Users of Will.i.am's Wink IoT hub ask 'Where is the love?' as they're asked to pay for a new subscription service
- Reference: 1589199133
- News link: https://www.theregister.co.uk/2020/05/11/wink_subscription/
- Source link:
Until recently, Wink's pricing model was "pay once, use forever". Its core product is a smart home hub that allows users to control their devices from a central location. This is accompanied by a smattering of Wink-branded accessories, including cameras, sensors, and light bulbs.
That, obviously, isn't sustainable for a service that incurs ongoing costs – primarily from servers used to power the cloud service. So from this Wednesday, May 13, customers will be asked to pay $4.99 per month to continue accessing their devices.
Smart speaker maker Sonos takes heat for deliberately bricking older kit with 'Trade Up' plan [1]READ MORE
"Since 2014, Wink has grown to support more than 4 million connected devices. During this time, Wink has relied solely on the one-time fee derived from hardware sales to cover ongoing cloud costs, development, and customer support," the company [2]said in a blog post .
"Wink has taken many steps in an effort to keep your Hub's blue light on, however, long term costs and recent economic events have caused additional strain on our business," it added.
The firm warns that anyone who doesn't pay will cease to be able to control their devices via the company's app, voice-control system, or API. Wink will also disable existing integrations with third-party services.
Understandably, users are upset by this, with one Register tipster describing it as a "$£&* move from Will.i.am".
A major source of the anger is the relatively short notice provided, with users given just a few days to register for the subscription service, as well as the fact that users will be effectively paying to use something they had already bought.
It also doesn't help that rival hubs, like Samsung-owned SmartThings and Google's Nest, do not require a monthly subscription.
Wink launched its first hub in 2014 and was promptly acquired by Singaporean manufacturing firm Flex the following year for an undisclosed amount, before being sold off to The Black Eyed Peas star's tech venture i.am+ for a cool $38.7m.
Unusually for any tech firm with Will.i.am's fingerprints on, it has a reasonably strong user base, with four million devices connecting to Wink's hubs. This is something it has managed to maintain, despite endemic operational problems, including some outages, issues supplying units to customers and retailers alike, and a relatively sluggish development pace compared to its competitors.
Compare that to Will.i.am's failed (and shockingly expensive) [3]Puls "smart cuff" smartwatch, which was widely panned for its grainy screen and lacklustre software, prompting one reviewer to describe it as "objectively the worst product I've touched all year". Another said it was "so bad I'm actually kind of impressed", and yet another dubbed it "a wearable nightmare". ®
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[1] https://www.theregister.co.uk/2020/01/02/sonos_deliberately_bricking_older_devices/
[2] https://blog.wink.com/wink-blog/2020/5/6/introducing-wink-subscription
[3] https://www.theregister.co.uk/2014/10/16/will_i_am_i_am_plus_cuff_smartwatch_apple/
[4] https://go.theregister.co.uk/tl/1936/-8552/how-to-accelerate-brilliant-digital-experiences-with-low-code?td=wptl1936
Why would anyone use it?
Never heard of Wink. But more to the point, why would anyone use it? What does it offer that's unique?
Re: Why would anyone use it?
That it wasn't sending shit to Google, Amazon or Microsoft?
Re: Why would anyone use it?
Instead of sending it to the evil 3, it just sends to Will.I.Am!
Cue the lawsuits in 3, 2, 1...
He sold it as "pay once". Folks bought it based on that claim. They have already paid for the service under the terms of that contract. Changing to a subscription model from now on would be fine *IF* all the existing customers were grandfathered in as already having paid for the subscription in perpetuity. Everyone that buys the new device with the new ad stating that it will be a subscription from now on will have no grounds for complaint from that clearly stated fact.
But to use clear Bait & Switch tactics to force preexisting customers under the original pay once contract to now have to pay a subscription? Yeah, I can already see the slavering hoardes of lawyers drooling & straining at their leashes to be let loose on the company.
If the company is lucky all the preexisting customers will do is return the devices to demand a full refund. If not then there will be an army of lawyers happily chewing off their arse...
Re: Cue the lawsuits in 3, 2, 1...
This didn't fare well for Sonos....
Re: Cue the lawsuits in 3, 2, 1...
LOL, you've never seen this happen before? Have you ever read the small print for free services like this?
They always say things like "We may make changes to the terms and conditions and your continued use of our services indicates your acceptance of these conditions" - I've never seen T&C that didn't include that statement.
