Sonos explains why it bricks old devices with ‘Recycle Mode’

guest · Dec 30, 2019

Sonos explains why it bricks old devices with ‘Recycle Mode’
An irreversible kill switch for a discount is a bad deal for the environment
December 30, 2019
https://www.theverge.com/2019/12/30/21042871/sonos-recycle-mode-trade-up-program-controversy

Late last week, Sonos was called out on Twitter by Devin Wilson for its practices around sustainability. The company drew particular attention for a “Recycle Mode” software feature that, once activated, begins a countdown that eventually renders older Sonos devices completely inoperable.

Recycle Mode is part of the trade-up program that Sonos announced back in October, which lets customers get a discount on newer Sonos speakers like the One, Beam, or the Port that Nilay just reviewed.

"Recycle Mode is a state your device enters 21 days after recycling confirmation in the Sonos app. In Recycle Mode, all data is erased and the device is permanently deactivated so you can safely and securely dispose of it. Once a device is in Recycle Mode, it cannot be reactivated."
Huh?
Click to expand...

Why does trading up require customers to permanently brick a functional product? Therein lies the controversy. The 30 percent discount is directly tied to the demise of a piece of hardware. For Sonos, this process seems less about “trading up” and more about ditching your old device and clearing room for a new one.

"[...] For those that choose to trade-up to new products, we felt that the most responsible action was not to reintroduce them to new customers that may not have the context of them as 10+ year old products, and that also may not be able to deliver the Sonos experience they expected."
That last sentence is the key bit.

Sonos thinks that some owners who know the limitations of these decade-old products and don’t care about the latest features will hold onto them for as long as they remain functional. All of that makes total sense.
Click to expand...

But for those who do want to take advantage of the trade-up program, something still feels very off about having to render these products inoperable in exchange for a discount on the current Sonos lineup.
Click to expand...

Sonos launches trade-up program for its oldest products (October 30, 2019)

zapjb · Dec 30, 2019

That's messed up.

guest · Mar 5, 2020

Sonos drops controversial ‘Recycle Mode’ trade-in requirement that bricked older devices
March 5, 2020
https://9to5mac.com/2020/03/05/sonos-recycle-mode/

Sonos has announced that it is abandoning its controversial Recycle Mode. This was a requirement of its Trade Up program, with Sonos requesting that users essentially brick their older hardware in exchange for a 30% discount on a newer Sonos speaker.

When a user used the Sonos Trade Up program, the company would enable something called Recycle Mode on the legacy speaker. This would start a 21-day countdown, after which the device would stop working. The pitch was simple: Enable Recycle Mode on a legacy speaker and get a 30% discount on a new Sonos product.
Sonos argued that the “feature” was designed to protect user privacy, but critics said it had a harmful impact on Sonos’ sustainability.

The Verge reports today, however, that Sonos is ending that policy. Now, when a Sonos customer uses the Trade Up program, they’ll now get to pick what happens with their old speaker. They can choose to “keep it, give it to someone, recycle it at a local e-waste facility, or send it to Sonos and let the company handle the responsible recycling part.”
Click to expand...

Log in or Sign up

Sonos explains why it bricks old devices with ‘Recycle Mode’

guest Guest

zapjb Registered Member

guest Guest

Log in or Sign up

Sonos explains why it bricks old devices with ‘Recycle Mode’

guest Guest

zapjb Registered Member

guest Guest

Useful Searches