Skybell Technologies Inc

Hello --  I am sorry for any difficulties experienced with your SkyBell. I see you have been working directly with our CTO for a resolution. With that said, this is why we have not yet replaced your SkyBell. If this is not a fair resolution for you, please let me know directly so I can...

make our CTO aware of this. My direct email (which you also already have) is [redacted]@skybell.com. Kindly, [redacted]

Thank you for submitting this concern to us. I am happy to provide support and information.
 
We lament [redacted] recent experience with our product, SkyBell 2.0. Our team can confirm that he has contacted our support team multiple times. Of these times, we have had to replace his device twice....

The other times were issues related to incorrect chime settings, the device not fully charged, our activity history not loading which was a server side issue that was temporary, a iPhone 6S issue that has since been resolved with a previous app update, struggling to sync, and general questions. Throughout his history contacting us (since February), [redacted] has pleaded to upgrade to our HD and pay the difference, going as far as sending us a check for $50 in hopes we would accept this payment. We voided his check as we did not request a form of payment for HD. This is a program we have not had in place and still do not to this day.
 
In an attempt to satisfy [redacted]'s request, we have offered our Valued Customer discount for our SkyBell HD. This is a discount code that we offer to all existing SkyBell customers who want to step up to our latest product, SkyBell HD. Our discount brings his price down from $200 to $139 including free two-day air shipping. From what I gather, [redacted] has not replied to this offer.
 
Regarding [redacted]'s desired settlement, we are only able to refund customers who have purchased from us directly and have transaction history with shopping cart system. Since we do not have any transaction history with [redacted] for a SkyBell 2.0 that was purchased late last year, we are not the original Point Of Sale. Therefore, [redacted] would be the merchant that is best positioned to offer him a refund for his product.
 
What we can offer [redacted] is our Valued Customer Discount, meaning he can obtain our SkyBell HD for $139, including free two-day air shipping. We understand [redacted] may be feeling skeptical about the quality of our product, so we would like to also offer him an exclusive offer of extending his warranty on his SkyBell HD by an extra six months. These six months take us back to February, where he claims everything was working fine until then. We hope this rectifies his issue considering the circumstance. We would also like to offer troubleshooting and an advanced replacement for his existing SkyBell 2.0. This means we will send out [redacted]'s replacement device tomorrow on two-day air shipping and provide him a prepaid shipping label to send back the current device in his possession.
 
Lastly, we would like to schedule a call to help install and set up his new SkyBell HD to make sure we start fresh with our latest product. Simply let us know what date and time works best and we will have a supervisor contact him for the best possible support. Our goal is to connect [redacted], a veteran who we greatly appreciate the service he provided to our country, to the important people in his life. We hope that we can create a positive relationship moving forward!
 
Please feel free to edit this response to remove any sensitive information as we respect our customer's privacy. If there are any questions from [redacted] or the Revdex.com, please ask at your earliest convenience.

Revdex.com: In response to the last email, I called the number [redacted] to speak to [redacted].  I could not get a live human to speak to me to place my request to speak to [redacted]. She did not provide a direct line number.  It has been my experience in the past that it has been very difficult to communicate with them.  This time it proves it as well.  I don't have the email address of Ms. [redacted].  Therefore, I have to ask you to pass this message to her:  the refund check should be sent to [redacted]. I can be reached at [redacted].  Thank you. [redacted]

Hello, We will stand by our offer. If [redacted] no longer wants to keep his SkyBell, we will require both units to be returned to us prior to a refund being issued. Thank you.

Hello,Please accept our apologies for any delay in your refund being issued. I have handed this directly to our accounting team and they are processing this refund as we speak. Please do feel free to let me know if there is anything further I can assist you with: [redacted]Best,[redacted]...

