Complaints

This profile includes complaints for Canary's headquarters and its corporate-owned locations. To view all corporate locations, see Find Local Branches.

close

Find a Location

Canary has 3 locations, listed below.

*This company may be headquartered in or have additional locations in another country. Please click on the country abbreviation in the search box below to change to a different country location.

BBB accredited

Near

Country

USUnited States

Please enter a valid location.

Filter

• 

  Canary

  26 Broadway Fl 22 New York, NY 10004-1808

• 

  Canary

  606 W 28th St # 7 New York, NY 10001-1108

• 

  Canary

  132 E 43rd St Ste 552 New York, NY 10017-4019

The complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:03/09/2025

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Canary drafted $248.98 from my account on 3/8/2025. I canceled the subscription on 3/9/2025 which is when I noticed it. Canary is refusing to refund my money. I never received a notification about the renewal. Furthermore, I do not re all agreeing to the renewal or for Canary to keep my bank information stored.

  Business Response

  Date: 03/10/2025

  Thank you for bringing this to our attention. Customer purchased ********************** and agreed to the terms of service since Nov 18, 2019 21:56 EST. A reminder email is sent each year prior to the renewal as a courtesy only and our system confirms this was sent on Feb 28, 2025 23:22 EST. The subscription renewed on Mar 8, 2025 15:19 EST. Customer self cancelled their subscription on Mar 9, 2025 06:32 EDT, therefore their subscription expires on Mar 8, 2026 16:19 EDT as per terms and conditions agreed to by both parties. As the customer contacted us after the renewal took place, we are unable to provide a refund.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:02/07/2025

  Type:Billing Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I was charged $140 for a yearly subscription for a service I no longer use. I did not receive a subscription reminder, though the company is claiming I did. They are refusing a refund.

  Business Response

  Date: 02/10/2025

  Thank you for bringing this to our attention. Customer purchased ********************** and agreed to the terms of service since Jan 22, 2022 15:02 EST. A reminder email is sent each year prior to the renewal as a courtesy only and our system confirms this was sent on Jan 14, 2025 23:23 EST. The subscription renewed on Jan 22, 2025 15:02 EST. Customer self cancelled their subscription via the Canary app on Jan 24, 2025 09:37 EST, therefore their subscription expires on Jan 22, 2026 15:02 EST as per terms and conditions agreed to by both parties. As the customer contacted us after the renewal took place, we are unable to provide a refund.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 02/10/2025

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID# ********, and have determined that my complaint has NOT been resolved because:

  I did not receive a renewal reminder email despite the company claiming that I did. I checked my spam folder and did not find anything there either. Regardless, the policy is clearly predatory as it allows a refund for new memberships but not renewals. As the company is either lying about reminder emails or using a service that does not guarantee delivery, they are counting on customers not knowing about the renewal. Furthermore, I have no intention of using this year long membership and have already deleted my canary account, meaning that I am being charged for a service I am not using. I will accept a pro-rated refund excluding the 2 days before I called to cancel, but I have already looped in the New York Attorney General's office. 

   

   

   

  In order for the BBB to appropriately process your response, you MUST answer the question above.

  
  Sincerely,
  
  *** ******
  
  
  
  
   
  

  Business Response

  Date: 02/11/2025

  Hello Guy.  You have been on annual renewal since you took out the Premium Annual Plan on Jan 22, 2022 3:02 PM EST.   Renewal reminders were sent as a courtesy 7 days in advance annually.  The terms of service that you agreed to on Jan 22, 2022 15:02 EST., state the following regarding renewals:  ***************** Services plans may be canceled for a full refund only within fourteen (14) days of initial registration.
  You self cancelled on Jan 24, 2025 9:37 AM EST and your Premium expires on Jan 22, 2026 3:02 PM EST.   The Premium is available for you to use until that date.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 02/11/2025

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID# ********, and have determined that my complaint has NOT been resolved because:

   

  Once again, I did not receive the email that you claimed to have sent. Regardless, charging a customer for a full year of service when they do not even have an active account with you is predatory at best and may actually be illegal according to New York state commerce law. That is why I have directed this matter to the New York state *************************. I will not be responding to further messages as we are going in circles. 

