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Frustration with Fibaro - some thoughts


Sankotronic

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Just to add something to these thoughts...

Following letter has been sent by my through LinkedIn to Mr.Fiedler, CEO of Fibaro... wondering what will happen :



Dear Mr.Fiedler,

find hereby my open letter to you as CEO and founder of Fibaro.
 
As Fibaro user and installer, I would like to send you some of my thoughts and concerns about the products, your staff and your company.

I run a small company within the Audio Visual integration business in the Netherlands. I  Work on a worldwide scale as domotics and IT expert on super yachts and private own houses. For the past 5 years, I have done over 500 NEST product installations. Right now based on the reviews and star rating, I am entitled by NEST Lab inc. to the one of the best NEST installers and integrators of our country.

End 2016, Fibaro took the decision, to take the native plugin for NEST products offline. Due to the fact that NEST Lab setted up a two trap authentication and according to your technical staff, there were too many problems to write a proper API for the communication between the "Works With NEST" environment and the back end of Fibaro.

 

During the ISE2017 in Amsterdam, I spoke to many of your staff about this issue. I was one of the builders of the Fibaro booth (under the leading of John de Regt) and I was promised by the staff, the issue with the NEST plugin would be solved on short term.3 months later, there was still no working plugin. So I got in contact with Kristian Bergmann, who again gave me a promiss, it would be fixed soon.  But after 3 months again, I only got a referal to the marketplace for NON native Fibaro plugins.

Right now, were more than 18 months after the moment your company decided to take down the plugin. And when users ask, when it will be back online again, its waved away to some near in the future of being silenced.

 

One of the most important reasons, I, and many other users ask for a native written plugin, is the fact that due to security issues, you would like to keep most of the connections between devices, by one manufactor. Using several hubs and links within your own domotica system, could give you a breach in your security as well and it will be quiet hard to solve the issue. As well I believe that if everything is from one native builder, it would give the best communication and results between devices.

 

In the beginning of 2018, I had a long phone conversation with the responsible sales manager for the US. He as well agreed on me, the need and the urge of this native NEST plugin as well the requests from installers and users from the Northern part of America is quiet big. And users in Europe are not the only one who are waiting for it.

I do believe in a product of NEST which should or could be controllable via the Fibaro App. Why ? couse a NEST thermostat, controls the mainvalve of a heating system and in case of OpenTherm, its capable of proper communication between your heating system and save energy for its user. Fibaro only controlls the "end of the heatline" NOT the main valve or heating system.

Thats why I believe that every user of a NEST thermostat, is a prospect Fibaro user. Every way of controlling the house, within one app.

I hate the fact that for the outside world of Fibaro users, it feels like, Fibaro ignores it users. I understand this might sound really hard, but please take some time to read through the forum of your users. There is a load of lack of communication.
 

I have not mentioned the feedback on send-in cases to the support desk, the lack of appearing of templates of Zwave devices as well the appereance of firmware which should have never given the status of beta or official released firmware.


I honestly hope, 2018 will be a magic year for your team and it's products, but I urgently ask you, to start listen more to your users, speed up the development of firmware and as company be more transparent to the world.


Thank you in advance for reading my concerns,


Kind regards

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2 hours ago, SpaceCompany said:

Following letter has been sent by my through LinkedIn to Mr.Fiedler, CEO of Fibaro

 

Okay, so two thoughts:

1) I applaud your initiative to contact the CEO via LinkedIn but most likely that channel will be filtered (i.e. someone manages the direct messages so the CEO is not "bothered" by "spam"). I doubt it will reach the right ears. I might be proven wrong, but I highly doubt it.

2) See, this topic is getting a bit out of hand. The thing I've noticed about Fibaro is that  all is good and responsive as long as you're not hitting specific. What I mean by that is: "More responsiveness? Sure, will be done." or "Need a template? Our pleasure, it will be done." are promises issued by everyone. 

Once you get down to specifics, that's where they go off the grid. "I'm having this particular issue/missing template/bug/device/scenario. When can I expect it to be fixed?" See, I did not ask "why is this not working?" because that's too much to expect from any product manufacturer, but asking for an estimate. No response forthcoming.

Now another tricky thing is that you might get a promise with "soon". Promises from everyone. But if you take all the "soon" promises and multiply them by a ridiculously small estimate of 1 day per "soon" issue, you get months.

