TeamViewer thinks I’m using the software commercially!

[Jbib]

Hello,
Detection conditions for commercial use have been strengthened.
If you are using Teamviewer for personal and private use, please apply for a recovery for personal use here: https://www.teamviewer.com/en/support/commercial-use-suspected/
It takes between 20 to 30 days for a recovery of the account if the analysis shows that your activity is personal and private.
jbib

[Bogmore]

"Detection conditions for commercial use have been strengthened."

Strengthened so much that the vast majority of Home users are being detected as Business users falsely.  I've already moved to another free product as it works even better than TV.

After two attempts, the second one still pending it still isn't fixed for me.  I take it replying to the "fixed it for you" email  when it still isn't working is the right thing to do.

[Napster]

Non comercial Teamviewer is installed on both windows 10 systems.

after a few minutes the connection gets terminated everytime this did never happend before and came up with one of the latest updates.

Currently teamviewer is practicaly completly useless.

[CinematicTree9]

I have the same problem...

[TomWrigley]

I have the same problem - but I keep being asked to purchase a license for my business network. I do not have a business.
HELP!

[TRVGXP]

I have the same issue all of a sudden!

[John_W]

Team viewer keeps timing out after a few seconds and I get a message that says I'm trying to use the free version on a business network even though I'm not. I've been using the free version on my home network for almost a year now. How do I correct that?

[marinasc]

Hi, Can you please advise on how to fix this? Starting today I am getting the message that I am using TV commerically and I need to buy a license when I am NOT. I have several computers of my own I connect to and a few friends WHO ARE SENIORS who I help and fix problems for free. I DON'T use it commerically. Can you please fix or tell me how to fix? Or if this isn't the right place to post, where to post? I tried opening a ticket but it said I had to have a license to open a ticket.  Thanks.

[Phil-Lloyd]

I am wondering if [Removed by Moderator per Community Guidelines] can wake a sleeping computer as easily as TeamViewer does.
I found some utilities to wake remote computers and some via internet, but none have been easy to set up.
I'd love to be able to put my computers to sleep and then wake them remotely with the same remote desktop app.

[none4u]

Thanks,  I found some software that doesn't treat me like a criminal for using it.

[PeteMc]

Like everyone else, I was hit with the message today and can connect now for only about a minute after waiting the "timeout" to complete.

I use the Free version for family and friends and use to recommend TeamVeiwer to my clients.  That's not going to happen any more.  A quick Google search of alternatives will show everyone options for personal use.

As for the hit to TeamViewer... I don't have a huge client list.  But I will be recommending alternatives to former, current & future clients.  I'll simple explain the their bad business practice and how I think that may carry over to how much of the subscription fee may not really be going to the product.  I figure if they're forcing us free users to pay, there may be other issues.

[SlickPDP]

What other software did you use?

[jbhatestmver]

[Removed by Moderator per Community Guidelines]

Thanks to TV I'm having to a take a week off from my paying job and drive 2000 miles round trip to remove their ransomeware from some NON-PROFIT's that I DONATE MY TIME TO. What an absolute crock. Their awful attitude is driving potential paid customers over to better solutions that cost less or are free. 

[PeterHah]

I have brought the issue to the attention of a renowned german IT magazine.

Let's see what happens, if the "strengthened" algorithm might turn into a very negative PR maybe ...

[ThunderDani]

I use [Removed by Moderator per Community Guidelines] By an by I change al my personal PC's to [Removed by Moderator per Community Guidelines], rather than opening a ticket and waiting about 30 days, till they have the grace to accept my private usage. I'll never install SW from a company which has such disgracing behavior.

And I did remove TV also from my company PC and will refuse to install it again, even if I need IT support from our mother company. They shal use any thing else but TV.

[tuli01]

I get the message the a commercial session was detected. 

I did not use this account for commercial purposes.

Now all my sessions are  just a few seconds long.

What I am supposed to do? I need to take care of my mother's laptop. She is 85 and leaves abroad. Is this considered a commercial session?

Thanks

[PeterHah]

I'll see if that is available for me too and give it a try. Thanks for the hint.

