EOL Arlo PRO & PRO 2 Camera System Alternative

[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

[AshTray900]

Not sure if everyone here saw it, may have only been sent to paid members.

I’ve been paying 9.99 a month for a few years now, I just received and email that my subscription cost is going up to 12.99 And of course the email stating my cameras are EOL as a ruse to get rid of the 7 day accounts

who is running the business? This is getting extremely stupid

[danwriter]

Thing is the parent company doesn't really care. This is private equity's world now; we just live in it. I'll be talking Arlo's perfidy up at CES this week.

[DaveWoj]

@BDDA 

Is the video accessible from a phone or only through the computer?

[auf4ever]

I submitted an update to:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arlo_Technologies#Products

In case my update gets deleted, here it is:

"

• A warning: On 1Jan'23 Arlo sent an email declaring pending 'end of life' on products introduced on or before 2016, whereby: "certain features of, and support for, these cameras will become unavailable, including 7-day cloud storage, firmware updates, and email notifications" whereby "These cameras also can utilize Arlo’s new cloud storage, which is available with the Arlo Secure subscription service" (cost $9.99 per month?) This makes these cameras essentially useless. At time of purchase, the 7-day cloud storage was marketed as "free." If this EOL policy is not an outright breach of contract then it's certainly a vile breach of faith = Arlo cannot be trusted.

Reference: Arlo End-of-Life Policy, email of 2023/01/01 01:06 "

[Jsunder]

I currently have a 10 Camera Arlo Security system setup at home with a combination of Arlo Pro and Arlo Pro 2 cameras.  I received a letter on January 2, 2023 that these cameras will reach EOL April & December of 2023.  Due to the fact that I will be losing most of the functionality I currently use with my current wireless security system I am seeking an alternative to my current system that will give me the same functionality or more without breaking the bank. As you can see, with my current 10 camera system, with base unit and 3 solar panels, I already have quite an investment in my current system. So this announcement makes me very unhappy, because this new EOL policy will basically render my system useless as a security system.  If Arlo is going to adopt this philosophy they should at least have a buy back program for their current customers on a new  Arlo system.  My question, what Arlo Cameras and System are my best alternative for replacement for my current system?

[DaveWoj]

@auf4ever 

Arlo Secure is $12.99

https://www.arlo.com/en-us/arlosecure.html

[BDDA]

Lorex has an app for your phone, Lorex Home in iPhone. You can access stored video from the sd card in the app.

[auf4ever]

thnx; wiki updated

[Russ2101]

This is one of the most blatant money grabs I've seen in a long time. Claiming a 3 year old piece of technology has reached end of life is absurd. The key phrase in the email notification is this:

" These cameras also can utilize Arlo’s new cloud storage, which is available with the Arlo Secure subscription service".

So, the cameras aren't really end of life as long as the owners are willing to pay a monthly subscription for cloud storage. This is clearly the direct opposite of what was promised when these cameras were purchased. I'll gladly join the class action lawsuit(s) that are surely to follow.

[MMcN]

I was a big believer in Arlo a few years ago.  This company has turned its back on Customers with this EoL policy.

Perfectly good, well built hardware will be unsupported.  I have two such cameras and add on hardware plus 3 newer cameras.  This company has become totally focused on itself with these most recent money grab tactics, EoL and "New Updated Service Plans".  Just keep squeezing the customer until throw in the towel and leave. 

I will be leaving with the next hardware/software hiccup.  From other posts, seems I will be far from alone.

Good products....Seriously flawed company management.

[MMcN]

Discounts are not cutting it....scrapping usable hardware and raising prices for (now) required services is BS.

Only a fool would stay with this company and support the greed disloyalty to thier customer base...you can only squeeze for more $ for so long.  Time's up....

[MMcN]

I see a lot of (VERY) angry customers out there alongside this announcement and accompanied by "New Product Announcements".

One word of advice to the general public regarding Arlo, a formerly good product and company.....RUN!!!!....from the overt greed and customer disregard

[danwriter]

That pretty much describes it. Arlo Tech CEO Matt McRae defended his $10mm+ salary:

[MichaelRo]

Hah.  Amazing for someone with just a bachelors degree. 

well at least the $8.9 million of stock is probably worth chump change now. 

[Synergistic]

At some point all of these companies who decide they want to force users into "upgrades" (discounted or not) by forcing obsolescence on perfectly working products will learn that customers will respond with complete and utter abandonment of the brand. I've seen this happen with Sonos. Long term early adopter customers will (and do) react VERY strongly and are not won back. 

For me, my brand abandonment will now also include Netgear, since I believe they still hold a controlling stake in Arlo. 

