EOL Email - Goodbye Arlo

[simonjf]

I have just received an email about the End Of Life policy. If this is actually what is going to happen then I need to follow up with all my friends and family, social media connections to advocate against Arlo, and search for an alternative company and service, likely starting my own online storage service for them with appropriate security cameras.

Additionally, contacts at Arlo seem to be designed to prevent actual communication - which has the stink of a company that hates its customers.

[JamesC]

New, updated information is now available regarding the EoL policy that is very relevant to much of the discussion taking place here in this community thread. These changes will allow Arlo legacy users who currently have 7-day storage service to continue receiving that service, uninterrupted.

I encourage you all to visit https://downloads.arlo.com/images/PDFs/EOL_Policy/arlo-end-of-life-policy-021023.pdf and read up on these changes.

Thank you,

JamesC

[JamesC]

Hello Arlo Community,

With the recently announced Arlo end-of-life policy, we understand many of you are seeking more clarity and a path forward after your device becomes end-of-life. In the coming days we will be reaching out to impacted users via email with special offers. Keep an eye out for those emails as they will contain more details about these offers and instructions on how to take advantage of them.

For those who may not have read this new policy or have questions about how this may impact you, I encourage you to take a look here: https://downloads.arlo.com/images/PDFs/EOL_Policy/arlo-end-of-life-policy-021023.pdf?cid=a&cid=a

If you've not received a discount offer via email, visit https://www.arlo.com/en-us/eol-offer-form.html and enter your email address, if your account is eligible you will then receive the discount offer via email.

Thank you,

JamesC

[JerzeyJohn]

@CTSNicholas  Thank you for posting this. You are spot on and articulated the issue very well… this definitely is a “bait and switch” as well as a money grab. Also, it appears as though some of the wording in the email is contradictory, and reeks of a money grab attempt.  I’m furious about this and I really hope “strength in numbers” will force them to walk back such a shady decision.

[AncientRunner]

Dear Friends:

ARLO has wounded me.

The End of Life (EOL) policy for VMC3030 cameras doesn't seem fair.  I have four of them.  They are superior to the newer cameras as I want to explain.  They operated very well through the extremely cold weeks (-6 degrees Fahrenheit) we recently experienced.  I also have three of the newer VMC4041P cameras that do a fine job in fair weather, but they will not operate in cold conditions. They exhausted the battery and shut down.  The battery would not charge until brought into the house for a cozy warm up.  I kept the cameras in the house until outdoor temps went above freezing.  They are now back on duty.   I think the VMC4041P cameras went into retirement when we went below 25 degrees F.  I have also enjoyed a doorbell camera AV01001.  It functioned well through the cold weather.  In general, I have been bullish on ARLO.  The new EOL policy took the luster off that perception.

Here is the upshot: If ARLO diminishes my VMC3030 camera functions I will be camera blind in cold weather aside from my doorbell camera.  For this reason, I will be reluctant to consider another ARLO device. I believe the EOL Policy should be reversed.  The managers that made the EOL decision are engaging in a misstep that will diminish consumer trust in the company.

[Scotty52]

I find it exceptionally strange that the announce end of life and now my cameras won’t charge. Really?

[Ig16]

Goodbye arlo. This is an incredibly stupid move on your part. 

[pc2k17]

I'm sure some of this decision is due to lingering sky-high inflation, a tanking economy, and the record decline in the stock market. Arlo has to make up revenue somewhere. Even if there are only 100,000 people on the free plan, at $10 a month that's an extra $1,000,000 in revenue a month. I don't like it, but I figured one day arlo would eliminate the free plan. Guess that day is coming soon.

[DaveWoj]

Here is something very interesting that everyone needs to see.

This was an article as recent as July 2022 when these cameras were still being sold

https://kb.arlo.com/1108731/How-many-cameras-does-Arlo-support-if-I-don-t-have-an-Arlo--subscription

and clearly states that

"if you have one of the following cameras you will continue to have all the benefits that were included with the purchase of your camera. This includes free rolling 7-day Cloud Recording on up to 5 cameras."

Arlo definitely pulled a fast one pulling the 7 day cloud.

I guess that's their Happy New Year wish to us.

[Jeeplover]

Hope you can see the image and hope this helps. Turns out that your camera system will probably work with this model base station which DOES have a local storage connection via USB A. Base station appears to be available at Amazon for $110. It's an option but, means continueing to deal with Arlo and theirquestionable ethics.

[Thebrightestday]

100% agree.

New Year's e-mail.. who is the brain behind the idea to send it out on Jan 1?

Business class case example of how to lose customers, ditto.

[Knight85]

In reading your referenced link (thanks for that) it says

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.

i interpret this as saying there will be no further free cloud storage for these EOL devices. Further, that storage of video clips local lis on “compatible” hub is possible. 

pardon my ignorance but does this mean that I can (with an appropriate storage device) access my videos of interest remotely from that storage device? … or that I will have to physically access that storage device, plug into my computer and view?

thanks for any information. Like many of us, my main interest in the security system is in remote access.

[scirdan]

They eliminated it with camera products after the pro2, which is fine.. The earlier  cameras advertised this right on the box, it was a selling point, and it wasn't "free" we paid for it when we purchased the cameras that came with that service.