[PeterHah]

[Removed by Moderator per Community Guidelines] seems to do the job, the culprit is to have an address book, I need to buy the pro version for 180 bucks a year. That's a major drawback as I need to keep all the IDs in some file, which won't be at hand in case of emergency.
Anyway, better than being target of such rude behaviour.

Quite obviously TV aimed at reducing the load on their servers, so mission accomplished, I'd say ...

[gwbaker99]

Same here... totally blocked because I access the home from work.

I have had to prove non-commerical use about 4 times over the last few years.  Now it seems we cannot get resolution via email or any other method.

Sad because as their model suggested, I spread teamviewer via word of mouth and know at least two corporate users are because of my recommendation.  Fix it, or I and others will move on and likely take recommendations with us!

[Dayi]

I don't understand why I am getting the 5 minutes limit now. I have the free version and now its giving me less then 5 minutes. Actually I get about 40 secs and it tells me I have to wait another 10minutes to connect. I don't have a commercial account, only a free account. Can someone help me change this back please!!!

[mattsilva7]

Still nothing from TV?!  really now... I know free users are not a priority, but how does this show product support?  I submitted the form as requested... and this is used from hom for a couple friends and my mom.

[tazz411]

This is the 5th time I have been blocked for commercial use and I do not know why nothing has changed I only use this for personal use. I continue to submit this why does it keep kicking me off. I love this product but this is so frustrating.

I tried submitting a ticket and it keeps telling me to put my ID I do and it just keeps saying. What do I do now?

[Bogmore]

I get 

"Your trial for viewing and checking policies of your devices has expired. Buy a TeamViewer 13 license now.

Feel free to call us or send us an E-Mail to sales@teamviewer.com in case of any questions."

So it's actually a trial we have not a free use for personal use for ever account.

The quote is from https://login.teamviewer.com/nav/home

I have made a request for all the data they have on me, hoping the answer will be in there, no doubt they will take the full month to send it to me.  I suggest you all do that too.

https://content.teamviewer.com/en/gdpr/

My email sent 13/07 in by replying to the "we've sorted your account out" email I got has not been answered yet. I wasn't fixed at all.

[Scotty]

Hi Bogmore,

This message is not to do with this thread.

"Your trial for viewing and checking policies of your devices has expired. Buy a TeamViewer 13 license now." appears because this feature (Policies and Viewing Them) is only for commercial users.

It is not related to blocks for suspected commercial use.

-Scotty

[KenHead]

See below.

[Closed account]

exact same issue here.

[KenHead]

They are blocking me, too. I recently moved and had to locate my main PC to my friend's office and I have my laptop to get to it. Now it times me out after 2 minutes and says I must wait another ten. 

I'm installing [Removed By Moderator as per Community Guidelines] on it, as fast as it will let me. I'm done with Teamviewer. I put a client on it a year ago with 30 computers because they were kind enough to provide a personal product (unlike that other major brand.) Now I'm going to pull them. They've always been paranoid, and it's just over the top these days.

[Removed By Moderator as per Community Guidelines]

I swear, TeamVeiwer must be run by the worst sort of busybodies.

[epacurar]

they want to make money. So annoying right now. Trying [Removed By Moderator as per Community Guidelines]

If they don't fix this, I am done with Teamviewer. 

[KenHead]

Face it. They don't want you as a customer. No other company, except EA, treats customers like Teamviewer does. Try another product; if you aren't spending gobs of money on their over-hyped product, then you are just an annoying flea to them to be swatted and treated badly. I think they only provide a free teamviewer, nags and admonishments included, because [Removed By Moderator as per Community Guidelines] does not. I'm uninstalling TV on all my computers tonight and when my clients' licenses lapse next month, I'm putting them on another product. At least[Removed By Moderator as per Community Guidelines] is honest about their intentions, so maybe I"ll go back to them.

[Scotty]

@tazz411 and @Closed account

Please read the OP.
We are moving the posts here for a reason.

https://www.teamviewer.com/en/support/commercial-use-suspected/

-Scotty

[t0mmyr]

Hi Scotty, I keep getting disconnected and blocked from my personal system I’m trying to access remotely with my cellphone. I can’t upload logs through my iPhone so I can’t submit a ticket. I’m not using teamviewer commercially please unblock my accounts and systems permanently.

