A bizarre conversation with my solicitor

Things begin to fall into place. Finance was approved. The real estate agent had the deposit and contracts were exchanged. A settlement date was set. I’ve always been so curious about the process involved in settlement, and at some stage would like to be present when it takes place.

I imagine a darkish, sombre room. The room might be wall-panelled, perhaps a glassed book case stands against a wall, a mahogany table dominates the room, everything reeking of conservatism and money; perhaps it would be the office of a bank. On opposite sides of the table the solicitors or conveyancers are seated, representing me and the vendor. The real estate agent might be present, and perhaps a couple of bankers representing the financial organisations. The very stern solicitors would study the contract of sale, check the sale price, ensure the cheques were just so, and then various documents would be slid across the table.

Though, probably a brightly lit office tended by clerks and junior legal staff manage one settlement after the other, and the coffee stained table is strewn with snack wrappers. It would have to be this way given the lack of care some conveyancers and solicitors demonstrate.

I was curious about this particular settlement, given that it was almost 200km distant from Canberra. I wondered that one or other of the legal teams would travel to the other city, or meet somewhere between the two locations. Neither of these options were considered, when I enquired. My solicitor would contract someone to act on his behalf, or if no one could be found, the vendor’s solicitor would be asked to handle everything. Did I mishear something: the vendor’s solicitor would do everything. Sounds like a potential conflict of interests. It’s done all the time, he said.

My job

The one thing I didn’t mention to my lender was my employment situation. Well, not in as much detail as I could have done. I answered all the questions that were put to me in the application form. I answered completely and truthfully. However, there were certain things happening in my life that the form didn’t ask. So I didn’t tell them.

I had been in the same job for about 4 years. I expect lending institutions like to know that you are in a steady job. It helps keep the repayments coming. The application form asked questions about my employment history and I responded with exact dates and salary. They asked about my personal finances and I responded accurately and completely.

What they didn’t know was that the company I worked for was in the middle of a restructure. This restructure had been on the go for some time, and my job had been targeted as one that had to go. I had managed to procure an alternative job; I then sought permission to quit my current job early, and start the new job the day after the old one finished; which was nice. My separation package made up a substantial proportion of the deposit for the property I wanted to buy. So, redundancy was a good thing for me. Though I have to say, I did enjoy the job very much, I knew it well and did it well, and I knew I was going to miss it. That’s life I guess. Apart from my annoyance with my employer of what was going on, because I thought management were making some bad decisions, the payout was going to help buy me a property. So, to some extent, I have to thank them for providing the means of purchasing my second property. It wouldn’t have been possible without the separation package.

Restructure: that’s a term more and more people are becoming familiar with. I’ve met with restructure experiences more times than I would have preferred. This restructure was an on- and off- and on-again experience that was really pissing me off. More than a year previously there had been a staff announcement about an intended restructure. Jobs were to go. Then notice came that my job was safe; it wasn’t going to be targeted. The restructure wouldn’t affect me. Then about six months or so later it was on again and my job was to go. Then once again they changed their mind; my job was safe. Then there was a new development and my job was to go, and it was definite this time.

It makes it difficult to plan your life when the crowd you work for can’t make a decision and stick to it. It makes you wonder about the calibre of the management. I was determined not to let their sloppiness upset my life. Though, their decision had upset my life. There is no getting away from that.

I used to live in Melbourne. I left Victoria, selling my house to move to the ACT and a new job. This job. And here I was being retrenched from it. Yes, I felt put out. My house in Melbourne didn’t sell for as much as I would have liked, the new house was purchased in Canberra for more money than I would cared to have parted with, and it was a smaller house than my Melbourne place.

Anyway, the new job had a better salary, which always helps, but the job was only a six months contract, with the possibility that it would be made ongoing. My intended lender didn’t ask me if I had plans of quitting my current job, or if I was considering changing jobs, or whether the new job was in a more or less stable environment. They didn’t ask. So, I didn’t tell them. Well, why would they? They would have had no idea. They probably assume people wouldn’t be asking for a loan unless you have a job that enables you to make the repayments.

I felt relatively sure I would keep the new job. I didn’t want to jeopardise my chances of not being approved for the loan. So, I didn’t say a word.

I suppose at some point the lender could have contacted my employer to check me out. Perhaps they did. Wary of not being approved for the loan, I kept quiet about it. Each time I received an email or phone call from the lender I felt on edge. I was always expecting a question on my employment situation that would have given the game away. Fortunately, it never happened.

