Whistle pet tracker shutdown IoT fail: Difference between revisions

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{{IncidentCargo

|Company=Tractive, Mars ~~PEtcare~~, Whistle Labs

|Company=Tractive, Mars Petcare, Whistle Labs

|StartDate=2025-08-31

|StartDate=2025-07-28

|Status=Active

|ProductLine=~~pet products~~

|ProductLine=Pet tracking devices

|ArticleType=~~Product~~

|ArticleType=Incident

|Type=Planned ~~Obsolesence~~

|Type=Planned Obsolescence, Service Termination

|Description=Whistle pet trackers ~~were discontinued & shut down~~ following Tractive's acquisition

|Description=Whistle pet trackers will cease functioning on August 31, 2025, following Tractive's acquisition of the company from Mars Petcare

}}

}}Whistle pet trackers will cease functioning on August 31, 2025, following Tractive's acquisition of the company from Mars Petcare.

~~{{Ph-I-Int}}~~

==Background==

Whistle Labs was founded in 2012 as a developer of GPS enabled pet tracking & health monitoring devices.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whistle_(company)|title=Whistle (company)|publisher=Wikipedia|access-date=2025-08-12}}</ref> The company marketed its products as ''"Fitbit for dogs,"'' offering activity tracking, GPS location services, & health monitoring ability.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://techcrunch.com/2016/03/31/whistle-acquired-by-mars/|title=Whistle's 'Fitbit for dogs' acquired by Mars Petcare|publisher=TechCrunch|date=2016-03-31|access-date=2025-08-12}}</ref>

Mars Petcare, a subsidiary of Mars Inc., acquired Whistle in April 2016 for approximately $117 million.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-04-01/mars-said-to-spend-117m-to-acquire-whistle-s-fitbit-for-dogs|title=Pet Food Maker Mars Spends $117 Million to Acquire Whistle's 'Fitbit for Dogs'|publisher=Bloomberg|date=2016-04-01|access-date=2025-08-12}}</ref> Under Mars ownership, Whistle expanded its product line to include models such as the GO, GO Explore, Switch, FIT, & Health trackers, with retail prices ranging from $100 to $199.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://aorkuler.com/blogs/blog/whistle-pet-tracker-2024-product-description|title=Whistle Pet Tracker 2024: Products Description|publisher=Aorkuler|access-date=2025-08-12}}</ref>

Tractive, an Austrian company founded in 2012, operates as a competitor in the pet GPS tracking market, offering similar location and health monitoring services across 175 countries.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://tractive.com/blog/en/press/tractive-acquires-whistle|title=Tractive Acquires Whistle from Mars Petcare to Accelerate Leadership in Global Pet Tech Market|publisher=Tractive|date=2025-07-28|access-date=2025-08-12}}</ref>

==Acquisition and shutdown announcement==

On July 28, 2025, Tractive announced its acquisition of Whistle from Mars Petcare.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://tractive.com/blog/en/press/tractive-acquires-whistle|title=Tractive Acquires Whistle from Mars Petcare to Accelerate Leadership in Global Pet Tech Market|publisher=Tractive|date=2025-07-28|access-date=2025-08-12}}</ref> Financial terms were not disclosed, though a webpage article that seems AI generated values the deal in the ''"tens of millions."''<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.webpronews.com/tractive-acquires-whistle-pet-trackers-obsolete-by-august-2025/|title=Tractive Acquires Whistle: Pet Trackers Obsolete by August 2025|publisher=WebProNews|date=2025-07-29|access-date=2025-08-12}}</ref> Take this with a shaker of salt.

Alongside the acquisition announcement, Tractive said that all Whistle devices would permanently stop working on August 31, 2025, giving users 33 days notice.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.whistle.com/blogs/news/whistle-joins-the-tractive-family|title=Whistle joins the Tractive Family|publisher=Whistle|date=2025-07-28|access-date=2025-08-12}}</ref> The shutdown affects all Whistle product models and will result in:

*Complete loss of GPS tracking functionality

*Inability to access the Whistle mobile application

*Permanent loss of all historical pet health and activity data

*Obsolescence of all Whistle hardware accessories and chargers

Users have been informed that pet health data collected over years "will not be transferred to the replacement Tractive devices" due to what the company describes as "different algorithms that would not be compatible with Tractive's systems."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.whistle.com/blogs/news/whistle-joins-the-tractive-family|title=Whistle joins the Tractive Family|publisher=Whistle|date=2025-07-28|access-date=2025-08-12}}</ref>

