Requiring unnecessary personal data to complete purchase

[loriemccl]

I've used Kaspersky for years.  I was in the process of my most recent renewal when I was notified I would be emailed the information needed to complete my transaction.  Now, they already had my name, credit card, etc., so I was curious to see what else was required for me to be a valid customer.

Wow!  They wanted photos of my driver's license or passport.  What?! 

Please note, that I am not purchasing an identity protection product.  With those products, I've only seen the requirement being a valid social security number.  Nonetheless, this seemed outrageous to me.  I wasn't registering my vehicle or purchasing a commercial airline ticket.  This was to renew a software product.

I eventually got a customer service representative on the phone.  That was fun.  He repeatedly said, "That is necessary to complete the purchase."  I repeatedly asked, "Why?" 

While talking with the representative, I looked up their sales processing service:  Nexway.  On that company's site, their privacy statement repeatedly states they can use your information in any way they wish.  This is data mining at its best.  Nexway will be packaging and reselling all that information to customers globally (they have offices around the globe).  You do enough without my knowledge that I don't need to willingly offer up information for which you have no need other than your organization's bottom line.  It is of no service to me.  My money should be service enough.

At my request, the service representative took my contact information and said a supervisor would be contacting me by phone.  He was kind enough to even ask what time was most convenient for me.  It sounded friendly and even sincere, but that was 4 days ago, and I've still not been called.  I doubt I will be.  Oh, well.

I don't give my hairdresser my social security number either.  It is not relevant to our transaction.

I will no longer be using Kaspersky products or recommending them to anyone.  It is unfortunate that they have chosen this invasive practice in their business.  I will not encourage or support it with my funding.

 

[Flood and Flood's wife]

Hello @loriemccl, 

Welcome!

Requesting photos of driver's license or passport is not standard unless there's an issue with the transaction; we had a similar issue and discovered the original 'delivery address' Kaspersky had on their records (from 15 years ago), that they had not updated, was incorrect. 

There's a very small note in What to do in case of payment issues when buying a license or subscription?: If after completing the purchase you received a request for additional information, for example, a photo of your ID, then you have entered some details incorrectly. Please provide the required additional information or make another order with correct details.

We're not suggesting that's what has happened in (your) case, simply providing the Kaspersky documentation reference. 

What appears to have compounded the aggravation, in (your) case is no follow-up, as promised. 

Would you be kind enough to post back the Incident reference number - it's prefixed with INC0000* so a member of the Kaspersky team can assist please? 

Please post back? 

Thank you?
Flood?+?

[loriemccl]

The was no incident reference number in that format given.  This is the reference # given by the phone support personnel: 15219765.

 

[Flood and Flood's wife]

16 minutes ago, loriemccl said:

The was no incident reference number in that format given.  This is the reference # given by the phone support personnel: 15219765.

Hello @loriemccl,

Thank you!

It's just past midnight for the HQ escalation team, please wait patiently. 

Thank you again. 

Edited April 18, 2023 by Flood and Flood's wife

[Igor Kurzin]

Hi @loriemccl, 

Sorry to hear about this situation. 

A call by supervisor was attempted to be made on the 14th of April. Three attempts. 

We have asked the team to get in touch with you over the phone asap to clarify. 

 

[Beatill]

I just had a similar experience.

When I sent a mail asking why they needed that kind of ID my transaction was cancelled with no explanation.

After a follow up mail from me I was told because I had not replied favourably to the original request. Still no explanation why they need that information.

Very disappointing. Great product, awful customer service.

[Aux10Forever]

44 minutes ago, Beatill said:

I just had a similar experience.

When I sent a mail asking why they needed that kind of ID my transaction was cancelled with no explanation.

After a follow up mail from me I was told because I had not replied favourably to the original request. Still no explanation why they need that information.

Very disappointing. Great product, awful customer service.

They might need to verify the information that was filled in the order form. As an alternative, you can also purchase a Kaspersky license from Amazon.

[Flood and Flood's wife]

Hello @Beatill, @Aux10Forever, @Schawkin

Welcome & or welcome back!

Kaspersky has had long standing security measures in place for *transactions that require verification*, reference: What to do in case of payment issues when buying a license or subscription?

