Didn't get product key after upgrade

[Neubecker]

I upgraded my Malwarebytes full version via Google play and ended up with a trial version and had to pay $16.99/yr to upgrade to the Premium version.  I however did not receive an email with a product key.  Am I doing something wrong? 

[garioch7]

@Neubecker

That was my experience too, but the following day, Malwarebytes for Android updated itself on my device, and it showed as activated.  I think that is the way that Google Play Store does things.  You don't actually receive an activation key, Google Play Store keeps track of your MB for Android subscription for you.

Have a great day.

Regards,
-Phil

[cmarlow]

I have the same problem. It never fixed itself. 

Around the same time as my MWB Android app purchase, I got a notice from Cleverbridge that my PC MWB subscription was about to expire. I didn't think that was correct. I thought that I was good for several more months, so I went to my MWB account page on their site and found that I couldn't log in. I sent a support request to Cleverbridge and MWB support but didn't hear back. I went ahead and renewed my subscription for another year. After that, I got a support email from Cleverbridge. I told them what had happened. They got back to me and said that I had two subscripts running: the original and the new one that I purchased. I was told that they could not append one to the other, but they could give me a refund on the original and I would be good for another year. Then I was able to get back into my account page. They never offered an explanation for the false notification and being blocked out of my account page. I don't understand why they could not credit the new payment to the original account. Every other software vendor that I do business with (and I have several) are constantly bugging me to pay early and extend the expiration date.

So, MWB sent me a notice that it was time to pay up for another year. I was blocked out of my account page so I couldn't see what was going on. When I sent the money, a second license was purchased that could not be appended to the original license. No explanation was offered. Something is wrong.

When I asked Cleverbridge about the MWB Android app, they told me that they didn't handle those purchases. Since MWB didn't respond to my support request, I was left out in the cold. Yesterday, I received a belated email from MWB (not Cleverbridge), asking me if I still needed help. I wrote back that Cleverbridge had solved one of my issues and, then, explained the problem that I was still having with the Android app. I'm guessing that their email was an automated process. I responded to it immediately, after receiving it. I don't expect a response. I uninstalled the Android app, but I'm still paying an annual, automated, fee to somebody, somewhere, and I don't know who it is or how to stop future payments and MWB support is not helping me.

If I had set up my desktop PC MWB account for automatic payment, and not paid close attention, I might have ended up paying for two license accounts and not know it, for as long as I use MWB. Whether it's a flaw in their system or human action, from the viewpoint of the customer, it's a scam.

Summary of Android app issue: I never received any emails after the initial purchase. I never received the activation code. When I made the purchase, it looked like I was paying directly to MWB. For all practical purposes, MWB support does not exist. I can't stop payments on my automatic Android app account because I don't know where the money went.

Any suggestions, other than trying to contact MWB support, again, would be greatly appreciated. 

 

[mbam_mtbr]

11 minutes ago, cmarlow said:

Summary of Android app issue: I never received any emails after the initial purchase. I never received the activation code. When I made the purchase, it looked like I was paying directly to MWB.

 

Here are a couple of sections from our Malwarebytes for Android FAQs that may help:

If I buy a license using Malwarebytes for Android, do I get a license key?

If you purchase a license for Malwarebytes for Android Premium using the Malwarebytes for Android application, this is an in-app purchase.  In-app purchases do not receive a license key, but they are registered to your Google Play Account.  Malwarebytes for Android Premium uses your Google Play Account to verify your purchase.

I used Malwarebytes for Android to buy a license.  Why won't Malwarebytes for Android upgrade to Premium?

Reboot your Android device to activate Malwarebytes for Android Premium.  Malwarebytes for Android should upgrade to Premium automatically, and it may help to turn your Android device off and on.

To verify you have Malwarebytes for Android Premium:

1. Open Malwarebytes for Android.
2. Tap the menu icon.
3. Scroll down to General.
4. Tap Premium.
5. Look for a Your Premium account is activated message, as shown below.

 

[cmarlow]

Thank you. I reinstalled Malwarebytes for Android. It show that I had 15 days remaining for my Premium trial period. I closed Malwarebytes and rebooted of my Samsung tablet. I opened Malwarebytes and it repeated that I had 15 days left of my trial period. I tapped on "Premium" under the "General" tab in the Menu. The next page showed a list of things that I would have if I upgraded to "Premium." At the bottom of the page is a button to tap which says "UPGRADE NOW." I tapped on it and it brought up a small window that said, "Premium Subscription (Malwarebytes for Android)." Below that, it showed Visa and the last 4 numbers of the CC that I had used to make the purchase (15 days ago). At the bottom of the page is a green button, "SUBSCRIBE." Based on my experience with Cleverbridge, I'm thinking that if I tap that button, again, I'm going to be paying for 2 licenses and may not have the use of either one. Suggestions? Thanks for your help. 

[mbam_mtbr]

Hi @cmarlow,

Just to be clear, you made a purchase within the  Malwarebytes for Android app (in-app purchase), and it's not showing as Premium, correct?

Nathan

[cmarlow]

That's correct.

[mbam_mtbr]

Hi @cmarlow,

If you paid for Malwarebytes for Android app with an in-app purchase, it should show as Premium.  You may want to double check your credit card statement to make sure the transaction went through.

Nathan

[cmarlow]

What name would the purchase go to? Cleverbridge said they don't handle In-app purchases. Thanks.

 

[mbam_mtbr]

1 minute ago, cmarlow said:

What name would the purchase go to? Cleverbridge said they don't handle In-app purchases. Thanks.

 

Not sure, but it should be for $16.99.  You sure that your not confusing a PC license for an Android license?

