Why is the smart hub sold out literaly everywhere?

[Lastbluesun]

So my father is retired and can't afford to spend god knows how much on monthly payments for multiple cameras, but the problem is you can't find that hub anywhere.  The only place is on amazon and it's over triple the regular price which is absolutely absurd.  If this is somehow Arlo trying to force people into these subscriptions then that may be one of the most heinous business practices I've ever seen.  Not to mention, all those features you lose out on by not using cloud?  Could easily be computed locally with a hub if given enough juice.  But Arlo being crappy aside, why are all of these sold out?  It can't be because of the chip shortage, cause if it were then these bajilions of bundles and cameras I can easily find in stores would not actually be accessible just like the hub.  Can someone explain here?

[dcfox1]

There is a backlog of goods on top of chip shortage especially in U.S. for Electronics and many other items. it is not a conspiracy. I did see Amazon was charging more but that is supply and demand for everything now. 

[Lastbluesun]

Right but if backlog of goods is the issue then why are literally all of Arlo's other main products available? Cause then it just sounds like Arlo is 'less inclined' to make a product that loses them out on money over time and it shows with the availability. My opinion still stands, that just isn't enough of a justifiable answer.

[StephenB]

He shouldn't be paying more than $9.99 per month for Pro 3 cameras (total, since that is the cost for unlimited 2K camera subscription).  Even when in stock, the VMB4540 cost ~$100, so it would take about 10 months to recoup the investment it. 

Direct access to local isn't as good as the subscription features, so you should consider that aspect.

• no thumbnails
• no manual recordings
• no access via the web
• no friend account access
• can be tricky to set up access when away from home

Also, no activity zones unless the camera is on AC power.