CCleaner Pro "Lifetime" Licence - why has it expired?

[Derek_S]

The thing that most of us are complaining about though, is that we went all the way through the purchase without seeing any mention of a subscription. Not only that, we went some further years before we were suddenly asked for more money out of the blue.

[aLongTimeUser]

So I myself have been using ccleaner for years.  I made a one time purchase, god knows how long ago.  I actually kept my laptop in good condition and had it for several years.  In 2016 I did a factory reset(not sure if this was the time of windows 10 release or not, my laptop started as windows 7).  So today I finally decided to upgrade my computer, as I only really use it for personal finance and bills, but the old one was slowing down a bit.  I installed the free version of ccleaner, noticed there was no where to input a key.  Downloaded the professional free trial and went to insert my key and sure enough it said it was expired.  I remember getting an email a couple years back saying it was about to expire and I laughed it off like no, that was a one time purchase.  Nevertheless, my key did not work and I did some investigating.  Though I don't have my original receipt, I do have the copy of my key request back in 2016.  

You'll notice that the key request back in 2016 had no expiration and yes, it was installed on my laptop until I wiped it a couple months ago.  

In the second picture, you will see the key request I put in for today that now has an expiration date of 2015, note that the request for the key my first time around was in 2016 and in 2016 my key had no expiration.  Yet, somehow in 2019, my key is now expired in 2015.  Everything people are saying is true for long term users. 

Everybody is saying that it's always been subscription based, yet it hasn't.  What may have been a subscription were automatic updates and support.  Yet, lets all be real right now.  Most of us who use this program, don't need support.  I personally disabled automatic updates because they annoy me and I'd prefer to manually update when I receive a notification.  As for the pro edition, it had no expiration date, even in 2016.

I sure wish someone had a copy of the terms and conditions from 2012.  

I will now be filing a complaint with the BBB.

[aLongTimeUser]

Just now, aLongTimeUser said:

So I myself have been using ccleaner for years.  I made a one time purchase, god knows how long ago.  I actually kept my laptop in good condition and had it for several years.  In 2016 I did a factory reset(not sure if this was the time of windows 10 release or not, my laptop started as windows 7).  So today I finally decided to upgrade my computer, as I only really use it for personal finance and bills, but the old one was slowing down a bit.  I installed the free version of ccleaner, noticed there was no where to input a key.  Downloaded the professional free trial and went to insert my key and sure enough it said it was expired.  I remember getting an email a couple years back saying it was about to expire and I laughed it off like no, that was a one time purchase.  Nevertheless, my key did not work and I did some investigating.  Though I don't have my original receipt, I do have the copy of my key request back in 2016.  

You'll notice that the key request back in 2016 had no expiration and yes, it was installed on my laptop until I wiped it a couple months ago.  

In the second picture, you will see the key request I put in for today that now has an expiration date of 2015, note that the request for the key my first time around was in 2016 and in 2016 my key had no expiration.  Yet, somehow in 2019, my key is now expired in 2015.  Everything people are saying is true for long term users. 

Everybody is saying that it's always been subscription based, yet it hasn't.  What may have been a subscription were automatic updates and support.  Yet, lets all be real right now.  Most of us who use this program, don't need support.  I personally disabled automatic updates because they annoy me and I'd prefer to manually update when I receive a notification.  As for the pro edition, it had no expiration date, even in 2016.

I sure wish someone had a copy of the terms and conditions from 2012.  

I will now be filing a complaint with the BBB.

Note that I blocked out my name and license key, but the expiration in the 2016 email is literally a dash.