Re: Cue the lawsuits in 3, 2, 1...
It's even worse: they sometime say "and we may make changes at any time"... "and you should check for changes yourself"...
There should be a law against that - yeah! Change the law and don't tell the weasel-word-generators that the law has changed!
Re: Cue the lawsuits in 3, 2, 1...
"There should be a law against that.."
It's called an unfair contract in the UK. Contracts are pretty weak in UK consumer law, only in business law are they really enforceable, due to the fact b2b are expected to use legal advice before agreeing to a contract.
Re: Cue the lawsuits in 3, 2, 1...
Pretty sure that any terms that state that they can change them at any time without your consent are unenforceable.
Re: Cue the lawsuits in 3, 2, 1...
They are if they are "reasonable" - where reasonable is defined by how many lawyers
Predictable
"We need to get them on the tit. That's what we do." - Marty Kaan
House of Lies may have been about management consultancy, but the mantra could be pretty much the same for cloud-based products. Once you depend on that cloud service, they've got you, and while you may be disappointed when they use the power that you've given them over you, you shouldn't be surprised.
I am reminded of the wonderful Joan Sanderson...
... playing the mother of Anthea Lahr in the film Prick Up Your Ears as she tries to decipher Joe Orton's shorthand diaries:
Anthea Lahr: Wink? Are you sure that's an 'I'?
Anthea's Mother: No, dear, I'm not sure at all.
Re: I am reminded of the wonderful Joan Sanderson...
Haven't seen the film but thanks for the reminder of Joan Sanderson.
What happens to contact law, "pay once, use forever", would like to see someone takes this to court and become class action !
I think you'll find, due to covid-19, that contact law is currently suspended
I'm full of not surprise
The story of all proprietary IoT devices is one of inevitably pissing-off of the end user at some point. The free service becomes a paid service. The service, free or otherwise, is withdrawn, leaving you with bricks. A software update removes a key feature, or adds something undesirable... the list goes on. We have to be aware of what we are buying and what the true owner of these devices can do (because it clearly isn't us). I strenuously avoid anything like this but for full disclosure I do have a Nest V2 thermostat and one of their smoke alarms.
I've move on to buying only ZigBee hardware, run through Home Assistant. Anything more complex is constructed by me, with a Pi at its heart and open source software (or my own software). Remote access is achieved via my own VPN. I even send myself alerts on the rare occasion that my public IP address changes (no, I'm not using DDNS at the moment). Nothing needs an internet connection just to work. Nothing sent to third party servers. No bricking, no unexpected charges, I learn a lot and it works well.
Re: I'm full of not surprise
Yes. Any such IOT (puke) stuff like this should use a "consumer" version of what you've described.
The user already had the infrastructure. The controlling hub (like your pi example) would be a 30 quid white box and software.
It should never be bounced through any third party servers.. Maybe "wink" should modify their hardware similarly, and give a free upgrade, before the lawsuits come in...
Re: I'm full of not surprise
I bought some SonOff 2.4gHz mains switches. On playing with them it was found they needed a smartphone app and Cloud connection. Fortunately the V1 and V2 models' firmware could be flashed with EspEasy to be Arduino controlled via a dedicated intranet in the house. The V3 model appears to be less amenable to this solution. Its new wifi daughter-board blocks access to the position to which you would solder the flashing connector.
Re: I'm full of not surprise
I've a dozen Innr Zigbee smart plugs, bought from Amazon when they were down to a reasonable price. Never really liked the Chinese WiFi plugs (a) because of the phone home policy and (b) because they never looked that safe. The Innr smart plugs are (were) worth every penny at £33 for a pair. At the current £40 they feel a bit pricey.
Re: I'm full of not surprise
"[...] (b) because they never looked that safe."
IIRC The SonOff V1 circuit board tracks carrying the load current were supplemented on the V2 with meatier soldered wires. The cable clamp self-tapping screws weren't really gripping on suitable gauge cable wires. Replacing them with longer ones solved the problem. When firmware flashing - the unit can be powered on low voltage through an added pin header without any mains voltage being present. That is not necessarily the case with similar devices from other sources.
Not HAPPY
The users are probably not HAPPY about this.... Oh sorry that's the Pharrell guy.
Basically the majority of users are now left with a load of old w*nk
They just lost a customer.
The short notice combined with the false advertising = no more customers. Good thing it's easy to switch to another provider.