1. Make sure the details entered, such as bank card number, name and zip code, are correct.
2. Update your payment details if your bank card has expired, refer: How to change your payment details or email you specified when buying a license for a Kaspersky application. 
3. If the payment was declined, try another payment method. For example, a different bank card OR direct bank transfer. 
4. If the payment page is displayed incorrectly, try opening it in the incognito (private browsing) mode.
5. If after completing the purchase you receive a request for additional information, for example, a photo of your ID, then you may have entered some details incorrectly. Please provide the required additional information or make another order with correct details.
6. If you experience other issues, submit a request to Kaspersky Customer Service by filling in the template as shown below: (note, fill in the software you are purchasing, we've used Kaspersky Standard as an example)

Thank you🙏
Flood🐳+🐋

[garioch7]

@DeandreRay,

I am a new K customer: last week.  I think your topic should be opened individually.  Are you sure that you were on a legitimate K site?

I was not asked for that information.

I am a newbie, but I have to wonder about the legitimacy of the site you visited . . .

Have a great day.

Regards,
Phil

[Flood and Flood's wife]

8 hours ago, DeandreRay said:

Requiring additional personal data like photos of your driver's license or passport for a software renewal seems excessive. It's understandable to be wary of where your information might end up, especially with concerns about data mining and privacy.

2 hours ago, garioch7 said:

I am a new K customer: last week.  I think your topic should be opened individually.  Are you sure that you were on a legitimate K site? I was not asked for that information. I am a newbie, but I have to wonder about the legitimacy of the site you visited . . .

Hello @DeandreRay & @garioch7, 

Welcome back!

The *majority* of Kasperskys' subscriber transactions are seamless - requiring additional personal data like photos of your driver's license or passport for a software renewal - is the exception - not the rule - as we detailed in our response to @Beatill, @Aux10Forever, @Schawkin & as Kaspersky has documented. 

Kindly READ the documentation:  What to do in case of payment issues when buying a license or subscription?

Thank you🙏
Flood🐳+🐋

Edited May 15 by Flood and Flood's wife
formatting

[garioch7]

@Flood and Flood's wife,

Thank you for clarifying that issue for me.  I am always happy to learn.  Another good day because I learned something new.

Have a great day.

Regards,
Phil

[john10212]

The moment they asked for your ID, anything that required you to hand ID over the internet. Is far from being safe to use. You don't know what they are up to. Is like purchasing a game but need your real ID to make a purchase.

For me I renewed for another 3 years, or if they had 5 years I would, and it was for 10 devices. but once they requested my ID to appprove my purhcase, It means its really bad on their side. Better switch to another antivirus and keep your privacy safe.

[garioch7]

@john10212,

Welcome to the Kaspersky Forums.  Like you, I am new here.  I have only been a Kaspersky Premium customer for five weeks or so.  I actually switched from another major paid antivirus program.  I have used many antivirus programs over the years.  I am 71.  I must say that Kaspersky is the best antivirus software I have ever used.

I was not required to provide an ID upon purchase.  I think I read somewhere here weeks ago that an ID request only occurs if there is perceived to be an issue with the validity of the account . . .

Perhaps @harlan4096 can shed some light on this?

Have a great day.

Regards,
Phil

[harlan4096]

We don't have much info 🤷‍♂️ where did he purchase a license code or a subscription (in official site -> what site)?

 

Also, what do you mean with Your ID? ID card? or?

[john10212]

On 6/12/2024 at 8:25 PM, garioch7 said:

@john10212,

Welcome to the Kaspersky Forums.  Like you, I am new here.  I have only been a Kaspersky Premium customer for five weeks or so.  I actually switched from another major paid antivirus program.  I have used many antivirus programs over the years.  I am 71.  I must say that Kaspersky is the best antivirus software I have ever used.

I was not required to provide an ID upon purchase.  I think I read somewhere here weeks ago that an ID request only occurs if there is perceived to be an issue with the validity of the account . . .

Perhaps @harlan4096 can shed some light on this?

Have a great day.

Regards,
Phil

I'm happy for you if you did not have submit your ID to them. I've been using it for almost 10 years with the same account. So by now, if I have to submit my ID over the internet, no way. It's definitely one of the best apps I used, as nowadays is hard to stay safe. unfortunatly, asking me to hand over my ID to the internet, just to use an apps that is just protecting my pc, doesnt make sense to my rule no1 on staying safe. I'm pretty happy with another Antivirus so far, and it seems to use less computer resources compared to Kaspersky.

 

 

Edited June 16 by Berny

[garioch7]

@john10212,

Thank you for posting back.  I am glad that you are happy with your new product.  It is YOUR computer, so it is always YOUR decision.

AV-Comparatives Lab has just released its latest test results, which you can find here. 

https://www.av-comparatives.org/tests/real-world-protection-test-february-may-2024/

I hope your new product scores well.

Having a robust backup strategy is even more important than the choice of security software.  No one product can prevent all malware attacks.  It is important to be able to quickly recover from any attack without data loss.

Stay safe in cyberspace.  Have a great day.

Regards,
Phil