News:

On Tuesday September 6th the forum will be down for maintenance from 9:30 PM to 11:59 PM PDT

Main Menu

Really poor way to handle things

Started by Rick, June 14, 2016, 01:19:11 PM

Previous topic - Next topic

Rick

Long time OBi 110 user.  Upgraded to 2872 when I needed to, working fine.  Today went to make a call and no go for GV.  Lovely to discover that my device doesn't work WHEN I GO TO USE IT.  No notice from OBi.  Updated to 2886, works fine now.

Long time contributor on the forum too, been barely here in the past year for the same reason.  This company, and their outlook on customers, has changed.

JR522

I had the same issue today and I agree with you 100%. I'm very disappointed in how this has been handled. I spent  a while troubleshooting before I found out that they just want $10/year for updates to make it work.

TrevorT

THANK YOU Rick - I woke up to find my home phone completely dead, with service not available errors - and have put about 4 hours today into manually reconfiguring, updating using the general .fw file - etc - with no luck.
Found your 2886 comment. manually updated my 110 - and voila - I can talk again. I lost almost a days worth of phone calls - and upset about this message saying I need to pay $10.

but thank you for your forum post.

ball3575

Agree with Rick.  Also discovered today that my phone was dead in the water due to need for a firmware update.  No communication from OBI.  Their portal was more than happy to notify me that my support had expired and $10 would put me back in their good graces for ability to "automatically" update firmware via portal.  Opted to be pi$$ed off and do the manual update instead.  Thanks for this post which helped me to figure out the issue.


SteveInWA


  • Download and save the .fw file from this link:  http://fw.obihai.com/OBi110-1-3-0-2886.fw
  • Although the filename includes "OBi110", it is also valid for OBi100 devices.
  • Pick up the phone attached to your OBi and dial ***1 and write down the IP address that it reads to you.
  • Open a web browser to that address.
  • Log into your OBi device.  The default username and password are both admin
  • Click System Management-->Device Update-->Firmware Update-->Select file to update firmware.
  • Browse to the file you downloaded and select it.
  • Click the "Update" button.
  • You may need to re-authorize your device to use your Google account after this procedure.  To do that, first, be sure that you are logged into the correct Google/Gmail account that holds your Google Voice number.  Then, open another web browser tab, and log into to the OBiTALK dashboard, click on your device, then click on the Service Provider (SP1 or SP2) that is using Google Voice.  Click "Accept" at the prompt.  On the window that will open, click the link to "Replace Google account credentials" and follow the instructions.

Lostdog

I totally agree.  Suddenly my phone stopped working and there was no apparent reason listed anywhere in the support section (which, let's face it, has never been great).  This is a great way to piss off hundreds of customers.  Thank goodness for you guys here in the forum.  SteveInWA, your clear, detailed instructions worked perfectly for me.  Kudos!

StanAdams

Just put the Google Voice app on my Moto X mobile, don't need Obi anymore, esp having to pay for software updates totally unannounced. Bye bye.

SteveInWA

Quote from: StanAdams on June 14, 2016, 10:38:57 PM
Just put the Google Voice app on my Moto X mobile, don't need Obi anymore, esp having to pay for software updates totally unannounced. Bye bye.

Buh bye!

But, if you are going to use your Android phone, then download and install both the Google Hangouts app, and the Hangouts Dialer companion app.  This will allow you to make and receive phone calls over WiFi using your GV phone number.

Rick

#8
The thing that's funny about this (given that I don't work for OBi nor own part of the company) is that a fraction of any company's customers use a forum.  The rest have no idea it exists.  When the OBi stops working, the natural course of events is:

- Throw it away and buy something else
or
- Clog up the customer contact channels (chat, email, and phone) asking the same question over and over and over...

Irresponsible behavior, and the lack of updates to the firmware thread is inexcusable.  

The good news is that I came back and got my quarterly dose of "what the F is wrong with you, you're an idiot" posts that someone likes to make and that got me laughing.

I would also add that this situation is exactly why I would never setup an OBi at someone's home/business that wasn't savvy enough to discover and resolve the problem.  I would also add that putting an OBi in the home of a person that needs a working line (think Grandma with a heart condition) is simply a bad idea. When people first got these devices, they were installing them at relatives all over the place including Grandma.  That idea is now not looking so good.

My elderly father in-law has a cell.  I bought a bluetooth device to connect the cell to his "house phone" and he has no problems using it.  Nearly everyone he calls either has a cell on the same network or is in the Friends and Family list for his service.  

For those using GV, you should have it setup to notify you via email that a call was missed or a message left, so even if the OBi is dead you know you got a call.  I forward to my cell also, so both ring and I answer whichever is closer, so when the OBi was dead my cell would have received the call.

highpks

I guess if your not paying $10/yr for premium support and automatic firmware updates then you're (we're) not entitled to be notified when our service is affected. WTF?

