Business Profile

Security System Monitors

Canary

This business is NOT BBB Accredited.

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Complaints

This profile includes complaints for Canary's headquarters and its corporate-owned locations. To view all corporate locations, see

Customer Complaints Summary

71 total complaints in the last 3 years.
22 complaints closed in the last 12 months.

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The complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business.

Initial Complaint
Date:08/07/2024
Type:Sales and Advertising Issues
Status:
AnsweredMore info
Complaint statuses
Resolved:
The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
Unresolved:
The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
Answered:
The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
Unanswered:
The business failed to respond to the dispute.
Unpursuable:
BBB is unable to locate the business.
On 8/1/24 I requested my services be canceled, by phone, by email and online, the company charged my credit card anyway and continues to try and offer me discounted rates, or free membership next year, they have yet to cancel my service as requested.
Business Response
Date: 08/08/2024
Hi there, thank you for bringing this to our attention. We confirm the customer has contacted us via email and phone requesting cancellation of their *************** subscription however, this is all after the *************** subscription renewed. Customer purchased Annual *************** and agreed to the terms of service since Nov 11, 2017 11:41 EST. A reminder email is sent each year prior to the renewal as a courtesy only and our system confirms this was sent on Jul 25, 2024 00:26 EDT. The subscription renewed on Aug 1, 2024 08:19 EDT. Customer redeemed a 50% discount code after the renewal took place on Aug 1, 2024 10:20 EDT but cancelled on Aug 2, 2024 08:07 EDT, therefore their subscription expires on Aug 1, 2025 08:19 EDT as per terms and conditions agreed to by both parties. As the customer contacted us after the renewal took place, we are unable to provide a refund.
Initial Complaint
Date:07/03/2024
Type:Service or Repair Issues
Status:
AnsweredMore info
Complaint statuses
Resolved:
The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
Unresolved:
The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
Answered:
The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
Unanswered:
The business failed to respond to the dispute.
Unpursuable:
BBB is unable to locate the business.
I have purchased 5 Canary Camera devices over the past ~ 5-6 years. At the time of purchase, the Canary Devices had a necessary feature to indicate and record motion that could be watched back if viewed immediately after the motion occurred. I believe the motion recorded was allowed to be viewed for 24 hours before it was dropped from the history. This short-term viewing ability of the motion recorded was both advertised and sold to me as an included feature of the Canary system at no charge. Canary never promoted this feature as being offered for free temporarily as a promotion - it was a standard necessary and necessary feature with any security camera. There was also no reason to think this would be temporarily provided, as similar cameras all offer this most basic feature for free. Since purchasing my cameras Canary has now changed their policy and remove this very necessary and basic feature and now wants to charge for this capability. I would have never purchased these expensive cameras had I known they would start charging for this short-term record feature in a subscription model. When I approached Canary about rectifying the situation they gave me a temporary 1 year code to receive the necessary recording feature that was always free (now called premium). All I want is the ability to use the cameras in the ability they were sold to me (with the short-term record option). If Canary wants to change their policy - fine - they should do so. However, they should not be allowed to change their policy retroactively for customers who purchased cameras under the old policy terms. Let me return my cameras and get my money back, or provide me with the service that was originally advertised and sold to me.
Business Response
Date: 07/04/2024
Hi there, thank you for bringing this to our attention. To clarify, ************* continues to be free for our customers with 24/7 Watch-live, two-way talk and motion notifications. The offer that was presented to you is a gesture of goodwill and also offering you a 50% discount for the following year. Our system confirms that you have already redeemed the free year on your account. Our records also show you first subscribed to *************** on Jun 22, 2020 16:56 EDT. We are sorry to learn of your frustration however, everything is subject to change in the terms and conditions.

To clarify, 24/7 watch live, motion notifications, geofencing are just some of the features that continue to be free and is still included as part of the ************* plan. In addition, we've added the Two-Way Talk feature to the free basic service plan. Two-Way Talk is a feature which has been heavily requested by our basic plan customers, and now everyone can stay even more connected to their homes by having real-time conversations through the Canary app.

