Amazon is now offering to replace customers’ Cloud Cams with a new Blink Mini, following its decision earlier this year to discontinue the Cloud Cam product line and end support for the device’s associated mobile apps. Customers will receive an email from Amazon with information on how to order the replacement product, which will include a one-year Blink Subscription Plus plan.
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However, customers had begun to worry about when these emails would appear. They thought that either Amazon had misled them, or they simply hadn't received the email when it was originally sent.
It was only recently that affected customers finally began receiving instructions on how to order the replacement Blink product from Amazon.
Amazon is offering all Cloud Cam owners a free Blink Mini and a one-year Blink Subscription Plus plan. This offer is valid for any active Cloud Cam device.
The email explains which Amazon Cloud Cam products the user has active on their account and how to make the purchase using a promo code. The company says customers have until January 26, 2023, to redeem their code. Only one promo code is allowed per order, so customers with larger Cloud Cam sets will need to check out separately for each device they plan to replace.
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The Blink Mini replacement offers an indoor security camera with 1080p HD video, 2.4GHz Wi-Fi connectivity, night vision, motion detection, and two-way audio. It also works with Alexa. These specs are similar to the Cloud Cam, which also offered 1080p HD video, night vision , and two-way audio.
Amazon customers can also recycle their old cameras by requesting a free UPS shipping label through the Amazon Recycling Program, the email notes.
After purchasing the product, customers will then need to log in to their Amazon account associated with their email and place the order for the Blink subscription, which will appear for free at checkout. (A Blink account is required to activate subscription plan — so wait until it’s set up first, or you’ll be charged full price.)
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The company is also giving its customers time to export their data from the Cloud Cam platform before it disappears for good. Starting December 2, 2022, customers will no longer be able to access Cloud Cam or its associated apps. Until then, customers can download available video recordings if they wish. But after that date, all video history will be deleted, Amazon warns.
To export content, customers will need to individually click on each video from the “Recorded Clips” tab in the app and select Download to save each recording.
Amazon said the discontinuation of the Cloud Cam, first created in 2017, was because the company's line of Alexa- smart home devices had expanded over time, and it chose to invest its resources in other products.
Information source: techcrunch.com
