Petnet 'Smart' Feeder Customers Are Stuck In 'Internet Of Broken Things' Purgatory

(Mis)Uses of Technology

from the dumb-tech-is-smarter-tech dept

Back in February, $130 “smart” pet feeders from a company named Petnet simply stopped working. When customers reached out to the company to complain, they hit a complete and total brick wall in terms of functioning customer service. Emails and phone calls weren’t returned (or wound up undeliverable), and the company simply refused to answer annoyed customer inquiries on Twitter or Facebook.

These problems extended into March and April, with customers consistently complaining to outlets like Ars Technica that their “smart” feeders still didn’t work, and support was nowhere to be found. By late April, the company announced it had at least partially shut down, furloughed employees, and closed its offices. The outfit attempted to largely blame COVID-19 for its misfortunes, despite the fact its problems started well before the pandemic, and the company’s office had been empty and available to lease since last October.

Claiming they had no other option, Petnet also began trying to charge customers a new $4 monthly fee to keep the company’s lights on and customers’ not-so-smart pet feeders semi-operational. Many users begrudgingly decided to pay the fee, and for some reason were shocked to discover that it hasn’t really improved things in the slightest. For many, their $130 smart pet feeder sometimes works, but it can’t connect to the internet or Petnet systems (the whole point). And throughout all of this, Petnet has proven incapable of providing even baseline customer support:

“Another Ars reader reached out last week saying that he had paid $30 for a year of service, but as of July 2, although his feeder still functioned and fed his cat every day, “I cannot connect to the device or control it using the app,” which could not connect even though Petnet said it would be available after June 30. “Several times over the last two days I have tried to contact them via phone, email, and Facebook with no luck,” he added.

Several users on Twitter also approached the @petnetiosupport account with similar complaints. “I still can’t even set up an account,” one wrote. Another user experienced the same problem, while a third said they could not log in to their existing account. And the problems seem to go beyond just the app, as one user said their second-generation SmartFeeder had once again stopped working completely.”

Journalists who try to contact the company apparently don’t warrant a response. It’s yet another example of how in the internet of broken things era, dumb technology (like a $2 metal bowl for Fido) is often the smarter option.

Filed Under: iot, ownership, pet feeders, smart pet feeder, smart technology
Companies: petnet