[Scotty]

Hi t0mmyr

As it says in the OP, I cannot help you with this. I cannot remove the restriction and posting here will not help.

Email the logs to yourself then upload them into the form, this is why it has an email function in the app.

The form is the ONLY way to get reset.

-Scotty

[g0ofe]

Same issue here.

I had the issue when on holiday in China in April, when trying to access my home PC, but after submitting the form, the issue cleared.

It has now reared its ugly head again, and on reading this forum, seems I am not alone. And it also looks from others' comments like there may well not be a fix this time.

It looks like, after a number of years of being a very happy user of Teamviewer, I will have to look for an alternative, as I simply cannot justify over £300 per year just for hobby use.
A real shame.

[joetaras]

The same issue.

Tell us if you want to exclude free users or if this is a temporary bug.

Because if this is a bug I'll wait for the next release otherwise I'll find another remote access software.

P.S. I try to link only my PC (one PC) form another. I don't use T.V. for commercial use.

Thanks in advance for your reply.

Best regards

[andreas_f]

Same here as well. Been a happy free user for >10 years and now unproven punished as criminal. Many years before I have suggested to offer something as a 'personal supporter' license for a few bucks (as I like to pay for usable & helpful software), but TV had rejected thats nobbishly generously.
Now we know why

[joetaras]

I suppose we must find another software for our personal uses.

What a SHAME for T.V. management and staff.

[waces]

As my previous post was removed due the violation of the policies I knidly ask where and how can the end user receive some in-depth information about the method TV flag someone as a commercial user. Not in-depth in the technical level as don't want to break any intelectual property but some high level information how the end users can make sure they won't be marked as commercial users. There are a lots of reports from various locations, with various way the end users uses their TV infra and I think none of us knows when and how we broke anyting and become marked as commercial users.

Once again - just to make sure this post not breaks anything - just a high level information like (if you use your tv via your corporate VPN you'll be marked as commercial user even you connects only your home pc, or similar.)

If this thread is not the right place to ask then please, please point out where these kind of question can be asked? (other thread, reddit forum, support e-mail, etc)

I assume if we know what need to be avoided will lead much less false justifications.

I hope this post doesn't contain any rumor or invalid information and not break any bit of the policy of the forum usage.

[joetaras]

My dear, 

thanks for your reply. I hope the staff tell us some infos because this situation is very hard to resolve.

[bazbsg]

They won't tell us. There are three main groups of users. 1. Commercial users who paid for a license. 2. Commercial users that should have paid for a license but didn't and are saying they are not commercial. 3. Non-commercial users who didn't pay for a license and aren't required to.

This new strategy of Teamviewer is to get group 2 to pay for a license. Group 1 already paid and so they will not be adversely affected. Group 2 will have some users locked out and they will either pay or more likely look for another, cheaper solution. Maybe some of them are here in this forum pretending to be non-commerial users. Some group 2 users will not be detected and so not affected; so lucky for them. Group 3 will have some people falsely accused of using TV commercially. This is collateral damage. TV doesn't care very much about them. TV needs to make a profit so it's more important to convert some group 2 into group 1 than it is to not affect group 3. If this were not true their strategy would be different like mentioned by a few people on this forum already. They would have a gentler strategy than blocking users without warning and / or they would have more support staff assigned to make the recovery time much much shorter than 30+ days.

If they tell us all what the algorithm is for suspecting commercial use, it will give some of those users in group 2 a better chance to evade detection. Again, they don't care so much if group 3 is inconvenienced.

I'll probably have this post censored too. But at least everyone subscribed to this forum will see it in their email notifications.

[PeterHah]

It seems I had success in bringing this to the attention of our most renowned IT magazine, and they'll be looking into it.

And likely be writing about it.

[perezil]

I too gave up. Signed up for an annual subscription with a competitor that is less than $100 a year for up to 10 computers.

TV just doesn't understand that many of us are willing to pay to access our home and/or SOHO computers. The management from LMI must have transitioned into TV. It is the only explanation for their "we don't care" attitudes.

[Raewisconsin]

Everytime I connect today to a friends computer to help them, it kicks me out after one or two minutes saying it has timed out. I deleted the program and re-loaded and still get the same results. Any ideas would be appreceiated.

