New Smart Plan Subscription Pricing 12/13/19

[CaliArloUser]

Over the last two weeks I have bought eight more Pro2 cameras, another VMB400 base station and a WMB4050 base to add to my existing five camera Pro2/VMB 4000 system at a cost of $1,200. It was my intention to eventually expand this even further to 20 Pro2 cams. Went to subscribe to the $14.99/mo Elite plan today, 12/13/19, only to find a shocking price increase/camera limit decrease in the subscription plans was also announced today. It is my understanding that  anyone who already had an existing Premier or Elite plan will not be effected by this change and their plan costs/cam count will remain the same and if I had signed up yesterday (guess I should have but I was busy spending $1,200 on more Arlo gear) I also would be able to have up to 20 Pro2 cams for $14.99 a month. Does Arlo think customers like me who spent $1,200 on more hardware immediately before this subscription plan change are now going to also pay $390 a year for 20 Pro2 cams while other customers only have to pay $180 a year for the same exact service? I don't need or want 2 or 4k video, I only need Pro2 1080p cameras. Why wasn't a separate plan for those of us who only have, and will only ever have, Pro2 1080p cams introduced? Why does Arlo think it's ok to now charge some customers more than twice the amount of money for the same exact service others are getting? Why couldn't the $9.99/10 cam & $14.99/20 cam subscriptions have remained the same but been modified for 1080p cameras only and separate subscription plans for 2K and 4K cams been added. Before I even had the chance to get a plan and hook up these new cams/bases I now have to pay more than 2x as much as others for the same 20 camera Pro2  subscription service? This is not right nor fair at all to those of us wanting to simply add more Pro2 cameras, what is Arlo thinking with this extreme egregious pricing change?? Why would I want to keep the $1,200 in product I just bought on top of the $600 I had previously spent only to now have to additionally spend over 2x as much as others for a subscription plan that offers me absolutely nothing more for my money? Can anyone  from Arlo please explain this to me or tell me why I wouldn't want to return everything I just bought? I was a happy Arlo customer but to say I am now an extremely unhappy Arlo customer would be putting it mildly.

[StephenB]

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@whtefur wrote:

This increase did also affect existing customers.  I just got an email confirming my payment -- MUCH higher than it's been the last 3 years.

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Looking at the pricing, I agree it will increase prices for some customers - but will lower prices for some others (especially customers who would pay for PVR, which is now included).

Customers with lots of 1080p or 720p cameras will generally see higher prices.

[Mavrrick]

It would be interesting to see statistics of the user base. How many people have what cameras and how many subscribe to the arlo smart plans for additional cameras.

If this price change is impacting existing customers with legacy cameras it could be very interesting. It is also an example of kind of screwing the customers that have made the platform what it is today. It isn't pro3 and ultra customers that made this company so popular. I have 3x Arlo Q and 2x Pro 2 cameras.
I have a 2x pro 3 kit that i am debating on keeping now that local storage is avaliable. It is a shame they didnt make it avaliable for the VMB4000 or VMB4500 base station. But then again the VMB4000 is on its way out it seems and the VMB4500 is less robust.

Pro 2 users with many cameras will likely need to invest in the newer base stations to reduce there cost with local storage direct access.

[StephenB]

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@Mavrrick wrote:
It would be interesting to see statistics of the user base. How many people have what cameras and how many subscribe to the arlo smart plans for additional cameras.

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It would be interesting to see, but I suspect Arlo would view this as confidential business info.

Based on posts here, my guess is that the average user has less than five cameras.  I'd also guess that the average user with a paid subscription has more cameras than the average user without a paid subscription (though likely still five or less).

[Mavrrick]

I agree it would likely been seen that way. I suspect stock holders have the information though.

I suspect that the number of users that need subscription services will decrease allot with the new direct access option avaliable on the new gear. I know i was planning on getting the $10 plan only to extend my camera limit. Now thay isnt happening

It really is the folks with older cameras that are getting screwed. It is just such a shame because we are the ones that made the platform as successful as it is. This is simply a sign of a cash grab of those customers.

[StephenB]

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@Mavrrick wrote:
I suspect stock holders have the information though.

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No. It's publicly held, so if the stock holders had it we would all have access to it.  Their financial statements give you the revenue split between products and services, but that's it.  

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@Mavrrick wrote:

It really is the folks with older cameras that are getting screwed. It is just such a shame because we are the ones that made the platform as successful as it is. 

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I'm not seeing that. 