In order to first use our service, it is a requirement that you affirmatively agree to our terms. One of those terms entitles us to update or discontinue features or change our pricing. This is standard in the industry. We are not changing anything about your service during the term of a committed contract period. For example, if you had agreed to take our service for a given price for two years, it would be problematic for us to change the price or feature set during that two year period. In your case, you are on a month-to-month agreement with us, and we gave you more than one month's notice of the changes. We are exercising our contractual rights and updating our service offering. There is no requirement that you continue using the service if you are not satisfied with the updated feature set.
Customer Answer
Date: 07/05/2024
Better Business Bureau:

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID# ********, and have determined that my complaint has NOT been resolved because:

[Your Answer Here]
Canary claims that a fundamental feature of their camera system is an option. Seeing a recording play back for at least a short period of time is the basic need of any camera security system. No one constantly monitors a home camera security system live. For Canary to now cancel what was an included fundamental feature, makes these expensive cameras now useless unless I pay for their premium service or agree to their free 1 year subscription (which I have done so I can use the camera). However once the free service is completed at the end of the free trial period, I will be back to the same situation of needing to pay for the premium service features. Again, I would never have originally purchased these cameras if this feature was advertised as being a temporary feature from Canary. The fact that Canary has an agreement that says they can change features at any time is beyond crazy if the feature they are removing makes the security camera basically useless after the buyer has already paid for the hardware. I have been buying Canary Cameras since 2017 and they never mentioned the very basic most fundamental feature to make the camera usable would be switched to a pay subscription model. If Canary advertised that they would be charging the person buying the camera a monthly fee in the future, I would take no issue with the Canary policy. The idea of making a camera effectively useless after the buyer has paid for the hardware, unless the buyer now pays for a subscription service is crazy. Imagine buying a radio that plays all the standard am fm stations, and then one day the company that sold you the radio says, "yes - you can still turn the radio on - it works fine - you just need to now pay a monthly fee so the most basic antenna feature of the radio will work so it can connect to and hear the radio station.
My next letter is to the NYS attorney general. Companies can not be allowed to take this level of dishonesty with the consumer, and steal their money.

In order for the BBB to appropriately process your response, you MUST answer the question above.

Sincerely,

* *********************************

Business Response
Date: 07/08/2024
Out of the box, your Canary will have access to motion-activated notifications, Two-way Talk, ***** and ****** Home integrations and Watch Live, without any additional cost. What this means is that your Canary wont capture footage of an empty room but will notify you when motion is detected for you to jump over the Watch Live feature in the app to see the motion as it happens. Customer agreed to our terms and conditions when adding their first recorded device in 2017. As a gesture of goodwill, customer was offered and accepted one free year of **************** Basic Service continues to be free of charge. In order to first use our service, it is a requirement that you affirmatively agree to our terms. One of those terms entitles us to update or discontinue features or change our pricing. This is standard in the industry. We are not changing anything about your service during the term of a committed contract period. For example, if you had agreed to take our service for a given price for two years, it would be problematic for us to change the price or feature set during that two year period. In your case, you are on an annual contract with one device and Basic-month-to-month agreement with us for the others. For the change to Basic we gave you more than one month's notice of the changes. We are exercising our contractual rights and updating our service offering. There is no requirement that you continue using the service if you are not satisfied with the updated feature set.
Customer Answer
Date: 07/08/2024
Better Business Bureau:

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID# ********, and have determined that my complaint has NOT been resolved because:

[Your Answer Here]

In order for the BBB to appropriately process your response, you MUST answer the question above.

