Insteon RF
- Thread starter gregoryx
- Start date
WayneW
Senior Member
I believe you are confusing this with the promised, but never delivered, wall bracket for the ControLink. The RemoteLink was first mentioned in April 2006. http://www.cocoontech.com/index.php?showtopic=4044Herdfan said:
Yes, I just walk in and hand the defective units to them and tell them what is wrong (dead or flashing or whatever) and they hand me new ones in the box. No tech-support BS. Same as I went through back with the early SwitchLinc X10 units. I suppose they know me a bit at this point. I've spent a few bucks there. :huh:Digger said:
I have not had a single one that they wouldn't swap. They don't track the serial number (or unit ID) on the sale, so as long as my account shows that I've purchased at least one unit in the last year, that's the receipt / order they use to return against.
The units I just got are the first I've had in the 09 range in the first octet - meaning they've still got a ways to go, but that's climbing pretty fast. Three octets worth of addresses means 16 million units, I believe, so we're probably okay for a while... but if with units that are 09.99.xx now, it seems like they're into a few million addresses so far.
Dave, thank you!
While you're "here", have you been able to successfully "factory reset" your RemoteLinc? This one doesn't seem to want to. Perhaps once I get PowerHome up and running I can clear the links so it won't matter.
As to wall-mounting... I just don't see this thing as a good wall-mount... but then I didn't think much of the Stick-A-Linc thingy either, so maybe I'm a poor judge. It's a table-top thing... for where a plugged-in Simply Automated box with an 8-button KeypadLinc won't work. If you haven't tried that setup, check it out: pretty cool.
IF I could have just called up and expalined that a switch died and I would like to exchange it it would not have been that big of a deal that they died (other than its a PIA to replace a switch again and again). The HASSLE of spending an hour on average on the phone waiting for a tech then trying this and that etc only for them to end up agreeing that it dead etc (which was obvious since the LED light etc was out and the relay didnt click in one case). I wasted hundreds of dollars on switches that never linked or paddles did not work right etc. I wound up chucking them once I realized it was useless to call SH (and I accidently re-installed a bad one which really made my day).
SH shoots themselves in the foot. Some staff deny any product problems and others are more open and honest and tell you all kinds of "war stories". There is one guy in Customer Service that was extremely helpful but he seems to be the exception. And SmarthomeMike if you read this his initials are "JP". I think he is a supervisor and I hope he trains his staff to his level of assistance.
I've noticed that report from you and others, digger; that's why I think my Insteon experience is so different. I don't pretend that they're more reliable than anyone else's; but it isn't that big of a deal to replace a switch... or ten... for me.
My guess is that SmartHome's tech support has a lot of really low-level calls that they handle - "yes, that unit requires that you plug it into a wall before the flashy lights start working" - and are thus staffed appropriately.
Years ago, I used to have to call ahead to get an RMA; but once I found someone in the support group that was familiar with the SwitchLinc X10 gear - or ADI, or whatever - then they were really helpful.
I could be wrong, but I don't think it's company policy so much as lack of knowledge on their part (most of them don't know anything about wiring a switch in) and being accustomed to dealing with folks MUCH less knowledgeable than you.
Or they're evil. Who knows? :huh:
Mike B, I've got one of those units on my nightstand and I just gave each of the kids one that controls their rooms, their bathroom, their hallway light and other stuff in their room. Fun, mostly. I think I'll add one to the livingroom soon as well. There's two MainLobby tablets there already, but it's really nice to have a dedicated device that's all ready to push a button to do as you ask.
BTW, that's what I expect the RemoteLinc to become eventually... but I'm not banking on it yet.
My guess is that SmartHome's tech support has a lot of really low-level calls that they handle - "yes, that unit requires that you plug it into a wall before the flashy lights start working" - and are thus staffed appropriately.
Years ago, I used to have to call ahead to get an RMA; but once I found someone in the support group that was familiar with the SwitchLinc X10 gear - or ADI, or whatever - then they were really helpful.
I could be wrong, but I don't think it's company policy so much as lack of knowledge on their part (most of them don't know anything about wiring a switch in) and being accustomed to dealing with folks MUCH less knowledgeable than you.
Or they're evil. Who knows? :huh:
Mike B, I've got one of those units on my nightstand and I just gave each of the kids one that controls their rooms, their bathroom, their hallway light and other stuff in their room. Fun, mostly. I think I'll add one to the livingroom soon as well. There's two MainLobby tablets there already, but it's really nice to have a dedicated device that's all ready to push a button to do as you ask.
BTW, that's what I expect the RemoteLinc to become eventually... but I'm not banking on it yet.
upstatemike
Senior Member
Seems like a keypadlinc in a Simply Automated Box is just a really expensive way to make a ControLinc... or am I missing something?
I just wanted to chime in and say that I've had to call Smarthome tech support probably 5 or 6 times, and the most I've waited on hold was 20 mins. I learned after the first call or 2 that it pays to do your basic troubleshooting before calling. Now if I had a switch that's bad, I would test it thoroughly, reset it to factory defaults, swap a paddle if applicable, and swap with another switch BEFORE I call them. I can tell you based on the past couple I replaced that if you do the troubleshooting beforehand, and explain what you've done, they'll swap it. If you haven't done your troubleshooting, why should they just replace it without knowing for sure there's a problem?
Next time you plan on chucking some switches, please drop me a PM and I'll happily pay you to ship them to me instead. :huh:
I'm not doubting your poor experience, but there are some of us that are very happy with Smarthome customer support.
Quality control on the other hand, I'm not so happy with. I feel I receive too many switches with issues out of the box. They need to do more stringent testing at the factory.
Amen to that. :blink:Mike Boulanger said:
Digger said:
What? You're not familiar with:
I haven't had to do that with SmartHome, but it's never failed anywhere else.
I have not resorted to telling them to jump in a lake in a decade or two... but I never give up either. And I'm having a beer while they're working... I'm happy... and I get what I want.
Amen to that. :blink:Mike Boulanger said:
Digger said:
What? You're not familiar with:
I haven't had to do that with SmartHome, but it's never failed anywhere else.
I have not resorted to telling them to jump in a lake in a decade or two... but I never give up either. And I'm having a beer while they're working... I'm happy... and I get what I want.
LOL.... Ok I will have a case of beer on standby for SH. If the guy is nice I will send him one to LOL