• They are continuing the 7 day free recording for the older cameras, and that includes new purchasers of those cameras.  
• Paid subscriptions of 5 or fewer cameras remain the same, with 2K recording thrown in for the Pro3 and Ultra.  
• Paid subscriptions for > 5 cameras are more expensive for all cameras recording at 1080p. 

The folks paying significantly more are the ones with a lot of cameras (whether old or new).  It would be good if Arlo mitigated those increases somehow.

[Mavrrick]

We are saying the same thing just slightly different. Users of legacy cameras were limited to 5 cameras and then had to subscribe to activate more cameras at all. With the ultra or pro 3, it looks like you can have 10 cameras and have them all activated with local recording with no additional cost. Unless something changes that isn't possible with the older cameras. On top of that i have not seen clarity as to how the costs break down for the Pro 2 or older to get above 5 cameras active. I totally agree people with less the 5 cameras should see no change.

Another thread mentions you can pick and choose what cameras have smart features. That is fine if you dont need it to activate the camera in the first place.

[StephenB]

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@Mavrrick wrote:
With the ultra or pro 3, it looks like you can have 10 cameras and have them all activated with local recording with no additional cost.

Actually I think you can do this if the older cameras are synced to the 4540 or 5000 base.  Of course purchasing that base does incur a one-time cost.

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@Mavrrick wrote:
On top of that i have not seen clarity as to how the costs break down for the Pro 2 or older to get above 5 cameras active. 

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I think the area that needs clarification there is whether you can add paid subscriptions for new cameras w/o losing the 7-day free recording on the existing cameras.  There is a workaround, which is to use a second account for the paid subscriptions, and grant access.  Though again, that often would require adding a second base.

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@Mavrrick wrote:
We are saying the same thing just slightly different.

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I think we do agree on the facts.  I wouldn't say that the new subscription pricing screws all current users, but clearly it does significantly subscription costs for some.

[Mavrrick]

I totally agree about the 4540 and 5000 base stations. 

I can say I have been testing some Pro 3 cameras and it appears that they do allow you to add them and not impact the 7 day free recording now. I did experience a point though were i had to deactivate one of the other cameras to get the pro3 to work, but then i think a update on Arlo's side corrected it. I have also noticed that in the new app I don't see the option to activate and deactivate cameras even with my legacy cameras. I am still getting my 7 day recording though.  It would be nice if Arlo would make an offical statement as to how this all should work though. This is kind of ridiculous that we are having to figure this out.

My point about legacy users getting screwed is simply related to those that have many of the Arlo Q of PRO 2 and below and can't use or get a new base station. Those users are going to immediately get hit with a huge bill with no way to avoid. Considering you can only by the VMB5000 right now as a add on by itself that also means users will be stuck with a 150 bill if they want to upgrade there hub. and if they have enough cameras that is multiplied by how many base stations they actually need. If you add to that the fact the new base stations don't have a siren then that is potentially a huge loss in functionality as well. 

[StephenB]

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@Mavrrick wrote:

Considering you can only by the VMB5000 right now as a add on by itself 

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I am still seeing standalone VMB4000s available on Amazon.com.

[Mavrrick]

You are right in that the vmb4000 is available, but in the context of direct acces to local recordings to reduce cost and a current hub the VMB5000 is the only current option. The VMB4500 appears to be the replacement to the VMB4000 following the new desig language so i don't expect the VMB4000 to be around for allot longer. The VMB4500 and VMB4540 just are not avaliable yet.

Thereis also the current issue where the VMB4000 has been broken now for 3 months for users of IFTTT and Smartthings for certain functionality.

[StephenB]

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@Mavrrick wrote:
You are right in that the vmb4000 is available, but in the context of direct acces to local recordings to reduce cost and a current hub the VMB5000 is the only current option. 

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True if you want direct access to local recording.  Hopefully the VMB4540 will also be available at some point.

[zincyellowcobra]

