Thank you for being a valued part of the CNET community. As of December 1, 2020, the forums are in read-only format. In early 2021, CNET Forums will no longer be available. We are grateful for the participation and advice you have provided to one another over the years.

Thanks,

CNET Support

Alert

Iolo System Mechanic Professional

Oct 26, 2015 3:29PM PDT

This is NOT an alert regarding the capabilities of this software to take care of your system. Indeed, I'm quite happy with the results, as it seems to do exactly what it says, so thumbs up to the developers.

This ALERT relates to the fraudulent, misleading and blatantly deceptive internal ADWARE and associated SPAM campaign attached to their current version.

The campaign offers you the 'new version' at 50% off, but only for a limited time. This offer is shown both in the software (hints and tips section at bottom of overview page) and in an email campaign.

So, what's so wrong with a company making such an offer to existing customers?

When you pay your annual subscription, you are entitled to all updates issued within your subscription period. If the new version is released within your subscription period, you get it at no extra cost. So there is no need to pay anything at all until your subscription is due for renewal. Therefore, as I see it, this constitutes deceptive and misleading advertising.

When you follow either the internal ad link, or the one in the email, the scam is revealed for all to see, as you end up at a page that tries to get you to prematurely extend your subscription.
The extension offer is almost certainly legitimate and may well be at a discounted rate, but the deception and subterfuge employed is repulsive in the extreme.

Different countries have different consumer laws relating to false or misleading advertising. In Australia, this behaviour is so blatantly illegal as to boggle the mind. I wonder how your countries laws would deal with such behaviour?

It's such a shame when all the hard work and creativity of app developers is ruined by greedy, unscrupulous, second rate spin doctors. There's more I'd like to say about these people, but I know CNET's standards of behaviour prohibit the use of such language.

Discussion is locked

- Collapse -
The name Iolo is enough....
Oct 26, 2015 3:47PM PDT

to get this a thumbs down here. None of the members/mods here would advocate it. Not needed and can cause more trouble than it "fixes". Any spam links will go.
Dafydd.

- Collapse -
Deceptive emails continue.
Jul 10, 2016 3:27PM PDT

I received one of those emails that was COMPLETELY FALSE. It did give a good discount for extending System Mechanic Pro another year, but it stated that "System Mechanic Pro IS HERE". After several attempts along with several emails about the new Version 16 not being available I called to complain and get a fix. Come to find out that System Mechanic Pro is NOT HERE but is expected over the next several months. During this time I checked my account and found out that the UPGRADE from System Mechanic Premium to System Mechanic Pro that I purchased on 05DEC2014 was NOT and UPGRADE but a new account that caused me to be double billed for 17 months.

When I brought this up over the phone that somehow translated to my wanting 17 MONTHS FREE. I told them that, NO, I don't want anything FREE. I want the 17 months added to my current System Mechanic Pro expiration date as I had been erroneously doubled billed on a separate account for the Premium that I did not know about and did not use. WARNING, though this is a good suite of software their emails are DECEPTIVE. DO NOT ALLOW THE AUTO RENEWAL or they will set up two accounts for the product and charge you TWICE for the same service.

- Collapse -
Wouldn;t touch it with a long pole.
Jul 10, 2016 3:33PM PDT

It's scam software that only works by giving false results.
Dafydd.

- Collapse -
Nothing but a scam
Jul 15, 2016 8:10AM PDT

I have used Iolo in the past on my previous systems. I believed they would work just like anyone else would believe, but of course i fell for it. After running the first scan i was introduced to a little message box that said i had over 100 problems. Now my computer at the time was not even 6 months old. So i ran the scan thinking my problems would fade away. I noticed nothing at all, not a single change after i had waited 6 hours for the disk defrag to complete. So please do me a favor and stay away, Iolo is nothing but a big scam. If you want something pure, go with CCleaner it's free and very safe, that and adwcleaner. I would not recommended anything else.