Dud Baby Monitor

bemybubble on 27/08/2020 - 09:32

Hey guys/gals,

In 2018 we got given a belkin baby monitor for a baby shower gift. Because it was 1 of many monitors given we decided to store it until we had more kids. Fast forward to today and we have number 2 and need another monitor.

Pulled it out of the box for the first time and couldn't get it to work. Upon further digging it turns out it was discontinued and the app for the monitor was pulled out of the app store in 2017.

Spoke to Belkin and basically they said tough luck…

Unfortunately the person who gave it to us passed away so unsure as the store it was purchased from or else i'd return it there.

Yes I know we should have opened it back in the day but we didn't have a use for it at that stage nor did we think it would just stop being supported.

What would you do if you were me? Personally i'm happy to call it a day but curious to know if there is a case for this.

Electrical & Electronics

Comments

  • Downvoter on 27/08/2020 - 09:35
    +3

    I’d be embarrassed to tell the person you hadn’t opened their gift 2 years later if they were still around.

    • bemybubble on 27/08/2020 - 09:37
      -5

      Not a fair comment when we got given 3 of the things.

      And we still have a use for it. Just didn’t need it back then.

  • Belgarath on 27/08/2020 - 09:41
    +7

    You didnt open it for 2 years. Chuck it in the bin and call it a day.

  • Hithere on 27/08/2020 - 09:42
    +3

    Just bin it.

    Even if you knew where it was purchased I doubt very much if the store would be under any obligation to do anything about it after 2+ years.

  • bemybubble on 27/08/2020 - 09:43
    +2

    My thoughts too. Will just bin it and carry on

  • cheeseandbacon on 27/08/2020 - 09:47

    Because it was 1 of many monitors given

    One of many? just use one of the other many monitors you received?

    Or was it one of two?

    • bemybubble on 27/08/2020 - 09:58

      Got given 3,

      One person who gave us one saw we had a few so ended up giving us a receipt to exchange (which we did). So then we were ultimately left with 2.

      We didn't want to return the second one as we thought it would come in handy one day when we have a second child.

      • cheeseandbacon on 27/08/2020 - 10:04

        I'm curious, does it power on at all? Does it have 2 units? Or is the phone (app) used as the receiver? What's the model number?

        • bemybubble on 27/08/2020 - 10:18

          Powers on perfectly. One unit and uses the phone app as the receiver

          https://www.belkin.com/uk/support-article?articleNum=208621

          • cheeseandbacon on 27/08/2020 - 10:32
            +1

            @bemybubble: So app was discontinued in 2017, and you got gifted the unit in 2018 (which was presumably bought in 2017).

            Poor form Belkin.

            • Any thing on 27/08/2020 - 12:22

              @cheeseandbacon: Could be a regift from someone that also was given more than one so a few years old at the time or could have been purchased from a clearance or discontinued line in a store for next to nothing. We don’t know the conditions or even time of purchase.

              • cheeseandbacon on 27/08/2020 - 12:55

                @Any thing: I notice there were deals on here for Belkin Wemo Baby as late as 2015, so I guess they stopped selling them in shops by end of 2015? Then discontinued the app a year or so later in 2017?

                Still would suck for the average non technical joe buying from a big box store brand new in 2015 and not realising it's about to become a paperweight. Of course, that may not have happened here as you stated, can only speculate. I guess it's all a moot point anyway, as by that point it was probably heavily discounted and that's the reason it was gifted as you say.

              • bemybubble on 27/08/2020 - 12:56

                @Any thing: My thinking too. Hence why I am more inclined to call it a day.

            • Chandler on 27/08/2020 - 13:03

              @cheeseandbacon:

              Poor form Belkin

              Welcome to the Cloud, where companies sell you products and then kill them remotely forcing you to upgrade to a newer model.

              There should be a Wall of Shame for any companies who kill their IoT (etc) products; or if they were going/trying to…

          • Chandler on 27/08/2020 - 12:58

            @bemybubble: On Android you may be able to track down the APK for the app and sideload it - whether it still works without Belkin's side of things running is another thing.

            • bemybubble on 27/08/2020 - 13:00

              @Chandler: Already looked. The kicker is it was only built for iOS lol

              • cheeseandbacon on 27/08/2020 - 13:01

                @bemybubble: It was probably also discontinued because of security/performance issues too I imagine. Reviews I saw didn't look too great overall.

                • Chandler on 27/08/2020 - 13:06

                  @cheeseandbacon:

                  security/performance issues

                  Is why I want my IoT devices to be hardwired, and preferably not even IP connected. Should be able to do MQTT or similar over a serial bus or something. Although the latter part there is mostly security by obscurity.

  • epather on 27/08/2020 - 10:18

    Not sure what model of monitor you are currently using, but if you now have to buy another monitor it is worth checking if you can use multiple cameras on the same unit. I have an Oricom unit with two cameras connected.

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