In addition to the robot being bricked, Embody noted that warranties, repair services, the associated parent app and guides, and support staff will no longer be accessible.
“Unable to offer a refund”
Embody said it was “unable” to offer refunds to most Moxy owners due to its “financial situation and impending dissolution.” A possible exception is for people who have purchased a Moxie within 30 days. For those customers, Embodied said that “if the company or its assets are sold, we will do our best to prioritize refunds for purchases,” but it emphasized that this is not a guarantee.
The startup also acknowledged complications for people who acquired the expensive robot through a third-party lender. Embody advised such customers to contact their lender, but it is possible that some will pay interest on a toy that no longer works.
Embody said it is looking for another company to buy Moxy. If that happens, the new company will receive Embodied customer data and determine how it can use it, according to Embodied. Terms of Service. Otherwise, Embodied said it “securely” deletes user data “in accordance with our privacy policy and applicable law,” including deleting personally identifiable information from Embodied systems.
Another smart gadget bites the dust
Currently, there is something Hopefully the Moxies can be resurrected. Things look grim for Moxie owners, but we’ve seen smart device companies fail, e.g InstinBe resurrected further. It is also possible that someone will release one Open-source version of the product, as made for The Spotify Car ThingThat is officially Spotify bricked today.
But the short-term, expensive nature of moxie is precisely why some groups, such as right-to-reform activists, Pushing the Federal Trade Commission To more tightly regulate smart devices, especially when it comes to disclosures and commitments around software support. As smart gadget makers try to determine how to navigate challenging economic landscapes, owners of different types of smart devices — from Aerogarden Indoor gardening system Snow bassinets– Consequences including broken devices and paywalled features have to be dealt with. Last month, the FTC noted that smart device manufacturers that do not commit to software support breaking the law.
For Moxie owners, the frustration comes not only from the waste of money and creation of e-waste, but also from the pain of giving a child a technological “companion” to grow and then suddenly taking it away.
This story actually appeared Ars Technica.
