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CCNE37 · ‎2023-01-19

I am in Australia, so not trade-in offer or any further communication from Arlo.

In the original EOL statement, it says that my original Arlo 720P (2 off) and Arlo Pro 1080P (3 off) cameras reach EOL on 1st April 2023, and the 7-day free storage reaches EOL on 1st January 2024.

What I am NOT clear about is whether this means that I can continue to use my Arlo & Arlo pro cameras as usual (with the 7 day free storage) until 1st January 2024 - the only "change" is that the cameras will not be supported or updated.

Or, does this mean (as some users have suggested in a few threads here) that the 7 day free storage will end on 1st April 2023 for these Arlo & Arlo Pro cameras (ie. the free 7 day ends with the camera's EOL, not the service's EOL), and they will effectively be useless ?

My interpretation of the EOL document is the first option, but that may be wishful thinking. It does make a significant difference ( a further 9 months of useful life out of the camera system), so I would appreciate any insight.

Just to add to the confusion, the email I received from Arlo on New Year's Day does clearly state that the 7 day will not be available for these cameras, which seems to contradict the actual EOL statement on the Arlo website, so I am not sure which is correct ?

Full transparency - I will NOT be signing up any subscription with Arlo to monitor my unsupported cameras. So it is a question of whether I replace the system with a EufyCam 3 4K system before 1st April 2023 or before 1st January 2024. I am sick of Arlo's progressive reduction of service (progressively reducing the Pro's bitrate to a point where they are worse than my 720P Arlo camera for quality), and essentially non-existant customer service unless you are a paying subscriber - their business ethic is appalling so I will not trust them with any further cash.

DannyBearAgain · ‎2023-01-20

Read this first,

https://kb.arlo.com/000063018/Arlo-Legacy-Cameras-End-of-Life

Technojames · ‎2023-01-20

@CCNE37

I am getting a full refund from JBHIFI tomorrow. I contacted them and explained what was going on. Raised a complaint with NSW Fair Trading and they responded the next day.

This is a clear breach of Australian Consumer Law. You may need to push with the retailer but you are legally entitled to a full refund.

CCNE37 · ‎2023-01-20

Danny

Thanks. That was the Arlo EOL document that I referred to 3 times in my post.

I do not see anywhere in that document where it says that the free 7 day storage will end when the cameras reach EOL on 1st April 2023 - until I am missing something.

That was exactly my question - why that document does not appear to say that, whereas the 1st January 2023 that I received from Arlo does say that the free 7 day ends for these cameras on 1st April 2023 - which one is correct ?

CCNE37 · ‎2023-01-20

TJ

Thanks. I bought my original Arlo 720P cameras from Officeworks in March 2016, and my Arlo Pro cameras from an eBay seller (a business, brand new) - can't remember who off-hand, in March 2019, so I think I am probably well past any refund stage.

DannyBearAgain · ‎2023-01-20

@CCNE37 ,

I can understand the confusion, arlo does state often that all this is all a maybe.

From the document,

Can I still use my EOL device?
EOL devices may continue to be operated by the existing registered Arlo owners to livestream video from the camera, receive motion notifications on their smartphone, and store video clips locally with a compatible Arlo SmartHub or Base Station.

EOL devices can utilize Arlo’s new cloud video storage platform, which is available with the Arlo Secure subscription service. However, some features may not be available on EOL devices since these devices no longer receive software or firmware updates and are no longer supported.

The way I read it is that the arlo and arlo pro cameras loose the legacy free cloud storage in April.

The rest of the cameras that use the legacy free cloud storage loose it in 2024.

In 2024 no cameras will be using the legacy free cloud storage so the service gets ended.

CCNE37 · ‎2023-01-20

Thanks. I don't think that it is crystal clear what we will have after 1st April, but with Arlo, I am assuming the worst.

Interestingly, I received another email from Arlo today. It does not directly mention the cloud storage ending in April like the first one, but it does say that videos will be stored locally, so that probably means the same thing.

It also offers a 50% discount on up to 5 devices and 75% discount off the first year of Arlo Secure. This is the first mention of a discount on replacement devices that I have seen in Australia.

I don't think that this is a big enough incentive to get me to stay with Arlo though. Their dodgy practices where the goalposts continually move and what you pay for (at time of purchase) is almost certainly not what you will be getting some time later.

I am still VERY pi$$ed at Arlo for dropping the quality of the Pro cameras to a point where the video was a pixelated mess, especially at night. They were pretty decent in March 2019, but now I can generally only recognise a person if it is someone that I know which is pretty useless for a security camera.

I think that while the EufyCam 3 system has some issues and the company may not be as transparent as they should be around data privacy etc, at least the system seems to be much more within the user's control - the video is stored locally and the updates (eg. firmware) are like most other devices where the user can choose whether to apply them. Arlo has forced through the firmware updates that have effectively disabled the cameras over the years with the user having any ability to choose whether to do it or not. While Eufy might be a more costly option (when the current Arlo discount is included), it seems to be a better long term option.

StephenB · ‎2023-01-20

@CCNE37 wrote:

Or, does this mean (as some users have suggested in a few threads here) that the 7 day free storage will end on 1st April 2023 for these Arlo & Arlo Pro cameras (ie. the free 7 day ends with the camera's EOL, not the service's EOL), and they will effectively be useless ?

My interpretation of the EOL document is the first option, but that may be wishful thinking. It does make a significant difference ( a further 9 months of useful life out of the camera system), so I would appreciate any insight.

I've been told that free storage will end for the original Arlo camera and the Pro on 1 April 2023.

CCNE37 · ‎2023-01-20

Thanks. Was your source from Arlo ?

DannyBearAgain · ‎2023-01-20

@CCNE37

Wrote,

“Interestingly, I received another email from Arlo today. It does not directly mention the cloud storage ending in April like the first one, but it does say that videos will be stored locally, so that probably means the same thing.

It also offers a 50% discount on up to 5 devices and 75% discount off the first year of Arlo Secure. This is the first mention of a discount on replacement devices that I have seen in Australia.”

Just be aware that according to arlo EOL documentation, Arlo only considers US users as “Valued Arlo Customers” so no offer is valid outside the US.

”Note: US customers who onboarded an Arlo Wire-Free Camera (VMC3030) or Arlo Pro Camera (VMC4030) before January 1, 2023 are eligible for upgrade offers. For more information, visit: EOL Offer Form”

StephenB · ‎2023-01-20

@CCNE37 wrote:

Was your source from Arlo ?

Yes.

CCNE37 · ‎2023-01-20

The email was from Arlo Australia according to the footer at the bottom;

The attached links also direct me to the Arlo Australia shop.

So, I would assume / hope that the email is not "mis-directed" 😊 (Not that I really plan to use the discounts).

CCNE37 · ‎2023-01-20

Thanks Stephen.

That pretty much confirms it for me - time to look for a deal on Eufy I think (currently 25% at a local store).

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