Sincerely,

* *********************************
Initial Complaint
Date:06/15/2024
Type:Service or Repair Issues
Status:
AnsweredMore info
Complaint statuses
Resolved:
The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
Unresolved:
The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
Answered:
The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
Unanswered:
The business failed to respond to the dispute.
Unpursuable:
BBB is unable to locate the business.
Sometime at the beginning of May 2024 I started noticing that my driveway canary flex camera recording was not working correctly the playback speed is too fast. I am unable to accurately view motion from my mobile device and laptop computer. I have been using 3 canary products in my home since 2020. I pay an annual service fee and I want them to fix the problem. They are aware of this glitch now going on 2 months and there is no date for repair or update. This is unacceptable for a company to not deliver what a customer is paying for. My repeated contacts to the company get "canned" replies about 1'The issue will be resolved in the next software update, and we do not have the exact date of the new software update release."I have been waiting for a fix since my original contact on May 3, 2024, 6:56AM EDT playback on video history has become extremely slow at loading. I have reset every camera and wi fi it is stuck clocking
Business Response
Date: 06/17/2024
Hi there, thank you for bringing this to our attention. When the videos are played back on any other device, they are at normal speed. The issue was specific to certain phone model's which took a little time to isolate. The issue should now be resolved. A member of the management team will also reach out to you directly.
Initial Complaint
Date:06/07/2024
Type:Service or Repair Issues
Status:
AnsweredMore info
Complaint statuses
Resolved:
The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
Unresolved:
The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
Answered:
The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
Unanswered:
The business failed to respond to the dispute.
Unpursuable:
BBB is unable to locate the business.
Canary sent an email notification that payment was upcoming. I was on vacation and did not see the email. A phone number is not provided on their app, but I was able to search the internet and find one. I called one day after the renewal date to cancel the service for the upcoming year. I was told on the phone that it would be taken care of. By the end of that day I received an email saying they would not cancel the service until 2025. I emailed and called at least two additional times to try to resolve this issue but the call is transferred to a foreign country and I keep getting the same canned email response. This payment is for future service, not service rendered. I am asking for a full refund.
Business Response
Date: 06/10/2024
Hello, thank you for bringing this to our attention. The phone number to contact Canary support is available on the Canary website under "How do I contact support." Canary support is available from 8AM to 8PM Eastern time Monday - Saturday, and 9AM to 5PM Eastern time Sunday. Customer purchased ********************** and agreed to the terms of service since June 5, 2019 18:01 EDT. A reminder email is sent each year prior to the renewal as a courtesy only and our system confirms this was sent on May 29, 2024 00:25 EDT. The subscription renewed on June 5, 2024 18:01 EDT. Customer cancelled on Jun 6, ********** EDT, therefore their subscription expires on June 5, 2025 18:01 EDT as per terms and conditions agreed to by both parties. As the customer contacted us after the renewal took place, we are unable to provide a refund.
Customer Answer
Date: 06/10/2024
Better Business Bureau:

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID# ********, and have determined that my complaint has NOT been resolved because:

I did not see the email notification Canary sent due to being out of town and unavailable. When I saw the notification via email I immediately called which was a day or two after the said service began. I was told on the phone this would be resolved; cancelled and refunded. Later that day I received the same canned response as above via email. I then called back 3 times and asked for this matter to be escalated and asked for a phone call from a member of management and finally after much frustration I asked for a call back from a member of management in the ***. Each time I received the same canned email response and no phone call.
I see hundreds of complaints on the BBB site and had I known this I would never had done business with such a company
I want resolution via a refund for services not rendered. For a company to perform business this way is extremely unprofessional and unlawful. Why does Canary say they cannot issue a refund? They can, they just refuse. This is poor customer service.
A satisfactory response from Canary will be a full refund immediately.

In order for the BBB to appropriately process your response, you MUST answer the question above.

Sincerely,

*************************

Business Response
Date: 06/13/2025
Hello ****** A full refund of $198.99 USD was processed on Jun 10, 2025 05:47 EDT and your service was terminated as per your request.
Customer Answer
Date: 06/13/2025
Better Business Bureau:

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID# ********, and have determined that my complaint has NOT been resolved because:

this complaint is a year old and was closed. The agreement made with canary is in the history.