Westpac stuffs up

My funds to cover the deposit were held in two accounts. A Westpac savings account had the payout from my previous employer. I had just changed jobs while in the middle of a real estate deal. The money was from the termination payout. The remainder of the deposit was held in an offset account linked to my existing home loan, which had a cheque account facility. I wanted to write a cheque, but there were insufficient funds in the cheque account to cover the deposit. It was about $10,000 short. So, I needed to transfer some money to make up the difference.  That shouldn't be too difficult.  Surely.

That evening after work I rang Westpac telephone banking. I explained that I wanted to transfer some funds, mentioning that I wanted the funds transferred quickly. The person on the phone said there would be no trouble in transferring the funds, but advised that it might take a few days, and added that if I wanted to transfer the money quickly it would be best to visit a branch and speak to a teller. This person emphasized that the process would be much quicker through a teller at a branch of the bank. So, a visit to the bank was required. I thanked him, and made that my first priority in the morning. I was up early and waiting at the front door of my local bank branch at opening time.

There was plenty of money in the Westpac account. I asked for $10,000 to be transferred, and I provided the account details. How long would it take, I asked. Usually overnight, the teller said, but she explained that as the funds were to be transferred to another bank, they couldn’t tell me exactly how long it might take, but probably the day after next. This was remarkably similar to what I had been told by the online banking person on the previous evening. And I mentioned my recent experience of the evening before. The young teller I was speaking to admitted to being inexperienced and sought advice from her supervisor, who turned out to be a nasty piece of work.

I explained my request and passed on the advice I received from Westpac telephone banking. That’s wrong, the supervisor said, it is much faster for telephone banking to have done it for you. She added that telephone banking is always saying that. And they’re wrong, she snapped at me. She then directed me to a telephone in the corner of the bank that I could use to contact their telephone banking service if I wished.

I wonder if there was no phone in the corner of the bank and had the closest public telephone been down the street somewhere whether she would have directed me to the pubic telephone box.

I was in a bank and a supposedly experienced banking officer was offering the use of telephone banking services when there was a teller sitting across the counter from me. I found this experience bizarre. I didn’t know what to say. The stupidity was bewildering, but what really offended me was the aggressive and offhand manner of this person. This was a Westpac experience; I’d like people to know that. I suspect the funds would be transferred equally fast or slowly by either method. I declined the use of their telephone and asked the teller to continue with the transfer. I was getting fed up.

With the funds now on their way to my cheque account I wrote the cheque for the property deposit and took it to my solicitor explaining what I had done, and asked him to hold it for a while. This was on a Tuesday. The solicitor agreed not to post the cheque and contract until Friday, which would be more than ample time for my funds to be transferred and cover the cheque.

On the weekend I saw the $10,000 appear in my account. The cogs in the financial machinery were turning. The funds took longer than expected to be transferred but the money was in my account. The cheque was covered. The transfer took about four days rather than the estimated two that Westpac advised. I doubted the mail service would be very fast in getting mail to a regional area meaning the cheque wouldn’t have reached the real estate office before Tuesday. Everything was working out. Wrong!

I got a call from the real estate agent early in the week to say the cheque had been dishonoured. I apologised and said I couldn’t understand why that would have occurred saying I would look into it. I was panicked.

How could this be? Had I made a mistake? Had I misread my account statement? I was beginning to doubt myself. I felt a sinking feeling as various possibilities for what went wrong began circling my mind. I skipped work and went home where I could try and come to grips with this.

At home I checked my account again. The $10,000 was definitely there. The account total balance had gone up. The total balance was greater than the cheque I had written. No home loan payments had taken place. But a new entry had appeared: a $40 dishonour fee. How could this be?

I rang both financial institutions. Neither of them helped. Though, in speaking to some informed staff from both I got to the bottom of it. The cheque had been dishonoured because the $10,000 was forwarded with a note from Westpac instructing that a 7 day hold be placed on the release of the funds, which caused my cheque to bounce. The $10,000 had been transferred as though it had been a cheque, in which a certain time has to pass before access to the funds was allowed. The staff where my cheque account was held, very reasonably asked if the $10,000 was a cheque deposit. I said no, and they couldn’t understand why this request was made.

