Roborock: Difference between revisions
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'''Roborock''' is a prominent Chinese manufacturer of robotic vacuum cleaners founded by Richard Chang in July 2014 that offers users an app to control and monitor their devices.<ref name="about" /> | '''[[wikipedia:Roborock|Roborock]]''' is a prominent Chinese manufacturer of robotic vacuum cleaners founded by Richard Chang in July 2014 that offers users an app to control and monitor their devices.<ref name="about" /> | ||
==Consumer impact summary== | |||
{{Placeholder box|Overview of concerns that arise from the company's conduct regarding (if applicable): | |||
* User Freedom | |||
* User Privacy | |||
* Business Model | |||
* Market Control}} | |||
==Anti-consumer practices== | ==Anti-consumer practices== | ||
===Inaccessibility of Repair Parts and Anti-Repair Practices=== | |||
Roborock restricts access to repair parts, schematics, and documentation for out-of-warranty products. Consumers and even professional repair technicians have reported substantial difficulty sourcing critical components, effectively rendering repairs impossible or unreliable. | |||
====Case Example – Roborock S7 Max-V Power Supply Board Failure:==== | |||
Following a power surge during a storm, a consumer's Roborock S7 Max-V robotic vacuum (retail value approximately $1,000) suffered a failure of its dock power supply board. Despite being a relatively simple electronics issue, the user encountered the following obstacles: | |||
*No Official Support for Out-of-Warranty Repairs: Roborock does not sell replacement parts to consumers | |||
*No Access to schematics or pin-out documentation | |||
*Global parts scarcity and regional lockout: OEM parts must often be sourced from Chinese vendors via unofficial channels, with no guarantee of compatibility or full feature support (e.g., drawing/map functions or pin-outs for daughter boards) | |||
*Well established repair centers also blocked: Even specialized robotic vacuum repair centers in the United States have acknowledged they are unable to obtain these parts through any official channel | |||
====Broader Implications:==== | |||
This reflects a growing trend in consumer electronics where manufacturers: | |||
*Lock down access to internal components | |||
*Fail to support long-term maintainability of products | |||
*Push customers toward full replacement over repair (even for minor failures) | |||
====Result:==== | |||
Customers are forced to either discard a high-value device due to a single point of failure or resort to sourcing questionable aftermarket parts (undermining both sustainability and consumer rights). | |||
===Spam=== | ===Spam=== | ||
Some users have reported receiving unsolicited promotional notifications through the app, which they consider spam. | Some users have reported receiving unsolicited promotional notifications through the app, which they consider spam. | ||
===User | ===User experiences with promotional notifications=== | ||
Several users have expressed frustration over receiving promotional content via the Roborock app. For instance, a discussion on Reddit highlighted concerns about notification ad spam, with users debating the implications of disabling certain notification settings. One user noted that turning off the "Allow Roborock Product and Service Updates" setting might prevent both promotional messages and important service updates. | Several users have expressed frustration over receiving promotional content via the Roborock app. For instance, a discussion on Reddit highlighted concerns about notification ad spam, with users debating the implications of disabling certain notification settings. One user noted that turning off the "Allow Roborock Product and Service Updates" setting might prevent both promotional messages and important service updates. | ||
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Another user shared their annoyance with the app's notifications, stating that while they want alerts for issues like the vacuum getting stuck, they find the promotional messages intrusive. They expressed disappointment that disabling these ads also meant losing essential notifications. <ref>https://www.reddit.com/r/Roborock/comments/1cn367g/seriously_notification_ad_spam/ REDDIT</ref> | Another user shared their annoyance with the app's notifications, stating that while they want alerts for issues like the vacuum getting stuck, they find the promotional messages intrusive. They expressed disappointment that disabling these ads also meant losing essential notifications. <ref>https://www.reddit.com/r/Roborock/comments/1cn367g/seriously_notification_ad_spam/ REDDIT</ref> | ||
===Roborock's | ===Roborock's response and user actions=== | ||
In response to these concerns, some users have suggested reaching out directly to Roborock's support team to report the issue. One user recommended emailing [email protected] to express dissatisfaction with the promotional notifications, hoping that a collective effort might lead to a change in the company's approach. <ref>https://www.reddit.com/r/Roborock/comments/1cn32ke/advertisement_in_app_now/ REDDIT</ref> | In response to these concerns, some users have suggested reaching out directly to Roborock's support team to report the issue. One user recommended emailing [email protected] to express dissatisfaction with the promotional notifications, hoping that a collective effort might lead to a change in the company's approach. <ref>https://www.reddit.com/r/Roborock/comments/1cn32ke/advertisement_in_app_now/ REDDIT</ref> | ||
===Steps to | ===Steps to manage notifications=== | ||
To manage or disable promotional notifications in the Roborock app, users can navigate to the app's settings: | To manage or disable promotional notifications in the Roborock app, users can navigate to the app's settings: | ||
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In summary, while the Roborock app provides valuable functionalities for device management, the inclusion of promotional notifications has been a point of contention among users. By adjusting notification settings and communicating feedback to the company, users can work towards a more tailored and satisfactory experience. | In summary, while the Roborock app provides valuable functionalities for device management, the inclusion of promotional notifications has been a point of contention among users. By adjusting notification settings and communicating feedback to the company, users can work towards a more tailored and satisfactory experience. | ||
== Privacy friendly alternative firmware == | ==Privacy friendly alternative firmware== | ||
Some users may not be comfortable connecting a device that maps their home and has a built-in microphone to a cloud service or even granting it internet access. | Some users may not be comfortable connecting a device that maps their home and has a built-in microphone to a cloud service or even granting it internet access. | ||
It is possible to operate some of their vacuum robots with alternative firmware [https://valetudo.cloud/ | It is possible to operate some of their vacuum robots with alternative firmware [https://valetudo.cloud/ Valetudo]. This voids the warranty, may require small modifications to the device depending on the model and may disable some features, but allows them to be used and controlled in a privacy friendly manner without internet access or connecting to Roborock's cloud. | ||
==Products== | |||
=References= | =References= | ||
<references /> | <references /> | ||
[[Category:Roborock]] | |||
[[Category: | |||