Thanks for the new answers .
My Firewall is set to receive updates from selected programmes , including CC .
I take note of what you say , Hazelnut , but must point out that when the update advice appears , it always says download for £19.95 or whatever the price is .
I think the problem may lie in the fact that I joined CC via the USA and the updates and even possibly limited customer data are held in UK .
Whatever it is , I have alerted CC to the problem on at least 7 occasions and always get the "just download it and ignore the price" advice . The only offer made when this happens is it says "Buy new 4.---- for £ 19.95" . Past experience with software companies has taught me NEVER EVER take advice to ignore what it says about buying and download . If any of you have ever been caught like that , you will understand . Trying to recover money which should not have been taken is fraught with health damaging obstacles like "prove that you paid " , "your account shows that you had already paid and it is your fault if you pay twice " , "We cannot refund in the UK a product that was bought in the USA" and so on .
No , my friends , I reiterate , the advertising says "automatic update" and it does not do so UNLESS I prompt CC to do it-----like yesterday evening after I started this thread my update suddenly appeared .
Why is it that CC can send me advice of an update when they could simply update it as advertised ?
Someone , somewhere , is running a sloppy system . It does not inspire confidence .
If Google Earth , Google Chrome , Picasa , and many other free programme providers can do it , with the vast numbers of customers they have , it is obviously technically possible .
One solution would be to update all paying customers' programmes first then advertise the update . Then you would not get people getting put off renewing .
Think outside the box , there is always another way of approaching a problem
Mikemgb , retired hardware and software designer .