Why the subscription price Increase this month...can't talk directly with support.

[SupportNoMore]

First, I don't understand how the Arlo support system works now...previously, I was able to speak with somebody now it is virtual chat.  What gives...extremely frustrating ? 

Second, my fee went up 66% and I don't know why?  Nor do I know if I am even eligible for new feature/function.  

If this is the new world of partnering with Arlo...I am not feeling the love like when I first got on board!

[StephenB]

The increases were announced in early January.  If your account settings have you opted in to receiving Arlo news, you should have gotten an email.

The current version of the announcement is here:

• https://kb.arlo.com/000063015/Arlo-Secure-Plan-Pricing-Update-February-2-2023

As far as phone support goes, that was changed to require a subscription quite a while ago (back in 2021).

[SupportNoMore]

Thank you sir for attempting to respond to my post.  By way of background, we are very challenged in the new world order for how service/trouble shooting support is provided by many service providers these days (e.g., Verizon, Comcast, Quicken, Insurance and now Arlo, etc.), whereby communication and interaction with customers/clients is predominately dependent on email, text and chat, community groups, FAQ, etc., which we are not very adept with (i.e., me and my wife are woefully behind with the speed of modern technology advancement).  As a result, if an email was sent to us, we probably have missed, as the avalanche of emails we get is overwhelming (e.g., my wife has over 10,000 emails in her inbox and I have over 2,000, that we just can't seem to catch up with and we do have a penchant for deleting the daily volumes...our apology).   

Upon review of the linked document you sent, we find ourselves with another example of our ignorance and challenge of participating with today's technology and the impersonal communication (i.e, robot phone and chat service).  I think I see that there was a price increases but the amounts didn't tie back to what we saw in our current monthly bill.  Additionally, we don't know/understand:

1.)  If the increase in the monthly amount, which is based on access to 4K imaging, applies to our equipment (wired camera/doorbell  and wireless spotlight camera)?

2.) Comparing our prior month and current month billings the increase was 66%.  That seems to be much more than the inflationary conditions we are all dealing with in today's economy.  Even more painful to accept there was a 66% increase that may not provide any added value this customer?

3.) You stated that if we have a subscription we are eligible for phone support.  We do pay a monthly fee, so does that qualify as a subscription that includes call support? 

Thanks again for trying to help us out here and know we are trying to hang in with the new way for living with the customer service. 

[StephenB]

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@SupportNoMore wrote:

3.) You stated that if we have a subscription we are eligible for phone support.  We do pay a monthly fee, so does that qualify as a subscription that includes call support? 

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Yes.  But you can only get support using the phone app.  Do you have the Arlo app installed on one of your phones?

DON'T try to google a support phone number.  That will almost certainly lead you to a scammer.

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@SupportNoMore wrote:

1.)  If the increase in the monthly amount, which is based on access to 4K imaging, applies to our equipment (wired camera/doorbell  and wireless spotlight camera)?

2.) Comparing our prior month and current month billings the increase was 66%.  That seems to be much more than the inflationary conditions we are all dealing with in today's economy.  Even more painful to accept there was a 66% increase that may not provide any added value this customer?

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This is a user-to-user forum - I don't work for Arlo.  I don't represent them in any way, and can't speak to their pricing decisions. 

I also have no idea how their costs have changed.  Inflation measures like the consumer price index are usually based on consumer goods.  In the US there is a specific list of goods whose costs are measured: 

• https://www.bls.gov/cpi/

Arlo's costs would of course be very different (and would include both their infrastructure and labor costs).

The percentages are different in different countries, and they are often larger for single camera subscriptions than the multicamera ones.  If some countries you can shift to an annual payment that is less expensive than paying monthly.