Logitech Tells Harmony Link Owners to Bid Their Devices Goodbye (Updated)

[Chino]

The Harmony Link, a device that made its introduction back in 2011, basically turns your iPad, iPhone, or Android smartphone into a remote control. With the help of the corresponding Logitech app, users can control up to eight different home theater devices scattered around the house. Harmony Link owners probably woke up today to some very disgusting news. In a short email sent by Logitech to their customers, the company announced its plan to drop support for the device completely in March 16, 2018. This is outright wrong considering customers bought the Harmony Link as a device and not a subscription service.

There's no other way around it though. Many Harmony Link devices are likely to end up in the garbage bin come March of next year. Logitech is currently offering a 35% discount on the new Harmony Hub to soften the blow. However, we doubt their customers will return given the mistreatment. Besides, there's no guarantee that this won't happen again when the company decides to replace the Harmony Hub with the next best thing.


You can read Logitech's email below:

Dear [Customer Name],

This is an important update regarding your Harmony Link. On March 16, 2018, Logitech will discontinue service and support for Harmony Link. Your Harmony Link will no longer function after this date.

Although your Harmony Link is no longer under warranty, we are offering you a 35% discount on a new Harmony Hub. Harmony Hub offers app-based remote control features similar to Harmony Link, but with the added benefit of the ability to control many popular connected home devices. To receive your discounted Harmony Hub, go to logitech.com, add Harmony Hub to your cart, and use your personal one-time promotional code [promo code] during checkout.

Thank you for being a Logitech customer and we hope you will take advantage of this offer to upgrade to a new Harmony Hub. If you have any questions or concerns about Harmony Link, please email the Harmony customer care team.

Regards,
Logitech Harmony Team

09/11/2017 Update: After being in the negative spotlight, Logitech has come out and admitted their mistake. They have accepted to send all Harmony Link owners the new Harmony Hub completely free of charge. It doesn't matter if the device is under warranty or not. As long as you have one in your possession, you're eligible for the upgrade.

View at TechPowerUp Main Site

 

[Steevo]

Things like this are why I will never allow something to control my house, devices, or otherwise interact with anything. Imagine your fridge doing the same thing, but they would like to offer you a discount on your next fridge purchase, or your next car purchase, or your next washer and dryer. You as the consumer have almost no control once you are playing by their rules due to DRM, even with huge companies that should know better. Its happened with Google video, MSN Music, and so many other non Opensource DRM filled items. Ohh, that phone you paid $700 for with the promise of a feature, too bad, you have to upgrade to get that feature, or we will add such a poorly implemented functionality to essentially force you to upgrade.

 

[Ahhzz]

"Although your Harmony Link is working just fine out of warranty, we'll offer you a 35% discount on the new Harmony Hub, which will also depend on us to run and with the added benefit that it will be disabled within 4 years, whether it's working properly or not."

 

[Fx]

I am so glad I moved away from their platform. I used to own the remote that had a screen about around 2.5" by 3". It worked great until the day it broke which was less than 2 years.

Since I had paid $400ish for it and it was out of warranty, I never bought another one because support never offered a replacement or discount for a new one. They were simply too expensive.

Good riddance.

 

[nemesis.ie]

Logitech being Logitech, business as usual for them. They do the same thing with warranty, dishonour it, blame the user but still oddly offer a "replacement" discount ... the EU trading standards should investigate them pronto.

 

[newtekie1]

Stop offering new supported devices, fine, stop supporting the Link, OK, but to outright brick the unit that people have paid for is completely wrong.

 

[Owen1982]

I actually came here to say 6 years of support is not bad nowadays. But that letter is terrible! Not once did they say sorry or apologize in any way. And it so transparent and obvious that they just want you to buy a new hub. If they have a customer relations department, they should be made to purchase one of those hubs. Or fired. Or both.

 

[Basard]

Stop offering new supported devices, fine, stop supporting the Link, OK, but to outright brick the unit that people have paid for is completely wrong.

Lawsuit-worthy. Screw that, seems like a good motive for a homicide, lol. Sounds almost like theft. I'm sure there was a "right-to-screw-you-over" clause in the TOS though.

 

[EarthDog]

Stop offering new supported devices, fine, stop supporting the Link, OK, but to outright brick the unit that people have paid for is completely wrong.

QFT

 

[bug]

Like @Steevo said, serves you well if you bought a device that needs permission from Logitech to do its thing.

 

[Ahhzz]

I actually came here to say 6 years of support is not bad nowadays. But that letter is terrible! Not once did they say sorry or apologize in any way. And it so transparent and obvious that they just want you to buy a new hub. If they have a customer relations department, they should be made to purchase one of those hubs. Or fired. Or both.

There's a different between "support" and "allow to continue to operate"....

 

[FordGT90Concept]

Glad I started boycotting Logitech a long time ago. News like this reaffirms that decision. Hope more people boycott so they run into the ground.


And yeah, any device that requires an internet connection to function, I don't buy. "Smart Home" = "Corporate Bitch"

 

[remixedcat]

anyone wanna by my savant remote? this would be a good time for anyone to take advantage of my limited deal on it ;-)

savant won't stop the service on it

 

[dj-electric]

Textbook EVIL.
Boo!

 

[kn00tcn]

09/11/2017 Update

should updates be put at the beginning of articles so that they can be read on the front page?

 

[nemesis.ie]

The voice of the people at work. Maybe our posts helped make this happen.

 

[bug]

should updates be put at the beginning of articles so that they can be read on the front page?

Not really. The way they are depicts the timeline more accurately.

 

[kn00tcn]

Not really. The way they are depicts the timeline more accurately.

the timeline doesnt matter if the information is irrelevant or obsolete, the update isnt seen on the home page so skimmers wouldnt know what the update is until they manually open the article

edit: depending on update length of course, if it's multiple paragraphs, the top could just be a short summary with a suggestion to click read more