  
  Sincerely,
  
  *** ******
  
  
  
  
   
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:01/30/2025

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I was charged a subscription renewal fee for my canary monitoring system. I was not aware that I had it's been automatically opted into a subscription renewal and once the charge occurred ($157.94 on 1/27/25) I immediately went to cancel it (initially attempted 1/29/25, completely "next" renewal cancellation 1/30/25) however the company is refusing to cancel my current subscription and refund me despite canceling withing a week. I'm requesting this refund under the grounds that "If the company makes it difficult to cancel or hides information about renewal terms, you may have grounds to dispute the charge." This charge completely wiped out my checking account and triggered an overdraft.

  Business Response

  Date: 01/31/2025

  ***** ****** started this annual subscription to Premium on Jan 26, 2023 4:23 AM EST.  ***** ****** cancelled on Jan 30, 2025 2:45 PM EST, after the renewal on Jan 26, 2025 4:23 AM EST. Per our terms of service which the customer agreed to on May 22, 2017, the subscription was cancelled at the next renewal date and expires on Jan 26, 2026 4:23 AM EST.   Prior to the renewal, Canary sent a renewal reminder on Jan 18, 2025 11:22 PM EST.  An additional email was sent about the subscription on January 19th at 7PM.  ***** ****** could have replied to either email, called, sent an SMS, opened a chat or self-cancelled prior to the renewal date.  Per our agreement, the subscription was renewed per the Terms of Service which state:  ANY CANCELLATION AFTER THE FIRST FOURTEEN DAYS OF INITIAL REGISTRATION WILL BE EFFECTIVE AT THE END OF THE THEN-CURRENT ANNUAL BILLING PERIOD AND NO CREDITS OR REFUNDS WILL BE ISSUED.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 02/01/2025

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID# ********, and have determined that my complaint has NOT been resolved because:

  I do not accept this under grounds of unethical and immoral business practices and needlessly convoluted means in which to locate and cancel subscription as well as no form of cancellation ***** period or 1 time customer exception to an obviously predatory business practice, especially one that does not allow you to cancel your ongoing service.

   

   

   

   

  In order for the BBB to appropriately process your response, you MUST answer the question above.

  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***** ******
  
  
  
  
   
  

  Business Response

  Date: 02/03/2025

  Customer agreed to Terms of Service which specifically state renewals, refunds, method of contact.
  Customer did cancel before the charge despite an email renewal reminder sent 7 days prior.
  We are unable to make an exception.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:12/10/2024

  Type:Customer Service Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I have been a customer for over 5 years. This company will send renewal emails without indicating the amount you will be charged. There is nowhere within their app nor their site to download previous invoices, you have to reach out to their CS and request this with a turnaround time of 1-2 days. They tend to give out 50% off for subscriptions so that one does not cancel their membership as there is no way for them to refund once they charge. They never sent me an email letting me know that my membership would be this much higher. I will be filing a dispute with my credit card and cancelling my service. I've reached out multiple times to see if there is a way to bulk download my saved videos before I cancel and I just get ignored. Stay away from these thieves. There are better alternatives out there. ** **** *** ****** 

  Business Response

  Date: 12/11/2024

  Hi there, thank you for bringing this to our attention.
  
  We recently sent our customers our updated pricing which was originally sent to you in November 2023.
  
  Thank you for your suggestion. We are looking at options where customers can download their invoices in the future. We strive to answer all customers within 24 hours.  You are on a list where we send the invoices to you proactively on a monthly or annual basis.
  
  On Dec 04 10:11 am, you emailed Canary ***************** A member of the team responded to you on the same day on Dec 04 10:53 am. This is a response time of 42 minutes but will do out best to improve on this.
  
  We are also available via phone and live chat should you require a faster response.
  
  Related to your other query, multi select videos are a feature available to our *************** customers. In order to use filters with multi-select feature, please perform the following steps:
  
  Open the Canary app.
  Tap on the Timeline icon.
  Tap the three lines in the top right corner.
  Select the filters you would like applied.
  Tap Apply Filter.
  Tap on the Pencil icon in the top right corner.
  Tap on Select All in the top left corner.
  To delete the videos and entries, tap Delete at the bottom of the screen.
  Tap Delete item(s).
  
  All selected entries, including Bookmarked Videos, Presence Alerts, HomeHealth readings etc., will be deleted. This action cannot be undone, and they cannot be recovered once they have been deleted.
  
  Please note that in order to perform the steps outlined in this message, you will need to have the latest version of the Canary App installed on your mobile device. To update your App, please click here and tap 'Download'.
  
