Freesat App (No longer works)

Pescatons

Hi All. I wonder if anyone has any advice they can offer me. I swapped from Sky to Freesat a few years ago and have been very happy especially since the brilliant Freesat App gave me the option of setting recordings remotely. So anytime, anywhere, I could browse the listings and set series records etc so when at home we had a ready made list of recordings requiring no thinking🤣.
So happy with it that I bought a new Freesat box very recently with a higher recording capacity, and also one for a good friend to persuade her to ditch her costly sky set-up.

Suddenly, last year, with no notice, the remote recording facility on the app stopped working. On investigation (and after much messing reinstalling etc) I contacted Freesat who emailed me and told me that they had withdrawn this service, and had posted info to this effect on their website (which was true, but they didn't update any software, or the app, or email any members to tell us this). To this day the app still shows a record button next to any programme listing... it just doesn't work.... Fressat say they will be updating the app at some point...!

They have no intention of offering this feature via the app again and offered nothing despite my disappointment at having recently bought two new boxes specifically because of this marvellous feature, that no longer works. 

Surely, suddenly removing a feature of something I paid good money for is not allowed? There only come back was that it was a 'free feature' that had been withdrawn. None of the original literature says this. I wonder what other features I've paid for are actually 'free' and can be withdrawn? Suddenly, what was a smart device is suddenly not smart.. and we have no comeback.

I really miss this feature and wonder if anyone else is similarly annoyed by this, but also if anyone is aware of any alternative service (either freeview or freesat based or even subscription based) that would allow me to set recordings remotely, via an phone app?

Many thanks for any thoughts or advice

DullGreyGuy

There have been many other similar changes by companies and several have caused notable uproar, and even more so when they move core features then later reintroduce them via a subscription model. Hive was a big one recently when they announced they are withdrawing from the CCTV market so all those with the Hive cameras will stop working in August.

Generally you own the hardware but only have a licence on the software, that licence typically gives the vendor the right to change the software's capabilities etc at any point in the future. Hive were only required to give 30 days notice but chose to give 12 months notice but then they've totally nerffed the product rather than just removed a feature or two. 

Freeview boxes are made by multiple different companies and so each can implement whatever features they want. I believe the Humax Aura does include remote setting of recording and there may be others. 

Given sky is moving from dish to streaming I wonder how much life is left in FreeSat, it has never really taken off like it could of and suspect there are plenty of people that have a TV with it built in but is unused even if they have an old dish on their home. 

Pescatons

Thanks for the reply. It's so maddening and really should be protected by legislation. I will look into the Humax Aura, Thanks. I live in a semi rural area and our internet connection is sometimes flaky, so having an alternative means of delivering TV is good.

Neil_Jones

Pescatons said:

Thanks for the reply. It's so maddening and really should be protected by legislation. I will look into the Humax Aura, Thanks. I live in a semi rural area and our internet connection is sometimes flaky, so having an alternative means of delivering TV is good.

What good is legislation going to do? Legislation cannot look after every single circumstance in every single situation, it has to be broadly generic (otherwise nothing would ever done) and the concept of precedence takes over.

That being said, the T&Cs for Freesat app ( https://www.freesat.co.uk/legal-policies/app-terms ) do say:

"Freesat reserves the right to suspend, change, interrupt or restrict the use of the Freesat App for technical updates and other maintenance or operational services. We may also withdraw the Freesat App entirely, withdraw support for any version of the Freesat App, or limit, condition, or otherwise change your use of, or the features made available through the Freesat App, at any time without notice.  "

So realistically they don't have to give you any notice and legislation wouldn’t really help you anyway because by using the App you agree to the T&Cs, and nothing in there overwrites any protections you get by law.  You'd have to take them to court basically, but whether that's worth the time and effort for the ability to remote record (which is basically a feature copied from Sky anyway) is debatable.

Pescatons

I hear what you are saying and yes... maybe I should have read the small print. But it's very bad form surely, to sell you something with a feature and then suspend the feature almost immediately.

What next... a fridge that doesn't keep stuff cold..? "Oh you should have read the small print, on page 28 we absolve ourselves of the responsibility to actually provide you with a machine to do what we sold you on what it would do".  That's basically what I've got from Freesat.

DullGreyGuy

Neil_Jones said:

So realistically they don't have to give you any notice and legislation wouldn’t really help you anyway because by using the App you agree to the T&Cs, and nothing in there overwrites any protections you get by law.  You'd have to take them to court basically, but whether that's worth the time and effort for the ability to remote record (which is basically a feature copied from Sky anyway) is debatable.

Most of your statutory rights cannot be waived by agreeing to T&Cs, plus there are some things you can never consent to even if of sound mind etc. Even without an explicit law on the matter there is already various legislation around unfair contract terms which potentially could apply. 

In this case we are dealing with 2 UK based organisations, what would become more tricky is that many devices are not UK originated and so is unlikely to be able to enforced on overseas companies so either you make it a condition of selling into the UK (though people can bypass with buying from Amazon US for these small electricals) or you put UK companies at a massive disadvantage. 

More likely would be a minimum term from product launch and/or minimum notice. Having just checked appears Amazon are still selling Hive cameras but the first bullet of the description states they will stop working in August, but they do have 11% off the silver one if someone wants a bargain. 

Neil_Jones

Pescatons said:

I hear what you are saying and yes... maybe I should have read the small print. But it's very bad form surely, to sell you something with a feature and then suspend the feature almost immediately.

What next... a fridge that doesn't keep stuff cold..? "Oh you should have read the small print, on page 28 we absolve ourselves of the responsibility to actually provide you with a machine to do what we sold you on what it would do".  That's basically what I've got from Freesat.

The fridge is designed to keep stuff cold because without that ability you don't have a fridge you just have a free standing insulated cupboard.

However the ability to cool is a key requirement of a fridge, the Freesat app isn't a key requirement to use Freesat.  It might enhance it yes but it'll work without it.

Pescatons

Who decides what a 'key requirement' is? The fact is my newly purchased freesat box doesn't do what I was told it would do, before i bought it.

Remote recording WAS a key requirement for me when deciding to make the purchase.

You say it will still work without it... but no, it doesn't. I can't set things to record when I'm not in, like I could before. It's fundamental.

mjm3346

The Freesat Box still works the functioning or otherwise of one of the apps is irrelevant.

Pescatons

Not to me it isn't.

Pescatons

Thanks to DullGreyGuy recommendation, Humax Aura purchased and Freesat now sacked.