Activity Zones using batteries?

[Brennan90]

Any idea on how to stop getting notifications which fall outside of the activity zone which is set. I get about 60-70 a day of stuff outside of zone. I have tried literally everything I can think of. Smart Notifications, just put it on people and I still get them of the last second of a vehicle driving past. I have deleted and added the zone again and again. One of the biggest headaches is that its draining the battery rapidly having all these notifications . I have another camera on a shared drive of which activates when the neighbours go on the drive but this doesn't seem to drain the battery anywhere near as fast as my front camera. I subscribed to the plan so I can get the zones to reduce the amount of notifications but they just keep coming. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

[mazulla9i39]

I got the same runaround from support.  "Remove them from your account.  Add them back.  Restart your base station.  Doesn't work?  Um..."  then support disconnects.  I don't think that Arlo is trying to stay in business any more. 

[Reallyconfused]

I tried my Activity Zones again today also. No change at all. I don’t know what they did at their end (if they truly did anything at all!) with the cloud but the zones are not working. Nothing is any different than it’s been for a few months now.

I fear Arlo is just a sinking ship these days.  Even the technical staff doesn’t care anymore by the reports I’m reading above, AND my own experience with them over the last two months. 
To me it seems like maybe they tried a long time ago but just could not keep up with what they were trying to achieve as a tech company. They bit off more than they could chew, as it were. Now as it’s all going downhill, they look like they are giving up.

Too bad for the people stuck with a system which can not deliver on the original promise of performance.

I truly can’t see things changing any time soon

[Reallyconfused]

In fact, I’m going to look into this Eufy product. If it’s sold at BestBuy in Canada I will return the whole Arlo crap and buy that system. Good thing I paid for a three year return option for faulty product, which is what this is.  It only gets me store credit, but at this point I’m willing to switch. How can it get any worse?

[shadowdiver]

Sad - the stock is half the value it was.  Revenues are up in their subscription business but that will tank if they don't address the service and support issues.  Given their Q1 earning report touted their excitement for revenue growth in the subscription services, I am not feeling it.  They spun out of netgear in 2018 and I have netgear network.  Very good hardware, software is buggy and same crappy support.  A good part of the management team worked for Netgear at the time of the spin out so I am sure they have the same crappy software and support model as Netgear. 

I am on chat again -- lets see if it disconnects again. 

[shadowdiver]

Haha - disconnected again.  It cannot be accidental. Support really is horrible

[shadowdiver]

Chat disconnected again -- see attached.   The Support agent did followup in email and apologized for the disconnect - thats better service than I have received.   I did get a response on their FB page so lets see if that gets me anywhere. 

[mazulla9i39]

Ya! I was a huge fan of Arlo when I bought these a little over a year ago, but the service has gone downhill fast.  Much better options out there.  Loving my new Eufy cams. 

[torstengrenz]

I have exactly the same problem and still the old Smart Plan running. Actually this is also what I think that I am to be pushed to the new "smarter" subscription which for my 7 cameras would be more expensive than the old one.

[shadowdiver]

Ref:  #41693924

As mentioned last night, I tested this again and is still broken.  None of the agents I have spoken to have indicated there was an issue with cloud services and had me jumping through numerous troubleshooting steps.  95%+ of the chats and calls disconnected and only one agent actually took the time to reach back after the chat disconnected.  One agent actually indicated that they tried to call me.  I can assure, I received no such call.  The lack of appropriate response, the long wait times and constant disconnects only add to my overall opinion how horrid the service is.

That being said, the issue I see if that the software, whether is the camera or the cloud service is not telling my camera's that cloud activity zones are active and I don't need power.  (see attached)  As it stand now, every camera I own indicates it cannot manage activity zones as they are disconnected from power.  Without the activity zones, I cannot arm my cameras as they alert incessantly.   I personally think that Arlo has had sufficient time to resolve this issue but my enthusiasm for Arlo and the platform is fast waining. 

Out of respect for your customers, frequent and honest updates are warranted.  

[ptmullett]

Did not fix the issue for me either. Front doorbell and all Arlo Pro 2 cameras still detect motion everywhere. Activity zones still do not work and I get the same AC power disconnected notice.

[acsport719]

Exact same problem here. Says activity zones are not active without being connected to power. This is the only feature I was willing to pay for. Checked last night and still was alerted to motion outside of my activity zone.

[Reallyconfused]

I have given up even checking on this as I do not believe Arlo is even TRYING to solve it. I have my doubts they even have the  technical know how to fix the amount of issues they have going.

My activity zones don't work, some of my images are all greenish colored vertical lines, the videos are really blocky and pixelated at times. One more month and I will cancel the so called "Smart" service and just make do with the standard service offered.

Its a huge joke actually.

In fact, I will call in one more time to see where they are with my open ticket. I bet they have forgotten about it all together!

