Question

If you are in Europe Sonos need to provide a refund in full regardless of age of hardware due to their new appl

M
Userlevel 3

All,

 

Today I’ll be putting in my request for a refund in full for all of my many Sonos devices due to them removing functionality in their latest version (can’t call it an upgrade can we?) of their iOS app.

A little known or used part of EU law covers this use case and I’m that frustrated that they could be so incompetent and/or arrogant  to remove so much key functionality in a new version of the app without prior warning and not providing any mechanism to revert 

 

Like many I use Sonos extensively for alarms (primary use case to be honest as there are better smart audio solutions for use cases where listening is the primary use case) … how they could begin to consider it was ok to remove this feature is beyond comprehension.

 

FYI - I used the same EU rule to successfully force Google to refund my Nest Camera’s because they removed the ability to allow me to turn on/off the recording light (alerting people they were being recorded).  

 

Blended hardware / software companies need to understand it’s not okay to downgrade hardware purchased with certain functionality without customer consent (at least in the EU) 

 

I’d encourage other users in the EU to consider taking a similar path in the hope that Sonos will prioritise addressing this by immediately releasing a “full fat” version of the app for people that want the functionality they evaluated and paid for originally. 

 

Cheers

mmb

16 replies

P
Userlevel 1
Badge

Thanks! I’m also thinking about pursuing this path. This is ridiculous. 

C
Userlevel 7
Badge +17

Please give details of how such an action can be undertaken by the individual user. 

🎶 CRAZY 'BOUT AN AUTOMOBILE 😎🎶
R

How can such action be undertaken? I’m in the EU and am very disappointed by the new app. Lost a lot of daily used functions!

Ken_Griffiths

I think rather than dragging this ‘temporary’ situation through the legal system, bearing in mind the full functionality is actually stored on the Sonos hardware and that hasn’t changed.

You do know that there is other available software that can control various Sonos features, such as editing/clearing room queues, setting an alarm on a Sonos device to play chimes/music etc. and also a good many other things besides, that have never been available via the Sonos controller App, such as scheduling ‘Night Sound’, Speech Enhancement’ etc.

I’m just personally grateful the Sonos App and all the various firmware updates have been provided to me ‘free of charge’ and its always been down to me whether I choose to upgrade, or not.

 

Moderator Note: Modified in accordance with the Community Code of Conduct.

C
Userlevel 7
Badge +17

I think rather than dragging this ‘temporary’ situation through the legal system, bearing in mind the full functionality is actually stored on the Sonos hardware and that hasn’t changed, I think I prefer to ‘get a life’ instead, especially with everything else that’s going on in the World these days.

You do know that there is other available software that can control various Sonos features, such as editing/clearing room queues, setting an alarm on a Sonos device to play chimes/music etc. and a good many other things besides, that have never been available via the Sonos controller App, such as scheduling ‘Night Sound’, Speech Enhancement’ etc.

I’m just personally grateful the Sonos App and all the various firmware updates have been provided to me ‘free of charge’ and its always been down to me whether I choose to upgrade, or not.

Err, no, I didn't know - details? 

🎶 CRAZY 'BOUT AN AUTOMOBILE 😎🎶
R
Userlevel 4
Badge +4

All,

 

Today I’ll be putting in my request for a refund in full for all of my many Sonos devices due to them removing functionality in their latest version (can’t call it an upgrade can we?) of their iOS app.

A little known or used part of EU law covers this use case and I’m that frustrated that they could be so incompetent and/or arrogant  to remove so much key functionality in a new version of the app without prior warning and not providing any mechanism to revert 

 

Like many I use Sonos extensively for alarms (primary use case to be honest as there are better smart audio solutions for use cases where listening is the primary use case) … how they could begin to consider it was ok to remove this feature is beyond comprehension.

 

FYI - I used the same EU rule to successfully force Google to refund my Nest Camera’s because they removed the ability to allow me to turn on/off the recording light (alerting people they were being recorded).  

 

Blended hardware / software companies need to understand it’s not okay to downgrade hardware purchased with certain functionality without customer consent (at least in the EU) 

 

I’d encourage other users in the EU to consider taking a similar path in the hope that Sonos will prioritise addressing this by immediately releasing a “full fat” version of the app for people that want the functionality they evaluated and paid for originally. 

