Norton Secure VPN Review

COST/FEATURES

Norton Secure VPN can be paid either monthly or yearly, and the service can support one, five or 10 devices, including Microsoft and Mac computers, and iOS and Android devices. Monthly prices range from as low as $4.99 a month for one device to $9.99 for 10, and annual prices range from $39.99 for one device to $59.99 for 10. However, these are introductory prices, so customers are charged full-price after the first term of the service. Norton's VPN's monthly prices are cheaper than the industry average, but their non-introductory yearly prices are above average. 

For these prices, customers get an user-friendly VPN program with bank-grade Wi-Fi encryption and ad-blocking capabilities as standard. Although the company promotes bank-grade protection, their  website does not specify the type of protocols they support to guarantee this protection. Additionally, their website does not specify how many servers they have or their locations.     

Plans and Pricing  

Norton 360 Deluxe - $99.99/yr 

In 2019, Norton launched Norton 360 with LifeLock Identity Theft Protection, a suite of products which bundles Norton Secure VPN with additional security and deluxe identity theft protection features. This package adds services like smart firewall, anti virus protection, parental controls, and password manager. Norton 360 also includes dark web monitoring, LifeLock Identity Alert, credit monitoring, $1 million protection package, and 100GB cloud backup. Customers can buy Norton Secure VPN as a standalone product, or together with Norton 360 Deluxe.

REPUTATION

As one of the best known brands in cybrsecurity, over the years, Norton Lifelock has had its share of positive and negative reviews online. However, the company currently has has an F rating with the Better Business Bureau, with more than 800 complaints filed. Most of these complaints remain unanswered. The company receives 1.5 starts on Trust Pilot.  Common complaints include unwanted subscription renewals and the addition of unrequested services to customers' accounts. Customers are advissed to pay close attention to the terms and remewal dates of their service and to carefully document any requests for cancellation or changes to their service. 

TERMS OF SERVICE

Norton Secure VPN's website does not have a direct or easily accessible link to the company's terms of service. Instead, users have to scroll down to the website's fine print and click on the customer agreement link, which directs them to the license and service terms & repository section of the Norton LifeLock website. The document breaks down all the elements of the contract, including terms of use, subscription renewals and returns, but the reading is dense, so it is important for customers to take their time reading the document in its entirety.  

When it comes to their renewal policy, the Norton Secure VPN website states in its lower, fine print section, that by subscribing, customers agree to a recurring subscription of their VPN services. Since customers receive introductory prices when they subscribe, it's important to mention that all renewals charge Norton's standard VPN prices. Customers can choose to be charged for one, five or ten devices in either monthly or yearly intervals, and customers can opt out of automatic renewals or cancel their service at any time.

Norton Secure VPN does not have a free trial period, and it only offers refunds on specific situations, although shipping and tax costs are not refundable. Customers who opt for an annual subscription are eligible for refunds only if they request it within 60 days of the purchase, while monthly subscriptions are not eligible for a refund unless specifically stated.  

SECURITY/LOGGING POLICY

Norton Secure VPN states that their VPN is bank-level encrypted, meaning that their services should be well protected against anything that could track your information while using their service. However, their website does not go into detail on what encryption processes they use to provide this level of protection. Additionally, the company promotes a no-log vpn policy, meaning it does not store or track a user's IP address or online activity. Nonetheless, the company does keep specific information from their users, specifically aggregate bandwidth usage, temporary usage data, subscriber information, and mobile device data that includes device name, type, OS version, and language.

CUSTOMER SUPPORT

Norton offers the customer support methods expected of a VPN service, including live chat, FAQs, phone support and social media. However, non-English speakers have their support options limited, since the company's live chat and 24/7 phone line support are only available in English. Customers can also opt to use the company's online service to create and manage their cases online. 

PAYMENT METHODS

For payment, Norton accepts all major credit cards, JCB and PayPal. The company does not support other anonymous payment forms like cash or bitcoin, so customers looking for a more private payment process will have to look elsewhere.