[redacted]

Hello [redacted], I am sorry to hear that you had difficulties getting ahold of our customer support. I see that you spoke to one of our representatives today and they are sending you a free digital doorbell adapter to assist you with the issues you are experiencing.  I apologize for our phone line...

limitations. We are currently upgrading to a new system to remedy this issue and will hopefully have this fully in place within the next few weeks.  You are welcome to contact me directly if there is anything further I can assist you with.  Best Regards,[redacted]Director of Customer Support[redacted]

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and find that this resolution was satisfactory to me.  The business has taken action and I consider this complaint resolved.
Regards,
[redacted]

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
Despite the legal disclaimers it still standard industry practice to deliver on promises, deliver working products, and refund unhappy customers. I will be looking into the legal claims you make and contacting my consumer affairs office to help others not fall into this trap. I think it is fraud if you promise a "perk" and just have some terms and conditions that say we may not fulfill our promise of a product. Make no mistake indiegogo and skybell were selling products.
Regards,
[redacted]

I’m very sorry to hear that this customer received inadequate communication.
I have reviewed the case documents and would like to apologize for the treatment provided to [redacted]. Please let me know if he did indeed receive his missing adapter and wedge kit.

I’m very sorry to hear that this customer received inadequate communication.
Unfortunately, To receive instructions for obtaining repair or replacement warranty services you must e-mail us directly to receive shipping instructions and an RMA tracking number from SBT prior to shipping...

your device to us. Write the RMA tracking number clearly on the outside of the package. Send the device, freight charges prepaid, to the address on the RMA label.
You must also: ? Submit proof of purchase in the form of a bona fide, dated bill of sale, receipt, or invoice (or a copy) from an Authorized Reseller evidencing that your request for service is made within the Warranty Period; and ? Follow shipping and other instructions to ensure the Product has an adequate degree of protection against damage during transit to the location specified by SBT. Except as otherwise required by legislation in your jurisdiction, costs associated with transport (including packaging) for warranty service shall be at your expense.
Failure to follow the above instructions may result in delays, cause you to incur additional charges, or may void your warranty.

From: [redacted] <[redacted]>
/>
Date: Tue, Nov 25, 2014 at 5:03 AM
Subject: Re: You have a new message from the Revdex.comTo: "[email protected]" <[email protected]>
Hi,
 
Skybell has sent me replacement product.  Please close this case.  Thank you for your assistance.  Your help is greatly appreciated. 
Regards,
[redacted]

I’m very sorry to hear that this customer received inadequate communication. SkyBell reserves the right to cancel or refuse any order for any reason and at any time. This includes after an order has been submitted, whether or not the order has been confirmed.
We may attempt to contact...

you if all or a portion of your order is canceled, or if additional information is needed to complete and accept your order.
I do show that this order was canceled and not charged. If the customer is still stating the opposite, we will need to see their transaction history to show this.

The customer is asking the Revdex.com to disregard the disregard the Terms and Conditions associated with our crowd funding campaign which were clearly displayed on both the indiegogo.com website and our website. He is further encouraging the Revdex.com to make a ruling based on what he believes to be “industry practice”.  Both requests are baseless and without precedent.
 
The Terms and Conditions which appear on websites are legal documents. They exist for a reason and cannot be ignored just because it is convenient to do so. Terms and Conditions contain disclaimers as well as important information which are intended to protect both consumers and vendors. The Terms and Conditions which the consumer is asking the Revdex.com to disregard, contained important information regarding refunds AND were available on the Indiegogo website and our website. There is no excuse for not reading or considering those documents prior to making a contribution to a crowd funding campaign.
 
If a consumer does not want to be bound by the Terms and Conditions offered by the vendor, then he/she can simply elect not to participate in the transaction.  However, if they do participate, then both parties are bound by the Agreements. That is the premise upon which internet commerce is based around the world.
 
This consumer chose to contribute to our campaign of his own free will.  Nobody forced him to do so.
 
By contributing to a crowd funding campaign he explicitly accepted both the risks and potential benefits associated with supporting to a start-up company. The benefit, in this instance, was a perk which entitled him to receive a product for approximately ½ of the retail cost. The risk, (as described on both Indiegogo’s site and ours) was that the product might never be delivered at all; that it might not work properly; that he might not be satisfied with the perk we delivered, and most of all, that the contributions were non-refundable.  
 
This customer was aware of the risks (or clearly should have been aware of the risks) and contributed anyway. He accepted his perk. For this consumer to come back now, demand a refund, and insist that he had no idea what he was getting himself into by contributing to a crowd funding campaign, is beyond absurd.
 