 

Cheers

mmb



The things on forums that annoy people so much that their first thought is legal action... It’s an app, and they’ve already released a projected update schedule via Smart Home Sounds. So let the courts continue dealing with the important things rather than indignation.

Ken_Griffiths

Err, no, I didn't know - details?

Well, just as an example, if you want to set an alarm, or clear a room queue, or even enable a sleep-timer, there’s the iOS ‘Soro’ (shortcuts plugin) App. (Example screenshots attached). Look around and do your own research though, you will certainly find other options to use too for a good many things.

(Edit  - and ‘yes’ these things work, as the available functionality of the hardware hasn’t altered)

2 Attachments
C
Userlevel 7
Badge +17

Err, no, I didn't know - details?

Well just as an example if you want to set an alarm, or clear a room queue, or enable a sleep-timer, there’s the iOS ‘Soro’ (shortcuts plugin) App. (Example screenshots attached). Look around and do your own research though, you will certainly find other options to use too for a good many things.

Absolute zero interest in alarms!  I've got an alarm clock! 

Any alternatives for Android? 

🎶 CRAZY 'BOUT AN AUTOMOBILE 😎🎶
Ken_Griffiths

Err, no, I didn't know - details?

Well just as an example if you want to set an alarm, or clear a room queue, or enable a sleep-timer, there’s the iOS ‘Soro’ (shortcuts plugin) App. (Example screenshots attached). Look around and do your own research though, you will certainly find other options to use too for a good many things.

Absolute zero interest in alarms!  I've got an alarm clock! 

Any alternatives for Android? 

I guess so - I don’t much use android though, so it maybe best for others to make some suggestions there. 

I just use Alexa (mostly) for my Alarms.. being long-retired, it’s not that important if I lie-in, but I can’t think of a time anyway when Alexa has let me down with an early morning call.

C
Userlevel 7
Badge +17

Err, no, I didn't know - details?

Well just as an example if you want to set an alarm, or clear a room queue, or enable a sleep-timer, there’s the iOS ‘Soro’ (shortcuts plugin) App. (Example screenshots attached). Look around and do your own research though, you will certainly find other options to use too for a good many things.

Absolute zero interest in alarms!  I've got an alarm clock! 

Any alternatives for Android? 

I guess so - I don’t much use android though, so it maybe best for others to make some suggestions there. 

I just use Alexa (mostly) for my Alarms.. being long-retired, it’s not that important if I lie-in, but I can’t think of a time anyway when Alexa has let me down with an early morning call.

Amazing to me, just how many here are complaining about loss of alarm features! 

🎶 CRAZY 'BOUT AN AUTOMOBILE 😎🎶
Ken_Griffiths

Amazing to me, just how many here are complaining about loss of alarm features! 

Yes, I have to say too that Alarms were never one of my reasons for buying a Sonos product. I’ve not really personally liked the way that feature has been implemented anyway, with the option to ‘include (already) grouped rooms’, rather than it being able to actually group the rooms ‘on the fly’ etc. it’s never been a big selling point to me.

The App features I miss more are ‘Play Next’, ‘Add to End of Queue’ etc. and the things on the popup screen that were previewed on Sonos.com… see attached.

Plus the various queue editing/saving features, but it’s only a matter of time before ‘normal service’ will be restored - so I’m not going to bang the drum about it - I suspect the developers and Staff have been put under enough pressure by various decisions taken and I don’t want to personally add to that pressure either. I’ll just happily wait patiently for the features to make an appearance.

1 Attachment
C
Userlevel 7
Badge +17

You're probably right.  I do think a grovelling apology and a public whipping (cf. Mao's Cultural Revolution) is in order. 😜

🎶 CRAZY 'BOUT AN AUTOMOBILE 😎🎶
L
Userlevel 6
Badge +1

All,

 

Today I’ll be putting in my request for a refund in full for all of my many Sonos devices due to them removing functionality in their latest version (can’t call it an upgrade can we?) of their iOS app.

A little known or used part of EU law covers this use case and I’m that frustrated that they could be so incompetent and/or arrogant  to remove so much key functionality in a new version of the app without prior warning and not providing any mechanism to revert 

 

Like many I use Sonos extensively for alarms (primary use case to be honest as there are better smart audio solutions for use cases where listening is the primary use case) … how they could begin to consider it was ok to remove this feature is beyond comprehension.

