y-cam homemonitor ending free cloud recording

Andywest

Reply from Y-cam Solutions

Published 17 minutes ago
Dear Andy

I'm sorry you feel this way. Just to clarify that the cost for 7 days cloud storage is £2.99 per month. It is the Y-cam Plus service that is £9.99/month or £99.99/year, but you get a whole host of additional security benefits included such as:

• 30 day cloud video storage for multiple cameras
• All clips marked as “favourites” are permanently stored securely online
• Professional grade Dual-Path security (SIM card backup and data) – alarm only
• Automated phone call and SMS alerts – alarm only
• Programmable remote/app “Plus” button functionality
• And plenty more security features

As a comparison, Nest charge £24 per month for 30 days cloud storage for only one camera. ADT charge upwards of £28 per month and tie you into a 3 year contract for a relatively low-tech alarm system. Hopefully this demonstrates that we are not simply trying to extort money from our customers, but instead we always strive to keep our pricing fair and in principle only charge when there is an ongoing cost incurred by us in providing the service.

Please get in touch directly should you wish to discuss further.

Best regards
Y-cam Support

My reply from y-cam!!!

Andywest

Above reply was via trust pilot... for my 1* rating. I have written to the ASA too and directly to y-cam and of course our forum.... we need someone big to start pressuring them...ie watchdog or martin lewis etc.

plunet

I have put the following request into the Consumer Advice service via their web form.

Hello, I am the owner of 3 domestic CCTV cameras sold by Y-Cam Solutions Ltd under their Homemonitor brand. The products were purchased through Amazon UK, and Y-Cam were on the face of it a trusted brand. In an increasingly crowded market of domestic CCTV, Y-Cam devices unique selling point and their main route to market was that their cameras came with a free cloud-based recording service.

Their products were more expensive than their competitors, but this was due to the added feature of the cloud based recording, they clearly advertised that they came 7 days free cloud recording in online reviews, on Amazon, on their packaging and documentation, and didn't state any limitations. There was an optional upgrade to increase your recording capacity from 7 days to 30 days (Y-Cam Plus), and the product came with a one month free trial of the 30 day service.

Last week it appears that Y-Cam Solutions Ltd no longer wishes to offer the free cloud based backup and wishes to charge £2.99 per month per camera to maintain this service. If we do not elect to pay this subscription then the cameras become stream only, and for me this will will be a significant change and departure from their advertised and marketed purpose, and the cameras will be no longer fit for purpose.
I query whether Y-Cam Solutions Ltd have the right to do this based upon the absence of details in their terms about the specifics of the free cloud recording service and the way they have marketed their products.

It appears that many other customers of Y-Cam are facing a similar issue. Just search for Y-Cam on facebook and twitter, TrustedReviews website for Y-Cam https://uk.trustpilot.com/review/www.y-cam.com and also refer to this forum thread http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.php?t=5752846

Can you please review whether Y-Cam have the right to withdraw their cloud based recording service which was clearly advertised as being "free forever".

plunet

Interestingly, on the Y-Cam website, their own blog says, in reference to the launch of their Evo camera "...Packed with features you’d expect from Y-cam such as 7 days free cloud storage forever, motion activation..."

And here's an image of that just in case it gets taken down...

plunet

I've had a closer look at the terms and conditions relating to this..

Their current Legal page does indicate that the free cloud recording service stops on 30th November 2017. You can see this in the section "Website & Terms and conditions of Sale", point 2.9

However, previous versions of their Legal Page did not make any specific reference to conditions relating to the free cloud recording service, but just referred to the Y-Cam Plus subscription you could take out if you wished to maintain 30 days of recordings beyond the initial trial that came with devices.

20 Mar 2017 - https://web.archive.org/web/20170320040413/https://www.y-cam.com/legal/
23 Dec 2016 - https://web.archive.org/web/20161223134908/https://www.y-cam.com/legal/

@AndyW39533025 on Twitter has an image of his camera box that clearly states "Free Forever" https://twitter.com/AndyW39533025/status/936639447789133826

My boxes were not as explicit, but clearly show that they both came with 7 days recording with no subscription.

HomeMonitorHD



HomeMonitor Weatherproof HD Pro



Inside the box, there were no Terms and Conditions served. However you would have accepted the current Terms and Conditions in force on the website at the time you created the account for your first camera.

Having a look at the Getting Started guide of my HomeMonitorHD



It clearly states that my Online Account includes "Free online secure storage". The * on the top of this section has the following words at the bottom of the page "Features may change occasionally as service improves, visit http://www.homemonitor.me for up-to-date account features". So granted that things might change - and they did - they introduced Location awareness. But even here the wording infers that the service should only improve, not get worse or be withdrawn.

The outdoor camera represented the information differently but without any caveats.



I've made a little google photos album with more images of the boxes and getting started guides I have.

Hope this is useful to others.

ballyblack

I purchased from Amazon and they offered me a refund.:T

Hello Mr *******
We've accepted your return request. Once we receive the item, we'll issue your refund.


Its going back!!

Y-cam itself did not answer my email

PS when you first contact Amazon they will tell you to contact the manufacturer.
Inform them its a well known issue with older Ycams and insist on a refund from Amazon the seller!

Hope this helps somebody


.

nleclain

Here is picture of the boxe clearly stating that the 7 days cloud storage was FREE!

work.uxconsult.com/ycam/IMG_4806.JPG
work.uxconsult.com/ycam/IMG_4807.JPG

I am keen to join a consumer action in order for us to get the services that we were sold + a compensation for the waste of our time getting the services that we are due to receive.

ballyblack

Here is picture of the boxe clearly stating that the 7 days cloud storage was FREE!

see previous POSTS 38, 36, 21

I don't think Ycam are disputing the fact that FREE 7 day storage existed. They admit it in their email to customers

https://www.facebook.com/pg/YcamHomeMonitor/posts/?ref=page_internal

https://uk.trustpilot.com/review/www.y-cam.com
,


.

Andywest

Hi all..
Advertising Standards Authority have received my case and have assigned a case number and are looking into....
Could be uo to 10 days but will prepare stuff for evidence etc ...
All info greatly received.

nleclain

Great, thanks!

I have the boxes with the FREE 7 days cloud storage evidence.
Please let us know how we can contribute.

Kind regards,

Nicolas