New updates are being added at the bottom of this story…….
Original story (published on January 3, 2023) follows:
Arlo was formed in 2014 as a Netgear division and has been operating independently since 2018. They manufacture a variety of smart home security solutions, including wireless cameras, doorbells, security systems, and more.
Matthew McCrae was appointed CEO after working as Netgear’s SVP of Strategy since October 2017. This corresponded with Arlo’s decision to require paid cloud storage subscriptions for all new products beginning that year.
Matthew McCrae assumed leadership of Arlo with the release of the Arlo Gen 3, Pro, and Pro 2 devices by Netgear, which marketed and promised free cloud storage as a key feature.
Arlo End of Life policy
But a few days ago, Arlo users started receiving emails informing them of the new End of Life policy for some of their existing products, and it is clear that they are displeased with this decision.
Under this move, several products will lose some of the fundamental features, among them support for ‘Legacy Video Storage’ with AWS S3, which will be gone after January 1, 2024.
The obvious issue is that Arlo’s free 7-day cloud recording is coming to an end. This limits functionality and pushes users to pay for cloud recording, which was once promised and advertised as free.
To some, it’s very clear that they’re attempting to drive current legacy customers into the money treadmill that is their subscription plan.
Several individuals have taken a firm stance, stating that they would never do business with Arlo again since they no longer trust them.
Given that many legacy customers/products would be impacted by this change, numerous Arlo users are now looking at ways to get the firm to reverse or modify this new policy in their favor.
A class action lawsuit has been contemplated, and people have begun to file complaints with the FTC using this link. Also, below are a few other ways you can contribute to it:
Option 2 File complaints with the Better Business Bureau office responsible for Arlo.
Option 3 Contact Wall Street Journal Tech Reporter Joanna Stern as bad publicity can hurt Arlo’s stock price even more. A negative article has a lot of sway. Source
Alternatives
For Arlo customers looking for an alternative now that there’s a new policy in place, you can choose from the following options, which all provide cloud storage as well:
- Eufy – Rolling 30 days of video history for $2.99/cam
- Google Nest – Nest Aware subscriptions cost starts at $5 per month
- Blink – Subscription starts at $3/month
- Ring – Basic plan starts at $3.99/month
- SimpliSafe – Subscription starts at $9.99/month
Honorable mention: Geeni – Good but doesn’t have cloud storage
That being said, stay tuned to PiunikaWeb to know if and when there are any further developments regarding the issue.
Update 1 (January 6, 2023)
01:34 pm (IST): While Arlo users are unhappy with the recent End of Life policy, those who purchased the security camera via Costco will be contented to know that they can get a refund by returning them (1, 2, 3).
Update 2 (January 10, 2023)
05:34 pm (IST): In Australia, a user received an email from JB Hi-Fi stating that they are contacting Arlo regarding their EOL policy. They also said that it seems to be a violation of Australian Consumer Law.
Update 3 (January 13, 2023)
05:34 pm (IST): We’ve listed a few more alternatives below as recommended by an individual on Reddit.
Update 4 (January 30, 2023)
03:12 pm (IST): Arlo reportedly has some offers for its existing customers in the US and Canada as compensation for its End of Life (EOL) policy.
Note: We have more such stories in our dedicated Smart Home section, so be sure to follow them as well.
Featured image source – Arlo
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