End Of Life Policy

[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

[Warbri]

No after april 1 2023 they have removed that from those cameras as well. And actually pro 2 and earlier will be end of life.  What a joke

[Scotty52]

That’s not at all what was said on Twitter by the CEO

[Srack]

Thank you for the link to the CEO Twitter thread.

Wow, the guy is a masterful wordsmith.

How about the CEO just say this:

"we're sorry but you have really old stuff from 2014, I realize it works, but unfortuantey supply chains and other realities have led us to abandon 8 year old products and focus on more cutting edge, completely different technology. For your loyalty and troubles, here is a 50% off credit for a new Arlo Ultra system. We appreciate your loyalty for all of these years, and perhaps we will make up the revenue loss with your recommendations to friends and family. We believe we have the best, most reliable system in the market. Please continue being part of the Arlo community and family. Your loyalty is an incredible affirmation of our dedication to having by far the most premium and reliable camera security system in the world...."

If he said this, I'd buy a new Ultra System and also help a friend buy her home system, which I recommended Arlo last week, but now will recommend Ring. I can't ever push anyone towards Arlo in the future. I am not mad, just bummed out that they cannot be more proactive and appreciative and figure out a way to make money and keep us all in the family..

Arlo is the best I have tried, I will miss it immensely to be honest.

[Warbri]

He lies.  I just read all the end of life cameras affected. Some may be okay a little longer till january 1st 2024 but then done

[ExArloUser69]

@Scotty52 

Well, if the CEO of Arlo tweeted it, it must be true.

Still haven't received my 10% coupon code on a new system to compensate me for bricking my current system. 

[Scotty52]

Is he lying ? He told me my

Atlo pros can still be used???? I don’t need to buy a new system. 

[Redrook]

Sorry but you can't call it an "End of Life Policy" and then say that all the functionality can be kept for a fee.

This is a bait and switch.

If this isn't rectified - and it can be because by Arlo's own admission the functionality is still perfectly viable - then I will be switching to another system and will never buy another Arlo product again. Even if I HAVE to subscribe it will not be with Arlo. Google Nest is looking pretty good these days.

[ExArloUser69]

@Scotty52 

I wouldn't trust any of Matt's babblings on Twitter. It's all smoke and mirrors damage control.

If you have Arlo Pro cameras, you have until Apr 1, 2023 and afterwards, you will likely lose cloud storage, software/firmware support, security updates, email alerts and push notifications-- pretty much everything that makes your system functional.

If you have Pro 2 cameras, you might have until Jan 1, 2024 (Pro 2 EOL date).

It's right there in the End of Life Policy document. And the most relevant bullet point says it all:

"Arlo may in its sole discretion provide updates to, or maintain certain services for, EOL’d Arlo Products, but
Arlo is not obligated to do so after the EOL Effective Date."

Essentially, they can pull the plug on your app access or brick your system anytime AFTER the EOL date. I don't see where anything Matt says changes that.

[secaz]

LongPlus is interesting, $35 a camera, don't need a base station, just 2.4GHz wifi, they advertise FREE 7 DAY ROLLING STORAGE FOR LIFE (they use AWS for cloud).

They have AI if you want to subscribe to a plan... I wouldn't just because Arlo's AI is useless, so bad taste in my mouth about AI from that experience...

They can take up to 113 degrees F... that's good... can probably take more... I know the Arlo cams can stand higher temps than they are rated for...

They are 1080p... wireless, rechargeable batteries...

[EX-arlocustomer]

All,

It does not appear to be very hard or expensive to convert to currently available security cameras (NON-arlo) that will provide 100% ownership and complete user control of camera/secoritu system without DVR, special hub,  subscription services or even an internet connection except as/when desired and controlled completely by the owner.   I just DIY'ed that with my home automation system conversion.   It took some time to learn it but it is now entirely under my own control.   

My current electronic system specifications require anything i purchase to be operable 100% without internet or public utility system connections and completely free of the manufacturer's control.   Remote connection/notification for the owner is not that hard to do with the current ioT operational.  NO arlo expenditures in my future due to their 1,1,23  EOL email to me.

[secaz]

Some consumers do not have the expertise or know-how, or are limited in the technical abilities, or plain didn't want to be bothered, which is why Arlo was attractive in the first place...  it was simple, it was easy, but Arlo lied about free 7 day rolling storage... and that's a sticking point...

[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

[Technojames]

The ‘special offer’ was a 1 month subscription.

I don’t need it as I’m legally entitled to 7 days of cloud storage. 