  A member of the management team will phone you today.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 12/11/2024

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID# ********, and have determined that my complaint has NOT been resolved because:

  I am filing a formal complaint against Canary for deceptive renewal practices, lack of pricing transparency, and inadequate access to services that were promised under their Premium Membership. Below, I detail the issues I have experienced:
  - Lack of Pricing Transparency and Bait-and-Switch Tactics: Canary's renewal email contains no pricing information. Customers are required to message their customer service to obtain the renewal cost. This is highly inconvenient and deceptive, as it creates an expectation that the renewal price will match the previous year's charge, which is not the case. New York law mandates businesses offering automatic subscription renewals to provide clear and conspicuous notice of renewal terms, including pricing, obtain affirmative consent before charging, and offer straightforward cancellation procedures. Canary's email fails to meet these requirements, lacking renewal pricing, a confirmation step, and clear cancellation instructions.
  - Difficult Cancellation Process: There is no option to cancel the subscription within Canary's mobile app, nor can customers access prior year invoicing or pricing information. To cancel, customers must call and wait on hold, which appears to be an intentional barrier to prevent cancellations.
  - After renewal, Canary offers a 50% discount on the next year to lock customers into another year but refuses refunds even a few days after renewal. This practice feels exploitative.
  - Limited Access to Saved Videos: Despite being a Premium Member, I cannot download bookmarked or saved videos through the mobile app, even though I can view them on desktop. Videos saved/bookmarked before 2022 are inaccessible for downloading on either platform. For a Premium Membership, I expect full access to my bookmarked videos and the ability to download them, especially through the mobile app. Canary advertises this capability, but it is not delivered in practice.
  - Inadequate Customer Support: *********************** response to unrelated queries, such as about "delete" functionality, shows a lack of focus on the actual issues customers raise.
  

  These practices do not align with Canary's advertised service quality or with New York consumer protection laws. I am requesting the BBB to investigate these issues and encourage Canary to:
  - Provide transparent renewal pricing upfront in all communications.
  - Simplify the cancellation process, making it accessible via the mobile app.
  - Ensure that Premium Members can download saved/bookmarked videos seamlessly via the mobile app.
  - Offer a fair and customer-friendly refund policy for renewals.
  

  I hope the BBB can assist in resolving these issues and ensuring that Canary adopts fairer business practices.
  Thank you for your time and assistance.
  

  In order for the BBB to appropriately process your response, you MUST answer the question above.

  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***** ****
  
  
  
  
   
  

  Customer Answer

  Date: 02/11/2025

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID# ********* and have determined that my complaint has NOT been resolved because:
  

  
  

  I'm unable to download the update from the Google play store and have provided Canary with image of the error but am downloading via a different device. Will update company once this is complete to get a prorated refund. 

  
  

   

  
  

   

  
  

   

  
  

   

  
  

  In order for the BBB to appropriately process your response, you MUST answer the question above.

  
  
  
  Sincerely,
  
  
  
  ***** ****
   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
   
  

  Business Response

  Date: 02/13/2025

  We will be ready to proceed with the cancellation as agreed when you request it.  Please reach out vie **************.is
  We consider this matter closed with the BBB.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:11/01/2024

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I canceled my service with this company and they did not want to refund my money. Instead, they insisted I have to keep their service and am not entitled to my own back. This company seems to force people to the annual subscription without any opportunity to get out of it. Very disappointed.

  Business Response

  Date: 11/04/2024

  Thank you for bringing this to our attention. Customer purchased ********************** and agreed to the terms of service since Aug 30, 2023 04:22 EDT. A reminder email is sent each year prior to the renewal as a courtesy only and our system confirms this was sent on Aug 23, 2024 00:24 EDT. The subscription renewed on Aug 30, 2024 04:22 EDT. Customer called and requested cancellation of their subscription on November 1, 2024, therefore their subscription expires on Aug 30, 2025 04:22 EDT as per terms and conditions agreed to by both parties. As the customer contacted us after the renewal took place, we are unable to provide a refund.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:10/23/2024

  Type:Billing Issues
  Status:

  ResolvedMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I have a charge from them on my credit card. Never heard of this company, so I contacted their support. Support has no record of me or my email address. How on Earth do they have my credit card information then?

  Business Response

  Date: 10/24/2024

  Hi *******,
   
  My name is ******** and I am a member of the management team with Canary, Smart Home Security.
   
  The charge you have is not from Canary Smart Home Security but from Canary LLC a limited liability corporation in ***********  
   
  Google shows Canary LLC is an oil field in ********** and have to do with the energy business.  
   