LTN1

Quote from: highpks on June 15, 2016, 08:28:39 AM
I guess if your not paying $10/yr for premium support and automatic firmware updates then you're (we're) not entitled to be notified when our service is affected. WTF?

That's right...no company has an obligation to notify you of updates or disrupted service once your warranty has expired--unless they have contracted with you to do so.

If you don't like it, don't use that company...don't buy that product. That's the best way to vent your anger or frustration. You are not entitled to anything unless there is a legal obligation. If you think there is a legal obligation and they don't think so, pay $500 per hour of attorney's fees to sue over a $50 device. See where that will get you.

Until then, pay the $10/yr fee for automatic updates, use the manual updates provided in the forums for no fee or use another hardware. It's really quite easy.


StanAdams

Quote from: SteveInWA on June 14, 2016, 10:53:58 PM
Quote from: StanAdams on June 14, 2016, 10:38:57 PM
Just put the Google Voice app on my Moto X mobile, don't need Obi anymore, esp having to pay for software updates totally unannounced. Bye bye.

Buh bye!

But, if you are going to use your Android phone, then download and install both the Google Hangouts app, and the Hangouts Dialer companion app.  This will allow you to make and receive phone calls over WiFi using your GV phone number.

I have Republic Wireless which connects to Wi-Fi automatically. Good advice for those who don't, though. Thanks.

tazmo8448

Firmware folks and warranty are two different things...firmware is part and parcel to the smooth operation of a unit to comply with usage. Warranty is a bond that the company will repair or replace a unit in an agreed amount of time.

Firmware updates that make a unit work properly is CERTAINLY UP TO THE VENDOR OR SELLER.

To make the statement that they aren't required to notify or make firmware updates available or easily accessed is the stupidest thing I've heard today.

Rick

Quote from: LTN1 on June 15, 2016, 08:45:12 AM
Quote from: highpks on June 15, 2016, 08:28:39 AM
I guess if your not paying $10/yr for premium support and automatic firmware updates then you're (we're) not entitled to be notified when our service is affected. WTF?

That's right...no company has an obligation to notify you of updates or disrupted service once your warranty has expired--unless they have contracted with you to do so.

If you don't like it, don't use that company...don't buy that product. That's the best way to vent your anger or frustration. You are not entitled to anything unless there is a legal obligation. If you think there is a legal obligation and they don't think so, pay $500 per hour of attorney's fees to sue over a $50 device. See where that will get you.

Until then, pay the $10/yr fee for automatic updates, use the manual updates provided in the forums for no fee or use another hardware. It's really quite easy.


I guess you missed the part about OBi not notifying customers, via email or the forum, of an upcoming update.  Nor did they update the forum post with the new firmware.  I love when people start spewing legalize that aren't lawyers and try to be all self-righteous.  We bought the product, and they rendered it incapable of working without any notice to us.  They disabled it, intentionally.  I guarantee that IF someone wanted to waste some time, and money, they could put a great deal of pressure on OBi.  

I never made any statement about legality, warranty, or obligation, merely pointed out that OBi handled this very poorly, a continued (in my experience) deterioration in their customer-focus that began a year or two back.

LTN1

Quote from: Rick on June 15, 2016, 11:36:24 AM
Quote from: LTN1 on June 15, 2016, 08:45:12 AM
Quote from: highpks on June 15, 2016, 08:28:39 AM
I guess if your not paying $10/yr for premium support and automatic firmware updates then you're (we're) not entitled to be notified when our service is affected. WTF?

That's right...no company has an obligation to notify you of updates or disrupted service once your warranty has expired--unless they have contracted with you to do so.

If you don't like it, don't use that company...don't buy that product. That's the best way to vent your anger or frustration. You are not entitled to anything unless there is a legal obligation. If you think there is a legal obligation and they don't think so, pay $500 per hour of attorney's fees to sue over a $50 device. See where that will get you.

Until then, pay the $10/yr fee for automatic updates, use the manual updates provided in the forums for no fee or use another hardware. It's really quite easy.


I guess you missed the part about OBi not notifying customers, via email or the forum, of an upcoming update.  Nor did they update the forum post with the new firmware.  I love when people start spewing legalize that aren't lawyers and try to be all self-righteous.  We bought the product, and they rendered it incapable of working without any notice to us.  They disabled it, intentionally.  I guarantee that IF someone wanted to waste some time, and money, they could put a great deal of pressure on OBi.  

I never made any statement about legality, warranty, or obligation, merely pointed out that OBi handled this very poorly, a continued (in my experience) deterioration in their customer-focus that began a year or two back.

I don't think I was responding to you...actually, I never even cared to read your response.

I was focused on no duty to notify after the warranty expired. Here's what I said in part, "...no company has an obligation to notify you of updates or disrupted service once your warranty has expired--unless they have contracted with you to do so."

