Lifetime license... expired?

[m60rocks]

Hy, in august this year I bought one of the few remaining lifetime licenses for MBAM.

Everything went perfectly, the license was accepted, it displayed that it was a lifetime licence, I was able to update the software with no problem, until this morning when I see an error message saying:

 

"Malwarebytes Anti-Malware Premium subscription expired"

 

When I click on view details I get:

>State: Expired on 10/01/2010

>Duration: Protection temporarily extended after renewal failure

 

So, what is going on?

 

[daledoc1]

Hello and :

Until a forum staff member has a chance to respond....

We're sorry you are having problems with license validation.

Sale of lifetime licenses was discontinued at the Malwarebytes online store in March 2014.

Some authorized partners continued to sell out their remaining stock after that date, for a limited time.

A license purchased in August of 2015 may not be legitimate. 

This would be especially true for a license purchased from an unofficial source, such as ebay, Amazon or other 3rd-party web site.

 

Unfortunately, the only folks who can help with that particular issue are the Support folks at the help desk.

We here at the forum do not have access to the necessary information to resolve such an issue.

• If you already have a ticket at the Help Desk, please try to be patient. The Help Desk is busy, and they are also assisting users with technical support and malware cleanup cases.
  • Please do not open multiple tickets there -- doing so will slow down the process and could delay their response to you.
• If you do NOT already have a ticket at the Help Desk, you may open one HERE.
  • Please provide the Help Desk with as much of the following information as possible (but do NOT post this sensitive information here in this forum):
    • Name of purchaser
    • Email address of purchaser
    • Date of purchase
    • cleverbridge reference number (or details about the seller, if it was NOT malwarebytes online store)
    • MBAM license ID and Key information
    • Screen shots of any error messages or other dialogs

• Either way, please be sure to check your spam and junk mail folders, to verify that the emails from the Support team did not land there by mistake.

In the interim, you may wish to perform a CLEAN REINSTALL of MBAM -- the setup wizard will offer a 14-day Trial with the full, premium features, while you sort out the licensing issues. (1 Trial per PC per MBAM program version)

Thanks for your patience and understanding,

[rlkufrin]

MBAM got hacked yesterday!!!!!

 

 

Last night I noticed a red exclamation on top of the system tray MWB logo. It asked for updated credit card information. I entered my new credit card because somehow my credit card was hacked several months ago. This morning Chase Bank called and said someone attempted to purchase a computer for $5,500 using the credit card information i gave Malware Bytes.

 

HOW CAN THIS HAPPEN to an anti-malware company?

 

This morning after they called I checked and found that I purchased the Premium Package in September 2015.

 

[m60rocks]

MBAM got hacked yesterday!!!!!

 

 

Last night I noticed a red exclamation on top of the system tray MWB logo. It asked for updated credit card information. I entered my new credit card because somehow my credit card was hacked several months ago. This morning Chase Bank called and said someone attempted to purchase a computer for $5,500 using the credit card information i gave Malware Bytes.

 

HOW CAN THIS HAPPEN to an anti-malware company?

 

This morning after they called I checked and found that I purchased the Premium Package in September 2015.

Yes I had the same red exclamation. No mention of updating any info however.

 

Have there been any other reports?

[m60rocks]

Hello and :

 

 

Hello back to you and thanks.

 

I think my licence is genuine, I have heard about non-genuine licenses but they all got deactivated very early after the 2.2.0 update.

I bought 2 licenses back then and the second one is still perfectly valid.

 

So I find it very odd and annoying that something I payed for with the intention of never having to worry about it again is giving me so much trouble.

One thing I know for sure: if they don't give my my license back I will NOT buy a new one. I feel cheated.

[Skier]

I'm another with a lifetime licence (purchased in 2009) and yesterday, immediately after installing the Windows updates, I received the warning that my licence has expired. I submitted a support request at 21:14 last night but no response at this time.  If Malwarebytes servers were hacked they not advertising the fact to their customers as far as I can see.

[m60rocks]

I'm another with a lifetime licence (purchased in 2009) and yesterday, immediately after installing the Windows updates, I received the warning that my licence has expired. I submitted a support request at 21:14 last night but no response at this time.  If Malwarebytes servers were hacked they not advertising the fact to their customers as far as I can see.

What does the expiration date say? Is it 10/01/2010 as well?

 

I just had a conv. with the support team, and something very interesting came about: my code was genuine (confirmed by the support), and last active today, but apparently it turned into a subscription code that expired in 2010.

This is clearly impossible, and may indicate that the servers got indeed hacked.

I attached the conv.

 

This case is getting interesting, and depressing, since I will probably not get another license since my retailer was "not approved".... Why would they need approved retailers for server-stored (non-generatable) keys?

