All Nest Aware owners of functioning Dropcams should be eligible for a replacement

[Speaking333]

I have two Nest Cameras and a Dropcam. All are functioning and all are online right now.  I was puzzled when a friend told me about the free replacement offer email for his Dropcam. After contacting support I was told that since the Dropcam wasn't online for 28 days prior to the offer announcement that I'm not eligible. How does this make any sense? I pay a subscription for Nest Aware. I paid for the Dropcam. I can keep the Dropcam online for 28 days from now.  But none of that matters. I was told I couldn't be helped. Has anyone found a way around this? This is incredibly upsetting.

[MplsCustomer]

@Speaking333 

Google Nest's announcement (https://www.googlenestcommunity.com/t5/Blog/An-update-for-our-Nest-Secure-Dropcam-and-Works-with-Nes...) also says:

"If you are not a Nest Aware subscriber, we're offering a 50% discount toward a new Nest Cam (indoor, wired)."

[Speaking333]

So since I *AM* a subscriber it sounds like I wouldn't be eligible for that either, which is another kick in the teeth.  Not that I would pay for something I should get replaced for free.

[MplsCustomer]

@Speaking333 

I'm just another Google Nest customer, but it would seem that Google Nest had to have some cutoff for what determined whether "you are a current Nest Aware subscriber", and from what you're saying, they perhaps set March 11, 28 days before the April 8 announcement, as what determined that.

Or are you saying that you were a Nest Aware subscriber on March 11, but are disqualified because your Dropcam was not online from March 11 to April 8? If that's the case, then it sounds like Google Nest is limiting its offer to customers whose Dropcams were in use in the 28 days before the announcement, though that's not stated in the announcement.

[Speaking333]

It's #2.  I've been a Nest Aware subscriber for a long time. They said that even though my Dropcam is online now, the fact that it was not online for the 28 days before the announcement I'm not eligible.  So I don't get a replacement camera because I was trying to decide the best place to put it.  

[Schuckan]

So, how I get a replacement for my drop cam pro? I have a subscription running observing my drop cam pro and my outdoor camera. Also my three smoke detectors running via the app. 

[Speaking333]

If you had your dropcam online for 30 days prior to some date in May they didn't warn us about you should have gotten an email with an offer for a free replacement.  If you were like me and had an active subscription but your dropcam wasn't online 24/7 365 then you're out of luck.  Completely ridiculous considering my dropcam still works and I had an uninterrupted subscription for years. I cancelled my subscription because of this fiasco.

[MplsCustomer]

@Lazarus 

Can you please look at this customer's case to see whether Google Nest can offer them a replacement for their Dropcam?

[NesterW]

I have the same situation, I pay for Nest Aware Plus, I have two older dropcam cameras at home (the original and hd), but I only turn them on when I travel. I didn't get an email with an offer. I have turned them on now, in the hope I also get the offer.
I should be eligible as I pay for a subscription and only use the cameras when travelling. I'm very frusted, having been a loyal client since the first drop cam and paying for Nest Aware for many years. Now my cameras will stop working.

[Speaking333]

Exactly! These old Dropcams have much, much lower quality than the current cameras. How on Earth can it be unexpected that we're not using them 24/7, 365? But because you and I didn't have ours on for 28 days prior to some arbitrary date we're left out? If the argument is that they only want to replace functioning Dropcams then let us leave on ours for 28 days to prove we still have them.

We paid for Nest Aware and we paid for the Dropcams. We should be able to get them replaced for free like the people that had theirs online for 28 days prior to the magic date.

[NesterW]

Called up support, after talking to three different people and an hour gone by they told me it is eligible only for cameras connected to the account in the previous 28 days.  I checked the camera history and I have footage from before April 7th (anouncement day), 6th,5th etc.. still I never received the email offer and the only instruction was to keep waiting for the email. I'm not holding my breath, as I'm sure it isn't coming. 

[Speaking333]

I spent over an hour on the phone with support also. I tried escalating but the person I spoke to said  "need it online for the past 28 days" and that "The offer must be redeemed by 11:59 PM (Pacific Time) on May 7th, 2024 or it will expire." So there's no recourse for us to get the offer even though the deadline hasn't been reached yet and we can prove we have functioning Dropcams tied to our existing Nest Aware subscription.  Infuriating.

[wallywanna]

I just had a similar discussion with support. I was told, a bit more politely, but "tough luck, no replacment as it was not active on that specific date, March 7, 2023"

[Speaking333]

I have to wonder if they anticipated people like us being left out and just did not care. It certainly makes me not want to continue using Google/Nest as my solution for video feeds.

[technorandall]

I'm in the same boat. Yet another example of customer unfriendly google BS. Just cancelled Nest Aware and YouTube Premium because I'm sick of this crap. Moving on..

[Speaking333]

I feel you.  If this isn't resolved I'll be shopping around for camera replacements in the future.

[Juni]

Hi folks,

Thanks for reaching out. Sorry for the late reply, please provide the case number that was provided when you contacted our support team so that we can look into it. 

Thanks for the help here, MplsCustomer.

Regards,

Juni

[wallywanna]

Huh?  Google support just said in an on-line chat (paraphrasing some for effect, they were kind of polite): "if your Dropcam was not plugged in on the day of March 7, 2023 no replacement for you. You are out of luck".  I even asked to escalate, and the "lead" said "yep,  not plugged in on the date of March 7? Tougn luck." No case number was provided.

[Speaking333]

Hello @Juni ,

Thanks for reaching out. I did save a transcript of the chat and I found the case number: 9-9803000033821. Can also provide the full chat transcript privately if you need it. 

I contacted them April 20. When this whole drama started I turned on my functioning DropCam and has been online ever since, which is more than 28 days. But since I didn't have it online for 28 days before the May 7 date, which I was NOT warned about, I'm somehow not eligible to get it replaced for free.  That doesn't make any sense and seems incredibly unfair. Especially considering that I have been paying for a subscription for a LONG time.

[Speaking333]

@Juni has there been any progress on this?   I just got an email saying that my Nest Aware Plus subscription will renew in two months and honestly I'm still very upset about this and am not sure that I will renew if it's not resolved. 

My functioning DropCam has been online since I learned about the promotion to replace them for free, which means it's approaching three months.  I've been a Nest Aware subscriber uninterrupted for years . But because my Dropcam wasn't online for a certain amount of days (without warning) from a certain date I'm somehow not eligible for it to be replaced.

[Speaking333]

My Nest Aware Plus subscription is set to renew on August 9. My plan is to cancel on August 7 if this is not resolved. Still very upset about this.

[Speaking333]

My functioning DropCam has been online uninterrupted since near the end of April. It's beyond unfair that I won't be getting a free replacement for it because it wasn't online for 30 days before a random date in May I wasn't warned about.

I'm extremely disappointed with how this all played out.  I was hoping to hear back from @Juni but it has been over two months with no response. As promised I have just cancelled my Nest Aware Plus subscription, that I have maintained uninterrupted for years, that was set to renew in two days. I will be shopping for a new camera system now.

If someone else from Google reads this later and wants details about the situation my case number from my long support call was 9-9803000033821.

[gebicd]

What's the phone number people are calling to talk to a live person?  I have 4  Nest dropcams with their service.

[Speaking333]

You can click "Google Nest Help Center" at the bottom of this page and then scroll down and click "Contact Us".  Prepare yourself for a long phone call that will end with disappointment.

[StausiDuRoss]

This is bull. I just got a drop cam and now you're saying that they aren't going to work wtf why sell them then. Google is a scam