Again, I'm not trying to harp on Fibaro because I'm pretty sure they know what the problems are and signing like a canary bird about the same things will do no good.

 

My request is simple: Fibaro, please make a promise/issue inventory, assign someone responsible and provide an estimate so people can track particular problems or interest. Put it on an Agile or Kanban board somewhere so we can see if it's planned, when it might be estimated to be released, and so on.

 

Just a side note: I track issues on other products that I need/use and some of them are transparently scheduled to be released as far as Q2 2019. Althought it's a long wait, at least I know that it's up there and when it might come out.

With the z-wave device issues, I honestly gave up. I called the resellers to send back the products with issues (where possible) and will buy again when someone posts that those issues were fixed. In the meantime I'm enjoying the community and experimenting with the controller and other devices.

 

Final note: Please don't take my post as another ranting post. The above have been my observations. I hold the staff in high regard for trying to keep everything running and I love my HC and wouldn't give it up. My only disappointment is that new Fibaro products are coming out, but the support for current issues seems to be lacking. Seems a bit disproportional in terms of attention from Fibaro. We're all getting promises issued but there's no transparency to them.

 

 

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  • 1 month later...
On 3/9/2018 at 3:37 PM, marcwau said:
And finally, the European GDPR legislation will no longer allow you to get away with “secretive” internet traffic between our homes and your servers. You’re running out of time (end of May) to tell us what data you are downloading from our HC2’s and what you are doing with them. Instead of acting surprised when people discover that there is an intense data stream going to Fibaro and Google, you will have to get our permission…
 

 

My mailbox is full of e-mails explaining how different providers ands companies will handle and fulfill GDPR. At least I haven't seen anything from Fibaro yet and there is only one week to go .. 

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On 5/24/2018 at 9:37 AM, alexndr said:

At least I haven't seen anything from Fibaro yet and there is only one week to go .. 

Joke starts ()sorry if it looks like sarcastic one):

It's not midnight yet, they have enought time.

Joke ends.

 

Well i heard that, there will be also introduced some features regarding security, so Fibaro probably building update file for controllers and when update will be available, then they will e-mail regarding GDPR.

 

Also some last updates were available to controllers in afternnon hours (16:00 - 17:00 CET).

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Ok! I just received an email about it now. At a quick glance I see nothing about the Google Analytics stuff .. 

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23 hours ago, alexndr said:

Ok! I just received an email about it now. At a quick glance I see nothing about the Google Analytics stuff .. 

That is only applied to Fibaro ID accounts.

 

Quote

Moreover, our goals are also openness and transparency

So, where can I download and delete my data, including data send to third-parties, which is generated by the HC2 without an option to OPT-out?

 

The GDPR main objective is to give back all control to users their data again. All services should be opt-out by default. Only by explicit user approval, services can be added (opt-in). The manufacturer is always responsible for all data used, even used by or send to third parties.

 

To be on topic again,  in short:

Fibaro forum members are the best, Fibaro employees doing the best they can. Fibaro hardware is rock solid.

Fibaro Finance and Marketing departments are pulling the strings and really don't give a $*** about their customers.

 

I've been around since 2013, ending to use the HC2 just as Zwave controller solely. Blocked all internet access to the HC2, disabled all Fibaro 'services'. All my needed services is being done by Raspberry Pi and Node-red/MQTT (all encrypted) and several other controllers, communicating with each other without the 'only supported by Fibaro' barriers. I finally redeemed my freedom to choose, add, delete and interact with every device and service I choose for.

 

Fibaro is often asked to give users the freedom to choose and open up their systems. From experience we know their F&M departments will never do, only when forced by lawyers or penalties.

Edited by Lambik
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Hello,

On 5/26/2018 at 7:55 PM, Lambik said:

The GDPR main objective is to give back all control to users their data again

I'm no lawyer, but you're not entirely right. GDPR (pl RODO) concerns only personal data, so the data that can lead to identify you as a user.

 

On 5/26/2018 at 7:55 PM, Lambik said:

Fibaro Finance and Marketing departments are pulling the strings and really don't give a $*** about their customers.

I really don't know what should I answer to that. I guess everyone can have their own opinions.

 

On 5/26/2018 at 7:55 PM, Lambik said:

Fibaro is often asked to give users the freedom to choose and open up their systems. From experience we know their F&M departments will never do, only when forced by lawyers or penalties.