  Phone: **************
  ***************************************
   
  Please remove your BBB complaint against us as this is not a charge using our services.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 10/24/2024

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me and the matter has been resolved.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ******* *******
  
  
  
   
  
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:09/29/2024

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I was charged $129 USD for a yearly subscription without an email warning me of the charge 7 days prior to it.The minute I was charged, I reached out to the company asking for a cancelation and a refund and was presented with terms of service where it says they were supposed to have e-mailed me but didn't.

  Business Response

  Date: 09/30/2024

  Hello,
  
  On Sep 22, 2024 12:26 AM EDT, 7 days prior to the renewal, Canary sent a renewal reminder as a courtesy to the email address listed here.  This annual subscription was opened on Sep 29, 2022 5:00 PM EDT and has renewed in both 2023 and 2024.
  
  A customer can cancel at any time and this is applied to the next renewal date.  Within those 7 days prior to renewal after the reminder is sent, a customer can self-cancel within the app, send an email to ********************************** send an SMS, open a chat or call the Canary customer service team who will confirm identity and cancel for them should they need that assistance.  Once the renewal happens, per Canary terms of service which this customer agreed on Jun 16, ********* AM EDT, a cancellation will happen at the next renewal date.
  
  Canary would not be able to offer a refund, per those terms of service.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:09/03/2024

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  When I signed up for Canary Premium, the package includes the use of a safety button. However, when I tried to set this feature up there were issues with the website to noonlight that it would redirect me to. I contacted Canary and worked with them to delete and reset up the app, and whatever other steps they wanted me to take before they let me know they would investigate the issue and get back to me. I have followed up with them between 2 to 3 times a month for the past two months and they are unable to fix the issue or provide proper reimbursement as a major feature in the premium package that I paid for is not working due to no fault of my own.

  Business Response

  Date: 09/04/2024

  Hi there, thank you for bringing this to our attention and are sorry to read of your experience. We have contacted Noonlight on your behalf and a member of the management team with Canary will phone you this morning PST as Noonlight have provided what they believe is a solution to the issue you are facing.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:08/07/2024

  Type:Sales and Advertising Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  On 8/1/24 I requested my services be canceled, by phone, by email and online, the company charged my credit card anyway and continues to try and offer me discounted rates, or free membership next year, they have yet to cancel my service as requested.

  Business Response

  Date: 08/08/2024

  Hi there, thank you for bringing this to our attention. We confirm the customer has contacted us via email and phone requesting cancellation of their *************** subscription however, this is all after the *************** subscription renewed. Customer purchased Annual *************** and agreed to the terms of service since Nov 11, 2017 11:41 EST. A reminder email is sent each year prior to the renewal as a courtesy only and our system confirms this was sent on Jul 25, 2024 00:26 EDT. The subscription renewed on Aug 1, 2024 08:19 EDT. Customer redeemed a 50% discount code after the renewal took place on Aug 1, 2024 10:20 EDT but cancelled on Aug 2, 2024 08:07 EDT, therefore their subscription expires on Aug 1, 2025 08:19 EDT as per terms and conditions agreed to by both parties. As the customer contacted us after the renewal took place, we are unable to provide a refund.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:07/03/2024

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I have purchased 5 Canary Camera devices over the past ~ 5-6 years. At the time of purchase, the Canary Devices had a necessary feature to indicate and record motion that could be watched back if viewed immediately after the motion occurred. I believe the motion recorded was allowed to be viewed for 24 hours before it was dropped from the history. This short-term viewing ability of the motion recorded was both advertised and sold to me as an included feature of the Canary system at no charge. Canary never promoted this feature as being offered for free temporarily as a promotion - it was a standard necessary and necessary feature with any security camera. There was also no reason to think this would be temporarily provided, as similar cameras all offer this most basic feature for free. Since purchasing my cameras Canary has now changed their policy and remove this very necessary and basic feature and now wants to charge for this capability. I would have never purchased these expensive cameras had I known they would start charging for this short-term record feature in a subscription model. When I approached Canary about rectifying the situation they gave me a temporary 1 year code to receive the necessary recording feature that was always free (now called premium). All I want is the ability to use the cameras in the ability they were sold to me (with the short-term record option). If Canary wants to change their policy - fine - they should do so. However, they should not be allowed to change their policy retroactively for customers who purchased cameras under the old policy terms. Let me return my cameras and get my money back, or provide me with the service that was originally advertised and sold to me.