 

FYI - I used the same EU rule to successfully force Google to refund my Nest Camera’s because they removed the ability to allow me to turn on/off the recording light (alerting people they were being recorded).  

 

Blended hardware / software companies need to understand it’s not okay to downgrade hardware purchased with certain functionality without customer consent (at least in the EU) 

 

I’d encourage other users in the EU to consider taking a similar path in the hope that Sonos will prioritise addressing this by immediately releasing a “full fat” version of the app for people that want the functionality they evaluated and paid for originally. 

 

Cheers

mmb

A quick message for the users who rely on the Sonos alarm on the mobile app - a fix for now...

  1. Download the app onto your pc or mac (I am a mac user - never done this - and have always relied on the mobile app).
  2. Connect to your existing system wifi.
  3. In the main window bottom right corner - select the alarm function button
  4. If you cannot see your favourite radio station - I use to wake up to - play it through the main browser window
  5. Go back to the alarm you created and ‘edit’ it
  6. Set the music to - radio - recently listened to, It should be there.

    At least I don’t have to wake up to the siren tomorrow - phew!
D
Userlevel 4
Badge +1

Err, no, I didn't know - details?

Well just as an example if you want to set an alarm, or clear a room queue, or enable a sleep-timer, there’s the iOS ‘Soro’ (shortcuts plugin) App. (Example screenshots attached). Look around and do your own research though, you will certainly find other options to use too for a good many things.

Absolute zero interest in alarms!  I've got an alarm clock! 

Any alternatives for Android? 

We need Android app alternatives, ASAP!  I’ve turned my whole Sonos system off for now until a better version of the new apps appears 😒

S


The things on forums that annoy people so much that their first thought is legal action... It’s an app, and they’ve already released a projected update schedule via Smart Home Sounds. So let the courts continue dealing with the important things rather than indignation.

 

Understand - however I completely get it - alarms may be a little tenuous, but the key Sonos feature for me has always been the fact I can just keep adding songs to my queue during the day as I feel like it, controlling multiple “rooms” as part of that...with multiple audio sources.  

I am so used to this that suddenly having that ripped away from it makes Sonos much less useful for it’s main job - playing music.

It’s equivalent to owning a car, and receiving an update that means you have to stop the car every time you want to turn the wheel.  The car still drives fine, will get you A-B, but when in motion...you cannot adjust it.

So Sonos simply saying “wait, we’ll release it eventually” is completely mad, and we absolutely should be exploring a legal route.

Not for a refund - but more as a lever to get them to actually allow us to roll back, or for them to re-add the missing core functionality.

 

As a side note - if there are good alternative apps I can use for queue management with multiple audio sources (e.g. mixing tidal in with BBC sounds) please do let me know - if there is a workaround I can use for now that would do the job!

N


The things on forums that annoy people so much that their first thought is legal action... It’s an app, and they’ve already released a projected update schedule via Smart Home Sounds. So let the courts continue dealing with the important things rather than indignation.

 

Understand - however I completely get it - alarms may be a little tenuous, but the key Sonos feature for me has always been the fact I can just keep adding songs to my queue during the day as I feel like it, controlling multiple “rooms” as part of that...with multiple audio sources.  

I am so used to this that suddenly having that ripped away from it makes Sonos much less useful for it’s main job - playing music.

It’s equivalent to owning a car, and receiving an update that means you have to stop the car every time you want to turn the wheel.  The car still drives fine, will get you A-B, but when in motion...you cannot adjust it.

So Sonos simply saying “wait, we’ll release it eventually” is completely mad, and we absolutely should be exploring a legal route.

Not for a refund - but more as a lever to get them to actually allow us to roll back, or for them to re-add the missing core functionality.

 

As a side note - if there are good alternative apps I can use for queue management with multiple audio sources (e.g. mixing tidal in with BBC sounds) please do let me know - if there is a workaround I can use for now that would do the job!

 

Many are saying wait…  I get that.  But what compensation do we get for not having what we’ve used for as long as we have had Sonos kit (15 years or so in my case) , for as long as it takes Sonos to release the next version?  As people have said, it’s key functionality.

Or can someone tell me how to just get a fudge in that will enable me to listen to the music I’ve bought for years?  Some I only bought in the last month and now can’t play…. 

I know, I know… I’m not alone, but a way out of this mess would be appreciated.

Neil

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