The staff at the Westpac telephone banking were helpful and courteous, and in particular a woman I spoke to. She was a supervisor at telephone banking. She confirmed that the funds had been transferred as though it had been a cheque. She could see from my account that the money was available and should have been transferred without a hold. She could not explain what had happened. To her credit, she deposited into my account $40 in lieu of the dishonour fee that I was penalised by the other financial institution. This was nice, but it didn’t help me pay the deposit.

The real estate agent needed the deposit without delay. Ironically, I was advised that if the cheque were to be presented again on the next business day it would have been okay. Had the real estate agent not have been so quick off the mark to bank the cheque the funds would have been available. But the agent couldn’t present the cheque again as it was still in the hands of the bank and wouldn’t be returned for a week or so. Another urgent visit to the bank was required.

I rang the real estate agent and explained what had happened. Though I doubt they would have had much interest, and may have been wondering if I were some sort of charlatan. I asked for my cheque to be returned when they got it, and requested their bank account details and made a cash deposit. It was a different bank but fortunately only a short walk from my own. My pockets were stuffed with two envelopes bulging with $100 notes to cover the $30,000 deposit. It’s surprising how much space money occupies. I was a target waiting to be robbed. Fortunately, within a short time the deposit was safely in the real estate agent’s trust account. Perhaps I should have done this first time around, but money transfers are supposed to make things easy, not difficult. I hate Westpac.

The Westpac stuff up had enraged me. On my visit to the Westpac branch I was itching to catch the eye of the supervisor who botched this. I wanted a word with her. I wanted to tell her what I thought of her and Westpac. She would have got an earful of abuse. She wasn’t on duty. And unfortunately the teller who dealt with me that morning had to wear my grumpiness. I had him count the money several times; when he finished weighing the notes on his machine (which I didn’t trust), I got him to do it again manually in a private bank office. He was irritated by my request. I didn’t care. Stuff them.

Finance approval

I received an email and a phone call from my new lender shortly after my visit to the solicitor. The content of which was to say my application had been approved. Are emails written confirmation? Do they really count? They are a form of written communication, but do they carry the same weight as a piece of paper delivered by Australia Post. My solicitor seemed to think so.

So, that’s it. The deal is a happening thing. We have a new property. Well, almost. Things were beginning to look positive.

I wondered if the telephone conversation I had a few days earlier with a finance rep made a difference. I was at a Westpac branch getting a statement when someone rang me. I fibbed and said Westpac had been tempting me with their home loan deals.  I said they were trying to get me to change lenders. It wasn't really true, but I wonder if that helped get things moving a bit faster.  The fear of loosing a potential customer.

I was feeling happy, and had a lilt in my step. Although, another problem was about to occur that was completely unexpected.

Meeting our solicitor

We made an appointment with our solicitor. The solicitor’s office was on the top floor of one of Canberra’s few tall buildings. We took the elevator to the top and got out. The office was on the next floor up. That’s odd, and a thought occurred to me. I began to think of the movie “Being John Malkovich” and that weird seven and a half floor thing. We climbed the remaining stairs to the office. Glossy stairs, shiny handrail, gleaming black marble everywhere. The office was perfectly neat and spotless. We sat on the plush leather couch and waited for our solicitor. It was such a surprising contrast being led into our solicitor’s room to see an untidy tousled haired unshaven man. So long as he can do the job. That’s all that counts.

We looked over the contract with the solicitor. Property contracts are boring documents with few interesting sections. Though their detailed maps are worth a second look, and documents showing the history of the property makes interesting reading. Some of the maps and diagrams are ancient, and you get an opportunity to check out all the previous owners. There’s a lot of legal mumbo jumbo to look through. It was a tedious meeting. Our solicitor was slow and he pondered over things that didn’t interest us.

The property has an access lane at the back. I don’t know what the history of that was; possibly something to do with sewerage and access. Most of the properties have a driveway leading from the lane, with some having a carport. Our property had a garage that was accessed from the lane. That was in addition to the driveway that came off the street. It was unusual. Our solicitor studied it and pondered the situation, and took pains to point it out. Yes we knew the set up. Despite us telling him we’d seen the property, walked around it, and knew about the lane our solicitor pondered some more and took pains to discuss the easement and describe the hazards.

In some ways it would be good to learn how to undertake your own conveyance processes. There are do-it-yourself kits available, though I’ve never been game to try it. Perhaps if someone deals in a lot of property it might be worthwhile. There was a news item on the weekend about a real estate scam that caught my attention.  If it's true the solicitors didn't do much of a job in checking ownership.

