Wink smart home users have one week to subscribe or be shut off

guest · May 6, 2020

Wink smart home users have one week to subscribe or be shut off
The last-minute surprise doesn't have many fans
May 6, 2020
https://www.engadget.com/wink-monthly-subscription-234146666.html

Many smart home device makers rely on subscriptions to keep a steady stream of money coming in, but Wink is learning how that strategy can easily go wrong. The company has announced plans to move to a $5 per month subscription on May 13th (yes, just one week from now), and it’s mandatory.
Decline to sign up and you’ll lose access to devices in the app as well as all automations.

If you think that both the short notice and the threat of a hard cutoff will anger customers... well, you’re correct. Reddit users and others are incensed.
They’re being asked to pay $5 per month to keep using the devices they already have in their homes, and one week gives them very little time to either weigh the merits of a subscription or find alternatives. “Pay the ransom or they kill our smart homes,” one user said.
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We’ve asked Wink for comment. However it responds, the decision highlights the risks of basing your smart home system around free services without some kind of core offline functionality.
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Wink: Introducing Wink Subscription

Wink has taken many steps in an effort to keep your Hub’s blue light on, however, long term costs and recent economic events have caused additional strain on our business. Unlike companies that sell user data to offset costs associated with offering free services, we do not.

Should you choose not to sign up for a subscription you will no longer be able to access your Wink devices from the app, with voice control or through the API, and your automations will be disabled on May 13. Your device connections, settings and automations can be reactivated if you decide to subscribe at a later date.
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guest · May 13, 2020

Smart Home Company Wink Gives Users an Extra Week Before Surprise Subscription Fees Are Required
May 12, 2020
https://www.macrumors.com/2020/05/12/wink-subscription-fee-requirement-extended/

Wink, a company that makes a smart home hub that links smart home devices together, last week upset customers with the announcement of a new surprise subscription service that will be required to use the Wink product going forward.

Wink, which was not a subscription service when customers purchased the product, at the time said that it would give customers a one-week grace period before charging a subscription fee. As of today, Wink announced that it has extended that grace period for another week, and customers won't be charged until May 20. The subscription fees were originally set to kick in on May 13.
Wink customers who do not start paying $4.99 per month on May 20 will not be able to continue using their Wink products.
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Wink says that hardware sales are no longer able to cover the cost of ongoing cloud services, development, and customer support, and to support continued growth, a subscription fee needs to be implemented.
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guest · Jul 8, 2020

Wink's delayed smart home subscription plan kicks in July 27th
The company delayed its launch, which was supposed to happen in May, after user outcry
July 8, 2020
https://www.engadget.com/wink-smart-home-platform-subscription-program-july-27th-012751553.html

Wink can’t put off launching its subscription program any longer. The smart home company has announced that it will start charging customers $5 a month on July 27th, which means users who refuse to get on board will soon have to make do with limited functionality.

In a new post on its blog, the company explained that those who don’t pay for a subscription will lose access to voice and remote app controls, third-party integrations, groups, robots, shortcuts, activity and advanced settings. Further, they’ll no longer be able to add devices, as as well as view, add, delete and rename user codes.
Those who want to keep using their Wink hubs and devices as usual will have to visit the company’s official subscription page to sign up.
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We have adjusted our timelines since our initial announcement on May 6th and will now begin our Wink Subscription on July 27th. For an update on these changes, and to learn more about Wink without a subscription, please visit https://t.co/zWYdv6HavN.
— Wink (@TheWinkApp) July 8, 2020
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Wink: Update on the upcoming Wink Subscription

guest · Jul 27, 2020

Wink's subscription plan kicks off July 27
After several delays, the smart home startup's $4.99 monthly service starts Monday
July 27, 2020
https://www.cnet.com/news/winks-subscription-plan-kicks-off-july-27/

On Monday, smart home hub maker Wink made the switch from a free app to a $4.99 monthly subscription plan.

The startup, now owned by i.am+ , the tech company founded by musician Will.i.am of the Black Eyed Peas, was reportedly already struggling financially before it sent an email in early May, alerting users that their free account access would be moving to a paid model starting May 13. An excerpt from the email read:

Should you choose not to sign up for a subscription you will no longer be able to access your Wink devices from the app, with voice control or through the API, and your automations will be disabled on May 13. Your device connections, settings and automations can be reactivated if you decide to subscribe at a later date.
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Wink says users who don't pay the $4.99 monthly fee will still be able to control some lighting devices and Z-Wave locks locally, although the functionality will be limited. (View the complete list of devices that will continue to be available for local control without paying the subscription fee.)
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guest · Sep 12, 2020

Wink, a connected home startup and provider of smart home platform, suffered a day-long outage; appears to have lost control of its primary wink.com website
September 11, 2020
https://techstartups.com/2020/09/11...appears-lost-control-primary-wink-com-domain/

Wink is an Internet of Things (IoT) tech startup and provider of a smart home platform that brings hundreds of products from major brands together into the easy-to-use hub via its Wink mobile app. The Wink Hub allows your diverse collection of smart products to speak the same wireless language, so that you can easily control them—and customize their interactions—from the Wink app.

Today, Wink suffered a major outage that lasted almost the whole day. On top of it all, Wink appears to have lost control of its website. The outage also affected all Wink customers who depend on Wink’s primary domain to operate their connected devices. Wink did not elaborate on the cause of the outage.
Wink later apologized on social media after Chris Seahorn reported the outage on Twitter.
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Wink outages
The nightmare does not there for Wink’s customers. To make matters worse, Wink appears to have lost control over its primary wink.com domain. Wink.com domain now shows a GoDaddy landing page with a for sale message that reads: “Interested in wink.com? Our Domain Broker Service may be able to get it for you. Find out how.” Below is the screenshot of the GoDaddy landing page.
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We apologize for the experience. Our teams are working diligently to restore functionality as quickly as possible. You can find all updates about this issue posted on our page https://t.co/8W8jIn0A7T. Thank you for your patience and understanding.
— Wink Support (@WinkSupport) September 11, 2020

.@TheWinkApp @WinkSupport was it so hard to put out a tweet?
Appreciate the email but it was sent out after hours of outage. Disappointing that it is not functioning after 10+ hours of disruption.
I thought things were suppose to improve after moving to a subscription model? pic.twitter.com/V7XCEL6Jgi
— mike lee | 이형걸 | 李衡杰 | (@mikeleeuno) September 11, 2020
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