+11 votes
by (280 points)
Anyone else feel like they get the runaround from support! I have a floodlight cam that started displaying everything with a pink hue during the day. Clearly a fault with the camera! I am in IT so naturally I do some basic troubleshooting (powercycle it, visual inspection of lens etc). I contact support and get told that I need to powercycle it, but I am not near the camera and I explain that I have already done this. but no, you have to do it again! Contact again and this time I'm told that I need to reset the camera and set it up again. but as I have a job, I am not near the camera so again I have to do it another day and call back. To be fair at this point I have RL issues and I don't do it for a couple of months. but I do then do it and I email them back but no reply (That's fair enough as covid-19 is causing havok worldwide), so I call again and am told that as it's been a while, I need to powercycle it AGAIN! But again I am not near the camera. He tells me that I need to do it whilst on the phone so they can check the led colours on the camera before considering replacing it! It's just left me feeling really disenfranchised with Ring. I've now got a second faulty camera that plays a high pitch noise when you live view or watch a video (only on the recording, no actual sound coming from the device) but they wouldn't even talk to me about that one as I wasn't near the blooming thing at the time. Instead of giving me instructions to do y z then call back! Am I the only one who finds it hard to call them during their open hours when I am near the camera? Sigh
Anyone else feel like they get the runaround from support!

8 Answers

+4 votes
by (750 points)
 
Best answer
Simple fix- call when you are in front of the camera
by (280 points)
Easier said than done, but I will try as I have no choice. I do understand what he was saying, but as the previous rep had asked me to do one last thing (reset the camera) and I did that, being told that you have to powercycle it once again is very frustrating. I was just expecting them to say 'yes you've done all the checks we've asked you to, we'll arrange a replacement'
by (750 points)
@promissory I understand and I would be frustrated as with that as well
+3 votes
by (1.8k points)
I can definitely understand your frustration. Those guys at ring are just doing their job. If it’s a requirement for them to have you do everything real time with them so they can do their checks then so be it. It’s just a frustrating time in general right now.  
by (280 points)
Yes it sure is. I do understand that he was just doing his job, but when you're given the impression that if the final thing they ask you to do doesn't work, they will replace it. then you do that and call back and they tell you to powercycle it again. really? Are they expecting it to magically fix itself after the Nth powercycle?  
by (1.8k points)
@promissory I understand. Especially when you’re tecky. But if you have the time to troubleshoot it with them in one sitting I’m sure it’ll get replaced. I guess you can try getting the conversation escalated to a supervisor and see if can speed up the issue.  
by (280 points)
@selflove Yeah I get that completely, and it would be far easier if I could do that too. I just find it hard to find the time with other RL commitments :'(
+4 votes
by (2.6k points)
Same with any company. I work in tv and broadband as an engineer and even if I ring up about broadband I can guarantee I've tried what there going to say and more than that, but it's there process. I can imagine plenty of people say "yeah yeah I've done that" when they havent and would be wasting money sending someone a replacement when it could be fixed with a simple switch on and off so they have to follow the process I guess
by (280 points)
Yeah I get that. I guess they need to be able to trust that I have done those things, and they don't know me so they don't know if they can trust it or not. I guess I am just going to have to wait some more and try to find a time when I am able to call them when they are open and I am near the devices
by (2.6k points)
@promissory that's all it is. A trust thing. Annoying as it is it's one of those things. Good luck! Hope the next time it gets resolved. Btw. theyll send you a new camera. Mine did it it was something to do with the night vision not turning off and they sent me a new one after troubleshooting (and like you I'd already done everything lol)
by (280 points)
@salsify141 yeah I assumed that's what the fault is as they did a remote reset as part of the terrible shooting & it worked. Until the next morning. So I guessed that it didn't swap back to day mode correctly. Cheers bud  
0 votes
by (3k points)
They have a script that they follow and are not allowed to deviate. Just put them on hold for a few minutes and say "okay, I did that, now what. "
by (280 points)
Yeah it felt like a script. I used to run an IT support desk so I recognised that LOL I would imagine that they would know if you have actually powercycled it as the device probably shows an 'up time' counter or simlar. The most annoying thing is that I know they can remotely do it, as they have done it before. but maybe they don't have access to that if they are working remotely due to Covid-19 etc.  
by (3k points)
My flood cam is on an 'on and off' switch. Your's is not?  
by (280 points)
@these7227 Yeah I wired it to a normal 3 pin plug so it's easy for me to do (Just turn the plug of then on). I am just not in the same location as it currently
by (3k points)
I'm getting a new ring pro door bell today. It's a replacement. It went off line in April. I went round and around and around with them. They had me replacing the doorbell, the transformer, and the power pak. Finally they gave in. Not the best costumer support. I had a fitbit versa go dead and had it replaced in three days. Maybe since they're based in CA, they smoke too much pot. who knows.  
by (1.8k points)
@promissory you could get a zwave power outlet and you can remotely turn it on and off
by (280 points)
@selflove I have got some smartplugs so I did consider it. but then he said that he needed me to tell him the colour of the LED on the front after you do it so that wouldn't work. but then again, the plug for it is in my loft so by the time I have powercycled it and then gone downstairs and outside to look at it, the LED may have changed etc, so I may have to smartplug it anyway just so there can't be any more excuses for it not to be replaced
by (1.8k points)
@promissory have a battery ring camera watch your ring camera! . Then you can see the led light
+4 votes
by (2.3k points)
I hate calling their support. I’m tech savvy and spend hours troubleshooting on my own before calling support as a final resort. Just pretend you’re by the camera and following along with them, but the camera is showing no signs of life. Most of these reps you speak with have never seen or used the products, so they’re reading a script and a guided flow on what to do.  
by (2.3k points)
My solar yard sign stopped lighting up at night and their conclusion was it was getting too much sun during the day.  
by (1.9k points)
@nishanishi that was my strategy when I called them yet they still wanted me to do the same thing multiple times, as soon as I said damn this thing sucks he quit his “trouble shooting” and got started on a replacement  
by (2.1k points)
@nishanishi it has a battery in it.  
0 votes
by (3.2k points)
I've had nothing but good experiences with their support
by (280 points)
@fairtrade that's good to hear  
by (3.2k points)
Of course, now that I said this, my next issue will be a nightmare
by (280 points)
@fairtrade I hope not  
+6 votes
by (1.5k points)
I have had good luck with their support And like others I have a very broad technical background. I have had other products most notably dish receivers that did not work. I power cycled them waited 15 minutes still did not work. Called tech support. They told me to power cycle it. Told them I had done that several times. They were nice about it but explained they had to follow their steps. I would do it again and it worked fine. Do not know why but it happens
+2 votes
by (570 points)
I totally understand the frustration. My dad works for HP and years ago when he was in the field he would deal with setting up printers at businesses and trouble shooting issues over phone sometimes. Sucks going through the list they take you through but people over look things sometimes. My dad told me one time he asked the person on the phone is it plugged in. They swore over and over yes it's plugged in to a power outlet and they told him yes it's plugged in I know it needs to be plugged in. Well after awhile of going through things he asked can you just double check that it's completely plugged into back of printer and completely plugged into the wall please. They checked and it wasn't plugged into the wall at all. So point being my dad dealt with this once before years ago I can only imagine how many times this issue pops up so of course these companies give to these simple fixes for you and I to go through just to be sure. They don't know us and how much we might know or not know. I agree it's frustrating I had to ring once for an issue. I wasn't home to mess with camera so had to wait till I was home and had time to call and trouble shoot with them even though I had done everything they were going to ask. Once we did that they replaced it no issue.  
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