I would be charged 19,.95 for ************. I agreed to a one-time payment of ***** back in April for a premium upgrade in order to get the program to run and take care of all the installation work of fixing the drivers on my computer. No where was mentioned that this was a subscription based service, nor does it make much sense for this to be one. Driver software does not change so often for anyone except for maybe a business or larger enterprise to have such a subscription. I feel I was deceived by what was being offered and would like the second charge refunded if it is processed through - I cancelled the authorization to this company once I was alerted but may not have done **********. I did get my money's worth for the one thorough use of the program, but this whole experience has really soured my experience with this company as a whole.Business Response
Date: 06/25/2023
Hello! I will have this customer's refund processed ASAP.Initial Complaint
Date:06/22/2023
Type: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 renewed my service due to an Early Bird Special for $14.99 a year. Hidden in the small print is a trial offer for 24/7 Live Tech Support that you cannot decline. After first month, you are billed $19.99 a month for this service. The receipt for my purchase does not mention that the Live Tech Support is going to be a monthly subscription. I never received any notification that this trial was going to be switched to a paid subscription. It was 3 months before a realized I was being charged for this subscription service. I called Iolo and their customer service rep said I signed up for the service. I informed him I had no paperwork from **** (Real Defemce) stated I had signed up for the Support. The rep asked to have online access to my computer so he could show me on the Iolo web site where I agreed to the service. WHAT??? Why would I allow anyone to have online access to my computer? Especially some stranger. The conversation with the rep went nowhere after that. So I asked to speak to his supervisor. The supervisor directed me to where the *************** is listed. It is on the payment processing page. The System Mechanic is listed at the top of the page boldly. The $14.99 price is also. Lower on the page and off to the right in small white text is written the information concerning the 24/7 Live Tech Support. **** must know what they are doing is wrong because they were willing to refund the last monthly payment. Though they would not refund the other two months. So the System **************** I thought was costing me $14.99 has actually cost me $54.97. For a company I have been trusting my computer health and security to, I am severe offended at such an underhanded money grab. If I cannot trust iolo to treat me fairly when buying their service, how can I trust them to keep my family safe online. Obviously from the multiple complaints put forward for this exact same issue, I am not alone in the belief that **** (Real Defense) is not a trustworthy company.Business Response
Date: 06/25/2023
Apologies for any delay but we will refund the customer ASAP.Initial Complaint
Date:06/22/2023
Type: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 5/4/2023 I renewed my service and got charged $21.38 for Iolo System Mechanic Ultimate Defender for another year at a discounted rate that I got thru a email. I then got charged again on 6/4/2023 in the amount of $21.35. I contacted the customer service to get a refund for the charges made on 6/4/2023 and they told me that when renewing my Iolo System Mechanic Ultimate Defense on 5/4/2023 that it automatically signed me up for a free trail of Iolo livetech 24/7 technical support that I did not even want. I was told that because the 30 day trial was over that I was charged the monthly renewal fee. I then told them that I never ordered nor did I want the Iolo livetech 24/7 technical support and I just wanted a refund. They told me that I could not get a refund and went on to try and sell me the product for a year subscription. I told them I did not want it and I wanted to speak with the supervisor to get my refund. They then told me that they could not transfer me to the supervisor nor could they refund me for the $21.35. I have used this product for many years and had no problem with renewal until now. I would recommend people not to use their products because they are nor up front on charges you may incur after you initial purchase. I would like a refund for both transactions since I will not longer be using their products due to the hidden free trial and terrible customer service.Business Response
Date: 06/25/2023
Apologies for any delay. We will refund the customer ASAP.Customer Answer
Date: 06/28/2023
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:06/21/2023
Type: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 have bees customer of Iolo for over 10 years. They have in the past always had great customer support. But recently that has gone downhill. I have been using System Mechanics Ultimate Defense & decided that I would upgrade to System Mechanics Pro. I was charged $69.95 in Feb 2023. In Apr 2023 I was charged $10.76 for System Mechanics Ultimate Defense. I contacted them about this and they said that they couldnt refund me that $10.76 because it was a automatic payment. Today I received another charge of $10.76 and I called them to get a refund of both my charges and to cancel my subscription for Ultimate Defense. They said since I canceled my subscription they would not allow me to buy anything from them again. I then asked them to refund my $69.95 for Pro. They said I would have to go to my bank and get the refund. They also informed me that I was on a black list with them and could not ever buy anything from them since I canceled my account with them.Business Response
Date: 06/25/2023
Apologies for any delay, we will issue a refund ASAP.Customer Answer
Date: 06/28/2023
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:06/16/2023
Type: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 17 May I called to update my subscription for System Mechanic software. The Tech tried to get me to purchase ********* software. I told them I did not want this software bur the charged my CC ******. When I asked them to refund they said it would take **** business day's for refund. This was on 17 May 2023. It is now 12 Jun 2023 and I still have not had my refund. I received 2 e-mails canceling the software and mt CC showed 2 refunds of ******, but then the charged me ****** and the another ******. This was all on the May 17 date.Business Response
Date: 06/25/2023
Apologies for the delay, we will refund the customer right away!Customer Answer
Date: 06/29/2023
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:06/07/2023
Type: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 5/16 /23 I was charged ***** by Real defense for unknown reasons.Since you cannot call any customer service I was forced to use chat. My **** ****************** was a nightmare to deal with.I asked for a refund and to cancel my suscription but he responded with another offer for more products and more money. Once again I asked for a refund and cancellation and he came back with another offer for more money and products he knew I was not interested in. The third time I offered to take the refund and cancellations and let ** be done with this charade. It was painfully obvious he had been trained to do this. After another offer I asked what was wrong with him and I didn't have any more time to play this game. I see many others have had satisfaction here and so i have joined them.Business Response
Date: 06/07/2023
Hello,
We will refund this customers order ASAP.Initial Complaint
Date:05/17/2023
Type: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 called iolo twice in which I wanted to turn auto renewal off. The customer service representative was very hesitant to do so and had me hold several times as a tactic taught by the company to frustrate customers. She would never say why she could not turn auto renewal off because there was no reason. The website clearly states we can turn auto renewal off ourselves, but they removed the account button on purpose to trap customers. Its plain and simple. She then told me she would send confirmation by email when its done. I never received an email. I called back to again be told an email would be sent. No email is sent. I want all services canceled! I do not wish to use iolo any longer. I want my credit card off file. number given was ****** by iolo for call.Business Response
Date: 06/07/2023
Hello,
We will refund this customer's order ASAP.Customer Answer
Date: 06/28/2023
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:05/09/2023
Type: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.
They charged me for a service I didnt request. I asked them to remove the charge and they refused. I also asked them to cancel the subscription altogether and they refused to refund the subscription as well. Its a fraudulent company trying to deceive customers.Business Response
Date: 07/25/2023
Hello and apologies for the delay. We will process the customer's refund ASAP.
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