[cmarlow]

I am absolutely certain that I am not getting the PC and Android confused. Today, I got an email from Malwarebytes support. They said that an In-app purchase uses an activation code. Now, I'm confused. That contradicts what you said.  My Malwarebytes for PC is activated and running fine, but it's using an activation key that is only for Android devices. The confusion seems to be with Cleverbridge or Malwarebytes. I'm never sure which one I'm dealing with. I sent this to support:

I opened my desktop Malwarebytes and this information is under the “My Account” tab:

Edition: Premium
License Key: xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-Q329W (redacted part of the number for the forum)
Status: Automatically RENEWS IN 350 DAYS
Subscription renewal date: Wednesday, October 17, 2018

Support stated that this license key can only activate an Android device, yet there it is, activating my PC device and there is no record of me making an Android purchase. It was paid for with the full year purchase for the PC subscription, not the $11.99/year Android purchase. Here is a part of the response that I sent back to support:

"Your comment: The first license key can only activate the android devices but as i see it has been activated on windows pc.
The license can only activate one devices as it has been purchased for 1 device only.
My answer: The license you are referring to was purchased specifically for my PC. It is currently running on my PC. It was never intended for anything else. When I was dealing with the PC stuff, Cleverbridge told me that they did not handle “In-app” purchases for Malwarebytes. Who does handle In-app purchases and where did my money go? How do I either stop the automatic payments or activate the software that I purchased?"

How does something like that happen? My purchase, as I described was made for and through my Android tablet. No part of the purchase took place over a PC. I conducted the purchase and, at the end of it, was notified that it was successful. Now that purchase is in limbo and my PC version of Malwarebytes is activated by code that can only activate an Android device (according to support). There seems to be some confusion involving the two devices, but it's not on my end.

The problem may have resulted from the proximity of the two purchases.  Cleverbridge sent me a notice that my PC account was about to expire and I needed to pay up for another year or lose service. I paid up before finding out that my PC account was not about to expire and the notice might have been for an account that closed a long time. About the same time, I purchased the Android app, In-app. I contacted Cleverbridge about the erroneous notice and payment for the PC account. They said that they would delete the older account and I would have a full year for the most recent payment, which is for the PC version. Now I find out that the activation code for my PC is only for Android devices and my Android purchase has disappeared. Somebody at Cleverbridge probably, maybe (I don't know), got confused and caused this. Now, apparently, the records are kept in such a way that nobody can see what happened and it doesn't make any sense.

Malwarebytes's support is pretty sketchy so I may not hear back from them for a while, if ever. Maybe I'll post my entire response where somebody on the forum might have suggestions for, both, me and Malwarebytes.

Edited November 1, 2017 by cmarlow
left out an important word

[cmarlow]

More....

I never received an activation key for the PC stuff that I was getting straightened out with Cleverbridge. My PC version of Malwarebytes Premium was already activated. I was just extending the subscription period. 

[mbam_mtbr]

Hi @cmarlow,

Okay, let me see if you I can make sense of all this.  There are three ways to buy a license for Malwarebytes for Android:

1) Directly through Google Play

2) Making an In-App purchase inside of Malwarebytes for Android

3) Buy a license via our website which CAN be used on multiple devices including PC, MAC, and Android (which I believe you're right, is Cleverbridge)

Option '3' is fairly new (as of July 31st, 2017), which is probably why this is so confusing.  With option '3' you can only use it on one device, which it appears you used for your PC.

Options '2' & '3' are NOT done through Cleverbridge (so no, they weren't lying).  Options '2' & '3' are connected through your Google account you used to install Malwarebytes for Android from Google Play. 

So, you should see two different charges on your CC.  One for license xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-Q329W you used for PC, and another for your in-app purchase.  To add to the confusion, there is a link in Malwarebytes for Android to our website with the multiple device option '3'; maybe you used that to purchase the license xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-Q329W?  If bought through our website (even if redirected through our app) it is not an in-app purchase.

Nathan

[cmarlow]

Nathan, thanks for taking the time to help me with this. It is confusing. I'll try to find the In-app CC charge and stop future payments to it....without stopping all payments to Malwarebytes/Cleverbridge. I purchased Norton for Android. It seems to do everything I need.

 

For your tech people, something happened at the end of the In-app purchase. When the purchase was finished and Malwarebytes opened for the first time, I was greeted with a request for the activation key. I didn't have one so I dismissed it thinking that I would be receiving one, and I would start Malwarebytes again and use it. When I started Malwarebytes (Android) again, there was no option to activate. It simply opened in Trial mode. I'm thinking I might be too stupid to use an Android device. :-)

 

Thanks again. I sincerely appreciate your time and help. 

-Russell

 

 

[mbam_mtbr]

1 hour ago, cmarlow said:

For your tech people, something happened at the end of the In-app purchase. When the purchase was finished and Malwarebytes opened for the first time, I was greeted with a request for the activation key. I didn't have one so I dismissed it thinking that I would be receiving one, and I would start Malwarebytes again and use it. When I started Malwarebytes (Android) again, there was no option to activate. It simply opened in Trial mode. I'm thinking I might be too stupid to use an Android device. :-)

It really sounds like what might have happened is you clicked on our link in the Malwarebytes for Android that redirected you to our website were you then bought the license xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-Q329W.  You may have mistakenly used it for your PC since this all happened at the same time.

If you want Malwarebytes for Android, just click the "UPGRADE NOW" button which will use Google Play to make the purchase.

Something else that could have happened is if you have multiple Google accounts on your phone, perhaps you used another account to buy Malwarebytes for Android.  I know that the in-app purchase is tied to your Google account, so if the account is different/not present on the device it maybe isn't recognizing that.  Even if you have multiple accounts though, Malwarebytes for Android should know this and use the appropriate account... I'm just throwing out possible hypothesis at this point.

Nathan

[cmarlow]

Thank you.