Sonos account now required just to add a speaker?!

SpicySpice · 2017-12-16T10:12:23+00:00

Why am I now being forced to create and link a Sonos account to the controller just to be able to add speakers to the system? There is absolutely no reason why this needs to happen. Poor form Sonos. This should be an optional step. As such, I will no longer be buying any more devices.

Not sure what the issue is really... Are you trying to add a Sonos One? If so, you need to link the Sonos Cloud to the Amazon Cloud, this requires an account in both.

No, my speakers consist of Play 1 and Play 3 only. It doesn't even let me proceed without signing in to a Sonos account.

The issue is, I shouldn't need to. I have no requirement for it. I should be given the option to skip it since it adds no benefit to me.

Sonos? Anyone? Please explain how this is acceptable? Will you be issuing refunds to those who bought speakers before this was a "requirement". No where in your product documentation or the packaging stated this was a prerequisite, nor should it be expected.

I think the Australian Consumer Law would come into affect here for those choosing to seek a refund from Sonos.

This is a requirement in the set-up for the new Sonos One. I expect that Sonos wanted a consistent process for all speakers and to enable people with older players without Alexa to have voice control if they chose too, via echo devices. Why is this such a major issue for you?

Because I don't want to link my controller or speakers to a Sonos account. Why? Because they work perfectly fine without it and I shouldn't need to. I should have the option to "skip" and add the old speakers anyway. Sure, if this is now a "requirement" for the Sonos One, then fine, do it for those devices, but not for the older stuff.

Sonos is going down a very dangerous path, like Apple, instead of letting the consumer use their devices how they want, Sonos are forcing their customers into a corner, this is only one example. The end result is you end up pissing off the majority of your customers and forcing them to look at alternatives. I am very close to getting rid of all my Sonos gear in favour of other products.

I also have no intention of using Alexa, not now, not ever. My speakers are for playing my offline content and a few select internet radio stations. Nothing more. I shouldn't need to go start creating accounts and linking things to make it work. It's not acceptable and this is not why I bought Sonos products in the first place.

In 10 years time, I should be able to use my Sonos speakers just as they have been for the past year without the planned obsolescence and reliance on online services which have nothing to do with me.

I would prefer an option to set up without an account as well. I seem to remember this wasn't always required.

The point I'm making is this kind of cloud-connected, online crap is a huge problem for consumers. If Sonos packed up shop and stopped existing tomorrow, all the current speakers SHOULD work just as they have been (albeit with no further software updates etc...) I shouldn't have to authenticate against some kind of online service just to be able to perform basic system functions (such as add a speaker). Sure online content may no longer work in this scenario, but I can still listen to my music collection stored on my NAS.

I should be able to use Sonos completely offline and independent of anything outside my own home if I wanted to, now and until the day the devices physically die from age. Sonos products aren't cheap and I don't resign to this "planned obsolescence" model.

Totally agree with you, we just returned all the Sonos products we purchased last week due to this. Absolutely ridiculous to force you to make a Sonos account now just to listen to offline music or Google Play music. I will never use Alexa EVER (plus she's completely stupid in Canada and does about 20% of what she can do in the US).

1: I have purchased a hardware to listen music in my own premises. With the purchase over the counter, I have paid the amount due and the deal was closed (actually few years ago). No matter what some terms and conditions say: I do expect the purchased goods to work without any further and hidden requirements, e.g. to give private information before the goods start to work.

2: I do not want to use Spotify. If I change my mind, I accept to have an account with Spotify. I do not want to use Alexa or all the others which hear everything you say and which support you in shutting down your brain - hence, I don't need an account.

3: Whenever possible, I give my data only when I can see the direct relation with a service (other users might decide in a different way). I cannot see why Sonos should know my position on the globe just for a speaker to work (please do not bore me with local radio which I can find via search as well). Are there some hidden features which might not be in my favour?

4: GDPR takes up this concerns and therefore Sonos should as well take up this concern (better before somebody asks officially to do so - this might be too expensive).

