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Petlibro accused of 'gaslighting' users over smart pet feeder outage

Created at 17 Aug · 6:51 PM1 source↑ Market-relevant
IN SHORT

Smart pet feeder company Petlibro is facing accusations of "gaslighting" customers following a recent outage. Users reported that scheduled feedings did not occur and that communication about the issue was inadequate, contradicting the company's claims.

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Key Numbers

fiveemails sent to customers
fourupdates posted on Reddit and Instagram

Who's Involved

Petlibro
smart pet feeder company facing outage accusations
Wu
Petlibro representative detailing outage and response
Petlibro accused of 'gaslighting' users over smart pet feeder outage

↳ Why This Matters

The incident highlights potential issues with smart device reliability, customer communication during crises, and the impact of perceived dishonesty on brand reputation and customer trust.

Key facts

  • Petlibro experienced a service outage due to a cache issue.
  • Users reported that scheduled pet feeder routines did not function during the outage.
  • Petlibro claims it communicated the outage via emails and social media updates.
  • Some users accused Petlibro of "gaslighting" and poor customer service.
  • The company is investigating reports of failed scheduled routines.

Petlibro is facing accusations of "gaslighting" its users following a recent outage of its smart pet feeders. The company stated that a cache issue caused the service disruption, which was subsequently resolved. However, multiple users reported that their devices did not perform scheduled feedings while offline, contradicting Petlibro's claims that its products are designed to operate independently of the app.

During and after the outage, some customers claimed they were not adequately informed about the technical difficulties, leading to accusations of "atrocious customer service." Petlibro stated that it sent five emails to active customers and posted four updates on Reddit and Instagram, in addition to creating a status update page. Despite these communications, users expressed frustration over the perceived downplaying of the incident's severity and the conflicting information regarding the functionality of the feeders during the outage.

Petlibro acknowledged that it is actively reviewing isolated reports where a routine may not have performed as expected, seeking to determine if secondary factors were involved. Nevertheless, some users are seeking replacement feeders and criticizing the company's response, with online discussions highlighting the sentiment that the company is "gaslighting" its customers by not fully acknowledging the extent of the problem.

Frequently asked questions

Petlibro identified a cache issue that required disabling service to remedy.

Petlibro claims its products are designed to perform scheduled routines independently of the app, which functioned for most devices. However, multiple users reported this was not the case during the outage.

Petlibro stated it sent five emails to customers and posted four updates on Reddit and Instagram, and created a status update page.

Users accuse Petlibro of 'gaslighting' due to conflicting reports about whether scheduled feedings worked offline and the perceived downplaying of the outage's severity.

What Happens Next

01Petlibro is investigating isolated reports of failed scheduled routines.

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Cadence

How It Developed

Petlibro experienced a cache issue that disabled service for its smart pet feeders.
The company stated a solution was implemented and service reactivated.
Users reported not receiving emails about the outage and claimed scheduled feedings failed.
Petlibro stated it sent five emails and posted four updates on Reddit and Instagram.
Users accused Petlibro of "gaslighting" and "atrocious customer service" due to conflicting reports.
Petlibro is investigating isolated reports of scheduled routines not performing as expected.

Sources

T1
Petlibro accused of “gaslighting” users over smart pet feeder outagevar abtest_2167875 = new ABTest(2167875, 'impression');Ars Technica

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