Well, not so smart ... Article in Dutch: Foute update: combi-magnetrons wanen zich stoomoven https://nos.nl/artikel/2421708-foute-update-combi-magnetrons-wanen-zich-stoomoven Certain models of AEG microwaves (magnetron) got a software update (via IoT), but now it thinks it is a steam oven. The microwave doesn't work anymore. It seems it cannot be fixed via IoT. A tech person has to come over to fix it with USB stick with right software. Ohh, the beauty of IoT ...
Yeah, but you can't really blame IoT for that. Clearly Electrolux/AEG posted the wrong firmware update for that oven, and/or posted incorrect links for that particular model oven. The fact the oven apparently reached out and downloaded the firmware update supposedly intended for it suggest the IoT worked! This is 100% the fault of Electrolux/AEG. What I wonder is if the oven automatically went out to the Electrolux site, searched for, downloaded and installed the firmware update, or if the owner manually selected an option to do that? I would be upset either way with such failure but if the oven did it on its own, by default and without my expressed permission, I would be doubly upset. I don't let anything update automatically except Windows itself on my computers, and my security software running on those computers. Everything else has to prompt me first. I note too, the owners had to have given the oven access to their wifi networks. I wonder too why they need to send a tech out to the house. Why can't they just mail the USB stick to the customer with instructions? That would be much much cheaper and then the customer could do the update on their own schedule instead having to schedule a house-call by a tech, then allowing that stranger in their homes. I have to assume that USB port must be inside the case where the customer might be exposed to high/deadly voltages. But if that is the case, I would consider that a design flaw. So to rephrase your statement a bit, "Ohh, the beauty of "smart" appliances... ."
No good reason to blame the appliance owner. This is entirely on the company. Sending a tech is entirely the right thing to do from a customer service standpoint regardless of whether it is cost effective. Sometimes you have to take a loss to maintain a reputation.
I am not "blaming" the appliance owner. I specifically said, But is it our responsibility (or at least the onus is upon us) as consumers to know what all of our smart devices are doing. This is a burden that has been shoved down our throats because companies will do anything they can get away with to milk their customers of more money whenever they can. And this is so because our elected officials are more interested in lining their pockets by supporting their big donors (big industry) instead of protecting "We the people" and their constituents. But that's for a different discussion. And I agree with you that sending a tech out, or at least offering to send a tech out is the right thing to do. But wouldn't you rather get a USB thumb drive in the mail in the next day or two that you can simply plug into your appliance, perform the update, then discard the thumb drive and be done with it? What if you have to take time off of work just so you can be home for the tech? That's not convenient at all - especially if you get paid by the hour. And a tech can only make a handful of house calls per day. It could be weeks before a tech can come to your home. So for sure, if you are unable, or don't feel comfortable inserting a USB thumb drive in the oven yourself, they should send a tech out. But if able and willing, and it can be done easily without exposing the owner to deadly voltages, I see no problem with sending the owner a thumb drive, with illustrated instructions - and I would still consider that a reputation-saving option - assuming they fix the cause of the problem so it does not happen again. Nobody is disputing that.
I agree and disagree to some point. A consumer cannot know what their device is doing without their knowledge or possibly ever their consent. It would take extreme measures in many cases to know what your devices are communicating to where. It certainly goes beyond the scope of what most folks can handle. Most of us on this site could do so. Our parents/grandparents/neighbors, not so much. Would I rather get a USB drive with the fix? Possibly. You obviously would and if that is your choice then it would be my wish that they accommodate you. We must remember that not all people buying these appliances have the experience to do such things or would just feel uncomfortable trying. Even if it was easy, I just know too many people that would want the tech to come out. It's not always impossible to get them to compensate for lost wages if you have to miss work over it. They won't offer, but if it is clearly their fault it can be dome. I do hope they make sure it never happens again but unfortunately the fix is this case is likely inconvenient no matter what they do.
Sure they can. At least when it comes to using their wifi network. And without taking extreme measures. It does not take any extreme measures to ensure no device can connect to your wifi network without entering the correct SSID and wifi passphrase - unless you consider changing the default (out of the box) passphrase on your wireless network, "extreme". No way! That would be nice but that's in a dream world - unfortunately. Maybe "IF" a company was found in a court of law to be criminally negligent and that negligence resulted in that equipment failure, then they "might" be forced to compensate the consumer for such lost time. But even then, I doubt it. What if you are a teacher, for example. It is not just you. The school would have to get a substitute teacher in there. Who's going to pay for that? It would be cheaper for the company to pay the visiting tech overtime or shift-differential pay to come after-hours than to deal with compensating the consumer for lost wages. And if this fix does require a tech visit, that is something the company may need to do. There is a HUGE difference between what should be done and what one can realistically expect will be done. They could just tell the customers to return the oven to where they bought it. Or to take it to a service center. The consumer rarely ever comes out ahead in these situations. That's the reality here.
For the network part I meant actually sniffing the contents of the network traffic but maybe that went beyond the scope of what you meant. For the reimbursement part, it depends on who you are working with. I actually got a refund on an entire repair once after complaining that I was missing work to repeatedly deal with a situation. The amount exceeded the lost wages. I don't want to call them out publicly so I won't.
Yeah, that is way beyond what I meant. If access is not allowed, the need to sniff out contents is a moot point. Besides, you would want to sniff out contents if you suspected something malicious was going on. That is not the case here. As far as a company reimbursing you for your lost wages, a refund on a repair that just happen to exceed your lost wages is not the same thing - and surely an exception. People are not being asked to pay for the repair of these ovens - thank goodness. And great for you, no doubt. And obviously, your employer was willing to put up with your absence. Sadly, some employers won't even give someone 5 minutes off to go to the bathroom, or an important doctors appointment, or to go vote. And for sure, that company that reimbursed you didn't do it out of the kindness of their heart. They did it so you would tell all your friends and colleagues how great they treated you, instead of how poorly they did. Often word-of-mouth advertising is the best thing for a company, or the worst.