You're perfectly entitled to request Sonos remove some or all of your data

https://www.sonos.com/en-us/legal/privacy#types-information

Depending on what you request they do your system may become unusable s per YOUR agreement with Sonos (despite your assertion that that contract is worthless and you should be free to ignore it!).

I don’t think it’s currently an offence to give a pseudonym, if that helps? Although I think the U.K. law makers are currently looking into this issue and considering making it an offence to provide false identity details online.

GDPR (European Directive 25th May) or DataProtection Act 2018 (U.K. Act of Parliament with Royal Assent 23rd-May), allows an individual to see what data is being held and exactly how it is being used/shared. It’s all now done as an 'opt-in' process with written consent. If you do nothing, or do not provide consent, you are choosing to opt-out. A user can opt-out at anytime.

I assume that the situation under GDPR/DPA, is that if you opt-out and ask a company to delete all your stored personal data... you would then lose access to their services. I’m sure that is the case for companies like Netflix, the BBC, Spotify, Sony PlayStation, Google, Microsoft and Sonos, to mention but a few. There are probably hundreds, if not thousands, of companies that already operate in this way.

I’m not too concerned at giving some limited details to a company, as long as it is held secure and only shared with 'others' with my written consent, which is what GDPR/DPA is about isn’t it?

At least we can ask to see what information is now being held and see exactly how it is being used... things are perhaps a lot more transparent.

I wish to use the Sonos services that they provide, so I’m opting in. In some other cases, I would use a pseudonym, before ever deciding to opt-out, as long as it was lawful to do so.

Why cut off your nose, just to spite your face?

1: I have purchased a hardware to listen music in my own premises. With the purchase over the counter, I have paid the amount due and the deal was closed (actually few years ago). No matter what some terms and conditions say: I do expect the purchased goods to work without any further and hidden requirements, e.g. to give private information before the goods start to work.

2: I do not want to use Spotify. If I change my mind, I accept to have an account with Spotify. I do not want to use Alexa or all the others which hear everything you say and which support you in shutting down your brain - hence, I don't need an account.

3: Whenever possible, I give my data only when I can see the direct relation with a service (other users might decide in a different way). I cannot see why Sonos should know my position on the globe just for a speaker to work (please do not bore me with local radio which I can find via search as well). Are there some hidden features which might not be in my favour?

4: GDPR takes up this concerns and therefore Sonos should as well take up this concern (better before somebody asks officially to do so - this might be too expensive).

You're perfectly entitled to request Sonos remove some or all of your data

https://www.sonos.com/en-us/legal/privacy#types-information

Depending on what you request they do your system may become unusable s per YOUR agreement with Sonos (despite your assertion that that contract is worthless and you should be free to ignore it!).

Thank you for the link. The privacy statement refers to "necessary for the performance of the contract we have with you". When I purchased the hardware, I cannot remember that I have signed any contract with Sonos. As I said, it was an over-the-counter purchase which, as such, does not imply further interactions. I understand the need of an account if I was up to the usage of further services. However, why exactly do I need an account to set up my PLAY 1?

(I can see a few examples why certain data is gathered - funny enough, the local radio is one of them).

1: I have purchased a hardware to listen music in my own premises. With the purchase over the counter, I have paid the amount due and the deal was closed (actually few years ago). No matter what some terms and conditions say: I do expect the purchased goods to work without any further and hidden requirements, e.g. to give private information before the goods start to work....

Simple. You don't get any software updates without an account. Sonos has to validate the download. Adding a new player almost always requires an update, since the firmware ex-stock is usually stale.

I don’t think it’s currently an offence to give a pseudonym, if that helps? Although I think the U.K. law makers are currently looking into this issue and considering making it an offence to provide false identity details online.

GDPR (European Directive 25th May) or DataProtection Act 2018 (U.K. Act of Parliament with Royal Assent 23rd-May), allows an individual to see what data is being held and exactly how it is being used/shared. It’s all now done as an 'opt-in' process with written consent. If you do nothing, or do not provide consent, you are choosing to opt-out. A user can opt-out at anytime.

