Warning - Logitech Harmony - It's a discontinued product.

allen · September 8, 2021

I just received a promotional email from Fing, recommending the Logitech Harmony system. But a few weeks ago I received a notice from Logitech, stating that Harmony is being discontinued. Does this mean just the remotes, or the hub as well? I assume both....

Google turns up variations on this announcement:

Logitech has discontinued its Harmony range of universal remotes. No new products will be produced, and once existing inventory is gone, it's gone. The brand says it will continue to support existing products as long as customers are using them, but to what degree will be interesting to see. Apr 12, 2021 -- from whatHiFi.com news summary.

I expected more details on Logitech.com, of course, but I couldn't find anything useful.

It's a loss to a lot of us. Once the buttons on the remote start to fail, there's no recourse.

allen · September 8, 2021

I just found confirmation on the Logitech site, in the forums, that the hub is also being discontinued. They say their services and support will continue "as long as people are using them." Let's hope lots of people keep using them, and the hardware doesn't wear out. But who's going to buy a system that's already discontinued? I don't think Fing should be promoting the Harmony line at all -- if anything they should warn users to stay away, even though it's currently the best consumer unified remote available. What a shame.

Marc · September 8, 2021

It appears that Fing is sending targeted emails based on the equipment that you have discovered. I've received a couple of emails that I attributed to me having that equipment. @allen, did Fing send you an email to purchase or more of a link to an article on the product?

allen · September 8, 2021

The Fing msg contained links to two articles on the Harmony Remotes system. I'm sure it was an attempt to be helpful, and there didn't appear to be any way that Fing would benefit directly, other than by being seen as a source of relevant info, which seems like a great idea to increase value.

There were no links for purchasing anything from Amazon, etc., or even links to Logitech directly. But it did come across as a tacit endorsement of the product line, and since it's a dead product line, I felt it was inappropriate -- or ironic at best.

In hindsight, I do think the helpful thing to do now, after inadvertently promoting them, would be to mention that these products are actually no longer in production.

Marc · September 8, 2021

Thanks for that. it would be interesting to see what criteria they use to decide to send an email to someone and if its fully automated (Which means things like being discontinued might not be something it would see), or whether they are vetted prior to sending. My guess, a bot of some sort...

Dylan_From_Fing · September 9, 2021

Hey Allen, we're testing out new type of newsletter where we use your devices and get you the most up-to-date information so you get the most out of them. This is intended to deliver solutions for your devices. This is completely optional and you can opt out via the Email itself.

Marc · September 9, 2021

Thanks for the explanation @Dylan_From_Fing

Warning - Logitech Harmony - It's a discontinued product.

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