[Sonartech]

Sorry, 'aLongTimeUser', but all of this has already been hashed-out here in the other 4 pages of this thread and no one from Piriform gives a crap, least of all Avast.  Everything you've said is absolutely true.  However, read through this entire thread and you'll find several posts that point to the 2012 Terms and Conditions / Software EULA that's still available on the Wayback Machine.  If you read those terms and conditions/EULA, you would have seen that Piriform did in fact mention the subscription model in those terms, they just never chose to actually enforce them - but they ARE there.  The problem is that they didn't choose to enforce them for many years, and they also didn't tell their reseller that this was a subscription-based product, because (again), they chose not to enforce the subscription model.  Scroll forward several years and double-click on when Avast bought Piriform, and this is when the current crop of complaints materialized.  Avast chose to start enforcing the EULA as written, and screwed existing customers that were under the very understandable assumption that they had paid for a perpetual license.  Avast doesn't care; they just want their money.  Their position is that if you aren't paying the yearly subscription fee for the Pro software, you shouldn't be using the Pro version.  They couldn't care less what the assumption was back in 2012, how it was advertised on the product box or web site, how it was (or was not) enforced, or even that their own reseller had no idea that this was a subscription-based product.  It's not even printed on the cardboard product box - and that actually is completely deceptive advertising.  But Avast just doesn't care, so vote with your feet - Don't give them any of your business going forward.  Avast needs to learn that they need your business a whole lot more than you needs theirs. 

[aLongTimeUser]

7 minutes ago, Sonartech said:

Sorry, 'aLongTimeUser', but all of this has already been hashed-out here in the other 4 pages of this thread and no one from Piriform gives a crap, least of all Avast.  Everything you've said is absolutely true.  However, read through this entire thread and you'll find several posts that point to the 2012 Terms and Conditions / Software EULA that's still available on the Wayback Machine.  If you read those terms and conditions/EULA, you would have seen that Piriform did in fact mention the subscription model in those terms, they just never chose to actually enforce them - but they ARE there.  The problem is that they didn't choose to enforce them for many years, and they also didn't tell their reseller that this was a subscription-based product, because (again), they chose not to enforce the subscription model.  Scroll forward several years and double-click on when Avast bought Piriform, and this is when the current crop of complaints materialized.  Avast chose to start enforcing the EULA as written, and screwed existing customers that were under the very understandable assumption that they had paid for a perpetual license.  Avast doesn't care; they just want their money.  Their position is that if you aren't paying the yearly subscription fee for the Pro software, you shouldn't be using the Pro version.  They couldn't care less what the assumption was back in 2012, how it was advertised on the product box or web site, how it was (or was not) enforced, or even that their own reseller had no idea that this was a subscription-based product.  It's not even printed on the cardboard product box - and that actually is completely deceptive advertising.  But Avast just doesn't care, so vote with your feet - Don't give them any of your business going forward.  Avast needs to learn that they need your business a whole lot more than you needs theirs. 

Could you provide a link please?  I read most of the posts, a lot going back and forth, but I just wanted to show that in 2016, my product had no expiration date. 

[Sonartech]

None of our products had expiration dates, because Piriform chose not to enforce them (or set expiration dates in the software or keys or update server).  The EULA still says it was a subscription-based product.  They just never mentioned that anywhere but buried in the fine print.

All of the information below is already in the thread above.  Here, let me get that for you.  :-|

1.  Cleverbridge receipt showing no sign of subscription: LINK
2.  My original post about this: LINK
3.  Ben Piriform's post about the subscription in the EULA archive: LINK (Section 4)
4.  Derek S's pictures of his product box with no information anywhere on the box about any yearly subscription: LINK
5.  Feb 10, 2015 Web Archive of the EULA: LINK (Section 4)
6.  Nov 25, 2012 Web Archive of the EULA: LINK (Section 4)

[Nergal]

12 hours ago, aLongTimeUser said:

What may have been a subscription were automatic updates and support.

Yes this is the only features which stop after a year, all other functions should continue working

[yong_jun]

Another guy who signed up just to post here.

I am a long time user of CCleaner free version, but I open the program very rarely. Today, I was surprised to open it and found out that it was turned into a trial of the Pro version. I didn't like it at first, but it turned out to be a good marketing strategy for Piriform because I found many useful features that can really help me out.

I was about to buy the Pro version when I noticed a fine print saying it was a 1-year subscription (yes, they are now announcing before you buy). There is also an "automatic renewal" option marked. But here is the weird thing: if I unmark that option, the fine print goes away! Look at the screenshots (in Portuguese, sorry!):

 

 

I am not sure what to do. I really want to use the features I had experimented and will even consider to pay the subscription fee, but it's still not clear to me what is that non-auto-renewal purchase option. I also didn't get what's the diference between the free and paid version. Some people here mentioned the only difference is that I have to manually update de software myself in free version. Is that accurate?