In order for the BBB to appropriately process your response, you MUST answer the question above.

Sincerely,

******** ****
Initial Complaint
Date:06/04/2024
Type:Customer Service Issues
Status:
AnsweredMore info
Complaint statuses
Resolved:
The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
Unresolved:
The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
Answered:
The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
Unanswered:
The business failed to respond to the dispute.
Unpursuable:
BBB is unable to locate the business.
The Box for the cameras said no service fees or monthly fees, shortly after I got them installed, canary moved features that were advertised on the box as free, behind a paywall. I reluctantly have agreed to pay annual charges for several years, for annual premium service (the service that was advertised on the box as free) on all of my cameras. This year they will not offer me a reduced membership fee for being an original backer of the project. They bait and switched all customers.
Business Response
Date: 06/05/2024
Hi *****, thank you for bringing this to our attention. According to our records, you set up your first device on August 2017 and your additional devices in 2020 and 2021 respectively. We have forward your request over to our senior support team who will follow-up shortly, and help find a resolution here.
Initial Complaint
Date:05/13/2024
Type:Customer Service Issues
Status:
AnsweredMore info
Complaint statuses
Resolved:
The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
Unresolved:
The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
Answered:
The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
Unanswered:
The business failed to respond to the dispute.
Unpursuable:
BBB is unable to locate the business.
Hello I was charged an annual fee and was unaware I would be charged. I made several attempts to obtain a refund and was told that was impossible so my service would be activated for a year. The manager said I made too many requests for refunds, and blocked my number so that I can no longer get technical assistance for the product( which is a feature of the premium service. )I have emailed and called to no avail. No I am spending 130 dollars for a camera that will not work and a business that will not respond. I'd either like a refund, or I'd like assistance with activating and using the camera.
Business Response
Date: 05/14/2024
Hello *****,
There are two issues that are addressed in our reply. Your cancellation with request for refund and your communication with the Canary customer support team.
7 days prior to renewal, Canary sends an email to each customer as a courtesy which was sent to you on Apr 30, 2024 12:26 AM EDT. At any time before the renewal date, you can self cancel from within the app, call, reply to that email, send an SMS or open a chat and we can cancel that for you should you need assistance. Per our terms of service that you agreed to on Nov 17, 2019, once the renewal happens, Canary will cancel on the next renewal date. You can read the full Terms of Service by clicking here. You self-canceled on May 7, 2024 6:46 PM EDT according to our system. Your refund request was denied per those terms. Your *************** expires on May 7, 2025. No renewal will take place and no further payments will be collected. Your camera is active and *************** is active until May 7, 2025.
On May 7th, after the renewal went through, you asked for a cancellation which we confirmed that you made. The refund request was denied per those same terms. You continued to email from multiple accounts, call, and open chats. You spoke to a supervisor who explained company policy. You stated that you would continuously call and harass the team until you got your way. After several phone calls, your phone number was blocked due to your offensive language towards our support team which is not tolerated. You wrote the Canary support team again stating please give my money back I will write 1000 bad reviews and contact the bbb this is insane.
Canary has a policy of not submitting to extortion attempts nor will we tolerate abuse to our agents. We consider this matter closed.
canary.is
Website Terms of Service | Canary
See our terms of service, privacy policies, terms and conditions, ****, return and refund policies, warranty information, and compliance notices, and more.
Customer Answer
Date: 05/14/2024
Better Business Bureau:

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID# ********, and have determined that my complaint has NOT been resolved because:

[Your Answer Here]
Hello it is both untrue and unfair to say that I intended to " harrass the staff until I got my way" and request that you're re-read the correspondence. I said that I was constantly having issues with the app and with the camera. I consistently have to Uninstall and reinstall the app. Just to maintain the functionality and sometimes that isn't of help either. When I said I'd be "keeping the staff tied up" I was referring to the constant contact I have to make with canary support to troubleshoot issues with the service. To say I would harass and use profanity against staff is absolutely ridiculous and insults my character. I requested the refund due to the very poor product and service that your company provides,and now tech support is ignoring most of my responses. Because I was told my number and email would be blocked if I continued to request a refund.now I'm being charged for a service that you no longer intend to deliver

In order for the BBB to appropriately process your response, you MUST answer the question above.