==~~[Incident]~~==

===Tractive's response===

Tractive has offered a replacement program providing free GPS tracker devices to affected Whistle customers. The program includes:<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.whistle.com/blogs/news/whistle-joins-the-tractive-family|title=Whistle joins the Tractive Family|publisher=Whistle|date=2025-07-28|access-date=2025-08-12}}</ref>

~~===[Company]'s response===~~

*One free Tractive GPS tracker (valued at $49.99-$99.00) per Whistle device

~~{{Ph~~-~~I-ComR}}~~

*Transfer of remaining subscription time to Tractive service

*Two months free service for non-subscribers who purchase a new plan

*Deadline of September 30, 2025, to claim replacements

The company justified the shutdown by stating that ''"maintaining and developing two separate ecosystems—devices, apps, and software—doubles the complexity and could limit the quality of service and innovation."''<ref>{{cite web|url=https://tractive.com/blog/en/press/tractive-acquires-whistle|title=Tractive Acquires Whistle from Mars Petcare to Accelerate Leadership in Global Pet Tech Market|publisher=Tractive|date=2025-07-28|access-date=2025-08-12}}</ref>

Tractive CEO Michael Hurnaus characterized the acquisition as enabling the company to ''"deliver new features and improvements faster, more reliably, and with greater impact for all users—including former Whistle customers."''<ref>{{cite web|url=https://finance.yahoo.com/news/tractive-acquires-whistle-mars-petcare-110000346.html|title=Tractive Acquires Whistle from Mars Petcare to Accelerate Leadership in Global Pet Tech Market|publisher=Yahoo Finance|date=2025-07-28|access-date=2025-08-12}}</ref>

==Lawsuit==

As of August 2025, no formal litigation has been filed regarding the Whistle shutdown. Legal experts have identified potential claims under the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act and state consumer protection statutes, though Tractive's free replacement program may affect damage calculations.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.webpronews.com/tractive-acquires-whistle-pet-trackers-obsolete-by-august-2025/|title=Tractive Acquires Whistle: Pet Trackers Obsolete by August 2025|publisher=WebProNews|date=2025-07-29|access-date=2025-08-12}}</ref>

The situation shares characteristics with the 2016 Nest/Revolv case, where the Federal Trade Commission reviewed but ultimately took no action after Google provided refunds for bricked smart home hubs.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theregister.com/2016/07/15/ftc_lets_nest_off_hook_over_revolv/|title=FTC lets Nest off the hook over Revolv IoT hub bricking shame|publisher=The Register|date=2016-07-15|access-date=2025-08-12}}</ref>

==Consumer response==

Consumer reactions have been documented across multiple platforms:

*Trustpilot reviews for Whistle average 2.4 out of 5 stars across 2,579 reviews, with recent complaints focusing on the shutdown announcement. <ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.trustpilot.com/review/whistle.com|title=Whistle Reviews|publisher=Trustpilot|access-date=2025-08-12}}</ref> Reviews of the company & the product were consistently poor prior to the shutdown announcement.

*Better Business Bureau records show patterns of complaints regarding subscription issues and warranty concerns<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbb.org/us/ca/san-francisco/profile/find-a-pet/whistle-labs-1116-534049/complaints|title=Whistle Labs BBB Complaints|publisher=Better Business Bureau|access-date=2025-08-12}}</ref>

*Reddit users have expressed frustration about losing years of pet health data when it comes to animals with medical conditions that require long-term monitoring<ref>{{cite web|url=https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2025/07/acquisition-sends-thousands-of-whistle-pet-trackers-to-iot-graveyard/|title=Acquisition sends thousands of Whistle pet trackers to IoT graveyard|publisher=Ars Technica|date=2025-07-29|author=Scharon Harding|access-date=2025-08-12}}</ref>

One user stated that the loss of behavioral monitoring features was "very handy, so to lose that sucks" when describing how they used the device to track their dog's seasonal allergies.<ref>{{cite web |author= |date=2025-07-29 |title=Whistle question : r/tractivegps |url=https://www.reddit.com/r/tractivegps/comments/1mbflhn/comment/n5lwr0u/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1 |access-date=2025-08-12 |publisher=reddit}}</ref>