I AM LIVID. ABSOLUTELY COMPLETELY AND TOTALLY LIVID. My Smart Elite subscription renews in 2 weeks. I have 23 Arlo cameras. Pro 2 cams and 6 Ultra cams. I subscribed to Smart Elite which covered 20 cameras and a second account to cover 3 additional. My cost was $225 annually. $149 for the Smart Elite plan covering up to 20 cameras with SIXTY days of cloud recording plus $76 for Premium 4K Video Recording on 4 of the Ultras.  Now, should I want the 4K plan it would cost me $720 annually.  THAT IS AN INCREASE OF 320% for less of a plan.  Only 30 days in cloud when I have 60 now. This cannot be for real? I have been a loyal Arlo customer since 2016. In fact, The first systems I purchased were Christmas gifts for my mother and sister in 2015. I Loved the cams so much that I purchased my own. I quickly added cameras to cover ever inch of the interior and exterior of my home. I friggin upgraded every time a new model cam rolled out. I replaced all of my “classic” wire free cams with Pro 2 cams later adding the Ultras. I have been a paid subscriber for years as I wanted the additional cloud storage. I do not skimp on anything when it comes to my Arlo system. I have purchased all of the Arlo accessories and have a crap load of additional batteries and multiple chargers to speed up the process. I have purchased Arlo solar panels, Arlo AC adapters, Arlo skins, Arlo lights. I didn’t just double down on my commitment to Arlo, I quadruple doubled down. It is highly offensive to think of all the $$$$$ I have invested in this company, their systems and plans, to now get blind sided by this next phase of bleeding their loyal customers of $$$$.  Let’s pretend I don’t want 4K recording and am ok to downgrade to the 2K plan, my annual cost is still $444 annually.  Nearly double the cost with 30 days cloud instead of 60 and only 2K recordings for my 4K capable cameras. 

ARLO - ARE YOU LISTENING? How does this make any sense? 

[kwhiffin]

I'm with ya on all this.  This is complete BS.  If they don't resolve this I am returning all my ARLO hardware.  There's plenty of alternatives.  

[JustAnElf2]

I really wished I saw this thread about a week ago.  I already have 10 cameras that covers my two acre property.  I just purchased a new hub and a new Arlo Pro 3 camera in an effort to phase out some of the older cameras with newer models.  The cost of ownership is at the point where it's not cost effective to keep this system.  

[prince4angel]

So I purchased a Arlo pro 2 camera system based on recommendations from a friend as well as a demo. But since my place was way bigger I opted for the 6 camera system. He had a 3 camera system for his apt. The basic free subscription was good up to 6 cameras with 30 days of cloud service but I wanted more (the smart alerts, zones, etc) so I opted for the premier annual subcription which was a little cheaper than per month and it supported up to 10 cameras. So of course hey I'm paying for it I might as well buy more cameras. So as I could I purchased 4 additional cameras along with accessories totaling a little over $1600. By this point I'm fully invested and quite happy. After all I have caught people trying to break in at night as well as contractors stealing and neglecting my personal property or things. So now that my subscription has expired I did not renew it for a few months cause I was low on funds due to health reasons. So I was checking out the basic free service which I noticed has changed. Now it only supports 5 cameras and you only get 7 days of cloud service. So I'm like mmm ok wonder why they did that. Well then when I have the funds available I goto do the subscription and see they changed all of that too. You can only pay by the month no more annual subscription and it only supports 5 cameras instead of 10. If you have any camera you want to use after the supported 5, you have to pay per camera per month extra. Which drove my subscription price for my set up from $100 per year to $225 per year for the same service. So my question is why would you sell a 6 camera package or bundle and only support 5 cameras? Also why would you take away the option to pay for a whole year? Other companies have options to pay for their services monthly and yearly and some of course daily. So why is this? Why change the subscriptions they was fine. I know Arlo came out with the 3's but they could have just added a plan or subscription for those 4k cameras. So by this point I am just ready to pack it up and ship it back to them even though it's been over a year already and go purchase a different system that's cheaper and better. Lorex has the same features with 150ft colored night vision and no subscription fees.

[Thyg0d]

This is absolute bull**bleep** Arlo!!!!

I just got 4 extra cameras and the subscription to cover my total of nine camera and and now you've raised the price AND I have to get TWO subscriptions?? Are you kidding me?? You've going to charge me more than double over night first of all without adding ANYTHING and add to that the fact it's not working?? 

I demand a reply from Arlo on this!!

[kwhiffin]

Me, too! 

Arlo what is going on with your new plans?   These changes were not communicated to existing customers.    

[zincyellowcobra]