Again, no idea how you come up with such conclusions and what this has to do with GDPR.

 

If any of our users have questions about GDPR (pl RODO) you can contact our Data Protection Officer at [email protected]

 

I am closing the topic as it does not refer to the original post made by the topic author.

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  • T.Konopka locked and unlocked this topic
On 5/29/2018 at 10:15 AM, T.Konopka said:

If any of our users have questions about GDPR (pl RODO) you can contact our Data Protection Officer at [email protected]

 

So I can ask for all my data the HC2 has generated and submit a request to destroy all the data stored at Fibaro's?

Edited by Lambik
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@Lambik , not exactly. As far as I know, GDPR concerns only personal data - the data that can lead to identify you. It does not concern all data created and processed by our system and services. Moreover, note that some data may be necessary for services and without it will not work properly.

 

But, if you want to know it for sure I advise you to contact our DPO at [email protected]

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2 hours ago, T.Konopka said:

As far as I know, GDPR concerns only personal data - the data that can lead to identify you

By using a Cloud-ID to setup your HC2 entering your firstname and lastname, including a valid email address is not leading to identification? o.O

 

Why is this called 'personal data' then?

330267851_Personaldata.png.88c22a9c25d5d551d5bddd53007b2e6c.png

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On 6/2/2018 at 3:50 PM, Lambik said:

for all my data the HC2 has generated

Then, tell me how HC2 generates your first and last name? I replied to your post where you did not indicate which data you have in mind. I wanted to clarify that not all data is personal data.

And @Lambik, please do not create anymore confusion than necessary. I recommend contacting our DPO as this is the right person to contact :)

I am sure that everything will be clarified by DPO :)

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  • 6 months later...

I have purchase in view of that comercial, its actual, however nearly we should take the necessary steps, have such huge numbers of individuals that need this framework yet I don't prescribed in light of the fact that we don't have bolster, genuine help, arrangements, for instance, the cameras, mpeg????? we are 2018!!! reinforcement pen on another HC2 its conceivable? I like the potencial, yet we don't have in Portugal designers to give or move arrangements at reasonable cost. in the event that I need to pay a ton I know I m going to KNX.... be that as it may, it have so potencial.... I will wait.... to perceive what it comes

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On 12/9/2018 at 7:20 PM, drak15 said:

I have purchase in view of that comercial, its actual, however nearly we should take the necessary steps, have such huge numbers of individuals that need this framework yet I don't prescribed in light of the fact that we don't have bolster, genuine help, arrangements, for instance, the cameras, mpeg????? we are 2018!!! reinforcement pen on another HC2 its conceivable? I like the potencial, yet we don't have in Portugal designers to give or move arrangements at reasonable cost. in the event that I need to pay a ton I know I m going to KNX.... be that as it may, it have so potencial.... I will wait.... to perceive what it comes

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thanks

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Hi, love the topic subject :) first of all

 

NEST looks very attraсtive, I will try it for sure if the plugin will be released.

 

I have my own "experience" of conversation with Fibaro too :)

When I use it first time, I was "impressed" with bad localisation quality for my spk language. And decided to help to improve it.

It took me a few weeks to fix all of the messages from the scratch. I have done complete localisation for 2 languages (UA/RU)

It was 1 year ago :) Still in 4.520 all messages remain the same.

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  • 2 weeks later...
On 12/14/2018 at 9:26 PM, jack.daniels said:

When I use it first time, I was "impressed" with bad localisation quality for my spk language. And decided to help to improve it.

It took me a few weeks to fix all of the messages from the scratch. I have done complete localisation for 2 languages (UA/RU)

It was 1 year ago :) Still in 4.520 all messages remain the same.

Translation is made by Fibaro partners. I personally do translation into CZ from EN.

 

I would suggest to contact UA/RU Fibaro partner and if you have translation in some Word or txt, then send it to them. For them it is just Ctrl+C and Ctrl+V. Also i personally feel their hesitation to make some correction in translation. Fibaro translation UI is not user friendly, but functional.

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I have made ready-to-use json files

Dont need even to copy/paste :)

And tested it on device offcourse

I am using own translation since 2017

 

Funny but Location panel (in english) is still Localisation panel :)

This is just one of many errors in strings

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  • 3 weeks later...

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