Sincerely,

***********************

Business Response
Date: 05/15/2024
Hello *****,Thanks for your reply. As a previous message from you contained "I will call everyday for a year if I have to and keep support tied up and make everything difficult", we stand by our decision that our communication can remain via email.In addition, we are answering all of your newly opened email requests related to troubleshooting. All of the same steps that we offer can be found in our **** center via Canary.is: ********************************************
Initial Complaint
Date:04/05/2024
Type:Service or Repair Issues
Status:
ResolvedMore info
Complaint statuses
Resolved:
The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
Unresolved:
The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
Answered:
The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
Unanswered:
The business failed to respond to the dispute.
Unpursuable:
BBB is unable to locate the business.
On 4.5.24 Canary (canary.is) billed me $129 for a premium service renewal that had previously cost $49. I was not alerted beforehand that this renewal was coming. I chatted with customer service and requested cancellation and refund. Neither was done. I was told (pasting this from the chat), "Unfortunately, The renewal will be done for the previous service year. So we cannot refund the amount for the services which we already provided." I asked for a supervisor, and was told one would call. Did not happen. The irony of this is that Canary is designed to prevent crime, yet the only crime that seems to be being committed here is by Canary. Thank you for any help you can provide.
Business Response
Date: 04/08/2024
Hello, thank you for bringing this to our attention. According to your account, you signed up to Canary *************** with a promotional 50% discount offer on April 5th, 2022. In the same offer, you received a $50 **** giftcard. In an earlier email that was sent to you on February 09, 2022 ?12:44 pm, the full annual price of *************** was mentioned.? On March 29th, 2023, you were also offered a 50% discount which was redeemed at the time of your renewal on April 5th, 2024. Our system confirms that a renewal reminder email was sent to you on March 29, 2024 00:26 EDT, 7 days before the renewal of your ***************. We will arrange a supervisor to phone you today.
Customer Answer
Date: 04/10/2024
Better Business Bureau:
The original email from the business should have plainly said: Your account renews on date X and we are raising your rate from Y to Z. Instead they buried the lead. I didn't notice it, so, they win. The irony is not lost on me that I bought this security system to prevent crime, when the only scoundrels I needed to watch for were those who sold it.
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me and the matter has been resolved.
Sincerely,