  Business Response

  Date: 07/04/2024

  Hi there, thank you for bringing this to our attention. To clarify, ************* continues to be free for our customers with 24/7 Watch-live, two-way talk and motion notifications. The offer that was presented to you is a gesture of goodwill and also offering you a 50% discount for the following year. Our system confirms  that you have already redeemed the free year on your account. Our records also show you first subscribed to *************** on Jun 22, 2020 16:56 EDT. We are sorry to learn of your frustration however, everything is subject to change in the terms and conditions.
  
  To clarify, 24/7 watch live, motion notifications, geofencing are just some of the features that continue to be free and is still included as part of the ************* plan. In addition, we've added the Two-Way Talk feature to the free basic service plan. Two-Way Talk is a feature which has been heavily requested by our basic plan customers, and now everyone can stay even more connected to their homes by having real-time conversations through the Canary app.
  
  In order to first use our service, it is a requirement that you affirmatively agree to our terms. One of those terms entitles us to update or discontinue features or change our pricing. This is standard in the industry. We are not changing anything about your service during the term of a committed contract period. For example, if you had agreed to take our service for a given price for two years, it would be problematic for us to change the price or feature set during that two year period. In your case, you are on a month-to-month agreement with us, and we gave you more than one month's notice of the changes. We are exercising our contractual rights and updating our service offering. There is no requirement that you continue using the service if you are not satisfied with the updated feature set.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 07/05/2024

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID# ********, and have determined that my complaint has NOT been resolved because:

  [Your Answer Here]

   Canary claims that a fundamental feature of their camera system is an option.  Seeing a recording play back for at least a short period of time is the basic need of any camera security system.  No one constantly monitors a home camera security system live.  For Canary to now cancel what was an included fundamental feature, makes these expensive cameras now useless unless I pay for their premium service or agree to their free 1 year subscription (which I have done so I can use the camera).  However once the free service is completed at the end of the free trial period, I will be back to the same situation of needing to pay for the premium service features.  Again, I would never have originally purchased these cameras if this feature was advertised as being a temporary feature from Canary.  The fact that Canary has an agreement that says they can change features at any time is beyond crazy if the feature they are removing makes the security camera basically useless after the buyer has already paid for the hardware.  I have been buying Canary Cameras since 2017 and they never mentioned the very basic most fundamental feature to make the camera usable would be switched to a pay subscription model.  If Canary advertised that they would be charging the person buying the camera a monthly fee in the future, I would take no issue with the Canary policy.  The idea of making a camera effectively useless after the buyer has paid for the hardware, unless the buyer now pays for a subscription service is crazy.  Imagine buying a radio that plays all the standard am fm stations, and then one day the company that sold you the radio says, "yes - you can still turn the radio on - it works fine - you just need to now pay a monthly fee so the most basic antenna feature of the radio will work so it can connect to and hear the radio station.

  My next letter is to the NYS attorney general.  Companies can not be allowed to take this level of dishonesty with the consumer, and steal their money.   

   

   

  In order for the BBB to appropriately process your response, you MUST answer the question above.

  
  Sincerely,
  
  * *********************************
  
  
  
  
   
  

  Business Response

  Date: 07/08/2024

  Out of the box, your Canary will have access to motion-activated notifications, Two-way Talk, ***** and ****** Home integrations and Watch Live, without any additional cost. What this means is that your Canary wont capture footage of an empty room but will notify you when motion is detected for you to jump over the Watch Live feature in the app to see the motion as it happens.  Customer agreed to our terms and conditions when adding their first recorded device in 2017. As a gesture of goodwill, customer was offered and accepted one free year of **************** Basic Service continues to be free of charge. In order to first use our service, it is a requirement that you affirmatively agree to our terms. One of those terms entitles us to update or discontinue features or change our pricing. This is standard in the industry. We are not changing anything about your service during the term of a committed contract period. For example, if you had agreed to take our service for a given price for two years, it would be problematic for us to change the price or feature set during that two year period. In your case, you are on an annual contract with one device and Basic-month-to-month agreement with us for the others.  For the change to Basic we gave you more than one month's notice of the changes. We are exercising our contractual rights and updating our service offering. There is no requirement that you continue using the service if you are not satisfied with the updated feature set.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 07/08/2024

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID# ********, and have determined that my complaint has NOT been resolved because:

  [Your Answer Here]

   

   

   

   

  In order for the BBB to appropriately process your response, you MUST answer the question above.

  
  Sincerely,
  
  * *********************************