[nukecad]

16 hours ago, yong_jun said:

 I also didn't get what's the diference between the free and paid version.

If you look at the free version you will see that some options are clearly markes as being pro options.
(Its says 'PRO' next to them with a little padlock symbol).

These PRO options are - scheduling, some smart cleaning options, multi-user cleaning, and automatic updates.

Once you have paid for PRO then you can use these functions, if you don't need them then the free version will suffice.

You also get 1 years support direct from Piriform, with the free version you just come and ask other users here for help.

[S Scott]

I purchased a lifetime license of the CCleaner Professional bundle with Defraggler on 08/31/2013 and the product had a 1 year subscription.  The one year subscription was for ongoing technical support (the privilege of working with a real life person when there are issues).  Everything in the product should continue to work including automatic updates and cleaning of browsers when they close.  That is how I remember it and that is how the product has been functioning for the last six years.

It is also licensed per computer.  I received the below reply from support in 2015.  This was not listed in the order or payment email.

"All of our software is licensed per computer. This means if you have one license, you can install it on one computer." - Tova 

If Avast wants to make changes then they need to choose a date and grandfather everyone before that date.  Preferably a date where the website was updated to clearly state the changes to the subscription.

With that said I dug up the original email that I received from Piriform back in 2013.  I received one email after my payment was processed and it contained the payment information along with a pdf of my order and a pdf outlining terms for information on payment, delivery and performance.  There are two generic paragraphs in the pdf about payment, delivery and performance that reference subscriptions.  They do not reference any specific product or package that a customer may have purchased.  They are:

I. Payment
1. The payment of the purchase price is due immediately upon entry into the contract and shall take place in the manner specified in cleverbridge’s General Terms and Conditions of business (GTC) available on the cleverbridge Website. With the exception of purchases on account or purchases with grant of a direct debit authorization payments shall take place prior to delivery. Where the Customer has purchased Products or Services with recurring payment obligations (subscriptions) the prices are due at the agreed interval(s) and Customer shall pay these or make the corresponding purchase price available using the payment option he/she/it has selected for debiting by cleverbridge.

II. Delivery and Performance
...
2. Upon purchase of digital Products and Services the Customer receives, following the order, access to a code for the activation of the Software, access to a Webpage with a download link for the downloading of the Software, or the use of the digital Product or Service is facilitated or provided in some other way. Upon purchase of digital Products and Services with recurring payment obligations (subscriptions) the download shall only be authorized, the Service supplied or the ordered goods dispatched, in each case, after full receipt of payment for the period for which the recurring payment obligation exists.

The document is attacked for your review.

Regards,

Scott

Information on Payment, Delivery and Performance.pdf

[DHANDY]

To this day, I see that CCLEANER is half price and it does not state a yearly fee will be addressed. I had the same issue with Malwarebytes but I purchased it back when it was not renewable and am still grandfathered in with a lifetime subscription.  I even sent Piriform an email last week to get an answer..If its lifetime then yes I will buy it. If not then its not woth it to me as I do the cleanup manually anyways.   I too am a PC tech that have referred Malwarebytes as lifetime but didnt know they changed it to yearly.  But still refer them as they are really good at what they do.

[Bastet]

19 hours ago, DHANDY said:

To this day, I see that CCLEANER is half price and it does not state a yearly fee will be addressed. I had the same issue with Malwarebytes but I purchased it back when it was not renewable and am still grandfathered in with a lifetime subscription.  I even sent Piriform an email last week to get an answer..If its lifetime then yes I will buy it. If not then its not woth it to me as I do the cleanup manually anyways.   I too am a PC tech that have referred Malwarebytes as lifetime but didnt know they changed it to yearly.  But still refer them as they are really good at what they do.

I noticed the same with the email - nowhere does it say it’s a subscription. 

