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iPhone App will not stay open - just flashes when trying to launch

community.garadget.com

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Re: iPhone App will not stay open - just flashes when trying to launch

#121

Post by tajen »

_Codemonkeyism wrote: post #60
dangrossman wrote: post #20

Garadget is a "cloud-enabled garage door opener" sold for $99 on Amazon. The manufacturer seemingly disabled the product, or primary advertised features of the product, in retribution for a short negative review left on Amazon. IMO Amazon should immediately drop the product when they catch wind of that, and so should any other retailer that carries it. The manufacturer's abused their relationship with the retailer (w…

Amazon lets far worse things go unnoticed, like fake medical products. Why? Because of the money.

Amazon has already bricked a Kindle (and the full user account) because it had "a pirate PDF", according to their automations.

Just, don't but from Amazon. Even Alibaba is better.

Re: iPhone App will not stay open - just flashes when trying to launch

#122

Post by erikb »

glogla wrote: post #78
erikb wrote: post #50

Honestly I think the app author is acting well within his means here. The user uses abusive language and apparently immediately escalates the issue when not being satisfied immediately despite his language.

You spent a lot of posts defending the company. Are you affiliated with them?

I think many people here only read the headline and immediately start aiding the destruction of what seems to be a single person's business. I have experienced myself how painful it can be to stay polite towards a*hole customers, so as said in some comment: It's totally fine to quit a customer who acts like that and refund him.

Re: iPhone App will not stay open - just flashes when trying to launch

#123

Post by erikb »

kungtotte wrote: post #113
erikb wrote: post #51

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Well, he's also offering a refund. Not sure where the problem is in that case with the service provider's response. If you have sh*tty customers it's smart to drop them fast and focus on your good customers.

Yeah, he bricked the device and then told him his only option was to return and refund through Amazon. Let's not pretend that Garadget is somehow being magnanimous here.

What device? The cloud-enabled device he sold himself? What I understand is that he's blocking that user from using the cloud.

Re: iPhone App will not stay open - just flashes when trying to launch

#124

Post by cgag »

dqv wrote: post #73
zem wrote: post #64

Earlier quoted context omitted.

if they had even just said "you are a jerk and no one in this company is paid enough to deal with you; here's how to return your device for a full refund and here is a list of our least favourite competitors for all your internet-of-shit needs" i would have been 100% on their side. effectively bricking his device was beyond the pale, and says that you can't trust them to control your gadget from their servers.

He did that though? I guess he didn't give them full instructions, but he did effectively tell the consumer to return to Amazon. >At this time your only option is return Garadget to Amazon for refund. Your unit ID 2f0036... will be denied server connection.

You can't really break someone's shit and tell them you'll give them a refund once they ship it back to you.

Or at least you shouldn't be able to without being liable to be sued.

Re: iPhone App will not stay open - just flashes when trying to launch

#125

Post by jitix »

We should probably start having regulations around IOT servcies. The issue here isn't that the customer or the service rep was abusive. The real issue is that the company can disable the cloud service that is essential for their product to work based on their perception of the customer.

It seems really risky to purchase IOT products right now.

Re: iPhone App will not stay open - just flashes when trying to launch

#128

Post by cgag »

victorhooi wrote: post #87
walid wrote: post #29

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think it should be illegal. Frame it in terms of a burger. If McDonald's says "since you say our food is bad we're messing with your burger after you bought it and we'll give you your money back if you return it" that would be illegal and probably, not sure though, a form of discrimination.

McDonalds is well within their rights to deny service to a customer (assuming it's not discrimination). In fact I've seen them (and other restaurants) do this first hand. A customer is being abusive, or giving the poor checkout person a hard time - if they get abusive or threatening, the manager will often intercede and tell them to leave the store. Likewise, I used to work in a electronics store - if a customer is a…

You probably can't go to their house and pour water in their electronics and tell them they'll get a full refund if they ship it back to you.

Re: iPhone App will not stay open - just flashes when trying to launch

#129

Post by bigbugbag »

woof wrote: post #94
bigbugbag wrote: post #85

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Where did you get that from ? It seems to me he simply banned the device unique ID on the server side. Is it even possible for an app developer to disable an iphone ? Apple would be mad.

"Your unit ID 2f0036... will be denied server connection" The Garadget device, not the customers phone! I never mentioned a phone, did I?

Sorry confusion on my part, the guy mentions his iphone app not working and the dev answer that the device is banned. My bad.

Anyways, device is not disabled as in bricked, it's blacklisted on the server side of thing.

Re: iPhone App will not stay open - just flashes when trying to launch

#130

Post by mmjaa »

dqv wrote: post #84
atemerev wrote: post #72

"Throwing a tantrum"? The review in question is something along the lines of "the control app is flashing and doesn't work at all. This is junk, don't waste your money on it. 1/5 stars." If you make any public facing products, you will occasionally get such (and worse) reviews even if your product is a shiny perfection forged in heaven by angels themselves and wrapped in magic. Fact of life. On the other hand, the su…

>I am also quite surprised by the number of comments here at HN siding with Garadget. I don't agree with disabling the customer's device, but I also don't agree with customers somehow being absolved of having a minimum level of decorum.

>minimum level of decorum

Free speech doesn't mean much? Entire nations were founded on the basis of individual rights to bitch about things they don't like, without incurring oppressive retaliation.

Really, this is imperialism versus the free market. Either you harden up and listen to the people whose participation influences your survival directly (i.e. customers), or you go out of business.

In this case, the latter condition appears appropriate.

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