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PETKIT Pura Max 2 is an automatic litter box manufactured in China that connects to Wi-Fi. Users report that, upon leaving China, the company locks the device once it is connected to the internet.
What Happened
When users leave the country, the PETKIT app displays an error after attempting to connect to Wi-Fi:
“Region restriction — this device cannot be used outside mainland China.”
The device stopped functioning entirely, even for basic cleaning cycles.
All control depends on the PETKIT app, which refuses to connect.
This creates another loss: users who purchase the device and intend to leave the country have lost up to a few hundred dollars in baggage fees for a device that was unknowingly bricked the moment they left.
Company response
One user reported contacting a rep, who replied that they cannot unblock the device because “the system automatically enforces regional restrictions.” They admitted it’s a server-level lock and that support has “no tools to override or remove it.”
The user asked for escalation to engineering — they refused, saying the block is “permanent and automatic.”
PETKIT’s Official Reply
“The system is designed to automatically enforce regional restrictions for compliance and technical reasons. Once the system detects the device is operating outside its designated region, the blocking is triggered automatically… we do not have access or tools to override it.”
Why This Is a Consumer Rights Issue
- PETKIT never disclosed any regional restriction before purchase.
- Customers are not warned that the product will stop functioning abroad.
- PETKIT refuses to offer migration, unbinding, or any technical solution.
- The device remains perfectly functional but software-blocked by region.
This practice is misleading and anti-consumer — it violates transparency and reasonable use principles. I bought this product in good faith, expecting it to work like any other smart appliance.
Evidence
- Photos of the device, serial number, and box https://consumerrights.wiki/images/c/ce/Photo_2025-10-06_22-11-03_%283%29.jpg (Archived) https://consumerrights.wiki/images/5/59/IMG_2972.JPG (Archived)
- Email correspondence with PETKIT support (Ticket: ud:00cd22c0) File:PETKIT Gmail correspondence region-lock support.pdf (Archived)
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