How on earth do I "downgrade" my Safe order from 5 devices to 3??

Hi!

I'm losing my temper... Been a faithful F-Secure customer for years. Now I want to renew my order (expires today...) but I no longer need protection for 5 devices but want to purchase Safe for 3 devices instead. Needless to say, it is cheaper and maybe therefore my account gives no such option - only to renew the 5-device-order or to upgrade to a more expensive one - which ) don't need. I keep going around in circles... Do I really have to switch providers???? 

Comments

  • Simon
    Simon Posts: 2,667 Superuser

    Not really a solution, but as a workaround, could you possibly use a different email to open a new account?

  • nanonyme
    nanonyme Posts: 145 Path Finder

    Hey, 

    Iirc downgrade isn't supported mid-subscription. 

  • Overpowered
    Overpowered Posts: 5 New Member

    Hmmm, I guess technically it is mid-subscription even when one has less than  24 hrs to go but really and truly it is a new subscription when the current one runs its course. Frankly I find this to be nothing but a cheap trick and am super disappointed. For a company with F-Secure's reputation it really is not impossible to make the entire selection available upon subscription renewal for old customers alike. Shame on them... 

  • nanonyme
    nanonyme Posts: 145 Path Finder

    @Overpowered wrote:

    Hmmm, I guess technically it is mid-subscription even when one has less than  24 hrs to go but really and truly it is a new subscription when the current one runs its course. Frankly I find this to be nothing but a cheap trick and am super disappointed. For a company with F-Secure's reputation it really is not impossible to make the entire selection available upon subscription renewal for old customers alike. Shame on them... 


    Hey,

    Yeah, I dislike how it works as well. I think it's fair that if you buy a subscription, the price cannot be changed until it ends, however, you should still be able to select how your next subscription will behave before the current one ends. I can imagine that many would avoid autorenewal altogether as a result.

  • Overpowered
    Overpowered Posts: 5 New Member

    Thanks, Simon, for your suggestion. I don't really have active alternative e-mails (although probably should...) and didn't want to create one. But yeah, that would've been a workaround. I just find it ludicrous that we have to invent such workarounds - or even discuss something as mundane as this... And yes, I find this devious because I CAN change my subscription for a more expensive one but not  notch down. It is, therefore, technically not a problem - which we knew already.

  • Overpowered
    Overpowered Posts: 5 New Member

    Yeah, it's absolutely fine I can't downgrade mid-subscription - that would mean a refund and that's not fair. It would be like wanting to change from business class to economy mid-flight and expecting a refund... 😋 But the next purchase - or flight, if you like - ought to be my choice, not theirs. These are tge reasons I don't use auto renewal - because I prefer to choose when the time comes. 

  • nanonyme
    nanonyme Posts: 145 Path Finder

    I would suggest putting the idea to https://community.f-secure.com/t5/Feature-Requests/idb-p/Idea_Exchange if it's not there already. There may also be technical limitations to current situation so it might improve the situation to show people really want it to work different.

  • Simon
    Simon Posts: 2,667 Superuser

    @Overpowered wrote:

    Thanks, Simon, for your suggestion. I don't really have active alternative e-mails (although probably should...) and didn't want to create one. But yeah, that would've been a workaround. I just find it ludicrous that we have to invent such workarounds - or even discuss something as mundane as this... And yes, I find this devious because I CAN change my subscription for a more expensive one but not  notch down. It is, therefore, technically not a problem - which we knew already.


    I'm not sure whether there's a technical reason why it's not as straightforward to 'downgrade' as it is to 'upgrade' when it comes to numbers of devices, but on the face of it, I have to say it sounds like a marketing 'feature'.   Smiley Sad

     

    I guess one solution might be to wait until the subscription expires, then immediately purchase a new one (not a renewal).  You then may be able to protect as many devices as you like without the status of the existing subscription coming into play.  

  • nanonyme
    nanonyme Posts: 145 Path Finder

    @Simon wrote:

    @Overpowered wrote:

    Thanks, Simon, for your suggestion. I don't really have active alternative e-mails (although probably should...) and didn't want to create one. But yeah, that would've been a workaround. I just find it ludicrous that we have to invent such workarounds - or even discuss something as mundane as this... And yes, I find this devious because I CAN change my subscription for a more expensive one but not  notch down. It is, therefore, technically not a problem - which we knew already.