Re: They just lost a customer.
Don't you mean they have lost continued revenue, as I assume you have already forked out for an iot thing (Which I must admit I have no idea what it is)
This is why...
I don't have a George Foreman grill. Anything pitched by a celeb, fugedaboudit...
Re: This is why...
I had a George Formby Grill.
Turned out nice again, that did.
Follow the money
Four million connected devices, you say. So if there's an average four devices per subscriber (possibly generous) Wink is immediately going from $0 annual subscription revenue to around $60,000,000 p.a. I'll let someone else tell me if that's reasonable for Wink's likely expenses, or a gouge.
"That [pay once, use forever], obviously, isn't sustainable for a service that incurs ongoing costs"
It would be if the upfront price was big enough to generate income to pay for the service - but then you'd probably never sell any.
Even worse - the company has been taken over a couple of times so that some of the users no longer represent payments to the present owner, they represent payments by him.
So many possible puns attached to this story!
"Let's Get It Started" by saying that I am disappointed that other Regenists didn't "Meet Me Halfway" in telling "Pill.i.am" to "Don't Lie" in perpetrating a "Black-Eyed Tease" on his IoT home automation customers. "Where Is The Love?"
Let's start a new fad
The time has just about arrived where I think the market is ripe for the introduction of "Cloud-free" devices. These would be items that do not need to connect to someone else's server - or indeed the Internet to do things that are only needed to be controlled locally. And which you own 100% and never update themselves.
So let's start a market for the "Cloud free" catch-phrase.
My cloud-free, disconnected and decidedly unsmart light switch has controlled my room lighting perfectly for decades. With no subscription fees or ToS. And it works even if my phone battery is flat or my WiFi is down. Albeit I have to stand up and walk to the wall to operate it - but in most cases the fact that I am walking through the doorway is the very reason I want to change the lighting. My doorbell is also able to instantly signal the fact that there is someone at the door without routing the signal via a server 5000 miles away. (Well, not instant - the signal takes nearly 0.06 uS to get from button to bell).
Re: Let's start a new fad
> My cloud-free, disconnected and decidedly unsmart light switch has controlled my room lighting perfectly for decades. With no subscription fees or ToS
You obviously need an "upgrade"...
Re: Let's start a new fad
(Well, not instant - the signal takes nearly 0.06 uS to get from button to bell).
That's pretty damn near instant considering how long it will have taken the meat sack to actually push the button, not to mention how long it will take for the sound from the bell to travel back to said meat sack, wiggle hairs in the ears, be converted to impulses sent to the brain, be recognised, and then be understood as positive feedback from pressing the button...
+1 for Cloud Free. If I can't control it and talk to it myself, it's just an expensive rental at the whims of somebody else.
Re: Let's start a new fad
"My cloud-free, disconnected and decidedly unsmart light switch has controlled my room lighting perfectly for decades."
Mine too. Even better, four switches collaboratively control the same set of lamps. Isn't it great to be so far ahead of the curve!
Re: Let's start a new fad
> Albeit I have to stand up and walk to the wall
My light is in a ceiling fan, which has a cloud-free remote. I'm fine as long as the battery holds out, and it usually lasts a good 3 or 4 months.
Re: Let's start a new fad
Perhaps you could add a 'Smart-user' option for those who know how to read a sheet of instructions and can insert plug A into socket A without having to consult all their virtual friends about how they did it and what colour the fire should be.
Re: Let's start a new fad
This type of semi witty reply about old fashioned switches comes up every single time smart-devices are mentioned but I see nothing wrong in convenience improvements, most of our houses are filled with convenience devices like potato peelers instead of knives.
The thing is, it has to be done right! Many of these smart devices could offer at least part of their functionality purely on the local LAN and shouldn't be bricked if the cloud goes down. I control all my devices from my phone, either directly from an app or via the open source Homebridge on an RPi (because I didn't want to buy a box) that interfaces with Apple Home - without needing cloud access at all.
It's nice being able to set temperatures from my bed and it's nice being able to switch wemo lights from my phone, especially because I'm quadriplegic.
TANSTAAFL
Maybe he should offer users a choice? Give them free usage but change the small print to allow him to sell every action to advertising companies? That's how we get "free" internet search services, "free" email, "free" web sites offering news etc... If he documents all the options that the world uses, I think everyone would be happy to pay a small fee to preserve their privacy within the services.