Hive dropping support for their smart cameras

Farway

victor2 said:

fisherjim said:

Chino said:

MattMattMattUK said: Yes it is legal.

Really? How did you establish that a product which stops working at the whim of the manufacturer is fit for purpose and that the vendor is not in breach of section 10(3) of the Consumer Rights Act 2015 ?

The contract is to be treated as including a term that the goods are reasonably fit for that purpose, whether or not that is a purpose for which goods of that kind are usually supplied.

If I buy a product which stops working at the arbitrary whim of the manufacturer I do not consider that product to be reasonably fit for purpose.

They are actually going against their own terms and conditions IMO:

Hive products

In relation to any products, the law requires that goods must be as described, fit for purpose and of satisfactory quality. During the expected life of your product, your legal rights entitle you to the following:

• up to 30 days: if your item is faulty, then you can get a refund;

• up to six months: if your faulty item can't be repaired or replaced, then you're entitled to a full refund, in most cases; and

• up to six years: if the item can be expected to last up to six years you may be entitled to a repair or replacement, or, if that

doesn't work, some of your money back.”

 https://assets.ctfassets.net/mijf9lz5yt3u/2SJhgq6sssiMMOLelyq8cx/428bca76bdd88b5a289d2b63d30744fc/Hive_Terms___Conditions_-_February_2022.pdf

That much used phrase "up to"!

You would think that Hive have taken legal advice regarding shutting down that particular service, hence the three year deadline (it's only one year for some stuff). Then again, it could just be a decision taken by a "management team".

Maybe they've just priced any recompense, payouts against cost of continuing and decide it was just a "cost of doing business" like some firms find it cheaper to pollute & pay fines than correct the problem?

They only time this seems to fail is USA when CEO is in shackles & prison clothing on his "walk of shame" into court

JohnVF

"Hive told us it WILL provide refunds on devices for those on subscription plans. Those without app-subscriptions can also get a refund on their device cost - but only if it was purchased in the past year. This applies to those who purchased directly from Hive or via a third party retailer."
I have spoken with Hive and have been told that "your subscription plan is for breakdowns and extended warranty , unfortunately you are not eligible for a refund sorry"

chiny

Last summer, I was tinkering with various Zigbee devices and chanced upon the fact that Hive is Zigbee.   A cheap eBay purchase of the Hive hub and heating thermostat later... and yes, I could control the Hive bits from a Raspberry Pi and Zigbee hub.

Maybe the Hive cams can be tickled in the same way ?   I'd start with Github and HomeAssistant web sites for others' experience.

tmusic409

I bought my Hive camera from Amazon in February. There were no terms or conditions in the description and it was reasonable for me to assume that the camera would work for as long as I wanted to. Just over 3 years is not the life expectancy of a product I would expect.

Leescoffer

I have just contacted Hive as my Hive View has stopped working, they tried all the usual trouble shooting but no luck. As I pay the subscription I asked for a full refund they said NO! they said they will replace it but will not offer a refund on a faulty View Camera even if I pay the monthly subscription, which I have for several years.