There is no legal basis for providing a refund after both parties agreed that there would be none. Furthermore, there is no basis for the customer’s assertion that it is “industry practice” to provide refunds. To the contrary, we are not aware of a single instance in which an Indiegogo campaign perk was delivered to a contributor, yet the contributor received a refund anyway.  To the contrary “industry practice” with regard to crowd funding, is not to provide refunds once a perk is delivered.
 
If this consumer would like to exchange his device for a new one, we will gladly do that. It is the remedy which we have promised to our Indiegogo supporters since the beginning of our campaign, and we will continue to honor exchange requests for the foreseeable future. Refunds, however, were never part of our campaign offer.
 
Below are some excerpts from Indiegogo’s website. As anyone can see, it is virtually impossible for a reasonable person to be ignorant with respect to the way in which a crowd funding campaign operates. This customer knew the risks and accepted them, but has now changed his mind.
 
If customers are allowed to evade responsibility by disregarding Terms and Conditions whenever it suits them to do so, then it will be very difficult for any business in the world to conduct internet commerce.
 
We therefore respectfully request that the Revdex.com honor the Terms and Conditions which were made abundantly clear to both parties and to which both parties agreed to be bound.
 
 
https://www.indiegogo.com/about/terms
Contributors
As a Contributor, you are solely responsible for asking questions and investigating Campaigns to the extent you feel is necessary before you make a Contribution. All Contributions are made voluntarily and at your sole discretion and risk. Indiegogo doesn't guarantee that Contributions will be used as promised, that Campaign Owners will deliver Perks, or that the Campaign will achieve its goals. Indiegogo does not endorse, guarantee, make representations, or provide warranties for or about the quality, safety, morality or legality of any Campaign, Perk or Contribution, or the truth or accuracy of content posted on the Service. You are solely responsible for determining how to treat your Contribution and receipt of any Perks for tax purposes.
How Refunds Work
Contributions are nonrefundable. We may refund your contribution if your contribution was accidentally made twice or if the campaign has not raised enough money by its deadline to cover the cost of disbursement.
What are perks?
Many campaigns offer perks in exchange for different contribution amounts. Perks can be objects, acknowledgement, a thank you, services, events or anything that does not violate our Terms of Service.
Perks are listed on the right side of the Campaign Home page, under the Contribute Now button. If you do not see any perks listed, the campaign owner may have decided not to offer any perks. You will need to contribute at least the amount listed to claim the associated perk. Perks are offers made and managed solely by campaign owners.
How to Evaluate a Campaign ([redacted]
Contributing to a campaign on Indiegogo is not the same thing as making a purchase in a store. Contributors are backing an idea, not purchasing a pre-made project. Like anyone contributing to an early-stage project, you accept the risk that the project might not come to fruition. We leave it up to you to make your own judgment about the merit of a campaign before making a contribution.

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
[In regards to calls, the company is correct my apologies, I contacted them via email, so they are correct, however, we are not disputing them not answering the phone, I can provide their email response on at least 3 different occasions after I threatened a lawsuit.  So their claims that I have not contacted them is purely a lie.  I have those all saved in my gmail.  But again, this is smoke and mirrors... It is March 18, 2014, I ordered this product in 2013.  They even said in the email response to you, we couldn't make Christmas although we hoped to... ok IT IS MARCH.  I would gladly take the interest of 8.99% for my 200 I gave them back in December for a product I have yet to receive.  It is very simple... my complaint is I paid for a product last year, and don't have it TODAY.  so we can sit and debate that I typed calls instead of emails, or debate that they missed their Christmas deadline, but I sit here 3 months later with nothing but a 200 debit to my account.  Their website reads (TODAY) The very first SkyBells were released Friday the 17th. International Indiegogo orders are scheduled to start shipping the week of February 24th. Website orders are scheduled to start shipping near the end of the week of February 24th.    This is a perfect example of how they take our money and don't update us.  I am not sure what shipping company they are using, but I am unfamiliar with anything that takes a month to arrive via shipping, this is exactly the horrible customer service and lack of communication that they give.  This proves my point, they don't give customers updates.  Don't take my word, read (FROM THEIR OWN WEBSITE) their other customers opinions:  [redacted] through the 5 pages of comments of other people who also get no communication updates.  I will cut and paste some of the comments, please keep in mind this isn't from me, these are their other customers, they cannot call us all liars:  
Can we PLEASE get some reliable and truthful information about delivery internationally? How do I cancel the purchase!  When does shipping really start? Please tell us. what is company phone number. How should cancel the order?  my order number #[redacted] till now I didnt recieve my item and you have a very bad service no support only auto massage send it to us  All the people payed with pay pal should contact payl pal so as I did and then we will see if we are getting any answers you should be ashamed!  I ordered the Skybell before Christmas & have yet to receive it. Can you give me some idea of when it will ship? My friend got his.  when will I receive it its been over 2 months and you said we would have the first week of Feb  Dammit. Poor service and NO response.  PLEASE give us an update about international shipping! If we did bussiness like this in Holland (Europe) we would be be in jail!  Order > Paid > No Respond!  2 Star Review on Amazon after months of delays and customer complaints  When should I expect my device .. its been several months
]
Regards,
[redacted]

