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martincc
Luminary
Luminary

I HOPE THESE PEOPLE READ THIS MESSAGE: Patrick C.S. Lo. Mark G. Merrill, and Matthew McRae so they can comprehend better that Arlo is a good concept but flawed in terms of customer relations.

 

I first put an Arlo system into service at in Fall of 2016, gradually updating and increasing coverage to two locations. To their credit, Arlo systems stations are quick to deploy, and can be satisfactory when they are charged and otherwise working. I noticed many shortcomings over the years, several which were gradually resolved or bypassed by newer products. I had occasions to contact Netgear Arlo Customer Service, and more recently Arlo Customer Service; these encounters left me considering switching to alternative products by competitors. I also wonder if any of these consumer-oriented products are fully ready for prime time?

I found the Arlo customer service encounters are not something to be looked forward to. It can be time consuming to speak with a human (while listening over and over again to the maddening music short audio clip). As a tech CEO I am left thinking "this is about money - management do not value their customers enough to spend money to hire/contract more staff to shorten customer waiting times".

If/when you do reach a human they all say those same insincere phrases (as if from some playbook) "I am sorry you are having problems..." - for me actions matter. But the people who answer are limited in understanding and capacity to resolve many issues. What is worse it that on recent occasions I was deceived by the answers provided by Arlo Customer Service - this is not only frustrating but is a complete waste of my time.

Furthermore, Customer Service informed me they have no mechanism to forward recommendations for product improvements up channels. Yes I know about the Community Forum, but do not always have time to log in and type suggestions when a phone call could suffice.

For examples:

1. Recently I observed my Apple Safari browser was not properly displaying my Arlo Devices screen. The cameras and a screen image show up, but the control (play, pause, snapshot, record, etc.) functions were grayed out. When I contacted Customer Service they wasted my time, they were certain the problem was my computer or its browser. They suggested I change to Google Chrome! That really solves the nexus of the problem?

THANKS FOR NOTHING ARLO

2. Later I noted one of the two Arlo Q cameras at my remote location had dropped out, displaying some 'device disconnected' message. I could not access it, I had not been there to change anything; so I suspected Arlo Engineering had problems. I contacted Arlo Customer Service. Again it was time-consuming to speak with a human (while listening over and over again to the maddening music short audio clip), when I reach a human they again said the same insincere phrases. They also explained Arlo Customer Service could not access the cameras, I must be having some problem at that location - call them back when I can again travel the 1000 miles to get there to check my Arlo Q cameras.

Later my second of two Arlo Q cameras dropped out. TWO IMPORTANT CAMERAS USELESS, and I could do nothing to bring them back up.

THANKS FOR NOTHING ARLO, AGAIN

3. More recently I observed my Apple Safari and Firefox browsers were not properly displaying Arlo Devices screens. When I clicked the device display arrow to see "Live View" then an error message popped up suggesting I needed to update Adobe Flash, with a hyperlink directing me to Adobe's web site where I COULD AGAIN DOWNLOAD THE VERSION OF FLASH ALREADY ON MY COMPUTER. Furthermore, device windows were flashing an error warning triangle icon in the orange circle, when I clicked on the warning then the screen displays only an "OK" message. Not only that but the device windows were each flashing two error warning USB Flash Drive icon in the orange circle, when I clicked on the warning then the screen displays some message about my USB Flash Drives needing to be reformatted.

Fortunately my iPhone Arlo app still worked.

I contacted Arlo Customer Service. Again it was time-consuming to speak with a human (while listening over and over again to the maddening music short audio clip), when I reach a human they again said the same insincere phrases. I tried to convey the information to them, suggesting someone at Arlo Engineering had "broken their software". They INSISTED THE PROBLEM MUST BE FIREFOX AND OR SAFARI browsers, suggested I add Google Chrome.

I told customer service it is as though they are peeing down customers backs, all while trying to convince us it is only rain!

THANKS FOR NOTHING ARLO, AGAIN - AND NOT ONLY NOTHING, BUT A MISLEADING WASTE OF TIME!

4. Later I finally contacted someone at Arlo who confirmed ARLO ENGINEERING is aware of the problems I and other are having. They have known about these for some time, and are working to resolve it.

WHY COULD ARLO NOT HAVE PUT OUR SOME MESSAGE TO USERS WEEKS AGO EXPLAINING THIS?

I also offered some suggestions for products improvements, especially so that their Solar Panel might actually charge a camera rather than maybe maintain its charge, and others. Again I was informed they had no way to contact Engineering with suggestions.

5. Two months later, the status:

• my two Arlo Q cameras miraculously came back up and are working OK.

• Safari and Firefox browsers remain compromised and not properly controlling my cameras.

• All is OK however, on my iPhone App.

 

M

 

PS: I have decades of experience with computers and gadgets, good technical competence and a fair understanding of software and user interfacing. I head a technology company so I know somethings about networked hardware, software, and about customer service.

5 REPLIES 5
martincc
Luminary
Luminary

I posted the above under 'Community Feedback", someone moved this without my consent to a more obscure 'Arlo Q' section.

 

The above posting only incidentally mentions Arlo Q problems, it is more about poor customer service and general software/browser interface problems.

 

In case whom ever relocated my posting is ill-equipped to judge where this should be I will repost where I reasoned it was most appropriate, under Community Feedback.

JessicaP
Arlo Employee Retired

Hi martincc,

 

Sorry to hear the experience you're having with your Arlo system. Let me reach out to you via private message regarding this.

martincc
Luminary
Luminary

As a followup to my complaints about poor/nonresponsive customer service, it is interesting to see developments of new hardware being announced - even while the software/firmware of existing products is not what we contracted for.

 

1. It is galling to see my credit card being charged the full $150 for the annual monitoring services, when for months neither browsers of my Apple Macintosh 'MacBook Pro' can operate my cameras owing to software problems within Arlo that were only recently acknowledged to me by the Arlo people.

 

If Arlo is truly sincere about being apologetic, then how about some tangible expressions of regret?

 

a. do not charge customers for full services costs when the full services promised are not being delivered.

b. fix the problems, then let the customers know when they can get back to using what have been broken.

 

2. On 27 September, as a followup to my post (above) we can see Jessica reached out with the standard reply "Sorry to hear the experience you're having with your Arlo system. Let me reach out to you via private message regarding this." However, nobody from Arlo has contacted me since. Neither has there been any explanations of why customer service is so compromised, why the Safari and Firefox browser access to my cameras are so compromised.

 

Useless insincerity? Or, more likely the problems originate higher up in Management and Engineering.

Pbwebs
Initiate
Initiate

Martincc I totally agree !!  My Arlo Q suddenly stopped working about 2 months ago after being up and running for 3 years.  No matter what I do to re-install it into the app it fails.  I've reset it, used iphone, ipad, laptop, and countless days and hours on the phone with the 'wonderful' (NOT) Customer Service getting the same useless advise walking me the steps in the app.  

JessicaP
Arlo Employee Retired

Hi martincc,

 

It looks like the support team was able to contact you via phone call yesterday at around 3:05 PM PDT. For any further concerns, don't hesitate to follow up on your case so the support team can help you further.

 

Hi Pbwebs,

 

Sorry to hear the problems you're having with your Arlo Q. Let me reach out to you via private message to gather some information from you.