    I'm not sure whether there's a technical reason why it's not as straightforward to 'downgrade' as it is to 'upgrade' when it comes to numbers of devices, but on the face of it, I have to say it sounds like a marketing 'feature'.   Smiley Sad

     

    I guess one solution might be to wait until the subscription expires, then immediately purchase a new one (not a renewal).  You then may be able to protect as many devices as you like without the status of the existing subscription coming into play.  


    Well, yes and no. It's quite obvious you should be able to upgrade your *current* subscription. It means you want to pay more. But as we went through before, it's not at all obvious you should be able to downgrade *current* subscription. (as what would it imply? should you get a refund?) There may be some technical reason that the future subscription isn't modeled separately but there's just concept of a current subscription. It would totally make sense that you could do whatever you want to your future subscription (even downgrade it).

  • Simon
    Simon Posts: 2,667 Superuser

    @nanonyme wrote:

    @Simon wrote:

    @Overpowered wrote:

    Thanks, Simon, for your suggestion. I don't really have active alternative e-mails (although probably should...) and didn't want to create one. But yeah, that would've been a workaround. I just find it ludicrous that we have to invent such workarounds - or even discuss something as mundane as this... And yes, I find this devious because I CAN change my subscription for a more expensive one but not  notch down. It is, therefore, technically not a problem - which we knew already.


    I'm not sure whether there's a technical reason why it's not as straightforward to 'downgrade' as it is to 'upgrade' when it comes to numbers of devices, but on the face of it, I have to say it sounds like a marketing 'feature'.   Smiley Sad

     

    I guess one solution might be to wait until the subscription expires, then immediately purchase a new one (not a renewal).  You then may be able to protect as many devices as you like without the status of the existing subscription coming into play.  


    Well, yes and no. It's quite obvious you should be able to upgrade your *current* subscription. It means you want to pay more. But as we went through before, it's not at all obvious you should be able to downgrade *current* subscription. (as what would it imply? should you get a refund?) There may be some technical reason that the future subscription isn't modeled separately but there's just concept of a current subscription. It would totally make sense that you could do whatever you want to your future subscription (even downgrade it).


    When you renew, your future subscription doesn't start until the existing one expires (so as not to lose days by renewing early), so you would think that the mechanics of that would allow for the existing subscription to be changed upon renewal.  If you wanted to downgrade, then that process shouldn't activate until the end of the current subscription, so refunds don't really come into it as the new subscription wouldn't start until the existing one finished.

  • Jaims
    Jaims Posts: 846 Former F-Secure Employee

    Hi @Overpowered 

     

    Thank you for contacting us on this issue. 

     

    We have touched base with you privately regarding this issue and be rest assured that we will follow up with you until resolution.

  • Simon
    Simon Posts: 2,667 Superuser

    Hi @Jaims 

     

    Thank you for clarifying this issue on the forum, as this will help us to answer future similar questions.

  • pfr1
    pfr1 Posts: 1 New Member

    For me this answer sounds like bull**bleep** (sorry to say, but this is just frustrating).
    I am indeed trying to do the opposite and upgrading from 3  to 5 users. It is not possible eiter, although you state it would be "seemingly possible". My subscription is ending in 1.5 days in the middle of the night. Based on other similar topics, also the option to upgrade comes or would come only after you let the subscription expire, ...after which ALL your devices are left at risk! Hmm, what was again you argument why downgrade is not possible?
    I also would (36 hours before expiration) just buy the 5 users version as an additional one but it is not possible either at least not using my existing F-Secure account / email address.  I  could also buy using a another email address and create a new account, but how then getting existing devices seemingly switched to that new account, without putting them temporarely at risk?
    Well you don't need to answer this question, because I know, it doesn't match what is this topic originally about. These are just my arguments about why for me this answer and especialy the arguments behind are just BS.

  • nanonyme
    nanonyme Posts: 145 Path Finder

    I was unaware it was limited that way too. That sounds silly. I mean, refusing an upgrade from 3 to 5 essentially means they're refusing to let you pay more. Smiley Very Happy

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