[Normandroy]

REALLY??? After all this tumult you guys created, NOW you tell us you'll be offering "more clarity" and a "path forward" and "special offers"?  Why couldn't you think of this days or weeks ago. Why put all Arlo users through this? Couldn't your bright CEO, COO, CTO, PR pros and others have thought this through and prevented this outpouring of anger and grief?

As to whatever you will be proposing; I'm still, and will remain of the view that I bought a system that should still be allowed to function and with a 7-day free storage system. Unless you intend to refund all I've spent on your devices and system I doubt there's much you can do to prevent me from moving to another provider.

But, not to be totally negative, here's a suggestion. How about "sunsetting" all current owners and users and going with whatever new system you'll be proposing for any new customers you recruit from this point forward? At least then everyone will know what they are getting, or not getting, up front and they can make an informed decision as to buy your product or not? AND, make sure any future EOL silliness is clearly stated in bold, huge lettering and labeled on each product/system and point of sale.

[StephenB]

---

@DaveWoj wrote:

@StephenB 

Those settings and features aren't something I'm familiar with.

Since I don't have any of the newer cameras (only Pro 2 and Q), I'm assuming those features won't show up.

The "Feed" experience is being rolled out to everyone - so at some point you will get it.

Unfortunately there are no manuals for "Feed", the ones out there only cover the traditional "Library" experience.  But modes work similarly to what you have now.

• https://kb.arlo.com/42/What-are-modes-and-rules-and-how-does-Arlo-use-them

The main differences are

1. you can create custom modes now, but that can't be done with feed.  You can edit the three built-in modes though.
2. now your modes are associated with your base (or with each Q camera, since they have no base).  With Feed, the modes are associated with configured camera location.

[secaz]

Kudos to any Arlo customer who can just junk his or her system, right now, and run out and buy a new system instead. As opposed to subscribing to an Arlo plan to extend the functionality of what they own – just to prove a point, or “stick it to the man”.

Lord above knows I’d like see Arlo get what’s coming to them for treating us, their customers, so poorly.

Some have said some customers can’t afford one more monthly subscription, so EOL is a big deal to them. Well, then those are the same customers who assuredly can’t afford to replace a whole camera system, since they can’t even afford the monthly subscription.

And IMHO, $9.99 a month (at the time of this writing, anyway, and insofar as my subscription plan) is a small price to pay to fund the infrastructure that comprises their cloud and provides its services, and the people responsible for maintaining it (can you tell I work in the tech sector?).

I have 17 Arlo Pro cameras and 3 base stations – even if I could afford to do so, I’m not going to run out and buy 17 NEW cameras, from any manufacturer. Mine work perfectly fine (well, all things considered, naturally, being Arlo).

I have subscribed to Arlo's cloud service for a long, long time – and have no illusions, but would like to think Arlo isn’t about to throw away all the revenue their receive from subscribers like myself who have honestly paid every month for their cloud service. I would hope, just for the sake of incoming revenue, that they would make sure these older camera systems will continue to connect to and function with Arlo Secure.

Again, no illusions.

And it is not truly EOL if hardware will continue to work providing one pays for a subscription. That’s a really bad choice of words. It should rather be, “We are no longer supporting your obsoleted hardware. If you wish to continue using this hardware, we require that you purchase a subscription plan.”

One can view this as something akin to an extended warranty plan, I suppose.

Notwithstanding the fact that they sold us these systems using the lure of “free 7 day rolling storage”.

It’s a bad situation, and doubly so because newer Arlo cameras CAN be directly connected to wifi, while Arlo Pro and other older hardware cannot. So they are leaving these customers in the lurch – the ones like myself who bought into Arlo in its infancy and helped Arlo to grow its (questionable) empire. It indeed appears as if Arlo is railroading these customers into subscribing just to boost their bottom line.

If there are any legal grounds for suing Arlo and holding them to their promise, then great – but I won’t hold my breath. Things of this nature rarely turn out in the favor of the consumer. Class action lawsuit? Super! We’ll all receive a check for $1.75 once it’s all said and done.

Sad but true, the little guy, no matter how right, or how much he has been wronged, rarely, if ever, is victorious.

I hope someone can prove otherwise, I would love to see it happen… honestly…

But for the time being, if a subscription will keep systems with obsolete hardware alive and functioning, then that’s the most cost effective solution for those of us who can’t afford to “just go and replace” a whole system. Some of us just can’t afford to stand on principle and cut off our noses despite our faces. Sometimes we just have to bite the bullet no matter how bitter the taste.