I assume that the situation under GDPR/DPA, is that if you opt-out and ask a company to delete all your stored personal data... you would then lose access to their services. I’m sure that is the case for companies like Netflix, the BBC, Spotify, Sony PlayStation, Google, Microsoft and Sonos, to mention but a few. There are probably hundreds, if not thousands, of companies that already operate in this way.

I’m not too concerned at giving some limited details to a company, as long as it is held secure and only shared with 'others' with my written consent, which is what GDPR/DPA is about isn’t it?

At least we can ask to see what information is now being held and see exactly how it is being used... things are perhaps a lot more transparent.

I wish to use the Sonos services that they provide, so I’m opting in. In some other cases, I would use a pseudonym, before ever deciding to opt-out, as long as it was lawful to do so.

Why cut off your nose, just to spite your face?

I am with you.

For me, it is not a matter of name or pseudonym. I have purchased a good with a certain basic functionality which I want to user further without suddenly (at discretion of the provider) being forced to new committments just to have further what I had before (and have already paid for).

The trick might be the famous "freemium" strategy - people who want to have the minimum (like me) do not provide additional data and shall not be forced to do so. People who want to benefit from additional services, are free to provide whatever it takes.

The thread title is "Sonos account now required just to add a speaker?!". Are you adding a speaker? If so see my earlier post. It's entirely reasonable that Sonos would require you to validate your account before delivering a software update.

To answer your earlier post: My three PLAY 1 speakers are several years old and I did not add a newer speaker. The requirement of SONOS to update the software on my PC and on the mobile devices leads to things I did not need before and I did not ask for.

Now I have one of those three speakers which is (for unknown reasons) not recognized in the WLAN anymore (although that worked for years). And simply adding it again leads to the account question (which perfectly fits the title of this thread).

The thread title is "Sonos account now required just to add a speaker?!". Are you adding a speaker? If so see my earlier post. It's entirely reasonable that Sonos would require you to validate your account before delivering a software update.

To answer your earlier post: My three PLAY 1 speakers are several years old and I did not add a newer speaker. The requirement of SONOS to update the software on my PC and on the mobile devices leads to things I did not need before and I did not ask for.

Now I have one of those three speakers which is (for unknown reasons) not recognized in the WLAN anymore (although that worked for years). And simply adding it again leads to the account question (which perfectly fits the title of this thread).

You shouldn't have to "add it again". You have other issues you need to resolve

When a player is added to a system it needs to be (re-)registered against a Sonos account. All the app is doing is confirming which account. It's asking for no more information than you already typed in in order to post here.

The thread title is "Sonos account now required just to add a speaker?!". Are you adding a speaker? If so see my earlier post. It's entirely reasonable that Sonos would require you to validate your account before delivering a software update.

I did not ask for software updates on my PC and on the mobile device since my three speakers worked perfectly for so far. It was the PC software to "remind" me for an update and it is obviously at the discretion of the provider to tell me when to update my software (and force me to give information I did not give so far) - otherwise I would not be able to have a working speaker anymore.

I am with you.

For me, it is not a matter of name or pseudonym. I have purchased a good with a certain basic functionality which I want to user further without suddenly (at discretion of the provider) being forced to new committments just to have further what I had before (and have already paid for).

The trick might be the famous "freemium" strategy - people who want to have the minimum (like me) do not provide additional data and shall not be forced to do so. People who want to benefit from additional services, are free to provide whatever it takes.

dbircher,

Slightly off topic but worth mentioning, perhaps ?

I’m sure you paid cash, but if you paid with a bank card, the company you purchased your Sonos products from probably hold your personal details too and if you applied for some kind of guarantee or warranty, then you may have 'surrendered' your details then.

Handing out some of our information is everywhere these days and it’s really just about applying a bit of common-sense to it all.

I’m not over the top about giving out my name, for example. However, I tend to keep most other things under wraps and I will use different email and physical addresses for different things online.