Like you, I am totally invested in my Arlo system. Tooooo invested, obviously. Currently, I have 23 Arlo cameras. All Pro 2 cams except 6 Ultra cams. I subscribed to Smart Elite annual plan which covered 20 cameras and a second account to cover 3 additional. My cost was $225 annually. $149 for the Smart Elite plan covering up to 20 cameras with SIXTY days of cloud recording plus $76 for Premium 4K Video Recording on 4 of the Ultras.  Now, should I want the 4K plan it would cost me $720 annually.  THAT IS AN INCREASE OF 320% for less of a plan.  Only 30 days in cloud when I have 60 now.  I have been a loyal Arlo customer since 2016. In fact, The first systems I purchased were Christmas gifts for my mother and sister in 2015. I Loved the cams so much that I purchased my own Jan 2016. . I quickly added cameras to cover ever inch of the interior and exterior of my home. I friggin upgraded every time a new model cam rolled out. I replaced all of my “classic” wire free cams with Pro 2 cams later adding the Ultras. On top of investment in hardware, I have been a paid subscriber for years. I wanted the additional cloud storage and felt it was worth the additional $$$. I do not skimp on anything when it comes to my Arlo system. I have purchased all of the Arlo accessories and have a crap load of additional batteries and multiple chargers to speed up the process. I have purchased Arlo solar panels, Arlo AC adapters, Arlo skins, Arlo lights. I didn’t just double down on my commitment to Arlo, I quadruple doubled down. It is highly offensive to think of all the $$$$$ I have invested in this company, their systems and plans, to now get blind sided by this next phase of bleeding their loyal customers of $$$$.  Let’s pretend I don’t want 4K recording and am ok to downgrade to the 2K plan, my annual cost is still $444 annually.  Nearly double the cost with 30 days cloud instead of 60 and only 2K recordings for my 4K capable Ultra cameras. 

[BonSP]

I too am pretty invested with arlo. My big complaint is that I have 3 ultra’s, 3 pro2’s and 2 pro’s. Like an idiot I did not upgrade my other two ultras and I thought I would see how one performed first. Now if I want to upgrade my plan I have to pay for a 5 camera system and not all my cameras are 4K. So that leaves me wasting money for 4K’s that I don’t have or spending money for more 4K cameras, or I just wasted money for the 4K system. SIGH!!!

Any one else see this as a sign that the arlo system is struggling trying to make money and will soon be discontinued?

[SAM21]

Having the same issues. Contacted Arlo support via web chat and they were unable to fix my problems. Suggested that I cancel my current plan and request a new plan subscription. I did not do that because it would put me under the new plan that only allows 5 cameras and not the 10 cameras plan that I am currently paying for that doesn’t end until May 2020. It appeared that Arlo support didn’t have a clue about the problems.

[JustAnElf2]

I noticed that Arlo announced a new service called Arlo Smart for Business at CES 2020.  The press release even included an email address for more information.  Naturally, I sent a note over to them thinking they would tell me more.  Surly many businesses would need more than 5 cameras.  Sadly, I have yet to receive a reply.

Personally, there has to be a better plan than just 5 cameras.  If you have a medium to large size home, I find it hard to believe you only need 5 cameras.

[patencio]

Is this even legal? I purchased 6 in 2019 with no fees. Hence why I chose Arlo. No subscription fees. Now in order to connect my 6th camera I have to subscribe??????

[JustAnElf2]

Hi Patencio,

This is a company and I suspect if we read the fine print on the screen that has the agree button, it will say they have the legal right to change the terms of the contract at any time.

From an engineering perspective, Arlo has some of the best technology in the business.  The specs on almost all their products typically beat their competition hands down. 

However, from a customer service perspective they have a lot of work to do.  Customers are always asking themselves, “What’s in it for me if i use your product?”  I happen to be a long-time customer and right now that answer for me seems to be a high cost to update the equipment, and a poor product communication’s channel.

A Smart subscription service is 100% customer service.  No one is actually buying anything.  When the subscription runs out, you have nothing in your possession to show for it.  Instead, the subscription represents an up-sell of features that Arlo thinks are worthy for their Elite customers. 

Like you I stumbled upon this new pricing plan by accident.  At the time I had purchased one of their newer cameras to see what it would take to migrate my cameras one at a time.  As an Elite customer I’m not impressed.  This time next year, their current plan will cut the features I have in half unless I pay almost double the price of what I am paying now.  To add salt to the wound, the current plan won’t allow me to remove the new camera from the subscription package.  Alro is forcing me to keep the new camera in the subscription package. 

The irony to it all is that the cost of the renewal equals to or exceeds the startup cost of switching to a different vendor.  I’m now seriously looking at other products and using their renewal deadline as the timeline to make the switch.

[BonSP]

I have a gut feeling that we all just bought obsolete equipment. It seems with the new plans, less cameras and now higher costs, arlo has been losing money with the previous plans. This is their way to try and recoup some of the loses and if no one else buys into the system well to bad so sad they will no longer support us.

Like someone has mentioned it will be better from a cost perspective to just toss the system into the garbage and go another route.

At this point arlo has our money already and with these new plans they show that they don’t really care anymore.

[dmatt56]

Well said!!!! I feel the same way!