Just my elderly 2 cents, after all...

[JerzeyJohn]

@JamesC 

”Seeking clarity and a path forward…” is an understatement. We are pissed off and disgusted with your unethical business practices. All of the posters on this forum also knew you would try to “save face” after all of the backlash you received, so we aren’t fooled by the “special offers” you mentioned. Everyone knew this feeble attempt of reconciliation was bound to happen after all of the disastrous news articles were written and globally disseminated (with the exception of your legal department apparently).  How about you honor the original policy that the customers signed up for IN GOOD FAITH, when they first purchased from you?!?

It sucks that your company is failing ethically and it’s stock is rapidly falling, but that isn’t the fault of your long-time loyal customers… HINT: you might want to bend over backwards to salvage trying to keep them. 

[Bishopwj01]

I received the EOL email on my Arlo cameras. Now I am looking for options for new ones.

I have Honeywell Lyric and HomeKit anyone have any good options or suggestions?

[secaz]

You might want to take a look at the stock forecast for Arlo... says healthy, lol...

I'm fairly certain Arlo had discussed, and at length, with lawyers and strategists, the ramifications of their decision.  As well as feasible fallback positions, acceptable concessions, etc. , etc.

My memory fails me at times, but when I signed up for a subscription, long, long ago, it was 60 days of cloud storage.  Then at some point I actually NEEDED to go back almost 60 days, only to find out somewhere along the way it had changed to 30 days.

[designerjohnson]

I read a ton of comments. No one is really asking for “more clarity.” Pretty much everyone is wanting Arlo to honor the benefits promised at time of purchase. 7-days storage ongoing. Do you need more clarity to your customers’ true needs?

[DaveWoj]

@StephenB 

Thanks for that info. now I know why I'm not seeing it.

[Technojames]

@JamesC 

Arlo needs to get legal advice on Australian consumer protection laws because you are now in breach.

Australian retailers of impacted Arlo products are now required, by law, to process refunds for any purchases because the terms of sale have changed. Arlo can’t simply withdraw a component of the purchase because they have deemed these products end of life.

I have already requested a refund from my retailer for a base station and cameras purchased in 2018. They will honour this refund, send Arlo the equipment and Arlo will be forced to credit the wholesale value to the retailer. That’s because, under Australian consumer law, they are required to do this. They aren’t going to risk penalties and fines to protect Arlo. (I’d also suggest Australian retailers will think twice about stocking Arlo into the future if this becomes an issue, which seems likely.)

I encourage all Australian’s impacted by this to do the same thing. Take the products back for a full refund. If the retailer declines then go to your state Fair Trading department. Refunds will soon be processed after that.

Arlo, you especially made a huge mistake advising impacted customers they can avoid problems by paying for a subscription. This simply validates that the products are not EOL and that they will continue to function if you pay more money to Arlo. That makes your EOL claim false and misleading. So now you’ve exposed your Australian business to fines, penalties and, potentially, legal action by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission.

And to top it all off, you’re offering a security product. Any customer that loses functionality and suffers loss (due to theft or personal injury) would have a case to make a claim against Arlo.

It is astounding how little Arlo has thought through the impact of their decision here.

[JerzeyJohn]

@secaz 

Not sure if you were replying to me, but if so, I’ve already looked at their stock (as have many other users) and they are not that high (comparatively) and have been declining for a while…

And again, if your comments directed at me, no****** they had their lawyers review the policy… it’s called sarcasm.
 

Frankly, I’m pretty fed up, so I’m going to say what I feel about the situation. Good luck with your 17 cameras though. I’ll switch to different systems due to principle alone. 

[DaveWoj]

@secaz 

I read your comments and maybe I'm missing something.

I'm confused because you say you have 17 Pro's and pay for a subscription.

I was under the impression that you could (before now) have only 5 cameras on an account regardless of if it's paid subscription or not. If you have more than 5 then you would need to pay per camera after that.

And if that's the case, why were or are you paying for a subscription if they all came with free 7 day cloud?

I have 4 Pro 2's and 5 Q's and they are all on the cloud, 2 accounts and no subscription.

What am I missing with your setup?

[ArloWontCharge]

I can’t speak for anyone else but I bought a subscription because I bought 3 Pro 4’s to expand my system without realizing they don’t have free cloud recording. So they were useless without the subscription, once the free trial expired. 

One nice feature with the subscription is that the notification on my phone for motion tells me if it’s a vehicle, person or animal.