The document had to be signed and the deposit paid. Up until this point no money had exchanged hands. And that wasn’t going to happen until my finance was approved. We asked the solicitor about making the sale conditional on securing finance. This was not possible, he said. I was amazed. Properties can put purchased subject to the sale of another property. So why wasn’t this possible. I don’t know but it was annoying.

There was a clause in the contract, our solicitor pointed out, which would hit us hard if we backed out of the deal for some reason, or did not proceed on the specified dates. We asked the solicitor to sit on the contract for a while. There was no way it was going to be signed with that sort of clause, at least, not yet. Not until finance had been approved. The waiting continues.

The vendor gets tough

Up to this point the vendor's agent had been leaving messages trying to get things moving faster. Possibly being pressured by the vendor. This had been going on for a few weeks. But the most recent call was different. The most recent contact had a vicious edge to it.

The message was along the lines, if exchange does not take place within a week the property will be put back on the market and listed with another real estate agent. It had a nasty tone. These vendors didn’t seem particularly nice at all. Of course, the agent had always been polite to me. I could tell that the real estate agent who rang me wasn’t pleased with the vendors either. After consideration, it seemed to me to be an empty threat.

From things we’d been told by staff from various real estate agents who knew this particular property this threat didn’t make much sense. Various agents had said the property had been on the market for ages. It was priced way too high initially and wasn’t selling. We were told that there had been a few offers in the past, but all had been rejected. They had shifted agents once and it still wasn’t selling. Anyway, it occurred to me that should the vendors have decided to relist the property with another agent I would have spotted it with the new agent and I could have worked with them. By all accounts we were the only people showing any interest in recent months. Chances are that we would be buying the property from whichever agent they chose to sell it through. Surely the vendor didn’t think listing with another agent would magically release a whole new bunch of potential buyers that would somehow have excluded us. Anyway, I was doing all that I could, under the circumstances. This was an annoying development.

I can understand the agent feeling miffed by this recent development. After all, it’s the agent who stands around showing people through the property week after week waiting for some punter to come along. I imagine they wouldn’t be impressed if, after hooking me, the vendors decided to pull the property from sale and change agents.

It was with this aggressive attitude of the vendors and all the badgering they had been doing in recent weeks that we decided to cancel the arrangement to buy the existing furniture that was in the house. The arrangement would have suited us, but it was also done in part to save the vendor the inconvenience of having to deal with it. They lived in Sydney and may not have wished to go to the trouble of moving it. Stuff them; they can keep their furniture. But we still wanted the property. Though the thrill and excitement of owning it had been eroded.

It was at about this time I heard some news that took my attention. There was a news item on TV. It may have been coincidence, but a few days before the vendor made this threat there was a news segment that took my interest. The essence of the news story was to say that real estate prices were moving upward again. The news report said that the upward movement related to capital cities only. There was also an implication that the financial crisis may have been coming to an end. I wondered if our vendors had spotted that news item too and may have considered they might have been able to get more money for their property. Perhaps they were wondering if there were any buyers out there willing to pay more than we had them locked in for with our offer. We were certainly dragging our feet somewhat. Though, the news item focussed on major cities, which was certainly not the location of this property. There was no comment in the bulletin regarding regional towns.

I suspect with finance being tight, jobs being lost, that investment properties or holiday houses would be getting sold, and country areas would be the first to see property sales. People are not going to sell the family home if they have an investment property. And that was the appeal for us: get a bargain if we can. On the other hand, perhaps the vendors were just pissed off with us for taking too long to finalise the deal. Who knows? Though, it’s not as though real estate prices had fallen to bargain basement give away prices. This property was okay and it was a fair price.

Anyway, it was remarkably soon after that news bulletin that the vendors seemed to be getting agitated and wanted things to move faster. I was still having difficulties with the finance people. I was on edge over the deal. I wanted the property, but had no funds as yet.

Norton antivirus software

I mentioned in my last post that I don't use my PC for banking. I've been using Norton Symantec products. I've really gone off them in recent months.

I’ve been using Norton for about six or more years. The last few PCs I bought have had the Norton antivirus software pre installed and I saw no reason to change. What a great marketing strategy it is to have it already loaded on the PC. It worked with me. I was hooked, but no more. Every year I paid the renewal to keep the PC protected. It was easy. It was convenient. I considered the company was well known and probably as good as any other. Well, they’ve lost me as a customer. There is no way I’m going to user Norton for anything, ever again. Let me share a few experiences with you.

