In response to our warning about tech support scams, a reader asked. “I have been having contact with a company called OmniTech. They seem to be legitimate. Do you know anything about them?”
My first question would be, “How did you come into contact with the company?” Did you contact them? Or was your first contact through some type of pop-up that said your PC has problems? If it was through a pop-up like that, or if they called you at home, I would tend to be very suspicious.
It appears that they do provide online tech support starting at $299.99 per year. That’s a pretty steep fee. They do offer virus protection services, but you can find virus and firewall protection for a lot less money. Some of it is even free.
On their website, the company says it offers:
- Automated PC & Network Security Protection
- Automated Anti-virus, Anti-spam software and definitions updates to ensure that your company’s PCs have the latest protection & scans for viruses on a regular basis, whether or not you remember to initiate them
- Improved PC and Network Speed, Stability & Reliability
- Dozens of security & maintenance scans daily, weekly, or monthly to keep your PCs, system & Internet running at peak performance
This isn’t anything that isn’t offered by other security software. They do offer to support products like printers. But realize that they can’t do anything more with your printer than you can. And most products like printers actually offer their own tech support, most often at no charge.
Looking at the Better Business Bureau complaint list for the company, I see that several people have complained about their yearly contract auto-renewing, even though they tried to cancel. I also see complaints that the company called some people claiming to be Microsoft representatives. That makes me incredibly suspicious. Although, it does look as if the company did address the complaints filed and are in good standing with the BBB.
It does seem that they actually do provide tech support. The price seems a bit high to me, but it may be worth $300 a year to you to have that kind of assistance. A better choice might be to get to know a local computer tech who can assist you or to pay for additional support from the manufacturer of your PC.
The best time to do research into whether or not a company is legitimate is before you purchase their service. Don’t every buy tech support because you’re in a panic about an issue. An honest company will give you their contact information and allow you to hang or get offline and think about the decision.
~ Cynthia
Hey Cynthia, Great response, especially recommending a ‘Local Guy’ as a shortcut. Personally I have always respected the ‘Local Guy’ over some tech support or ‘Big Box’ repair. They have more in the game and usually offer faster service, on request, if required. On-line contact is not usually an option but if you do enough business, he/she will have your ‘Credit Card #’ and will offer more reliable advise, in my opinion, as he knows your particular machine.
I appreciate your applicable information on hiring tech support. This type of thing is really important in a commercial setting, especially when you rely on your computers to do your work everyday. Before I hire someone, I will be sure to use your tips and look into their reviews and history. Thank you for a helpful article!
I use Geek Squad tech support from Best Buy. They are cheaper than the place above in question…….both for tech support and anti-virus, and most of the time they can take control of your computer and resolve your problem. So far, they have always been able to correct my problems online.