There used to be a time where you'd buy a product with the expectation that it would function as you purchased it until the product physically broke. Not anymore - the new revenue stream is for the manufacturer to intentionally remotely break these devices to force you to upgrade. And if you don't - another perfectly functioning piece of electronics goes to the landfill. 

Shameless corporate greed coupled with environmental carelessness. My need for security cameras and other networking will now be fulfilled by another company - I won't fall victim to an "upgrade discount" and funnel more money to a company so this trick can be played again. 

[LeisureAcres]

Now that makes more since to me. So for paying for cloud storage our cameras will still send out motion notifications with the ARLO  APP  Was confused that maybe they will work statement from ARLO in the EOL notification.I have praised their system for over 7 years now. We even bought a back up 5 camera system 1 year offer the original purchase to use later when the cameras was worn out. If they want us origional users to stay with the company they had better work with push  notifications on our phones. Not MAYBE it will !

[CowdungMugsy]

I have been a pretty loyal Arlo customer for many years.  I have purchased and installed (2) Q indoor webcams, (2) outside Doorbells and (2) Arlo outside floodlights.  I also have a 4-camera subscription supporting the Q cameras and Doorbells.  I have Alexa integrated with both the Q cameras and floodlights that when motion is detected they will activate z-wave devices around my home.  My Q webcams and floodlights are set to EOL in Jan 2024.  I can not tell you how disappointing this is to a loyal customer.  I will keep these devices active until they hit EOL and then switch to Blink or some other vendor.  I liked the Arlo set of equipment but it can be pricey and I am not willing to fork out that fixed amount again every 4 to 5 years.  So sad.

[AshTray900]

I agree this is a huge example of a general industry practice now.

Net gear routers - keep going good for a good while then eventually get bugged up by firmware updates. My new one is set to never update its firmware.

phones eventually get OS updates that make them eat more of a tired battery and consume enough resources to just make them slow.

even Microsoft with windows 11 and the 8th gen processor cut off and TPM requirement. At least they don’t force this on older machines, but what is essentially a skin update minus features that used to be optional isn’t available for systems that could run it perfectly well.

all of this **bleep** we have now with firmware and such is just damn disposable and e-waste because it will be left out, slowed down, broke with bugs, or nobody will care to add features to them once they sold the last one of that model.

I have a 40 year old VCR and TV in my office, added a little roku box and they still work perfect and are easily serviceable, the last time I touched the tv about 5 years ago it cost 27$ to replace every capacitor in it….

[billkex]

I don't think I received anything like that.

I have (8) Pro 2 cameras, 7 solar panels & 2 base stations. I pay no fees. That is why I bought Arlo.

[82FBI]

Customer service? What customer service. Now raising subscription rates. 

[AshTray900]

Yep got the email about subscription cost too, another Arlo post I made, got the response new Arlo (somebody, had the logo as their pic) annual plans will come out that won’t change. Now I’m like ok force me into a year plan huh? Whatever, not that a year plan is an issue when I was a monthly member but I’m now being coerced.

this is utter ridiculousness I literally hate these guys now, yeah you got me, I’ll pay until the equipment is dead but you will never sell any hardware to me again

[msazone]

Do not accept the loyalty deal since they are not loyal to their customers. At the first just told customers they would have 3 months cloud storage then later chicken out to update the doc for 12 months.

If you get 50% off on Arlo products, expect to face the same situation after 4 years.

[JPav80]

Agreed @AshTray900,  I have several Arlo Pro units that I purchased from Costco.   I also decided to purchase the Arlo Pro3s last year from Costco.   It seems like the Pro3s will be next to get EOL'd based on the extensive timeline that has everything up to the Arlo Pro2.  I even have the doorbell camera which took forever to get functioning properly due to firmware issues last year at this time.  Support is very weak and certainly not a selling point.  I am definitely putting an end to future Arlo product purchases.  A coworker convinced me to give Wyze a try and I just purchased a single camera.  They are cheap and have SD card capabilities that seem to be easily accessed.    Like I had mentioned in a previous post it does appear Costco is being very lenient on returns of Arlo products.   I still have my box from the original Arlo's and will take the time to ask them this weekend about a possible upcoming return.  I will print out the EOL email for them to review.   See link:

https://www.reddit.com/r/arlo/comments/10477h5/return_your_arlo_cameras_to_costco_even_if_5/ 

Not sure who from Arlo made the choice of starting 2023 off with the EOL email and what is even more hilarious is that they chose April Fool's Day to kick off the EOL fun.   Nice work Arlo 👊.

[82FBI]

Also, I’m being overcharged on the tax on my subscription cost. Greedy to say the least. I was just ready to expand my system. 👎🏻

[danwriter]

I'd like to see list of what Arlo users are considering as replacements for their Arlo cams when this EOL takes place. I've seen a few posts with  brands I'm not familiar with.