*********************
Initial Complaint
Date:02/23/2024
Type:Service or Repair Issues
Status:
AnsweredMore info
Complaint statuses
Resolved:
The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
Unresolved:
The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
Answered:
The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
Unanswered:
The business failed to respond to the dispute.
Unpursuable:
BBB is unable to locate the business.
I had been a premium Canary customer for years. When my dog passed in September of last year, I began the process to recover videos that I had saved in Canary and wanted to download for keepsake. A Very emotional time for me. Canary first told me I had to re-purchase my premium subscription and when I did so, videos still did not download. I spent several email conversations and live customer service conversations to get resolved. I was hopeful after 30 minutes with one rep, who said the problem would be resolved and they would get back to me in a couple days, and appreciated of his support. Never heard a word again. When I contact the canary customer service, which I have multiple times, they start over from scratch and start with the same "we will help you" to no avail. I finally asked they reimburse my premium subscription which of course they cancelled but never reimbursed. I would never trust them for service needs......ever!! I have asked for reimbursement of my renewed subscription, purchased AFTER my dog died.
Business Response
Date: 02/26/2024
Hello, thank you for your message. We are very sorry to read about the loss of your dog. We understand you have requested valued and historical videos of the moments you had with your dog.To begin our video retrieval process, we require specific dates and times of bookmarked videos you are searching for before we open a query with our engineering team. According to the ticket history with our support team, we requested that you please you provide specific dates but these were not provided from you. You did state the month of September without any further specifics. Our team searched your account for bookmarked videos from September 2023 but no videos appear to be saved. If you have specific days and times of the bookmarked videos, please contact the Canary support team and we will be happy to continue working with you to recover your treasured videos. Please note that with Premium, 30 days history is available unless you bookmark a video to be saved past that point.With regard to your refund request, you received an email reminder prior to the renewal on November 4, 2023 00:42 EDT and your subscription renewed on November 10, 2023 20:19 EST. You contacted us on December 28, 2023 15:58 EST requesting cancellation of your *************** which is after the renewal took place. Therefore, your *************** expires on November10, 2024 20:19 EST.Kindly refer to the following links as reference to the Membership Terms and Conditions you accepted at the time of purchase:
Cancellation Terms and Conditions: *************************************************** do I cancel *************** (Membership)?: *************************************************************************************************** " Termination of your account past the relevant deadline for cancellation shall not relieve you of any obligation to pay any accrued fees or charges to which you committed and failed to timely cancel. Upon cancellation of your Membership plan you will lose access to the benefits of the Membership plan and, after a period of time, Canary will delete information and data stored as part of your account in accordance with our current plans and related storage limits. "
As mentioned previously, any cancellation request sets the subscription to expire at the end of the current billing period, therefore, we would be unable to provide you with a refund.
Customer Answer
Date: 02/26/2024
Better Business Bureau:

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID# ********, and have determined that my complaint has NOT been resolved because:

I believe Canary is responding to my last dialogue with them where they ignored all previous emails and live conversations I had with their team. I was on the phone with a customer service rep reviewing the exact videos I wanted that were bookmarked on my account. The download process was not working. He spent almost 30 minutes with me and than told me they would be back to me in a couple days and ensured me I would get this resolved. I ignorantly did not take his name and contact, trusting the interaction we had. I re-initiated the conversation after I did not hear back, and Canary started the process from zero.....and at that time I could also no longer see my bookmarked videos over several years that were in my subscription. I requested the reimbursement of my NEW membership which they made me do AFTER the death of my dog for the retrieval process. The Finance Team denied that request. I have had too many contacts that go nowhere since the initial positive conversation where I thought I had finally found someone to assist on the video retrieval. I will not be satisfied until I receive reimbursement on my most recent subscription which was ridiculous as my dog was dead, and I was only following your requests to get it resolved. I have been horrified at the lack of tracking on the numerous contacts I have had with Canary. NOT resolved. I have not downloaded videos, and I have not reimbursement on my account.

In order for the BBB to appropriately process your response, you MUST answer the question above.

Sincerely,

*************************

Business Response
Date: 02/27/2024
Hello, thank you for your reply. After reviewing your previous correspondence with Canary support, you wrote to us on December 28, 2023 ?03:54 pm? with a request to retrieve your videos however, our support team mentioned that there were no bookmarked videos on your account. You mentioned your dog passed in October so we searched for any bookmarked videos in September and October. On Dec 29, 2023 ?06:46 pm?, you requested assistance on retrieving historical videos but, after an extensive search on your account, we could not find any saved videos on your account. A member of the management team will be in contact with you today.
Initial Complaint
Date:01/10/2024
Type:Product Issues
Status:
AnsweredMore info
Complaint statuses
Resolved:
The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
Unresolved:
The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
Answered:
The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
Unanswered:
The business failed to respond to the dispute.
Unpursuable:
BBB is unable to locate the business.
I noticed a charge of $129 for Canary monitoring on my card. I immediately contacted Canary to cancel and request a refund before the charge had cleared my account. I was told I should have cancelled BEFORE the renewal date. I did not receive a notice of the renewal or I would have cancelled ahead of the scheduled renewal date. This seems to be a theme in reading other BBB complaints about this company. They are refusing a refund because they said I missed the deadline to cancel and not be charged. I contacted them the day the renewal was scheduled. I have not used the service for several months prior to the renewal date, nor have I used the service after the renewal. I am requesting a refund of $129.Thank you,*********************************
Business Response
Date: 01/10/2024
Hi there, thank you for bringing this to our attention. According to our records, you have had a *************** subscription which has renewed on the same day for the previous 5 years. We sent you a renewal reminder to the email address connected to your Canary account on December 22, 2023 23:24 EST, 7 days before your *************** subscription renewed.
Customer Answer
Date: 01/10/2024
Better Business Bureau:

