I have been performing remote computer repairs for people in the United States and around the world for almost a decade, providing PC help to people with malware removal, virus removal, pop-ups or a slow computer. Online computer repair or online virus removal definitely saves time and money. Remote virus removal can certainly save a person hundreds of dollars over the cost of taking the PC to a local computer repair shop.
While using a remote online computer technician is definitely the way to go for PC help, there are still some pitfalls. I keep hearing horror stories from customers who have previously used an online computer repair service for their computer problems with undesirable results. That’s why I’ve compiled this list of computer scams to watch out for when contracting someone to provide remote computer help.
1. Based in the US – really? Most people in India do not want to speak to someone whose accent is so thick that they cannot be understood. For this reason, many websites state “USA based”. But are they really? I’ve found that many websites advertise that they are in the US, but the person on the phone claiming they are in the US still sounds like someone from India. It’s not wise to deal with someone who just lied to you. Tip: Read the text of a website carefully. You’re likely to find the odd grammatical error on websites that aren’t actually from the US, and of course you’ll know it the instant they pick up the phone. Just say, “Sorry, wrong number.”
2. Super cheap price: There are companies out there that claim they can remove viruses, fix all problems, and tune a PC, all for the low price of $39.99. As someone who has been in the computer service business full-time for 24 years, I can tell you that it takes a PC technician several hours to get all of this right. How can they do that at such a cheap price? There are three options: 1. Hire some young geeks who are still learning and let them practice on your computer. 2. Be resident in India or the Philippines or any other country where labor is cheap. 3. Do the very bare minimum to make ends meet regardless of conscientious quality work. Some places do all three. The old adage – “You get what you pay for.” Applies to online repair of computers. If you want quality remote computer repair, you have to pay for it. Try to save money and you can end up with a broken computer and/or many hours of frustration as you keep calling to try and get the promised online computer help. Good advice: If you want a good PC technician, don’t choose the lowest bidder.
3. Certified – Really? Does the website tell you who will fix your PC? Will the computer technician’s name, credentials and experience be published on the website? I called some of these supposedly Microsoft-certified websites and when I asked exactly what credentials Microsoft held, the computer services company couldn’t give me an answer.
4. Free antivirus software: The online computer service company offers free antivirus software after the repair. Be aware that they are only giving you something you can get for free yourself. Again, you get what you pay for. Free antivirus software might be better than nothing, but not by much. Every day I remove malware from computers protected by free antivirus products that are very badly infected. Only the antivirus products you buy are adequate. When a remote computer repair company gives away inferior products to customers for free, it gives them a false sense of security which will result in their PC eventually being infected by a virus. A PC technician who genuinely has your interests in mind will offer to sell you a quality working product.
5. Free Scan Scam: Here’s how it works. You call a remote computer repair service because your printer isn’t working. The online computer service says it will connect to your computer and tell you what’s wrong, free of charge and without obligation. Then you can decide what to do next. Free diagnosis! Sounds good right? A lot of people fall for it. So the PC technician connects to your computer and runs a program (which he created) that pretends to scan your computer. In just 3 minutes, this software reports hundreds of registry errors, dozens of event log problems, dozens of viruses, trojans and spyware. They tell you that you must fix this immediately before all your files disappear and your computer stops working altogether. After the intimidation tactic they will give you an outrageous price of $300.00. After you’ve paid for that and supposedly fixed all those errors, chances are your printer is still not working. But the fact of the matter is, there is no software in the world that can tell you what’s wrong with a computer in minutes. With over two decades of experience, I can tell you that it takes a few hours of careful work to properly evaluate a computer. I have helped many customers who told me they had just experienced this scam. Luckily they called me and in many cases their computer wasn’t nearly as bad as they had led them to believe.
6. One-year service contract scam: Pay $300 a year and call for remote PC repair as many times as you want. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. I’ve spoken to many people who have been burned by it. There is only one way an online computer repair company can offer this and stay in business, and that is by not delivering on their promise. The service contract is long and small print and is not read by most customers. I have read them. The fine print says that if you bother them too much they’ll just let you go, won’t provide further computer help, and can’t give you a refund. Your interest will be in getting new customers to pay the $300, not in giving you computer help over and over again. One also has to wonder if such a computer services company will still be in business six months from now.
7. Cold Call Scam: “Microsoft called me and said my PC was infected.” I’ve heard this countless times from people who have asked my advice. I tell them right away, “For $59.99 I’m happy to undertake a virus scan and run a malware removal on your PC, but first of all, know what you were told isn’t true, and it wasn’t Microsoft who she called. Microsoft does not call anyone and they have no way of knowing if your PC is infected.” This scam is very common. If you receive this call, do not be alarmed and do not be tricked into accepting them for the “repair”. pay.
8. The Big Company Scam: A lot of my clients have told me they went to a company website about their computer problems and got a number and then called and talked to HP or Dell or the list goes on: Microsoft, IBM, Norton, Toshiba etc and this one Companies told them they had a variety of issues, they needed malware removal and other fixes to take care of pop-ups, a slow computer, or other issues, and they could fix all of these for a price. What these people didn’t realize was that they weren’t actually speaking to the actual company they thought they were. Many online computer service companies unscrupulously claim to be Dell or Microsoft or whatever. They put up websites and Google ads designed to trick you into believing they are support for HP or whoever. Once they make you think they are the company that made your computer, software, or printer, they have a better chance of selling you their next scam. Every time you go to a website, look at the URL and see where you are. For example, if it says FixMyHP.com or something similar and not HP.com, then you may be on a fraudulent website.
Summary: Online remote computer repair is the easiest and most affordable way to get your computer repaired. If you are aware of the above scams, you can choose a reputable computer service and save your time and money.
Thanks to Mark Swarbrick | #RIPOFFS #Online #Computer #Repair #Remote #Virus #Removal