Technology publication Engadget noted that "''thousands of GPS trackers and monitors will morph into e-waste in about a month."''<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.engadget.com/wearables/whistle-pet-trackers-are-shutting-down-next-month-212828325.html|title=Whistle pet trackers are shutting down next month|publisher=Engadget|date=2025-07-30|access-date=2025-08-12}}</ref>

==Sadness==

The Whistle shutdown contributes to what the US PIRG Education Fund describes as an ''"Electronic Waste Graveyard"'' of over 100 tech products that have stopped working after manufacturers dropped support.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://pirg.org/edfund/resources/electronic-waste-graveyard/|title=Electronic Waste Graveyard|publisher=US PIRG Education Fund|access-date=2025-08-12}}</ref> The organization estimates that expired software and canceled cloud services have created ''"a minimum of 130 million pounds of electronic waste"'' since 2014.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2025/07/acquisition-sends-thousands-of-whistle-pet-trackers-to-iot-graveyard/|title=Acquisition sends thousands of Whistle pet trackers to IoT graveyard|publisher=Ars Technica|date=2025-07-29|author=Scharon Harding|access-date=2025-08-12}}</ref>

Similar incidents include:

*Google's Nest bricking Revolv smart home hubs in 2016<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.pcworld.com/article/420413/why-nests-revolv-hubs-wont-be-the-last-iot-devices-knocked-offline.html|title=Why Nest's Revolv hubs won't be the last IoT devices knocked offline|publisher=PCWorld|date=2016-04-06|access-date=2025-08-12}}</ref>

*Wink's 2020 demand for mandatory subscriptions with one week notice<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.consumerreports.org/smart-home/wink-tells-users-pay-up-or-we-will-disable-smart-home-hub/|title=Wink Tells Users: Pay $5 a Month or We'll Disable Your Smart Home Hub|publisher=Consumer Reports|date=2020-05-06|access-date=2025-08-12}}</ref>

*Best Buy's shutdown of Insignia smart home products in 2019<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.tomsguide.com/news/best-buy-is-dumbing-down-its-smart-home-devices|title=Best Buy Is Dumbing Down Its Smart Home Devices|publisher=Tom's Guide|date=2019-11-05|access-date=2025-08-12}}</ref>

