Internet Cleanup - 5.1

Beware, this application has not been updated to be compatible with OS X 10.6, Snow Leopard. For as long as Apple has had copies for developers, it's incredible that this Vendor has not seen fit to upgrade this application.

I downloaded 5.0 cleanup and ran the system. A day later I received an alert on my credit -- I checked the report and my identity had been used to open credit accounts.

Now, maybe a coincidence, but the date of the download of software coincided with my identity being stolen. I've contacted FTC, police, and credit bureaus then contacted Smith Micro to find out if this has been a problem before--the only response was "would you like your money back." I said well, yes, but I'd like to know if there's going to be an investigation into this...the customer service rep said she "would report this to the webmaster." That was the end of the conversation. Has anyone else experienced a problem like this?

My advice is, if you have the old version of this keep it. There seems to be evidence that this version is an unfinished Beta they are charging for.

When I downloaded the full version of Internet Cleanup 5 for PC I quickly had severe computer problems and several crashes within hours. Vista suggested I go back to before I installed it (thank goodness the option was there with Vista) and then at least my computer worked - but I've noticed problems, like bits of closed programs still on the screen. It seems pretty clear it was Internet Cleanup 5's fault I had severe problems.

I asked for a refund. What option did I have? Let me tell you the dirty tricks they got up to. Because I presented a clear case I had no option but to ask for a refund, they stopped emails and sent me to a place on their site that requires a password - but never gave me one. I went in once, then the page would not turn. It is the equivalent of sending you to a brick wall and saying "Go and stand by that, sir, and we will see if you give up".

To get Trading Standards to try and stop the stonewalling I must write by letter (not email) twice and be ignored. Then they will help. If IC5 still refuse a refund I must take them to court, where the burden of proof is on ME - but the requirement of proof is lower in this kind of case. If I lose I lose my £30 extra, plus risk costs.

That is the good thing about good old Version Tracker. You can at least warn people - THIS MIGHT HAPPEN TO YOU.

Another tactic of IC5 is to get you to like their product (which becomes buggy on the required 2nd download) then tell you at the last moment YOU must make a copy of it onto CD (how?) because if it crashes out after only a very short time you have to buy it again. How many firms do that? Consider NOW and have a good think. IS THAT FAIR? IS THAT VALUE?

You may think I'm just bitter, but I advice you to leave this product on the shelf. I can prove I have nothing against them otherwise, as you will see, further down this list, when the other product was accused of being SPYWARE I defended them.

Version Tracker HQ make it plain complaints in the forum are NOT counted as official complaints, so to remove a product from their lists you have to complain to Version Tracker HQ as well, not just here.

Internet Cleanup 5 should be renamed Internet Cleanout Your Bank Account £15.

DO NOT USE OR BUY!!!!
Once this program is installed, even you try to deactivate, it come back with unwanted blocks. It is difficult to remove. I am registered user of 4.0! FORGET IT!!!!!

This has to be the worst piece of crap program I have ever encountered for a Mac.

I installed their demo of version 4, and found the program to be worthless, so I turned off all their automatic settings. I also noticed that since installing it, I was encountering popup ads at several websites even though I had popup blocking enabled in Safari...this had never happened before.

When the trial period expired, I started getting a popup window every time I booted my computer telling me the demo had expired. So, I trashed the program in the normal way...still the annoying popup message. Did a spotlight search for every name I could think of associated with the program & deleted every file I could find...still the friggin' popup. Eventually went to their website and found a SPECIAL PROGRAM dedicated to stopping Internet Cleanup from running, & then a second program to uninstall it. Downloaded it with trepidation, as at this point I'm starting to feel that their program is some sort of spyware and I don't want to run another one of their products on my machine...but I am at my wit's end. Run the ICSTOPPER (this makes me very suspicious...why should I need a special program to stop a program I've already turned off?!?), and the uninstall program. It seems to go well, but when I reboot my system it crashes immediately with an error screen i've never seen before (kinda like the kernel panic screen, but less detailed)...reboot, same thing...reboot, same thing...reboot with zero peripherals attached, hangs on the grey screen...reboot, same thing a couple more times...finally on about the sixth or seventh try, my machine booted, albeit much more slowly than usual. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that everything is ok.

I consider software like this to be invasive and unethical. Making a demo near impossible to remove is an age-old trick to get you to give up and buy it just to get rid of annoying messages. The demo scheme described by other users here seems to confirm the fact that they're just out to get your $$$. I also suspect their "Internet Cleanup" program to be some sort of spyware in and of itself, even though it claims to be a spyware removal tool...another practice common to unethical purveyors of spyware.

I recommend you stay far, far away from any products offered by this company.