Disappointing Customer Support Experience with Pro 4 and Solar Panel

[thelouisliberty]

I am sharing my disappointment regarding a recent support interaction I had through the Arlo app concerning my Arlo Pro 4 camera and solar panel. The case number for this interaction is #45416752 and the representative I spoke with was Tanish.

I contacted support because my Pro 4 camera battery was repeatedly draining to 0% and becoming nonfunctional despite being connected to the Arlo solar panel. To properly troubleshoot the issue on my own before reaching out, I purchased a second battery to determine whether the original battery was defective. After charging the new battery to 100% using a power outlet and cable, I reinstalled it with the solar panel connected. Within the first hour, I observed that the battery percentage dropped to 90%, even while attached to the solar panel. Based on this testing, I suspected the solar panel may be faulty and asked Tanish for guidance on troubleshooting the panel.

His immediate response was that the solar panel “doesn’t work that way” and that it maintains battery levels rather than draining them. I reiterated that I understand how a solar panel is supposed to function. However, based on my direct testing and observations, this particular panel appears to be draining the battery rather than charging or maintaining it. Instead of offering troubleshooting assistance, Tanish’s solution was to suggest that I purchase a new solar panel at a 20% discount for $39. I was highly disappointed that this was presented as the only resolution, without a single troubleshooting step provided.

There was not a single standard troubleshooting step that Tanish mentioned, including:

• Ensuring the cable is securely connected

• Cleaning the solar panel surface

• Confirming optimal placement in direct sunlight

• Adjusting motion sensitivity to reduce recording frequency

• Checking for extreme temperature conditions

• Verifying firmware is up to date

Additionally, I did not appreciate the framing of the 20% discount and free shipping as a special concession, when the same solar panel can be purchased on Amazon with free shipping and faster (overnight) delivery. Offering to sell me a replacement without first attempting to troubleshoot the existing equipment felt dismissive and transactional rather than supportive.

I have chosen Arlo products because of their reputation for quality and reliability. However, this experience left me feeling unsupported and unheard as a customer who had already taken thoughtful steps to diagnose the issue. As a loyal customer who invested additional personal funds to independently diagnose this issue, I felt it was important to share this experience and sincerely hope that Arlo will take this feedback seriously in order to improve the overall support experience for its customers.

[BrookeN]

Hi,

First and foremost I want to apologize that you were not happy with the support you received. That is not at all how we want our customers to feel. I have reached out to support to contact you regarding the issue you are having with the solar panel. 

Please let me know if you need any other assistance and I would be more than happy to help. 

[thelouisliberty]

Arlo support has reached out to me, so I thank you for initiating that. They provided a list of troubleshoot items which I completed and am still having issues. In short, I suspect this is a Pro 4 camera issue and not a battery or solar panel issue.

The second battery I purchased recently charges to 100% when plugged in and works fine when plugged in. As soon as I put it on the mount outside on the porch where it has successfully worked for almost 2 years, the camera goes offline and says "devices battery is too low". This occurs whether plugged into the solar panel or not. I've also restarted the camera and followed troubleshooting advice to select "best battery life" mode and lower the sensitivity to under 60. Neither of those tips have made a difference in the camera's failure.

Further, I am having login issues with my.arlo.com. I can sometimes login with my saved password and then it kicks me out; "currently having issues" and most of the time it simply denies me from logging in altogether: "The username or password is incorrect" which is untrue because it works some of the time and it's a saved password that hasn't been changed.

Please advise for next steps.

[BrookeN]

Have you reached back out to support on the ticket they provided?

[thelouisliberty]

Please refer to the 3rd paragraph in my previous response:
"Further, I am having login issues with my.arlo.com. I can sometimes login with my saved password and then it kicks me out; "currently having issues" and most of the time it simply denies me from logging in altogether: "The username or password is incorrect" which is untrue because it works some of the time and it's a saved password that hasn't been changed."

For this reason, I am temporarily unable to reply to the ticket directly.

[thelouisliberty]

Customer support has been helpful in contacting me and offering a replacement camera. Thank you for escalating the issue.

However, I am still having issues logging into my.arlo.com. After logging in, I see the dashboard but all the boxes are blank, and there's an orange banner that reads: "We're sorry, something went wrong. Please try again."

Please advise.

[BrookeN]

Can you please try to uninstall the app and install it again. What device are you using to log in?

[jguerdat]

@BrookeN he said it was the web client (my.arlo.com) so no app to be reinstalled.

OP, have you cleared the browser cache and site cookies, etc.? You can also try a different browser, perhaps on a different computer to see if that works.

[BrookeN]

@thelouisliberty  my apologies I overlooked it was a browser. Can you tell. me which browser it is you are using? Have you tried what @jguerdat has suggested?