I don't agree that you have to call Symantec/Norton to renew. I've renewed my subscription to Norton online, without calling them. So, I know it can be done. And, I believe that's the way it was designed to work.
But, since you're having problems, then you will probably need to call them. Be prepared for a sales pitch; they'll probably try to sell you the latest version of the software and steer you away from just renewing your subscription.