[ScotCamera]

I agree that the activity zones are still buggy and I'm not confident of being fixed. The issues of the video quality sounds like a hardware issue with your camera. If it is still under warranty, I would follow up on that in which they should replace it. 

[shadowdiver]

Still no response from Arlo.  I have given up calling or chatting with support as I keep getting dropped. I looked up their corp office address and phone in the SEC filings.  Main number is (408) 890-3900 . Seems like no one is manning reception as I get no answer. I'd say at this point all of us need to apply as much pressure on this organization to do the right thing.  Their lack of response if deafening.  

[michaelkenward]

---

@shadowdiver wrote:

Seems like no one is manning reception as I get no answer.

---

Arlo is one of many companies – most if my experience is anything to go by – that has told everyone who can to work from home through the coronavirus pandemic. Maybe you are in the same boat, like a lot of the people I know.

It is anyone's guess as to when normal service, whatever that means at Arlo towers, will resume.

[shadowdiver]

Yeah -- same boat, WFH.  Other than that, things are running as they always have..   

I would expect Arlo is also impacted. They are only ~ 300 people so could be they didn't have a FT receptionist in the first place but still not excuse for the lack of response or ability to reach someone who can cut through the wall they call support.  I reached out of FB again and the content manager said they would escalate on my behalf. We will see. 

[Gsof]

Activity zones DO NOT WORK 
It is as if they dont exist, everything is recorded

others have had same issue as i see on posts

Support is a joke, cant get anyone on phone and the chats are pointless.

I have spoken to them 10 times and tried a ton of fixes.

BUY SOMETHING ELSE!

[Navigator243]

Shayne
As i look at all these people, you surely can tell that this update didn't fix issues with activity zones. One camera is picking up activity way outside of the zone and the other doesn't work hardly at all.

[shadowdiver]

I just signed back up for the Arlo Smart and retested my cameras.  All 5 still show in an error state.  For S&G's I removed one camera from the subscription, removed it from my network and added it back again.  It let be set the activity zone but as soon as I returned back to devices it was in an error state again.  I again cancelled my subscription.  The cameras are useless to me if I cannot set activity zones. 

What I have done to date;

(1) posted in a couple of message threads in Community

(2) Support Chat:  Almost always gets disconnected and when it doesn't, I am told someone will call me. Even though once they said they tried to call me, there was no log of any call from Arlo. 

(3) Called Support:  Each and every time, the call has been disconnected and had to start at the end of the queue again.  At least 1 hour wait each time.

(4) Called the main number (408) 890-3900 but there are only 3 options; leave a message, hang up and call support or dial by name. 

(5) Messaging on FB.  I suspect they have hidden my post from public view or as I don't see it from the main page.  Here is my thread: https://www.facebook.com/arlosmarthome/posts/2581452725400165?comment_id=2581565912055513&reply_comm... and here is their page:  https://www.facebook.com/arlosmarthome/ 

(5) Reached out the CEO on Linkedin.  We will see if he responds.  

All I can say, from a support perspective, this is some of the worst support I have ever experienced and I cannot not, will not recommend Arlo.  All I have asked for is the courtesy of a response and nadda.  

[Ziya]

Why should you need to move the camera or adjust the sensitivity. The whole point in paying for a subscription and having zones is to prevent unwanted notifications outside zones. You shouldnt have to pay subscription and then fiddle about moving cameras. Clearly the activity zones does not work as it should!

[Ziya]

Last year i had an issue with notifications outside activity zones, it was sorted until recently iv been getting constant notifications outside my zones. I dont even have other motions selected on the smart notifications tab but still get them which is annoying. (only have people, vehicles and animals selected).
So im paying for a subscription and not getting the service im paying for, once again. Is there a fault on arlo side?

[Ziya]

Why has both my posts above been put in here?
The fist post iv put above is a reply to someone in another post thread and the second post i made above was a separate thread! Admin or someone has moved it here.....strange. i made a new thread about the notifications in the hope that it will get Arlos attention and they will act on it. Not for them to move it to an existing tread to make it look like not many people are complaining about same issues.

[Reallyconfused]

Finally, I’m FREE!!!
After a phone chat with a tech this morning and basically no commitment from him that things will get sorted, I have finally canceled my “Smart” plan.
I’ve gone BASIC AND LOVING IT.
I really feel like a fool for handing Arlo my money for MONTHS for services which don’t even work. Looking back over the past few years I have no confidence that they will EVER BE ANY BETTER!
FREE, FREE AT LAST!!!!

[markg057]

About to cancel my subscription as well. Only bought it for the active zones feature. After spending almost an hour waiting for a chat agent and working with her, was told it was a known issue. Regretting going the Arlo route all together. Maybe they will get the message when subscription revenue drops.

[Phillipr]

I am still experiencing this problem. Traffic going passed our house which is outside the zone is triggering notifications.