Companies
The End of the Buoy Story
By Sara Isenberg
Founder, Publisher, and Editor-in-Chief
Santa Cruz Tech Beat
February 18, 2021 — Santa Cruz, CA and Austin, TX
“What was a promising product ended up being unceremoniously dumped.” — local Buoy customer, Sanjiv Garg
Buoy’s local conception, growth, and subsequent acquisition by Resideo in March 2019 is a very Santa Cruz story. (For more on that, look back at Santa Cruz Tech Beat’s coverage of Buoy and Resideo over the years.)
Indeed, we were among Buoy founder Keri Water’s biggest fans! Unfortunately, the Buoy product has been discontinued.
Discontinued
In a recent letter to its Buoy customers, Resideo wrote:
We want to thank you for choosing Resideo and appreciate the opportunity to help protect your home. At Resideo, we provide solutions that make your home comfortable and secure, and we’ve built these solutions on our rich 130+ year heritage of taking care of the home and the people in them. Part of our pride in our legacy comes from our continued focus on quality. After diligent consideration, we have determined the Buoy Controller does not meet our quality standards, and we are discontinuing the Buoy product.
All of this comes as a big disappointment to local resident, Sanjiv Garg, who installed the Buoy in 2017 and has been happy with it since then. He writes:
I lived in constant fear of a water leak damaging my house with aging plumbing, so I bought the Buoy three years ago after learning about it at the Santa Cruz New Tech Meetup. I also wanted to support a local startup. It has worked fine until recently when I noticed that the battery needed recharging every week instead of every few months like before.
I contacted Resideo for a replacement battery. They told me they had none in stock and didn’t know when it would be available. This went on for months. I kept bugging them and got the exact same answer. I had a feeling something was up. Finally, last week I was informed that the Buoy product has been canceled and will no longer be supported.
The reason for the cancellation: “the Buoy Controller does not meet our quality standards,” which is absurd. The product worked great. What was a promising product ended up being unceremoniously dumped. The end of the Buoy story.
Buoy’s FAQ page includes:
Q: When does Resideo plan to stop supporting the app, data and leak notification services?
A: We will support the app, data and leak notification service until March 31, 2021.
Q: What happens to my Buoy app after Resideo stops supporting the app, data and leak notification services?
A: Beginning April 1, 2021, Buoy app users will not be able to access the Buoy app on iOS or Android or the water usage data associated with their Buoy account. Buoy app users will not be able to receive leak notifications or other type of notifications either via app or text message. We recommend removing your Buoy app from your smart device after April 1, 2021.
Q: Can I access my Buoy app, data and leak notifications after April 1, 2021?
A: No, you will not be able to access the app or the water usage data. In addition, you won’t be able to receive leak notifications or other type of notifications either via app or text message. We recommend removing your Buoy app from your smart device after April 1, 2021.
Q: Why did Resideo decide to discontinue the Buoy product and the USAA + Buoy pilot?
A: At Resideo, we provide solutions that make your home comfortable and secure, and we’ve built these solutions on our rich 130+ year heritage of taking care of the home and the people in them. Part of our pride in our legacy comes from our continued focus on quality. After diligent consideration, we have determined the Buoy Controller does not meet our quality standards, and we are discontinuing the Buoy product. The pilot program will also end as a result.
Read more FAQs here: https://www.resideo.com/us/en/support/buoy-discontinuation-faqs/
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