Arlo Technologies - releases new firmware they didn't even test on prisoners?

[martincc]

Got to hand it to Arlo Technologies, this has been one royally screwed up last year for management and firmware issues.

Under Netgear's management, the various cameras and base stations worked reasonably well, even if Customer Service was often frustrating. After going public, Arlo Technologies sees to have focused more on getting out new products, yes including some pretty good ideas in hardware, but while breaking several critical features. It is like Arlo Technologies releases new firmware that they didn't even test on prisoners!.

In early 2019 the really frustrating problems came up. Video clipping issue showed up, where recordings froze the video after about 15 seconds while audio continued to record; Arlo Technologies broke an ESSENTIAL aspect of our surveillance systems (I am a security pro, well qualified to state this) all while their 'Customer Service' became the anathema of what any consumer-oriented company would wish to have. Other problems, other complaints, similar silence and lack of empathy or response from Arlo Technologies, almost as though 'nobody home' through most of the year - and now we enter 2020.

Even with the surprise update of early January 2020 that seems to have solved the video clipping, this too resulted in other adverse performance issues (scratchy audio - like leaves rustling during recordings, 'offline' messages, etc.). But the common factors remains:

Arlo Technologies seems to be pretty lousy at retaining customers they (and Netgear) earned. There is NO communication from management to the consumers short of announcing new products to sell, there are no acknowledgements of problems, Customer Service still wastes consumers' time having us chase 'by the book troubleshooting' all while engineering has to know these problems originate at Arlo Technologies. New Firmware 'fixes' too now are more to be feared for the unknown side-effects to come, than welcomed.

Arlo Technologies management is doing incalculable damage to the brand, damage that is far more costly to remedy (if at all possible) than it would have been to 'get things right' in the first place. Consumer complaints result in bad press, negative postings to Youtube, returns to retailers (several I visit including Lowes, Costco, Best Buy) who no longer show Arlo products or have notably reduced Arlo store presence. Even with all the pretty professional web site and advertising, and some nice reviews of this or that new hardware the descending stock value of the company, to my eye it seems like a company where one component (new products development) are chopping away, while software engineering and customer service are keeping any chips from flying.

I can only hope the people at Arlo Technologies will be held to account, before my own notable investments in Arlo are rendered a complete write-off.

Martin