I still have my original license which is (supposedly) lifetime but although it states expired it still has all pro features available. 

[Nergal]

3 hours ago, Bastet said:

 although it states expired it still has all pro features available. 

That's because the only things that cease function after a year is automatic updates and priority support

[S Scott]

27 minutes ago, Nergal said:

That's because the only things that cease function after a year is automatic updates and priority support

Automatic updates continues to work for me.  I purchased my license in 2013.  Priority support is the feature that I lost when my yearly subscription ran out.

[Derek_S]

I can't even install the latest Pro version without being forced to pay for it if I can't provide an updated code. My original unlimited installations code only works with the original DVD disc. That works with a conventional desktop PC but not a new Windows 10 tablet that doesn't have a DVD drive.

[Bastet]

17 hours ago, S Scott said:

Automatic updates continues to work for me.  I purchased my license in 2013.  Priority support is the feature that I lost when my yearly subscription ran out.

Automatic updates work sometimes for me. I manually check too.

[iBob]

Same here.

I bought my licence back in late 2015.

There is no mention of there being a subscription, just an expiry on the download link. See image.

So, it would appear that no enough money has been rolling into the bank to sustain the original model. 

I guess it's that age old problem. Build up your business based on good will, expand, forget the good will that got you to where you're now and concentrate on fleecing more money out of those who have remained loyal. 

I knew things were going south when you started adding Avast to the download.   

I will continue to use ccleaner, but I will never pay £1 to the cause.

RB

 

 

 

 

[motowebmaster]

I too thought that I had just bought a license, not a subscription.

Went to Pro last year, and have a few weeks left. Deactivated the auto-renewal.

Couldn't tell that there was a single/lifetime license purchase option. Am I missing something?

[Nergal]

1 hour ago, motowebmaster said:

I too thought that I had just bought a license, not a subscription.

Went to Pro last year, and have a few weeks left. Deactivated the auto-renewal.

Couldn't tell that there was a single/lifetime license purchase option. Am I missing something?

The only pro features that you lose after a year is up are automatic updates and priority support.  Though I don't know if software updater stops working too, I could ask admin though.

[Derek_S]

4 hours ago, Nergal said:

The only pro features that you lose after a year is up are automatic updates and priority support.  Though I don't know if software updater stops working too, I could ask admin though.

If you ever need to reinstall after the first year and download the latest version. Your license code won't work with it. The same thing goes for if you follow the links from the frequent emails urging you to upgrade to the latest version. If you do that, your installion will change to the free version and your code won't work.

The only way to keep using the Pro version is if you have the original installation files or update from within the program itself by selecting the "check for updates" feature in the bottom right hand corner.

[Xellon]

Interesting. I read some of the  posts here and what I find odd is that I just now got a pop up message that my license expired 1 hour ago after I updated (and I update whenever I get the chance).

 

I checked my email and I purchased this on 9/29/2014.

I also got another email that says, "Reminder: Your CCleaner Professional license expired on 29 September 2015." This email message was sent to me on 8/11/2016 5:35 PM. I however never noticed this message and it was marked as unread.

 

However, I never got any pop up till today that it expired and I'm pretty sure I was using CcPro the whole time without any issues. Does this mean I won't get any more updates from today forth unless I purchase a new license?

I checked my version number and its 5.56.7144. When I clicked on check for updates, it says I have the latest. However,  I googled the latest version and its 5.56.7156.

Whats the best course of action? Should I just keep this pro version as it is? Or is it more secure to just get the latest free version?

[Stefke]

I purchased CCleaner Professional Plus in 2014 as a one-time lifetime purchase.  None of the documents showed any experation date field. Future updates were included. Now suddenly the program says my licence has expired and I have to pay a yearly subscription. I prefer to die before paying any more.

When Avast acquired AVG, AVG started to show publicity pop ups, several times a day, even while I was having a professional, paid, licence. I fought with them for more then a year, many others did the same, but the problem never got solved.  In fact the company ignored all complaints.  AVG ended being that malware they were supposed to combat.  So I installed stopped using AVG.

