Small Claims Action for False Advertising/Non-Functioning Features on Nest Protect Combo Alarms

[harter66]

I purchased four Nest Protect smoke/CO detectors from Home Depot back in December, specifically because of the Heads-Up alerts, phone notifications, and the ability to silence alarms from my phone features do not work on any of the units I purchased.

After doing some digging, it seems like these issues are known and it's likely the reason the product being discontinued. I spent hours troubleshooting with Nest support, and they eventually agreed to replace one of the units. The replacement arrived with something rattling inside and was clearly defective out of the box. I had to set up another return, and during that process, I was charged for the original unit that was supposed to be returned—an issue I eventually got resolved but it added more time and effort for me to correct their mistake.

That said, I'm still left with four disabled detectors (which is extremely unsafe) due to repeated nuisance alerts, and I’m now out over $600 and hours of my time. I’m past the return window with Home Depot, and I’m not willing to continue troubleshooting what I believe is a fundamental issue with the product, not a setup error or user mistake.

I made a reasonable request to Nest for a partial refund and was denied. At this point, I’m considering small claims court as my only remaining option. 

Has anyone here had success pursuing a refund or exchange through other means? Any advice would be appreciated.

[TE5LA]

Everything with Google Home has issues. I have never gotten everything to work, and most things work only 75% of the time. Sometimes, I have to repeat a command five times to get it to work. Other times, voice doesn't work, and I have to use the app. Now, I have a new camera system and Home won't display anything, although they work fine in the camera app and even straight into my LG TV from the network. If I give Home a voice command to view them, it says they are streaming on the Nvidia Shield,  but they aren't. 

It often skips devices in automations, often turns on the wrong device, etc. My son has the same issues at his place.

[sicsacol]

HI @harter66,

Thanks for posting in the community page. I understand you're requesting a refund for your Nest Protect, which isn't working as intended, and that you've already contacted us about this issue. I really appreciate you sharing this information and your troubleshooting efforts. Don't worry, I'm here to help.

The team would like to learn more about your situation. When you get a chance, please fill out this form and let us know when you’re finished. We’ll have someone reach out to you via email from there. Please make sure to include the link to this thread and your community username.

Feel free to reply once the form has been submitted.

Sincerely,
Jonathan

[DanCoco]

Kicking them to "THE FORM" is an insult especially when they already went through that process. I say go ahead and see if you could still do a chargeback, and if not, hopefully small claims would work. Hoping google doesn't have some bs arbitration clause to let them avoid all responsibility.

[harter66]

Thanks for your reply, DanCoco!

Alas, the purchase was through Home Depot so I don’t feel a chargeback is warranted. 

See below for the 2 replies I received from Google Nest. It’s clear that they have no respect for their customers nor do they wish to make things right. Their product was advertised as having features that DO NOT WORK; so much so that they’ve discontinued making them. 

“Hello ,

Thanks for reaching out to the Google Nest Customer Care Team.

I recognize how disappointed and irritated you are about the problems you had with your Nest Protect devices. We recognize you spent a lot of time troubleshooting and that the Nest protect smoke and alarm Co you received was not working.

We comprehend that you have already replaced your Nest Protect devices with another manufacturer and do not want to explore further troubleshooting or replacement alternatives. We acknowledge and respect your decision.

Our goal is to provide our clients with dependable and high-quality items, and we are sorry that your experience did not match these standards. 

Please reach out Contact Us Form to receive real time best assistance possible. 

For your reference your case number is XXX. If you need more help, you can contact us again and reference this case number or reply to this email to reopen your case.

Have a new question? There are lots of ways to get back in touch with us below.

Thank you,

Jeff

The Google Nest Customer Care Team”

“Hello ,

We understand your frustration and disappointment regarding the issues you experienced with your Nest Protect devices. We acknowledge that you have invested significant time in troubleshooting and that you received a non-functional replacement unit.

We have also noted your observations regarding similar complaints on our forums and other online platforms. We take these reports seriously and are actively investigating any widespread issues that may exist.

We understand that you have already replaced your Nest Protect devices with another brand and no longer wish to pursue further troubleshooting or replacement options. We respect your decision.

We acknowledge your intention to pursue this matter in small claims court to recover the cost of the units. While we are disappointed that you have chosen this path, we want to assure you that we will review your claim thoroughly should it be filed. We will check on this and we will give you an update as soon as possible.

Our aim is to provide our customers with reliable and high-quality products, and we regret that your experience did not meet these expectations. 

For your reference your case number is XXX. If you need more help, you can contact us again and reference this case number or reply to this email to reopen your case.

Have a new question? There are lots of ways to get back in touch with us below.

Thank you,

Red

The Google Nest Customer Care Team”

[sicsacol]

Hi @harter66,

Thanks for your reply and for the information shared.

I'm sorry to hear the information provided wasn't what you were hoping for, and I sincerely apologize for that. I've checked your support history, and let me inform you that we've escalated your case to the appropriate team. They will be working diligently to resolve it as soon as possible. Please keep an eye on your email, as you should receive an update on your case soon. I appreciate your cooperation and sorry for any inconvenience caused.

Please let me know if you have any questions from here, as I'd be happy to take a closer look and assist you further.

Sincerely,
Jonathan 

[DanCoco]

If you do file a small claims, hop back in here and let us know how it goes! Google's handling of the nest brand has really shown their true colors and i've begun the degoogle process because of it. Feels better every time i can close a service im using