August has announced on its blog that it is temporarily halting sales of its newly released smart doorbell. Citing “performance challenges in specific user environments,” August is offering initial buyers a refund, even allowing them to keep the product. August is hoping customers will continue to use the device to help test much-needed updates to [ahem…] “improve the performance.”
The August View, on sale for just a few weeks now, launched to mixed reviews, with outlets reporting slow loading video and finicky Wi-Fi. Rather than owning the issues initially, August PR-splained how its new radio chip was designed to conserve power. But it was a bigger issue than that. Plagued by Wi-Fi connectivity issues, the View wouldn’t work with mesh Wi-Fi networks, which exist to help consumers expand their Wi-Fi coverage throughout a home.
If you purchased an August View, you’ll need to act fast to take advantage of the refund offer. August has posted a refund application online, but the offer is only good through Friday, May 3. If you want to simply return the product, you can do that through the outlet where you purchased it.
August is doing the right thing here, stepping back to respond to customer concerns and doing right by the early adopters. But one week’s notice to qualify for a refund for a product costing over $200? That’s ridiculous. Hopefully, you’re not on vacation this week.
We’re hoping August gets this figured out in short order. The design of the product is probably August’s best to date. It features a slim frame (though still too wide for many door jambs) and offers replaceable faceplates to work with various home styles—not just industrial, ultra-modern lofts.
