Poorest Customer Service Ever

Devices & Integrations Connected Things
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Attention all SmartThings App and device owners. I am determined to make SmartThings know that they can’t take customers for granted. I would not recommend purchasing their devices or use their software under any condition.

Look to anyone but Samsung for your personal home security or smart home devices.

I purchased a great deal of hardware from their online site just under one year ago. I spent a small fortune as I didn’t want to pay a company for home security or monitoring so I opted for the do it yourself version.

Part of my purchase included the Samsung HD Camera Pro which worked absolutely fine for quite some time. It is SmartThings who changed something which they claim is on their "backend’ and the camera hasn’t worked within SmartThings for over a month. I have had several chats and emails with Jake, Jacob and Regina at their customer service and none have offered any help. They all claim there is a fix they are trying to accomplish but they can’t even guarantee a fix or an ETA on the fix.

Let me be clear, the camera is not defective, it works fine with the native app however, I made it clear I want a camera working from within my app, thats why I bought it all together. They have other cameras that they know are working but apparently not the SAMSUNG brand. Please keep in mind, it was working fine, they changed something on their end and now it isn’t working and they aren’t smart enough to change it back. Thats funny for a company called SmartThings.

I asked for a refund and they told me the warranty was only 30 days. I told them that I understand if the camera broke out of warranty but it didn’t break out of warranty, they changed something so that it doesn’t work. I also made it clear that I don’t want the money, I’ll gladly allow them to send me any working camera that works with their app.

What are they missing??? They created the problem, can’t offer a fix and make lame excuses for the problem.

Ironically, Regina, the agent who tried to help said we can’t offer a refund because we don’t sell that camera. I send her a copy of my receipt where they clearly did sell the camera along with everything else to me. Image that, they took that camera off their web store as they stopped selling it for some reason and she obviously didn’t even know they once sold it.

This is a BAD Company with BAD Customer Service and false promises with no assistance. Look elsewhere for home security needs. I was using MyFox prior to purchasing all the SmartThings products and MyFox actually worked great. I regret not sticking with them.

Run from Samsung…You will be disappointed.

I also intend to keep posting so buyers are informed.

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I wholeheartedly disagree.
Having one device that doesn’t work (even if broken by an update and\or made by the same company) does NOT constitute the rant claiming that the entire system and company is bad.

Perhaps this rant should not claim to run from Samsung… just not to buy that camera.

I personally research every device I purchase especially when it comes to HA. I read all pitfalls, reviews and workarounds that may or may not be needed. I myself do not own any of Samsung’s devices with the exception of the Hub because of the reviews I have read stating that they are not as good as other devices. (This goes for all of my purchases not just HA)

Just my 2 cents so,… rant on friend.

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You are certainly entitled to your opinion. You can disagree all you like but I took it upon myself to make sure people know what can be expected when “they” break their own software and the loyal customers who bought their product just like I did can’t be given an ETA on the fix or even the probability of a fix.

That is a company issue, not a product issue.

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Occasionally a company needs to make a choice of whether or not they will allow older/obsolete devices to remain integrated into a system, especially if this means that improvements, added integration protocols etc. cannot be added due to these legacy type devices.

And again, I have to disagree… seeing as though you stated that the cam works fine in the native app… just not in smartthings… which is not its native app.

They broke nothing! native app works and the smartthings engineers are looking into the issue for their end to integrate it back into your smart home.

As for a refund out of warranty… that’s the way of the world. Deal with it or do some research first.

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I think the OP is going a little overboard, but to be fair I also think you’re playing a little fast-and-loose with the terms “obsolete” and “legacy” here. The Samsung HD Pro is still being sold and is still a supported camera per ST (https://support.smartthings.com/hc/en-us/articles/205380794-Samsung-SmartCam see your mobile app’s marketplace tab as well).

They most certainly broke the integration (assuming OP’s version of events is accurate).

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Yeah. Nothing new here. They’ve had this attitude from the start. They break it, fix it, then break it again and repeat. Being a long-time SmartThings user, I’ve learned not to assume that the stuff that works today will still work tomorrow. It’s a perpetual Beta.

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Can you post more information about what isn’t working?

I have one of these at home and it’s been working without any hiccups.

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Fair enough, you are probably right that I am fast and loose lol.
Indeed it is in the list of supported devices.

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I don’t deny your reasons to get frustrated. We all have been there. What I learned over the years, is that using this community as resource to find a work around to an issue, makes up for a lot of time spent with support staff when things don’t work as they should. If you state the problem, someone else may have found a solution for it. Give it a try. It’s certainly more effective at getting your device working again than just sitting and yelling…or spending countless hours with support staff and getting nowhere…

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Not claiming to have read every thread, but I have not seen anyone else having this issue. Could I be something within your network? Router not letting ST communicate with the camera, as the traffic originates from outside the network or from an untrusted source?

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I have 2 Samsung Powerbot Vacuums that work fine in their app but no longer work in the iOS ST app, works fine in Android. it’s been almost a year.

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What were the false promises they made? I don’t see any from your description of your interactions with support, although I could have missed it.

I’m sure it’s frustrating having to deal with whatever this issue is that’s affecting your camera; but what are the customer service reps supposed to do? If the company’s engineers/developers don’t have a fix yet, do you expect the telephone support people to fix it instead?

Many people on this forum would agree with you there (myself included), but that’s because the entire ST architecture is designed in such a way that makes it generally inappropriate to use as a real security system. There are plenty of topics discussing this that go back a couple years.

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How about your response to looking elsewhere for security needs. They clearly market ST as something to make you safe.

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True enough, but I was asking about the OP’s complaint re: his camera.

Poltergeist events, inability to arm/disarm SHM if the cloud is down, lack of support for keypads/entry/exit delays, those are all much bigger problems than one model of camera that used to work and now doesn’t. But that’s what this thread is about, as far as I can tell.

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Actually the problem is on their backend. They (SmartThings) acknowledge that they have a problem that they are trying to fix and have been doing so for months. It is not a problem with my network as it was working great and simply stopped when they updated there own software and my hub.

My camera works fine in the native app. It is a Samsung device that is less than one year old. It is not “old” or legacy hardware. Its the Samsung Smartcam Pro HD. I simply want it working all within one application like it did right up until a month ago.

I am not asking for anything other than the ability for it to work properly within their app. After all, I purchased it from their SmartThings website will a number of door sensors, siren, presence sensors, their hub and more all at once… together in a package as they advertised.

I appreciate everyone’s input but I feel I am entitled to share my opinions and forewarn others as to what kind of company SmartThings appears to be. My advice, look elsewhere for your needs.