Roborock: Difference between revisions
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==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=== | ||
Latest revision as of 21:20, 28 June 2025
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This article needs additional work to meet the wiki's Content Guidelines and be in line with our Mission Statement for comprehensive coverage of consumer protection issues.
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Learn more ▼
| Basic information | |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2014[1] |
| Type | Company |
| Industry | Robot vacuum |
| Official website | https://us.roborock.com/ |
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.[1]
Consumer impact summary[edit | edit source]
Anti-consumer practices[edit | edit source]
Inaccessibility of Repair Parts and Anti-Repair Practices[edit | edit source]
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:[edit | edit source]
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:[edit | edit source]
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:[edit | edit source]
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[edit | edit source]
Some users have reported receiving unsolicited promotional notifications through the app, which they consider spam.
User experiences with promotional notifications[edit | edit source]
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. REDDIT
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. [2]
Roborock's response and user actions[edit | edit source]
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. [3]
Steps to manage notifications[edit | edit source]
To manage or disable promotional notifications in the Roborock app, users can navigate to the app's settings:
Open the Roborock app. Go to "Message Settings." Select "Device Notifications." Adjust the settings to disable promotional messages while retaining essential device alerts. It's important to note that some users have reported that disabling certain notifications might also prevent important updates about the device's status or maintenance needs. Therefore, users should carefully consider which notifications to disable to ensure they continue receiving critical information about their device's performance.
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[edit | edit source]
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 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.