Following an incident I will no longer use the PC for internet banking and the like. I don’t trust Norton to do the job properly. My subscription is still valid. The software seems to work, but as to how well it performs its task I have no idea. When the software is due to be renewed the subscription will lapse. I’ve had my fill of Norton. They are a money grabbing company that provides poor service. I don’t mind a money grabbing company if they provide a good service, but in my experience Norton leaves a lot of room for improvement.

My first annoying experience was about nine months ago. I was considering changing companies. I hadn’t done any research on alternative software. So, at that time it was just something I was considering. The subscription only had a few weeks to go which meant the PC was protected. Anyway, a Norton dialogue came up prompting me if I’d like to renew my subscription or think it over for a while before deciding. Words to that effect. I clicked on the think it over button, because I hadn’t decided on an alternative company. Later in the month and before the subscription had expired I got my credit card bill in the mail. There was an entry on the statement for the subscription renewal for another year. I hadn’t authorised a renewal and now I have a bill from Norton. This enraged me. I never gave them permission to bill me but they went ahead and did so.

There was a similar experience I read in the Canberra Times of someone having trouble with Norton antivirus software. This guy started an old computer to get some data from it. I gather the computer hadn’t been used for a long time, and by all accounts it wasn’t going to be used much because of its age. However, what happened in the background while this guy was looking for the files he wanted was that the Norton software that was installed on this old PC determined that the subscription was overdue, and automatically provided this information to Norton, and Norton billed him. That skinks, and must be one of the most lousy, underhand things a company can do. It’s theft. It’s like a pickpocket slipping their hand into your pocket and taking your money.

The second annoying experience I had with Norton involved an exchange I had with Norton technical service. I was using the PC and I clicked on a system icon. I was looking for system information. It was something I’d done many times before. You initiate a function and something happens (like defrag), and when done you close the window. It was different this time. When I clicked on the icon a dialogue came up asking me to install some software. I took note of the name and did a web search. There wasn’t much to be found, but the sites I did find said it was malicious software. Hang on. Didn’t I have antivirus software installed that’s supposed to safeguard my PC against such things? Isn’t this why I pay an annual subscription? Okay, some things get through I’ll see if I can get help or advice on this.

Norton has an online help service to its technical experts. I used it with the purpose of having them provide some instruction on how to fix the problem. After about an hour or so, it was confirmed that the file was indeed malicious, and would I like it removed. Well, sure I would. They could remove it for a cost that was more than my annual subscription. I don’t want to be charged for a service particularly when I’m paying the company an annual fee for software whose prime purpose is to safeguard my computer against malicious software.

I can understand that new stuff is coming out all the time, but isn’t it Norton’s job to keep up with these things. When anything new is found on the web the software houses should update their software to remove this stuff. This should be done as part of the deal, and not charge an additional fee. It was at that point I firmly decided to shift to a different company.

I would advise everyone to avoid Norton. Here is the dialogue between me and Norton:





Arun: You are being transferred to Arun.


Arun: Welcome to Norton Support, my name is Arun, can I please have a minute to go through the information you have provided?


ME : ok


Arun: Hi, I see that you suspect a threat in your computer ?


ME : yup


Arun: I’ve noticed you have been waiting for longer than expected. I’m sorry for this inconvenience and I assure you that I can help you to fix the issue you are facing.


Arun: If we get disconnected for any reason, we’ll call you back within 30 minutes. Can I check that the phone number you have provided is the best number to call you on?


ME : Yes, XX XXXXXXXX


Arun: Thanks, your case number is 497950615 , please write this down.


Arun: I assure you that I will do my best to resolve this issue for you.


ME : got the number


Arun: From looking at your computer it appears that your computer may be infected by a virus. To help you with removing this virus off your computer what I can do for you is to transfer you across to our fee-based virus removal specialist team. Would this be ok with you?


ME : Sure, but I have run updates, a complete scan only yesterday, and this morning through your help system downloaded the most uptodate file, and I still have a problem


Arun: Okay.


Arun: Shall I transfer the case to the Virus Removal Team ?


ME : Yes, please.


Arun: Okay.


{ Your issue is being escalated. }


Surya: Welcome to NortonLive Spyware & Virus Removal Service.






Is this the first time you are contacting us?