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID# ********, and have determined that my complaint has NOT been resolved because:

I did not receive the renewal notice. I also reached out the day of the renewal to request cancellation and a refund. Please provide a refund for the service that will not be utilized.

In order for the BBB to appropriately process your response, you MUST answer the question above.

Sincerely,

*********************************

Business Response
Date: 01/11/2024
Hello, thank you for your reply. Customer purchased ********************** and agreed to the terms of service since 30 Dec 2019 13:16 EST. A reminder email is sent each year prior to the renewal as a courtesy only and our system confirms this was sent on Dec 22, 2023 23:24 EST. The subscription renewed on Dec 30, 2023 13:16 EST. Customer cancelled on Dec 30, ********** EST therefore their subscription expires on Dec 30, **** 13:16 EST as per terms and conditions agreed to by both parties. As the customer contacted us after the renewal took place, we are unable to provide a refund.
Customer Answer
Date: 01/11/2024
Better Business Bureau:

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID# ********, and have determined that my complaint has NOT been resolved because:
There is a distinct difference between being unable and unwilling to refund a prepaid renewal for services that have yet to be rendered. Your stance is that you are unwilling to refund monies collected prior to the services are rendered specifically because your valued customer failed to contact you a couple of hours prior to when you received the request for cancellation. The lack of being able to look at interactions with your customers with anything other than canned responses and refused flexibility shows that you truly dont have any valued customers and it will be the downfall of your organization. I will ensure that my experience with your company is disseminated far and wide, every chance I get. Looking at your track record with other customer complaints, it appears that holding on to every cent you can scam out of your valued customers is more important than retaining long standing relationships and positive word of mouth advertising. If $129 is the amount of money you want to retain to guarantee negative exposure for your company, it seems like the money is much more important for you to keep your business afloat than customer satisfaction. Thank you for showing your true colors and lack of customer focus for the world to see. Ill be buying all of my new products from your more ethical competitors.

In order for the BBB to appropriately process your response, you MUST answer the question above.

Sincerely,

*********************************
Initial Complaint
Date:12/28/2023
Type:Service or Repair Issues
Status:
AnsweredMore info
Complaint statuses
Resolved:
The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
Unresolved:
The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
Answered:
The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
Unanswered:
The business failed to respond to the dispute.
Unpursuable:
BBB is unable to locate the business.
Purchased Canary camera security system/services 2021-22 for about $750 total. For over a year, the cameras have not held a charge and/or connection consistently to the extent that I've stopped using them. I've tried several times to resolve with support and always get put through the same steps to confirm the cameras are not working well and then each time a new suggestion is asked. In Dec. 2023, I was asked for the first time to split my wifi. This requires me to connect my internet provider and purchase a new router. Meanwhile, 2 cameras will not even power on currently so the wifi status shouldn't matter. Canary seems to me clearly not interested in helping me fully or refunding me any amount of money for the inconveniences. I only hope my complaint will deter future customers becoming their victims.
Business Response
Date: 12/29/2023
Hello, thank you for bringing this to our attention. How long the battery lasts on a Canary Flex can be dependent many different factors, for example, how often motion is detected If the Flex is pointed at something in constant motion compared to having your Flex set up where motion is less frequent. You can use the masking feature if for instance there is something that the camera should ignore like a tree moving in the wind as it appears the device named flag pole is using a lot more battery than your device named back door.

