October 2021 Customer Service Contact Process

[R0cky]

I’ve tried for 3-hours to speak with a real tech support person instead of the dumb “chat bot”. I have a unique situation and I want to speak to a tech person before installing the 4 Arlo Pro (Note: the above drop down box doesn’t even offer the Pro 4 as an option!!) 4 Smart Hubs, lockable mounts, and outside power cabling I purchased from Arlo on line in last 2-weeks). The new process to get to support requires you to go thru your “account”. I’m not creating an account until I get equipment installed and running. I give up. I even looked up public info on Arlo Technologies on-line looking for a a corporate contact number . Even though NetGear spun off Arlo in 2018, all Arlo’s public info still lists NetGear’s telephone number! So I’ve decided to return everything I purchased from the Arlo on-line store. So now I need an RMA. The stupid chat bot directs me to Customer Service to get an RMA!! I’m caught in a frustrating loop. Arlo needs to rethink their contact options for individuals who don’t have an “account” and just have questions before they buy. I had to do all this just to GET AN RMA!!!! Please help me.

[JamesC]

R0cky,

What questions do you have? You could always ask here on the community.

For processing a return to the Arlo on-line store, take a look here for contact information: https://www.arlo.com/en-us/terms-of-sale.html#returns

JamesC

[R0cky]

If I buy almost $1500 of Arlo products (after I bought 6 different styles of new Nightgear switches, the NetGear cellular modem/router only has 1 Ethernet port, and 4 Nightgear access points) I read somewhere on your Community that your Arlo Smarthubs were the only equipment the camera’s would communicate with (not a WIFI Access Point?!?!?), so I thought I screwed up by buying all the Nightgear equipment to get an access point right inside the wall behind the outside Pro 4’s). The above expenses were after I also bought a $350 NetGear cellular router, a $350 Verizon Mifi JUST to get a SIM card (apparently Nightgear hasn’t proven to Verizon that their cellular Nigthawk will work with just a SIM, so the Verizon sales group said I had to buy their cellular wifi just to get a SIM that does work in the NetGear Nighthawk), I think I deserve to talk to a real human.

Especially after your “Community” sent me out to buy 4 Smarthubs (Arlo is out of them on-line so I had to get them from another supplier) because I’m now not sure if my Access Points will communicate with the Pro 4’s. I am very disappointed in Arlo.

I’d already decided what Cloud option I would purchase and ultimately I would have end up with 6 Pro 4’s (if I ever figured out what the best equipment arrangement I needed! that Arlo charges extra for (multi camera, & more than 5), so Arlo will loose revenue on me because of your stupid business decision not to let potential customers talk to a live human.

I’ll email you back if your RMA link doesn’t work like nothing else with Arlo has, except your payment processing system!

I’m old, and I’m at the age where I don’t have to put up with poor Customer service

I just upgraded my home 8 camera PTZ system (the Arlo system I was trying to install was a temp system I wanted for our 1861 farmhouse that partially burned 2-years ago and due to Covid, we still have no walls, ceilings or floors) to a $5000 Montavue (Google them) system. That was also money Arlo lost because you don’t understand good Customer Service, all at the expense of making your quarterly earnings report look great!!

[garymcdaniel]

I have a customer subscription account for my 3 cameras and it is still denying me support. 

[R0cky]

And what sayith Arlo to this new customer? Will he get the same response I got, the Arlo Return Process link? I’m sorry, but poor customer service “Pre-Sale” is an Arlo management issue, not a “Community” issue. How will Arlo handle all the potential new customer questions on the Arlo Whole House Security product announced last week (no release date provide!) by Arlo? If it’s a new product, the “Community” won’t have answers. Luckily, Arlo’s development company, NetGear, still lets you talk to a live support person. Had I known they were now separate companies, I would never have had a need for the “Community”, which offered no useful help anyway.