 

Anyhow, here is the conv:

 

 

Me: My lifetime license expired, what is going on?

Just a moment...

Chavon: Hello, one moment please.

Please provide me with the email address associated with the account. XXXXXXXX@gmail.com is not in our system.

Me: account?

Chavon: Yes, if you purchased through us you would have an account

Me: I purchased through a retailer

Chavon: Okay, I would need a proof of purchase and the code

Me: One moment please

Identifier: XXXXX

Key: XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX I will check my paypal transaction data

Chavon: The code was locked due to activating more than the allowed times. I can reset for you but I need to see a receipt to make sure you are the owner. When you have the receipt let me know and I can send you a request to send it on here.

Me: I have the receipt from paypal, if the transactio reference sufficient?

Chavon: that would work

Me: XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Chavon: i would need an attachment

you can send on here

let me know when your ready and I will send you a request

Me: I can make a pdf of all the transaction details of paypal

Chavon: The most important thing is if this is an authorized vendor

who did you purchase the code from

Me: buyersgate

I have the pdf

Chavon: one moment please

Me:

File uploaded:

FireSh...rom-hu.pdf

Don't you have a system so see what pc used the license first? Maybe it's because I installed windows 10 on my pc?

Chavon: It has been reset. To let you know I do not show buyersgate as an approved vendor. I am resetting this for you this time but because they are not authorized we are not to fix the code.

For future deactivate your computer first so this does not happen

Me: Oh, ok. When will the change be effective? as in, when will my license work again?

Chavon: now

try it

Me: i will restart the software

Chavon: would you like me to wait

Me: one moment yes

I still get the same message

Chavon: one sec

it was at zero now it says 1

Me: meaning?

Chavon: one sec

XXXXX:XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX

the code is coming up as subscription

not lifetime

I have to see if my manager will fix this part being that they are not an approved vendor.

One moment while I check with him

Me: I was until i got this problem, it always said "lifetime" under duration

ok thanks

Chavon: My manager is on lunch I will send an email to you as soon as he fixes that part, he is the only one that can do it.

Me: Ok, well, you have got my email...

but in your system it says that the license is not permanent?

Chavon: yes XXXXXXX@gmail.com

it says subscription

which is a yearly fee

Me: hmm, I have another key for another pc here, would you mind checking that one? because I got it from the same retailer and it says "lifetime", like this one before today

Chavon: i can tell you if it is lifetime or subscription

Me: ok, one moment, starting up my desktop. shouldn't be more than a minute

Chavon: give me one moment as well

Me: Ok, got it. The code is: "identifier" XXXXX, "key" XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX. "state" licensed, "duration" lifetime

Chavon: okay one second

that code does not come up in our system

oh one sec found it

Me: let me check for spelling mistakes

Chavon: that is a lifetime code

Me: ok. well, it's from the same retailer, and the other code had the same messages as this one, so it's odd for me that the system claims it's subscription

maybe the status was changed when you resetted it?

Chavon: No, it only put the activation number back to zero

Me: well, is it possible to see the history of the code or something? Because in my license details now it says that this code expired on 10/01/2010, that is clearly not the case

Chavon: So because you purchased from an authorized vendor I am not able to do anything I am supposed to offer you 1 free year subscription.

But this will be up to my manager

I am not even able to provide you any information.

Me: Hold on, I understand that you cannot give me another code, but how can you deactivate the one I already have if it shows up in your system that it is genuine?

Chavon: I have not deactivated anything

I reset the code for you

the problem is that is it is saying it is a subscription that expired

Me: I know that not to be the case, it said "lifetime" until this problem happened today. So I do not ask for another code or to give me any info, but please check if something happened because this code is not subscription

Chavon: so my manager will have to go in and fix it but that is up to him. Because they are not an approved vendor we are not supposed

I understand that but I am only going by what I see

this will be the managers decision to fix this code.

This is your CASE #905422

Me: Where can I lookup the details of the case?

Chavon: There is nowhere to look up details of the case, but if for some reason you do not hear back from us you can always contact support@malwarebytes.org and put that case number into your email. I am good about getting back to each customer.

Me: Alright. So I'll be expecting a mail then?

Chavon: It will be today as well.

Me: Good, before we end the conversation, I would like to add this: I understand that the team at MalwareBytes cannot guarantee the genuinety of a code when it is bought from an unapproved retailer, and therefore hold no responsibility for refunds and genuine code exchanges, but if the code is proven genuine as in my case, I think it's reasonable that you at least see why a genuine code that worked until this morning claiming it is a lifetime code, suddenly changed to a subscription code that expired 5 years ago. Is it even possible to activate MBAM with an expired code? These facts and questions, i think, should be considered when you decide to give me support or not.

