Arlo Cam - John Lewis

iWantTheTruth

We bought An Arlo door cam with doorbell and a Arlo camara for the back of the house.
The cameras have failed to reconnect to the network.

£369! Only because they were which recommend.

Our 2 year warranty ran out in May 2024
4.5 months ago.

Initially John Lewis told me to go to the manufacturer which surprised me because I thought John Lewis wouldn’t try those fob offs. 

I told them that I’d like a repair or replacement As per consumer rights 2015. 

They have told me I need to get an engineers assessment or go to arlo to ask for a repair or replacement. 

This was all over the phone. The one item I didn’t purchase on a credit card, grrr 😡 .

What can I do? Any guidance would be greatly appreciated.

user1977

Many stories here of John Lewis not being as customer-friendly as their reputation.

They're right that the onus is on you to prove that the problem was caused by an inherent fault.

Have you investigated whether it's a software problem or otherwise fixable by yourself?

iWantTheTruth

@user1977 - thanks for the quick response.

In have tried a number of things, the usual uninstall and reinstall, 3 different routers. 

Nothing. Deleted the app, factory reset cameras too many times and different phones to run the install (you have to use the app).

Arlo have 1 Star on trust point.
I’m more annoyed at myself for not acting soon.

Can’t believe which are still recommending them. 

So how do I prove it’s a faulty product?
Is there a list of engineers I can call.

KG

PHK

iWantTheTruth said:

We bought An Arlo door cam with doorbell and a Arlo camara for the back of the house.
The cameras have failed to reconnect to the network.

£369! Only because they were which recommend.

Our 2 year warranty ran out in May 2024
4.5 months ago.

Initially John Lewis told me to go to the manufacturer which surprised me because I thought John Lewis wouldn’t try those fob offs. 

I told them that I’d like a repair or replacement As per consumer rights 2015. 

They have told me I need to get an engineers assessment or go to arlo to ask for a repair or replacement. 

This was all over the phone. The one item I didn’t purchase on a credit card, grrr 😡 .

What can I do? Any guidance would be greatly appreciated.

Unfortunately by misquoting yhe CRA, you've wrong footed yourself. 

John Lewis are correct that after six months from purchase you need to prove there is an inherent fault or not of sufficient quality. In your situation,  I think you'd need a third party because inspection report to show that it's not user error or something you've done. 

MattMattMattUK

It seems odd that both would fail simultaneously...

TELLIT01

After 2 1/2 years I don't think any retailer is being unreasonable if they require an independent report to show the cause of the problem.

Aylesbury_Duck

John Lewis are correct.  Your credit card provider would almost certainly have asked for the same had you paid by credit card.  They wouldn't simply refund you or fund a replacement.

It sounds like a software fault, so I'd ask an IT person from a local laptop shop or similar for their view and a short written report.  You don't need forensic evidence, just something that says that despite following all the usual protocols for resetting and reconnecting the units, they still won't connect. JL ought to accept that as reasonable evidence.

After 2.5 years they're almost certainly going to partially refund you if they accept the items are faulty.  Maybe you'd get half what you paid back?

iWantTheTruth

@MattMattMattUK I agree it is strange that both fail, but reading the forums on the web, it seems to be a common issue when changing isp or even just changing the WiFi name. Glad I didn’t spend as much as some people who bought into the whole Arlo system.

I am not saying John Lewis are in the wrong, I did leave it too long. @PHK (good name)
@TELLIT01

@Aylesbury_Duck - I agree but they said a certified engineer. They wouldn’t explain what certification they wanted. 

I think my question got lost in the mix. I was simple asking. 

What is the best next step. I was thinking of emailing John Lewis to get the ball rolling and letting them know this is a common problem reported by many, with some references.

Then if they insist on a qualified engineer, does anyone know where to get one? I will also ask them and make them aware that once the engineer finds the product is faulty, they will need to reimburse me for the report.

im just so frustrated with spending money on items that fail within 2 years. I have a £100 iron that has so far last 7 years no issues at all. 

Saying that, I should use it more 😂 

Aylesbury_Duck

Let me guess, you've had other pressing matters...?

I think "certified engineer" is a case of JL trying to deter you because it's completely overblown. You're not trying to prove the cause of an aircraft accident, simply getting a reasonably qualified third party opinion that there's a fundamental problem with the product.  If this got as far as small claims court, I'm confident a court would accept that the verdict of someone working as an IT professional is good enough.  If you can supplement that with other examples that suggest an inherent design flaw, all the better.

PHK

iWantTheTruth said:

@MattMattMattUK I agree it is strange that both fail, but reading the forums on the web, it seems to be a common issue when changing isp or even just changing the WiFi name. Glad I didn’t spend as much as some people who bought into the whole Arlo system.

I am not saying John Lewis are in the wrong, I did leave it too long. @PHK (good name)
@TELLIT01

@Aylesbury_Duck - I agree but they said a certified engineer. They wouldn’t explain what certification they wanted. 

I think my question got lost in the mix. I was simple asking. 

What is the best next step. I was thinking of emailing John Lewis to get the ball rolling and letting them know this is a common problem reported by many, with some references.

Then if they insist on a qualified engineer, does anyone know where to get one? I will also ask them and make them aware that once the engineer finds the product is faulty, they will need to reimburse me for the report.

im just so frustrated with spending money on items that fail within 2 years. I have a £100 iron that has so far last 7 years no issues at all. 

Saying that, I should use it more 😂 

As we've all said. In this particular case you need a report from someone suitably qualified to give a professional opinion. This could be an IT hardware professional, someone with qualifications and experience in a related subject. 

Do not rely solely on anecdotal evidence gained from websites, it's easy to cast doubt on it should you need to progress things. 

Once you have a report and assuming it supports that there is an inherent fault then present it to John Lewis. 

If they accept the report then it's likely you'll receive a partial refund. I doubt such a device is replaceable due to the rapid advance of the market. 

If they don't accept the report then ultimately you'd need to make a case in the small claims court. See what JohnLewis say about the report and come back if you need further advice. 

iWantTheTruth

“ Let me guess, you've had other pressing matters...?” an iron joke, very good lol @Aylesbury_Duck
After work I seem to just, run out of steam 🥁

Thanks both, I will start the process and report back.