You may find the following article helpful related to Improving Battery Life of my Canary Flex: *******************************************************************************************************************
Customer Answer
Date: 12/29/2023
Better Business Bureau:

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID# ********, and have determined that my complaint has NOT been resolved because:

1. None of my cameras have ever been pointed at anything that is in constant motion yet they all still lost battery power much quicker than acceptable. It's annoying that Canary Support always seems to respond with condescending solutions, but no actual real feeling of concern is felt on my part. It was rather embarrassing to recommend the product to neighbors and then have them show me their superior alternatives!

2. I tried for months anything and everything to resolve the repetitive battery and connectivity issues of all 4 cameras. I was not wanting to just throw the cameras away, but I've now resigned to the notion the products I'm in possession of are defective. I also take pride in being fairly tech savvy, so I don't think I should have to split my wifi to get the cameras to work.

3. The fact of the matter is that I've wasted $100s on a camera system that literally can't be used. I've relayed multiple times that one of the cameras will not even power one, but no support rep has ever offered any resolution for that issue. Now I have had to invest more $100s in a new competitor system that has been working for months with zero issues.
Sincerely,

***************************

Business Response
Date: 01/11/2024
Thank you for your reply.

Even though your devices are out of our warranty period, as a gesture of goodwill, we have offered you a replacement Canary Flex device for you to replace C600j2000144 that you mentioned does not turn on. We will arrange a prepaid shipping label for you to return this device to be assessed in detail by our product team.

Canary is yet to receive a response from you.

Canary has requested multiple times if you able to please share some video examples of each individual Canary Flex where motion is captured? This will help us identify and troubleshoot the issue.

You mentioned that your Canary Flex is not capturing anything that is in constant motion. The settings on your Canary devices show your three devices were set to record in Home, Away and Night modes. This can also drain the battery quickly. Are your Canary Flex devices set up inside or outside?

Our Canary devices are dependent on a stable Wi-Fi connection and perhaps splitting the Wi-Fi can assist with achieving this. I understand you have purchased a new security system and you do not wish to troubleshoot further, however, the team and I believe we can find a resolution with you if you are happy to continue to work with us?

Would you be kind enough to reconnect your Canary Flex devices (C600J20000192, C600H1700959) so we can monitor this closely. Specifically the battery usage compared to motion notifications and the connectivity.

We require assistance from customers to troubleshoot any issues that arise at the time so we can find a solution. According to our records, you opened a chat on October 13, 2023 ?02:26 pm and the troubleshooting steps that were sent to you were not completed as you did not respond to our follow up email.

You contacted us, again via chat on December 28, 2023 ?03:32 pm where it was suggested you move to a 2.4Ghz network that can be set up by your ISP with no intrusion to you. As you mentioned that your router does not have the ability to split networks. Dual-band routers are more efficient, have longer range, are less prone to interference from household devices, such as microwaves and older cordless phones, and are faster. However, this efficiency is maximized when using 5 GHz compatible devices. 2.4Ghz networks are however more stable. You have refused to cooperate as you mentioned again that you have purchased another security system.

If you **** prefer that we phoned you this week, please let Canary know a suitable time and we will do our best to accommodate.
Customer Answer
Date: 01/23/2024
Better Business Bureau:

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID# ********* and have determined that my complaint has NOT been resolved because:

To BBB,

I am once again requesting for my complaint to be reopened since it was deemed that I didn't respond quickly enough. This time, it is due to a major ice storm in my area causing power and internet outages for several days. I have to be honest; it frustrates me that BBB keeps closing my case after only about a week! This practice seems to me to clearly give favor to the business and not the consumer. As I only got power and internet service back yesterday, I haven't had a chance to respond to Canary's most recent communication. In closing, my issue is not resolved at all, and I request that my case remain open.

I am available for questions via email or at the cell number below.

Thanks very much,

******* ******

In order for the BBB to appropriately process your response, you MUST answer the question above.

Sincerely,

******* ******

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