And as for your comments, "I love when people start spewing legalize that aren't lawyers and try to be all self-righteous." The self-righteous portion may or may not be right but definitely not the other assumption.

You think too highly of yourself...as I truly didn't even read your post other than glance at the first sentence. Even now I have no desire to read it. So whatever you thought I said about you...I really never cared and still don't.

Taoman

Quote from: Rick on June 15, 2016, 11:36:24 AM
We bought the product, and they rendered it incapable of working without any notice to us.  They disabled it, intentionally.


Care to back up that statement? This has affected far more than OBi devices. It also affected older Asterisk builds. Do you think Obihai somehow rendered Asterisk incapable of working with Google Voice also?
http://pbxinaflash.com/community/threads/gv-stopped-connecting-today.19394/
https://www.dslreports.com/forum/r30815246-The-little-Pi-that-could

This issue was caused by Google, not Obihai. Reports now indicate that the older firmware and Asterisk builds are now working again. Whatever Google did they seem to have fixed it..........for now.

Now as to the corollary issue of Obihai not having the real latest software builds for http://fw.obihai.com/OBi-latest.fw and http://fw.obihai.com/OBi2-latest.fw I won't begin to try and defend. Or the problem people have been having trying to find the real latest firmware. Or the fact the fw release notes are at least one if not several versions old. All unacceptable in my view.

My only point is that what initiated the problems yesterday (and apparently are continuing for some people today) had nothing to do with Obihai.



tazmo8448

I agree..it was a greedy move...someone somewhere came up with the 'brilliant' idea.... ' hey let's charge 'em for firmware updates ' [if of course they're out of warranty] which most of us are, let me see when was the last time I was was charged for a firmware update and my unit was out of warranty....hmmm....never because firmware has nothing to do with warranty.

BIOS updates are a form of firmware....ever pay for that? No matter how old the unit was?

SSD firmware updates...ever have to pay for that??? of course not.

Nice try Obi but no cigar.

SteveInWA

#17
Quote from: tazmo8448 on June 15, 2016, 04:14:00 PM
I agree..it was a greedy move...someone somewhere came up with the 'brilliant' idea.... ' hey let's charge 'em for firmware updates ' [if of course they're out of warranty] which most of us are, let me see when was the last time I was was charged for a firmware update and my unit was out of warranty....hmmm....never because firmware has nothing to do with warranty.

BIOS updates are a form of firmware....ever pay for that? No matter how old the unit was?

SSD firmware updates...ever have to pay for that??? of course not.

Nice try Obi but no cigar.

Obihai isn't charging anyone to download and install firmware updates themselves.  They are giving you two options:

  • Owners of in-warranty devices, and devices covered by paid, extended support, are entitled to have Obihai remotely initiate and manage firmware downloads.
  • Owners of out-of-warranty-devices, which have not opted to subscribe to paid, extended support, are welcome to download and install firmware updates themselves.

There's no argument that the pop-up notice is poorly worded, and doesn't explain this fact.  There is also no dispute that this particular firmware update was not properly posted to the firmware section of this forum, nor was there any official announcement of its availability.  However, this is neither "ransomware", nor anything different than standard procedure for consumer electronic products (or automobiles, for that matter).

There is no legal obligation for any company to continue to provide any sort of support, nor any sort of firmware or software to customers post-warranty.  If you believe that Obi promised you lifetime free support, or guaranteed that their device would continue to work with every third-party service provider, forever, please provide a reference or link.

Here is a copy of Obihai's Warranty statement:

Quote
Product Warranty & Return Policy
Unless where local law dictates otherwise, Obihai Technology provides a one-year limited hardware warranty. Obihai warrants to customer that this product will conform to its published specifications and will be free from defects in material and workmanship at the time of delivery and for a period of one-year thereafter. Without limiting the foregoing, this warranty does not cover any defect resulting from (a) any design or specification supplied by an entity other than Obihai, (b) non-observance of technical operating parameters (e.g. exceeding limiting values) or (c) misuse, abuse, using in abnormal conditions or alterations of any kind.

After the acceptance of a Return Material Authorization (RMA) request, Obihai will attempt to refund, repair or replace the product. To request an RMA, please contact the party from whom you purchased the product. If you purchased product directly from Obihai and you believe it to still be under warranty, please contact support@obihai.com

nlurker

This whole fiasco got me to thinking.  If Obihai were to go out of business or shut down their servers, would my 110 immediately stop working, or would it continue to function at least until the next time Google makes another change that breaks it?

drgeoff

Quote from: nlurker on June 16, 2016, 10:33:15 AM
This whole fiasco got me to thinking.  If Obihai were to go out of business or shut down their servers, would my 110 immediately stop working, or would it continue to function at least until the next time Google makes another change that breaks it?
Only calls made using the 9 digit numbers on the bottom of OBi devices would be immediately affected.