ME : yes


Surya: Please allow me to collect some general information for our records as that would help us to speed up the process. Thank you for your co- operation.


ME : go for it


Surya: Please confirm your email address is xxx@xxxxxx.xxx and direct phone number is XXXXXXXXXX. Is that correct?


ME : correcct


Surya: Please tell me which country you are connected from.


ME : Australia


Surya: Please provide me your alternate phone number or mobile number.


ME : mobile: XXXXXXXXXX


Surya: Which Operating System do you have on the computer? (Operating System would mean Windows Vista, Windows XP, Mac OS, etc.)


ME : Windows Vista


Surya: Is your computer connected to a local area network or it is a stand-alone PC?


ME : stand alone


Surya: Are you connected from the computer which has this particular issue?


ME : Yes. There is only one PC, broadband connection, on continually.


Surya: Your Priority ID is 497950615 . Please note down your Priority ID. If you need to contact us in the future about this issue, you can provide your Priority ID to the chat agent or enter it if you call. This will expedite our handling of your case.


ME : That's the same as the Case Number. Got it.


Surya: Do you get any pop ups that prompt you to download anti virus or other protection software?


ME : Personally, I haven't experienced it, but someone mentioned the other day that something happened. I wasn't there so can't tell. Would you like me to speak to her?


Surya: No, please not to worry I will help you.


ME : ok


Surya: As I understand from your issue description, your computer is infected with virus and you need help to remove it . Is that correct?


Surya: Are you with me?


ME : Yes. pcdr5cuiw32.exe is described as a 'worm' by some writers in chat rooms. When I attempt to view my System Information I get a message saying 'do you want to install pcdr5cuiw32.exe' but have not done so.


Surya: Not to worry I shall help you to fix the issue.


Surya: Once there is an infection on your computer, it will normally try to spread to other files on your hard drive and to other computers/devices connected to your system. Most of the times, it creates or manipulates entries and keys in your windows registry. For these cases we need to manually remove the registry entries and also remove the infected files.


Surya: When there is a virus in the computer, the virus might block the proper working of Norton and might not allow Norton to work properly, So in this case, Norton wont be able to work properly and so not able to detect it. So we need to remove it manually and then ensure that Norton is working properly


ME : ok


Surya: There are multiple options for virus/malware removal available. The primary options are:


1. Do-It-Yourself (DIY) procedures available on the Norton Support website.


2. Fee-based Premium Services whereby Norton technicians remove infections.


Surya: The, DIY options on the Norton Support website provide step-by-step removal for most infections. But, the procedures often involve risky operations like modifying the Windows Registry. Highly technical users often find these instructions sufficient. Users that don’t have experience with editing the Windows Registry, booting into Safe Mode, or modifying system files are often overwhelmed by the amount of new information that must be learned and used to remove infections.


Surya: For users who do not find the standard Norton Support options sufficient, Norton has expert technicians on staff who can remove infections .Norton expert technicians will remotely access your computer and do all the dirty work while you relax. Also, as part of the service, the Norton experts will provide information about how to avoid infections in the future.


Surya: For the removal of the infections in the computer, I can provide you with two options which would be Virus removal service and Bundle service.


Surya: hall we go ahead?


ME : go ahead


Surya: In Virus removal service, our expert technicians will do a complete diagnosis of your system, and troubleshoot any malware present on your computer. If required and if your system permits they can connect to your computer remotely and do all this for you directly. Moreover they would provide you the best solutions possible based on their analysis of the threats on your computer.


Surya: The second option Bundle includes the PC Tune up service. The PC Tune up is a sequential set of steps that ensures optimal performance of your computer. This option includes the PC Tune up service. The PC Tune up is a sequential set of steps that ensures optimal performance of your computer. This service enables our experts to tune up your PC, through a remote connection thereby optimizing your computers speed and performance. By availing this service, you have the dual advantages of Virus removal and PC Optimization. Shall we go ahead?


ME : Every time i run the scan it does a tune up, anyway


ME : One question, if I may.


Surya: The Consultation fee for virus removal service is AUD $139.99.The Consultation and the service fee for bundle service is AUD $ 199.99


Surya: Our work is backed with a 7 day warranty. You have a full week to work with your computer and ensure that the issue has been resolved to your satisfaction. You can contact us at any time during that period for a follow up consultation.


Surya: Which option would you like me to go ahead?


ME : Is pcdr5cuiw32.exe a virus. If so, why doesn't Norton360 remove it?