==References==

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 {{IncidentCargo
-|Company=Tractive, Mars PEtcare, Whistle Labs
+|Company=Tractive, Mars Petcare, Whistle Labs
-|StartDate=2025-08-31
+|StartDate=2025-07-28
 |Status=Active
-|ProductLine=pet products
+|ProductLine=Pet tracking devices
-|ArticleType=Product
+|ArticleType=Incident
-|Type=Planned Obsolesence
+|Type=Planned Obsolescence, Service Termination
-|Description=Whistle pet trackers were discontinued & shut down following Tractive's acquisition
+|Description=Whistle pet trackers will cease functioning on August 31, 2025, following Tractive's acquisition of the company from Mars Petcare
-}}
+}}Whistle pet trackers will cease functioning on August 31, 2025, following Tractive's acquisition of the company from Mars Petcare.
-{{Ph-I-Int}}
 ==Background==
-{{Ph-I-B}}
+Whistle Labs was founded in 2012 as a developer of GPS enabled pet tracking & health monitoring devices.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whistle_(company)|title=Whistle (company)|publisher=Wikipedia|access-date=2025-08-12}}</ref> The company marketed its products as ''"Fitbit for dogs,"'' offering activity tracking, GPS location services, & health monitoring ability.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://techcrunch.com/2016/03/31/whistle-acquired-by-mars/|title=Whistle's 'Fitbit for dogs' acquired by Mars Petcare|publisher=TechCrunch|date=2016-03-31|access-date=2025-08-12}}</ref>
+Mars Petcare, a subsidiary of Mars Inc., acquired Whistle in April 2016 for approximately $117 million.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-04-01/mars-said-to-spend-117m-to-acquire-whistle-s-fitbit-for-dogs|title=Pet Food Maker Mars Spends $117 Million to Acquire Whistle's 'Fitbit for Dogs'|publisher=Bloomberg|date=2016-04-01|access-date=2025-08-12}}</ref> Under Mars ownership, Whistle expanded its product line to include models such as the GO, GO Explore, Switch, FIT, & Health trackers, with retail prices ranging from $100 to $199.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://aorkuler.com/blogs/blog/whistle-pet-tracker-2024-product-description|title=Whistle Pet Tracker 2024: Products Description|publisher=Aorkuler|access-date=2025-08-12}}</ref>
+Tractive, an Austrian company founded in 2012, operates as a competitor in the pet GPS tracking market, offering similar location and health monitoring services across 175 countries.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://tractive.com/blog/en/press/tractive-acquires-whistle|title=Tractive Acquires Whistle from Mars Petcare to Accelerate Leadership in Global Pet Tech Market|publisher=Tractive|date=2025-07-28|access-date=2025-08-12}}</ref>
+==Acquisition and shutdown announcement==
+On July 28, 2025, Tractive announced its acquisition of Whistle from Mars Petcare.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://tractive.com/blog/en/press/tractive-acquires-whistle|title=Tractive Acquires Whistle from Mars Petcare to Accelerate Leadership in Global Pet Tech Market|publisher=Tractive|date=2025-07-28|access-date=2025-08-12}}</ref> Financial terms were not disclosed, though a webpage article that seems AI generated values the deal in the ''"tens of millions."''<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.webpronews.com/tractive-acquires-whistle-pet-trackers-obsolete-by-august-2025/|title=Tractive Acquires Whistle: Pet Trackers Obsolete by August 2025|publisher=WebProNews|date=2025-07-29|access-date=2025-08-12}}</ref> Take this with a shaker of salt.
+Alongside the acquisition announcement, Tractive said that all Whistle devices would permanently stop working on August 31, 2025, giving users 33 days notice.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.whistle.com/blogs/news/whistle-joins-the-tractive-family|title=Whistle joins the Tractive Family|publisher=Whistle|date=2025-07-28|access-date=2025-08-12}}</ref> The shutdown affects all Whistle product models and will result in:
+*Complete loss of GPS tracking functionality
+*Inability to access the Whistle mobile application
+*Permanent loss of all historical pet health and activity data
+*Obsolescence of all Whistle hardware accessories and chargers
+Users have been informed that pet health data collected over years "will not be transferred to the replacement Tractive devices" due to what the company describes as "different algorithms that would not be compatible with Tractive's systems."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.whistle.com/blogs/news/whistle-joins-the-tractive-family|title=Whistle joins the Tractive Family|publisher=Whistle|date=2025-07-28|access-date=2025-08-12}}</ref>
-==[Incident]==
+===Tractive's response===
-{{Ph-I-I}}
+Tractive has offered a replacement program providing free GPS tracker devices to affected Whistle customers. The program includes:<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.whistle.com/blogs/news/whistle-joins-the-tractive-family|title=Whistle joins the Tractive Family|publisher=Whistle|date=2025-07-28|access-date=2025-08-12}}</ref>
-===[Company]'s response===
+*One free Tractive GPS tracker (valued at $49.99-$99.00) per Whistle device
-{{Ph-I-ComR}}
+*Transfer of remaining subscription time to Tractive service
+*Two months free service for non-subscribers who purchase a new plan
+*Deadline of September 30, 2025, to claim replacements
+The company justified the shutdown by stating that ''"maintaining and developing two separate ecosystems—devices, apps, and software—doubles the complexity and could limit the quality of service and innovation."''<ref>{{cite web|url=https://tractive.com/blog/en/press/tractive-acquires-whistle|title=Tractive Acquires Whistle from Mars Petcare to Accelerate Leadership in Global Pet Tech Market|publisher=Tractive|date=2025-07-28|access-date=2025-08-12}}</ref>