That being said, thanks for your help and have a nice day.

Chavon: I will put all of this information into your case so when he reads it the outcome can be in your favour.

Your welcome.

Thank you for your feedback!

 

PS: is it possible to edit previous posts? because I'm the type of guy that likes to make a ton of ammendments and post scripti, so I might end up making many consecutive posts.

[1PW]

Hello m60rocks:

https://encrypted.google.com/#q=Buyers+Gate+Inc

 

https://www.bbb.org/search/?type=name&input=Buyers+Gate+Inc&location=Houma%2C+LA&tobid=&filter=business&source=bbbse&default-source=bbbad&radius=&country=USA%2CCAN&language=en&codeType=YPPA

http://buyersgate.com = "This site is under development"

 

 

Perhaps the above information is faulted or means nothing now...

[m60rocks]

Hello m60rocks:

https://encrypted.google.com/#q=Buyers+Gate+Inc

 

https://www.bbb.org/search/?type=name&input=Buyers+Gate+Inc&location=Houma%2C+LA&tobid=&filter=business&source=bbbse&default-source=bbbad&radius=&country=USA%2CCAN&language=en&codeType=YPPA

http://buyersgate.com = "This site is under development"

 

 

Perhaps the above information is faulted or means nothing now...

Thanks for the DOX, but as the support mentioned, the key was indeed genuine and it did show up on my MBAM as a lifetime key.

 

So the retailer is irrelevant at this point.

[Porthos]

Thanks for the DOX, but as the support mentioned, the key was indeed genuine and it did show up on my MBAM as a lifetime key.

 

So the retailer is irrelevant at this point.

I became a re seller in late 2009 and All the keys I sold were in the format

 

xxxxx-xxxxx

xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx

 

Up until one of the latest versions those other keys would show genuine and lifetime. . Malwarebytes cracked down on un authorized keys and seems like you might have been a victim of this.

[m60rocks]

Great news for me, not so great news for other users:

 

The support staff decided to give me a new lifetime key, so as far as I am concerned my issue is solved.

 

However this raises some questions: They wouldn't give me a new key if they weren't sure that my key was genuine (although I stated it was from a non-supported retailer) and a lifetime key (while on their server is claimed it was subscription) this means that there was likely a bug or some sort of anomaly that can lead to genuine lifetime keys being turned into expired subscription keys.

 

SO, the very fact that they gave me a new key (which I really didn't expect and am very grateful for) indicates that something is amiss.

 

Thus, just a heads up for future threads: if someone claims their genuine lifetime key apparently expired in 2010, don't be too quick to dismiss them and claim it is a fake/generated key.

 

 

 

I became a re seller in late 2009 and All the keys I sold were in the format

 

xxxxx-xxxxx

xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx

 

Up until one of the latest versions those other keys would show genuine and lifetime. . Malwarebytes cracked down on un authorized keys and seems like you might have been a victim of this.

 

I wasn't aware of that, I thought all generated keys were eliminated since the 2.20 update.

Anyhow, I'm pretty sure my key was genuine, as the staff claimed both keys were stored in their servers.

 

 

 

__________________________

I think there is still room for discussion in this thread, so admins/mods don't close it just yet.

[AdvancedSetup]

For licensing issues you really need to contact the Help Desk and they can sort it out for you. There are some old legacy keys that might have an issue but again the Help Desk can get to the bottom of it and get it corrected for you.

 

You can contact Consumer Support from here.

 

https://support.malwarebytes.org/customer/portal/emails/new?b_id=6438

 

Thank you

[Skier]

I made my purchase via the Malwarebytes website and received the acknowledgement e-mail from 'cleverbridge / Malwarebytes Corporation.' I still have the e-mail from 30 May 2009.  Following my initial contact to try to get this issue resolved I was asked to uninstall, reinstall, re-activate - no difference.  I await the next step.

[daledoc1]

Hi:

 

I made my purchase via the Malwarebytes website and received the acknowledgement e-mail from 'cleverbridge / Malwarebytes Corporation.' I still have the e-mail from 30 May 2009.  Following my initial contact to try to get this issue resolved I was asked to uninstall, reinstall, re-activate - no difference.  I await the next step.

 

As per @AdvancedSetup's (and my original) advice: please continue to work with the Support Team members via the Help Desk.

 

They will assist you with sorting out the licensing activation/renewal issues.

(Please verify that reply emails have not inadvertently landed in your email junk or spam folders.)

 

Thank you again for your patience and understanding,

[AdvancedSetup]

If you're having licensing issues please contact the Help Desk as requested. I will go ahead and close this topic now as there is nothing we can do to assist you if your license was working but now is no longer working. Only the Help Desk can assist you with that issue.

 

Thank you