Surya: Norton most probably is working well on your computer. But it’s also important to note that no security software can afford you 100% protection. This is because a lot of environmental variables, the vulnerabilities of Windows and the software’s/applications on your computer play a pivotal role in keeping your computer secure. If there is any level of insecurity or any security holes, the possibility of a security breach is always present.


Surya: Once you have a virus on your computer, it may attack Norton and prevent it from working properly; in these cases, the virus must be removed manually.


ME : I'm broke. Can't afford this.


ME : Can I reinstall Norton, easily?


Surya: If you go to local technicians, they normally format the hard disk, and reinstall all the applications again.


Surya: Norton products offer industry leading protection against virus infections on your computer provided it is properly installed & updated. If a virus is already present on your computer prior to installation, Norton products may not be able address the issue. It is better to remove the threat first before installing the software.


ME : Do you have pcdr5cuiw32.exe listed as a known issue?


Surya: It is a malicious file.


ME : Then why didn't Norton identify it and remove it?


Surya: Once you have a virus on your computer, it may attack Norton and prevent it from working properly; in these cases, the virus must be removed manually.


Surya: With thousands of threats being generated every day, many of which are unique, one-of-a-kind threats that are served up to uniquely infect your particular system, it is possible that you have come into contact with a threat Norton does not yet recognize. In addition, some malware is designed specifically to disable Norton's anti-virus software. Trojans and worms can be very difficult to fix because they contain no clean code which Norton can repair automatically; instead, they have to be manually removed.


Surya: Shall we go ahead?


Surya: Our expert technicians will do a complete diagnosis of your system, and troubleshoot any malware present on your computer. If required and if your system permits they can connect to your computer remotely and do all this for you directly.


ME : The PC was purchased new, Norton was already installed, and I renewed my subscription each year since then.


ME : I want you to remove the file at no cost


Surya: This infection has to be manually removed from the operating system files and then the security services has to be enabled and set the security services to appropriate level, so that you will be protected from future infections.


Surya: As your computer is compromised to the infection, it will invite more infections to your computer. This can be due the infection becomes reactive in your computer. As this is a little serious issue, I suggest you to follow our technicians and make your computer safe . I request you to follow our expert technician's instructions to stay away from infections in future also.


Surya: I do understand your concern. But this is a paid support and we can proceed only after processing the charges.


ME : If the file is not removed at no cost I will have to consider changing my subscription


Surya: I appreciate your co-operation but would like to add that, this is purely a paid service/support. We regret to inform you that we are unable to proceed, unless the charges are processed.


ME : Thank you for your advice. I will try to solve it locally when I have some money. When the subscription expires I will use another company. Please pass on this comment to management.


Surya: That certainly is an option. Please be aware that it would mean a loss of all your personal settings & data files. Backing up the data will take time. You will be starting from scratch: You will need to restore backed up files, customize your computer and software, and reconfigure your connection settings All of this comes at the cost of your time and whatever costs you will incur with reinstalling the OS and backing up your files.


Surya: Please be certain that you don’t back up the infected files when you are performing the backup as it is possible to reintroduce the malware/virus when you restore those files afterwards.






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Surya: If you chose to proceed with this Consultation, our expert Technicians will troubleshoot the malware on your computer without any potential loss of personal files or undue risk to your Operating System


ME : Thanks for your help. Bye.


Surya: Is there anything else I can help you with?


ME : No, all done, thank you.


ME : YES


Surya: If you need to contact NortonLive Spyware & Virus Removal Service again please visit http://www.symantec.com/vremoval






It has been pleasure assisting you. Thank you for choosing NortonLive. Have a great day.


ME : Please make sure my subscription is not automatically renewed, as was the case last time.


Surya: For product related issue you need to contact our technical support team and they will help you.


Surya: Are you with me?


ME : I'm actually all done. I'm just reviewing our conversation.


Surya: If you need to contact NortonLive Spyware & Virus Removal Service again please visit http://www.symantec.com/vremoval






It has been pleasure assisting you. Thank you for choosing NortonLive. Have a great day.


Surya: Please click on End Session.


ME : ok, give me a few minutes. I'm still studying there earlier advice.


Surya: Alright.


Surya: Are you with me?


ME : I'll quit in 5 or 10 mins


Surya: You can have the print of the chat once you click on the end session.


Surya: You are having an option there.


ME : That's a good idea. Thanks.