+Tractive CEO Michael Hurnaus characterized the acquisition as enabling the company to ''"deliver new features and improvements faster, more reliably, and with greater impact for all users—including former Whistle customers."''<ref>{{cite web|url=https://finance.yahoo.com/news/tractive-acquires-whistle-mars-petcare-110000346.html|title=Tractive Acquires Whistle from Mars Petcare to Accelerate Leadership in Global Pet Tech Market|publisher=Yahoo Finance|date=2025-07-28|access-date=2025-08-12}}</ref>
 ==Lawsuit==
-{{Ph-I-L}}
+As of August 2025, no formal litigation has been filed regarding the Whistle shutdown. Legal experts have identified potential claims under the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act and state consumer protection statutes, though Tractive's free replacement program may affect damage calculations.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.webpronews.com/tractive-acquires-whistle-pet-trackers-obsolete-by-august-2025/|title=Tractive Acquires Whistle: Pet Trackers Obsolete by August 2025|publisher=WebProNews|date=2025-07-29|access-date=2025-08-12}}</ref>
+The situation shares characteristics with the 2016 Nest/Revolv case, where the Federal Trade Commission reviewed but ultimately took no action after Google provided refunds for bricked smart home hubs.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theregister.com/2016/07/15/ftc_lets_nest_off_hook_over_revolv/|title=FTC lets Nest off the hook over Revolv IoT hub bricking shame|publisher=The Register|date=2016-07-15|access-date=2025-08-12}}</ref>
 ==Consumer response==
-{{Ph-I-ConR}}
+Consumer reactions have been documented across multiple platforms:
+*Trustpilot reviews for Whistle average 2.4 out of 5 stars across 2,579 reviews, with recent complaints focusing on the shutdown announcement. <ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.trustpilot.com/review/whistle.com|title=Whistle Reviews|publisher=Trustpilot|access-date=2025-08-12}}</ref> Reviews of the company & the product were consistently poor prior to the shutdown announcement.
+*Better Business Bureau records show patterns of complaints regarding subscription issues and warranty concerns<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbb.org/us/ca/san-francisco/profile/find-a-pet/whistle-labs-1116-534049/complaints|title=Whistle Labs BBB Complaints|publisher=Better Business Bureau|access-date=2025-08-12}}</ref>
+*Reddit users have expressed frustration about losing years of pet health data when it comes to animals with medical conditions that require long-term monitoring<ref>{{cite web|url=https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2025/07/acquisition-sends-thousands-of-whistle-pet-trackers-to-iot-graveyard/|title=Acquisition sends thousands of Whistle pet trackers to IoT graveyard|publisher=Ars Technica|date=2025-07-29|author=Scharon Harding|access-date=2025-08-12}}</ref>
+One user stated that the loss of behavioral monitoring features was "very handy, so to lose that sucks" when describing how they used the device to track their dog's seasonal allergies.<ref>{{cite web |author= |date=2025-07-29 |title=Whistle question : r/tractivegps |url=https://www.reddit.com/r/tractivegps/comments/1mbflhn/comment/n5lwr0u/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1 |access-date=2025-08-12 |publisher=reddit}}</ref>
+Technology publication Engadget noted that "''thousands of GPS trackers and monitors will morph into e-waste in about a month."''<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.engadget.com/wearables/whistle-pet-trackers-are-shutting-down-next-month-212828325.html|title=Whistle pet trackers are shutting down next month|publisher=Engadget|date=2025-07-30|access-date=2025-08-12}}</ref>
+==Sadness==
+The Whistle shutdown contributes to what the US PIRG Education Fund describes as an ''"Electronic Waste Graveyard"'' of over 100 tech products that have stopped working after manufacturers dropped support.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://pirg.org/edfund/resources/electronic-waste-graveyard/|title=Electronic Waste Graveyard|publisher=US PIRG Education Fund|access-date=2025-08-12}}</ref> The organization estimates that expired software and canceled cloud services have created ''"a minimum of 130 million pounds of electronic waste"'' since 2014.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2025/07/acquisition-sends-thousands-of-whistle-pet-trackers-to-iot-graveyard/|title=Acquisition sends thousands of Whistle pet trackers to IoT graveyard|publisher=Ars Technica|date=2025-07-29|author=Scharon Harding|access-date=2025-08-12}}</ref>
+Similar incidents include:
+*Google's Nest bricking Revolv smart home hubs in 2016<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.pcworld.com/article/420413/why-nests-revolv-hubs-wont-be-the-last-iot-devices-knocked-offline.html|title=Why Nest's Revolv hubs won't be the last IoT devices knocked offline|publisher=PCWorld|date=2016-04-06|access-date=2025-08-12}}</ref>
+*Wink's 2020 demand for mandatory subscriptions with one week notice<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.consumerreports.org/smart-home/wink-tells-users-pay-up-or-we-will-disable-smart-home-hub/|title=Wink Tells Users: Pay $5 a Month or We'll Disable Your Smart Home Hub|publisher=Consumer Reports|date=2020-05-06|access-date=2025-08-12}}</ref>
+*Best Buy's shutdown of Insignia smart home products in 2019<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.tomsguide.com/news/best-buy-is-dumbing-down-its-smart-home-devices|title=Best Buy Is Dumbing Down Its Smart Home Devices|publisher=Tom's Guide|date=2019-11-05|access-date=2025-08-12}}</ref>
 ==References==