Now that Avast has acquired Piriform, the same thing start to happen with CCleaner. I get popups while working. 
Well, most of the features I needed from the CCleaner suite 5 years ago, are now available in the Windows operating systems and in other software I have.  If CCleaner continues to be annoying, it will not be a difficult decision to remove it. Still I think what Avast is doing is illegal and immoral, and I will - lifetime and for free - give my opinion on them every time I see their name appear.

[Dave CCleaner]

It is worth noting that CCleaner Pro being a one year licence is not exactly a new thing.

It was mentioned on the forum in 2013 ...

And also back in 2012 ...

... although what is relatively new is CCleaner actually telling people that they have expired.

Later this year, CCleaner will start sending less in the way of pop-up notifications to expired home users (particularly for those who expired in 2018 or earlier), relying more on making your status more prominent within the product console itself as a reminder instead.

[Derek_S]

On 14/06/2019 at 21:17, Dave CCleaner said:

It is worth noting that CCleaner Pro being a one year licence is not exactly a new thing.

It was mentioned on the forum in 2013 ...

>Snip details for brevity>

And also back in 2012 ..

<snip>

... although what is relatively new is CCleaner actually telling people that they have expired.

Later this year, CCleaner will start sending less in the way of pop-up notifications to expired home users (particularly for those who expired in 2018 or earlier), relying more on making your status more prominent within the product console itself as a reminder instead.

I suspect you haven't read this whole thread through before posting. Whilst it's true Piriform were selling a one year licenced version then via direct download and I was aware of that before I bought my copy in 2015, they were also selling apparently non time limited versions. Maybe those were only some of the ones sold through third party vendors as it seems lots of the people complaining in this thread didn't buy the digital download version direct from Piriform.

I myself bought a sealed boxed version from a third party retailer, costing considerably more than the digital download just because I saw it wasn't a limited licence version. If you look back to page two of this discussion,  I posted photographs of the disc and box, which clearly show no mention of it being a time limited subscription product. No mention of automatic upgrades either I've just noticed.

Also, I don't get the pop ups other people complain about and can upgrade to the latest version free of charge using the "check for updates" feature in the bottom right hand corner of the start window. I don't get automatic updates and don't actually remember ever getting them even in the first year. That certainly was never a considereation as to whether to buy the product. What I do get regularly, is emails recommending I upgrade to the latest version. I did try doing that once but having downloaded and installed it, I found my key didn't work and the free version was missing many important features I use. That prompted me to come to the support site to find out why, only to find other people complaining of the same problem in this thread. Fortunately I can reinstall from the original disc and upgrade inside the program. People who have lost their original installation media don't have that luxury.

Also, I have to disagree with your assertion that there was little difference between the free version and the Pro version. It's four years ago now but if I recall correctly, the reason I was prepared to pay for the Pro version is because you can specify many system and custom folders of your own choice to be cleaned, set the level of secure cleaning required including wiping free space and have it done automatically. At the time, I was looking for a replacement for Windows Washer, which I'd been using for years but had been discontinued. The free version of CCleaner didn't do all the things that WW did but the Pro version mostly does. My copy monitors my C Drive and a pop up prompts me to run the cleaning operation when it can recover more than 500MB. It happens nearly every day. I'm currently using version 5.58.7209. and will probably revert to that if I start to see intrusive advertising later this year in a newer version. It does everything I need now.

[Nergal]

23 minutes ago, Derek_S said:

Pro version is because you can specify many system and custom folders of your own choice to be cleaned, set the level of secure cleaning required including wiping free space and have it done automatically.

All of that was (is) available in the free version

 

23 minutes ago, Derek_S said:

. My copy monitors my C Drive and a pop up prompts me to run the cleaning operation when it can recover more than 500MB.

This however, is a pro version feature (starting from a lot later than 2015)

23 minutes ago, Derek_S said:

I'm currently using version 5.58.7209.

That's the latest as of this posting, as you don't get the popups it seems to me your lifetime license acts as it should.  Very few people bought legitimately cd versions.  Iirc those were sold at frys or compusa or somewhere limited so I doubt that very many are in the same boat as your lifetime license cd.