We have reviewed the customer’s complaint along with the trouble tickets submitted to our customer service team (a transcript of which is provided below).
Our standard refund policy is that we will provide a refund for devices purchased from our site, minus shipping, handling and $30 restocking fee for devices returned to us within a 30 day period from the date of purchase. Our full return policy can be viewed at [redacted]
This customer’s situation is unique. We literally have thousands of SkyBells in use and this is the very first time that our customer service has encountered this issue. The customer has an extremely expensive door chime with which our product is not designed to work. The customer’s initial email to our customer service, received on March 28, 2014, indicated his home was equipped with a Nutone LD-49. Later that same day, our customer service responded, and said that the chime was not compatible with our device, and indicated that SkyBell was compatible with “traditional” analog door chimes. At this point, there were two prudent courses of action available to the customer: 1) replace the decorative door chime with one which is SkyBell compatible, or 2) return the SkyBell to Amazon. Unfortunately, the customer took neither course of action. It cannot be said to be the Company’s responsibility if a consumer purchases our product and then, when told it is incompatible with his home setup refuses to take the remedies available to him.
However, in an effort to reach an amicable solution for this customer, we offered to provide a refund though we were under no obligation to do so. We stand behind that offer, however our standard deductions will apply.

As far as I know this issue has been resolved as we have not been billed for the replacement SkyBell. Thanks for your efforts. 
rgb(34, 34, 34); font-size: 12.8000001907349px; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">Regards,
[redacted]

: I’m so sorry to hear the difficulties experienced with this order. If you have not yet upgraded, I would like the opportunity to make this right for you.
Please let me know if you would be interested in this and I’ll be happy to upgrade you to our most robust HD Skybell model .

Hello, please accept my most sincere apologies for the treatment received within your case. I have reviewed your case and found a refund was issued on 4/6/16.

Hello,
Thank you for the response. I understand that this complaint was issued 2 years ago and I too would not be happy if an immediate response was provided. Unfortunately, as a start up company a lot of the personnel at that time was unaware of how to handle the complaint filed with the Revdex.com.  
I would be very appreciative if you would remove your negative feedback. Would love the opportunity to win you back as a customer and would like to offer you a brand new HD Skybell. We have come leaps and bounds since our start up campaign and I think you will be very happy with our improvements. 
Best,
[redacted]

[redacted],
rgb(34,34,34); MARGIN: 0px">Our last contact with this customer was Feb 28 2015 where we asked [redacted] for his actual speed test results as we really believe that it is the upload speed causing the issue. Most customers that have a 20Mbps upload speed is very uncommon so we believe there may be some confusion. We’re more than happy to send him a new 2.0 device if he’ll pay for shipping but we’ll also require him to send his original device back to us. This ensures we don’t have customers selling their original devices unauthorized. As previously stated, he didn’t respond to our 2/28/15 request for a screenshot of his upload speed test.
 
I will email [redacted] with a Cc to you.
 
Best regards,
 
[redacted] | Customer Service | [redacted]