Hard Reset Triggers Enrollment in "Free Trial Plan"--Will I Be Double Billed?

[Chicagoan]

After subscribing to Arlo for a little over a year, my Arlo system  crashed, requiring a hard reset of the hub,* followed by re-adding each camera to the system ( I have three).  I have succeeded in adding the cameras, but am informed that I am now enrolled in a new "free trial subscription plan" (for Arlo Secure Plus).  Yet, I am existing customer with a pre-existing subscription plan (Arlo Secure Plus- Unlimited Cameras) for $17.99 a month.

I am confused about the "new" "free trial", and see three options here...

A.  When you reboot your existing plan is cancelled and you are enrolled in a new plan with a free three month trial period.  At the end of this trial period, you resume paying $17.99.   This would be amazing--every reboot gets you three free months.  But this seems like a terrible deal for Arlo (that also invites gaming by customers) and I very much doubt this is what is going on.  Added evidence that this is not what is happening is that Arlo's site still lists me paying $17.99/mo.

B.  Phantom Free Trial.  When you reboot, the system can't distinguish between new and existing customers, automatically assumes you are a new customer, and enrolls you in a new (redundant) plan with a free trial period.  But your existing plan continues on the books, you continue to get billed under that plan.   At the end of the "free trial period" for the second, new plan, the system recognizes you are a new customer and cancels the second plan.  (Alternatively, there is no new second plan--you get a message you are in a new trial, but you are not; this is just an auto-generated message by the software after a hard reboot that you just should ignore).  You continue on under the pre existing plan.  In effect, the free trial is a phantom and existing customers can just ignore it.  (This is what I assume is going on).

C.  Double-Billing!  When you reboot, the system is unable to see you are an existing customer and auto-enrolls you in a new plan on top of your existing plan, like B.  But at the end of the trial period for the new, redundant plan, the system starts billing you an additional $17.99/mo  for the second plan without cancelling your existing $17.99/mo plan.  The result is that at the end of the three month trial period you are double-billed for the same services--$35 instead of $17.99--(unless you call and cancel one of the plans).  This is the most disturbing option.  I hope this is not what is going on!

I called customer service and the rep at different junctures suggested scenarios A, B, and C were the case.  I think he had no idea and was just BSing me in the hope I would eventually give up and get off the phone.

If anyone can advise which of the above options is the real story, I would appreciate it.  Thanks.

[StephenB]

FWIW, I haven't seen this when resetting one of my own smarthubs.  But I haven't done that for a while.

I think you somehow just triggered a bug, so am tagging the mods ( @JamesC , @BrookeN , @ShayneS ) so they can follow up.

Have you gone into the subscription area, and confirmed that your cameras are all listed in the trial?

I suspect that you will still be billed monthly for your existing subscription during the new trial period, and that the cameras will automatically be rolled into your paid plan when the new trials expire.  

 

[BrookeN]

We are looking into this. However, this will not cause you any issues. You will continue to be billed the monthly subscription and when the free trial ends the cameras will automatically go into your paid subscription. 

[Edinburgh_lad1]

I have the same after adding a doorbell. I have a plan (I think it's secure plus) and adding a doorbell triggered a trial for it, which I can't cancel. If I'm entitled to a free tríal, I'd like to run it when I want to. So, is there a way to cancel it so that I can use it at a later time (for example, by pausing the current plan)?

[StephenB]

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@Edinburgh_lad1 wrote:

If I'm entitled to a free tríal, I'd like to run it when I want to. So, is there a way to cancel it so that I can use it at a later time (for example, by pausing the current plan)?

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Unfortunately no.