[pc2k17]

I've had arlo since 2017 also, and in 2020 decided to try ReoLink. Great high end cameras way cheaper than arlo, I have a 6gb NVR with my system, the app is just ok, but they do have a windows desktop app, which is also just ok. They do motion, people, vehicle, package, animal detection like arlo, but unlike arlo, you can turn off just motion recording and leave the others which I really like to eliminate false positives. App notifications are not as good as arlo. You can 24/7 live stream if you want. I have a POE cam, wifi plug in powered cam, and a battery cam. The reason why I went back to arlo when I added more cameras was because arlo secure is better then what reolink offers and the Reolink POE and wifi cams detect motion or people, etc by comparing the previous frame to the current frame and if there is a change it alerts you. Problem is if you turn a light on/off it sees that as a change and alerts you of motion and records, it's annoying.

However, the battery cams they have use a PIR sensor like most all other cameras and it works very well. Only cloud storage with the battery cams though, no dvr or sd card. So long story..... Reolink battery cams are worth a look.

[r3awak3n]

Scummy Arlo. Reason people bought the product was because of the free cloud and now that will be gone. 

I don't even care about paying for a service, I will be glad to do it... if that is what I signed up for. However when I bought my 5 cameras the deal was that I would have free cloud. Its ok to not update the firmware of these old devices (they are not even that old) but ending a service that was promised and reason why people bought the system is a no no.

No worries though I am sure most here will no longer buy arlos and will no longer recommend it, myself included.

[tahoeflyer]

You get the sense Arlo is saying we have your money  . . . now go pound sand.

Bait and Switch - The new business model is to get you hooked with promised amenities and then negate on them under the guise of EOL issues. Shameful practice by all ethical standards, but that now seems to be the norm as promoted by MBA (Marginal But Arrogant) executives who run companies by spreadsheets.  

The Bait - marketing of their systems was based on "No Contracts" with 7-day storage and email notifications

The Switch - if you want those same amenities now, you now need to pay with a monthly contract. Cancelling their existing promise under a flimsy EOL argument. 

I promoted Netgear routers and products for a long time, and I thought the spin off in 2018 of Arlo as a separate entity would be a good thing. Times must be tuff to resort to these draconian tactics 

No apologies or mention of any restitution for existing customers. Very shameful, poorly thought out and executed by corporate communications. 

[DaveWoj]

I don't think you are replying to my link but regarding your question.

You won't have Free 7 day cloud for any EOL cameras unless you subscribe. And even then, that doesn't guarantee that they will work 100% with the features like geofencing.

As for the hub, they are probably referring to the base station that records to a USB flash drive.

I have that and it stored videos for over a year but you can't access them without pulling flash drive and plugging it into a computer.

[chrisbb]

Well, this was a thank you very much now piss off!!! I get an email on 1/1/2023 telling me that my camera system is now at a EOL stage, and the cameras will not be updated and may stop functioning all together.

This was a fine notification if I had been given a bit more notification then 0 days, I would have run out a purchased a new Arlo camera system.

At this point I decided I will not be caught in the situation again, I will be using a CCTV camera system yes, they are a pain in the butt but at least I will have more notice they are going to stop working.
WOW!!

[Strathmont]

The email I received today clearly states "the EOL’d cameras themselves may lose some functionality over time".

Let me be clear;  I did not rent my Arlo Pro 2 cameras.  I paid CASH for them, I OWN them and they work just FINE.  Arlo does not have the right to cause ANY interruption to my cameras, nor do they have the right to intentionally and willfully cause them to lose ANY "functionality over time" to satiate their need for greed.

This is far from over. 

[Spot4]

End of Life policy....I am a long time user with 2 x wire free, 2x Arlo Pro cameras, 2desktop ball mounts and 1 x swivel mount. I had contemplated further purchases to enlarge my system but not anymore. The free cloud storage was perfect for my needs keeping an eye on animals. My base station VMB3000 has 2 USB storage ports at rear - I am looking at setting up my own network. Latest updates in the app dont seem to help me achieve this and I will continue to look into how I ca save my own videos. One thing is for sure - Arlo will lose me as well as many other customers....this really stinks

[Spot4]

I have a VMB3000 base station also with 2 x USB ports and like you I find them useless. Currently trying to make them work but app seems to give no options for this

[Spot4]

[Paul_FCCL]

Scammers!!!

Shameful if they are allowed to do this, likely upcoming class action lawsuit. Arlo you have failed millions of customers around the world, you are not getting away with this. None of these product conditions were properly disclosed on packaging at time of sale. Pure, blatant consumer fraud.

We expected Arlo to eventually figure out a way around the free seven days cloud storage commitments used to lure us all to purchase their products. They can end product support but not free cloud storage.

[Sbne]

So Arlo, now that you are screwing us out of our perfectly good working systems, how are we supposed to recycle all of our worthless  Arlo systems?  Happy Earth Day 2023 everybody!

[Spot4]

[Sbne]

This year for Earth Day, Arlo is bricking thousands of cameras and base units.  So Arlo, where can we recycle all of our now useless equipment?  Never again!  What a huge waste of time, money and resources. 

[meticulousmike]

Letter to Arlo,

Just got an email (said it was from Arlo) informing me that there will be an End Of Life Policy for my Arlo cameras, and recording service. That had to be a spoof, or a scam of some kind . . . but if it is true then TRUST ME - there is no way in Heaven or Hell I will ever buy anything from Arlo again. That's a promise. Our system works just fine, but there are others out there, and cheaper too. Really? Is that true?

Mike Andersen

[IshmaelB]

Got that email too.

Pro2 EOL is 1/1/2024.

I have 14 of them.

They lied when they said we have 7 days free storage.  In  fact they only store 6 days.

This is the last straw.

Anyone up for class action?