Thanks

Roger

[JeanK]

Dear Napster,

Thank you for your message.

On the following link, you will find plenty of information regarding this issue:

https://community.teamviewer.com/t5/Knowledge-Base/Why-do-I-see-Commercial-use-suspected-Commercial-...

For unlimited access, you need to purchase a license.

Here the link to get more information about our licenses: https://www.teamviewer.com/en/buy-now/

I hope this could help you.

Cheers,

Jean

[JeanK]

Dear John_W,

Thank you for your message.

On the following link, you will find plenty of information about your issue:

https://community.teamviewer.com/t5/Knowledge-Base/Why-do-I-see-Commercial-use-suspected-Commercial-...

I hope this could help you.

Cheers,

Jean

[pbmorse]

Is anyone else struck by the grim irony of the publisher of a bit of software that facilitates instantaneous global communications telling its user base that a) they're guilty until proven innocent and b) proving their innocence will take "up to 30 days?" 

The boardroom brainwave of massively annoying and inconveniencing legitimate users complying with the license terms, then effectively locking them out could not be more draconian or short-sighted. Someone, somewhere believes this will produce a flood of revenue via new license purchases but how many other companies have attempted same only to watch their market share vanish?

Sending detailed logs away on the equivalent of a slow boat to China with no clearly defined procedure or timeline is madness - and they want to make it contagious.

If this is a "community" then it's a very hostile neighborhood judging from the pugnacious responses of the so-called service team who spend the majority of their time telling the user base to get stuffed in so many words. Well, that and pedantically removing links and names of competitors - I'll bet that's a fulfilling, self-actualizing day at the office! 

But even that makes no sense. If people ARE running afoul of the license terms and want to abandon the product then that is a win-win for TeamViewer. Support requests and workload will be reduced and network traffic will ease.

The user base has watched TV shift the goalposts on a regular basis but Operation Lockout can't even adhere to its own stated policies: if 5 min is the prescribed window then why are users experiencing and reporting sessions closing after 20-30 seconds in many cases? Where did the seemingly arbitrary number of minutes to wait to try again originate and why?

Building a user base and then implementing a hostage scenario might be the most bizarre business plan since New Coke. But, as before, the decision-making at the top seems completely disconnected - pun intentional - from the user base.

Yes, yes, terms of service (for the software and the service) and all that but ultimately any product is about a value proposition.

[TE5LA]

Does anyone know why I can't submit the form they have? I get a "Secure Connection Failed" message, indicated something wrong with their email setup.

All I use TV for is to control a computer 10 feet away from my main one so I don't have to walk across the room. Doesn't sound very commercial to me.

[DJ_Lushious]

Great, now I'm getting popped for TeamViewer thinking I'm using the product for Commercial Use. In what crazy world does me connecting to my home computer, which resides on Comcast's network "for Commercial use." Am I going to get the same message if I try to help my mother when she has issues? I've been using TeamViewer for many many years, but it's time for me to find another solution. I hardly think this issue will addressed quickly or even at all. 

[KMS]

Same problem here.  I use TeamViewer to connect home and support family members, including elderly relatives.  Probably only 3 connections used regularly as the kids are old enough to solve most of their own problems now.

I've been cut off without warning or any indication as to why I've been flagged as commercial.  I've uploaded logfiles but if this is now a regular problem I need an alternative which I can use on Windows and Mac OS.

Ironically I was only recently recommending TeamViewer as good for family use. Guess I'd better reverse that advice! 

[KMS]

Interestingly the message tells me they have a 'high volume of requests at this time'.

However looking at the dates of reports, this is obviously a long running issue so not sure how confident I am in a fix.  I support elderly relatives who I'd need to visit to change their software (if they could do this themselves they wouldn't need me...).  This leaves them without support until we have a fix in effect so possibly I should just move to another option anyway

[MarkJ409]

All of a sudden, when I attempt to connect to my home computer, on a Brighthouse Network, I get bumped, and connection blocked after timeout.  I only use this account now for personal use, and now TeamViewer seems to think I'm Commercial.  Maybe because of my email address??  I only use this account to "support" my family, most of which are too far away from me to drive over and fix their issues.  Anyone else have a resolution to this??  Thanks in advance!