Are you a user of the webshots.com wallpaper desktop application? If so...beware!
Today after booting up my computer I received a popup telling me there was a webshots desktop
application upgrade available, would I like to install? I said YES because they
are, well, were, a trusted application I have on my computer. See popup below. Instead all I got was
a toolbar and homepage/search default settings takeover by Kiwee.com.
Installing under the disguise of another application all together is toally untrustworthy. As it turns
out, Kiwee appears to be owned BY AG.com, American Greeting...that greeting card company. They ALSO own
webshots. So, it's all a big marketing scheme by the same company, but I think it's a total slap in the
face to TOTALLY TRICK your loyal webshot users into thinking they are getting some sort of software upgrade when
in fact it's simply a ploy to takeover your browser and search defaults in order to push you towards
search pages they get a rev share on.
MARKETING FAIL!!!
They even took over my homepage of my Firefox browser, even after I de-installed it!!
To top it off there was no de-install function within the application's menu package so I had to go
through Control Panel, just to remove the damn thing. And then I had to manually remove them from FireFox
even after I de-installed the application. aka: they tried to STILL take over my search settings.
The real kicker? I checked the "about" info within my webshots, and there WAS no change made to it. This was
totally about installing the Kiwee crap. Had nothing to do with webshots.
I'm now torn. I like sharing my pictures with users on Webshots, but they TOTALLY and COMPLETELY lost
my trust as a user. Do I de-install or do I give them one more chance?
Tell me what you think via Twitter via @iphlogger
Update: After a reboot of my system, the webshots application is STILL trying to tell me there is an
upgrade available. I am left with no choice but to de-install the application. MARKETING FAIL!!!
2nd Update: After trying to de-install webshots desktop, the link pin to this whole problem, not only would the application
NOT de-install but it triggers a update process only for the Kiwee toolbar crap. My only option was to waste yet another
hour of my life and "de-install" kiwee apps and webshots via blowing away all references via RegEdit. My system
is now free of all webshots, american greeting applications. Will NEVER install another of their products every again. They
just lost a long time customer. This sucks!
- Scott