I am happy to agree to opt-in with some companies, but I dislike some (not all) aspects of those companies sharing details with 3rd parties, who I may know nothing about... I particularly dislike those 3rd parties trying to sell me stuff I don’t want/need, or they attempt to bombard me with phone calls, or post.

In that vein, I try to be careful in how I share my information, including using pseudonyms, deleting cookies, using proxy servers, sometimes switching off locations services, removing embedded metadata information from photos and documents etc etc; and shredding some physical documents before binning them.

But I would not lose what I would call a needed service, or product, through my 'cautious' actions. I would just opt-in, but choose to protect my real information in the best way possible, but without breaking the law.

This may prove to be more difficult, if future U.K. legislation tries to force me provide correct details for every type of online situation. That will worry me more than the current GDPR/DPA directive. In fact my thoughts are this latest data protection directive is a step in the right direction for the consumer.

I have read somewhere that the directive also says this...

'...that all personal data must be stored using pseudonymisation or full anonymisation, and use the highest-possible privacy settings by default'.

So that sounds good to me.

Just to finish this off and maybe provide some small reassurance, my own personal experience with my sharing of information with Sonos has been a good one, thus far... I certainly have no complaints.

Ken (@lias Bob ... or is it John?.. (I forget)) ha ha:D

1: I have purchased a hardware to listen music in my own premises. With the purchase over the counter, I have paid the amount due and the deal was closed (actually few years ago). No matter what some terms and conditions say: I do expect the purchased goods to work without any further and hidden requirements, e.g. to give private information before the goods start to work.

2: I do not want to use Spotify. If I change my mind, I accept to have an account with Spotify. I do not want to use Alexa or all the others which hear everything you say and which support you in shutting down your brain - hence, I don't need an account.

3: Whenever possible, I give my data only when I can see the direct relation with a service (other users might decide in a different way). I cannot see why Sonos should know my position on the globe just for a speaker to work (please do not bore me with local radio which I can find via search as well). Are there some hidden features which might not be in my favour?

4: GDPR takes up this concerns and therefore Sonos should as well take up this concern (better before somebody asks officially to do so - this might be too expensive).

You're perfectly entitled to request Sonos remove some or all of your data

https://www.sonos.com/en-us/legal/privacy#types-information

Depending on what you request they do your system may become unusable s per YOUR agreement with Sonos (despite your assertion that that contract is worthless and you should be free to ignore it!).

SONOS will not remove all your data. I too bought my equipment before one needed an account. This is the response I got:

Hello Giles,

Thank you for writing back.

I understand that you are unhappy with the data that we collect.

We can delete all your data that we hold for your account but if we were to do this then you will not be able to use your Sonos products as having a registered account is now a requirement to use Sonos.

Please let me know how you would like to proceed.

Kind regards,

Matthew P.

Sonos | Customer Care | Contact Us

Ask questions, find answers, and share your thoughts on the Sonos Community.

This is also a pain for home theater and automation companies. I do all that most of my customers are rich and older. To ask them to register this device under their email is like surgery. First most of them are never home it’s always an aid or no one is home while we do the install. Second an email is sent to them. They have know idea what to look for and like no to click. Their should at least be a professional option that would let us bypass this request so the customer can do it themselves. Lutron has that capability. It allows us to configure the switches and bridge. An email is sent or text with a link so they can create an account. Once they are home the devices are automatically populated to their account b cause they are on the same WiFi. Their should also be a lockdown feature with guest capabilities. We do high en yachts and the individuals that rents the boats love that Sonos are on there. The issue is if they charter every week then they have a major turn over. Customer are chafing features and setting each time.

It's simply not acceptable and Sonos' response above just did it for me.

No, signing into a cloud service is NOT required to use speakers offline, I'm sorry but that's just not acceptable. Had I have known this would be the case, I'd have never bought them. I'll be getting rid of my Sonos system and replacing them with alternatives.

I also won't be recommending Sonos because of this silly requirement which does exactly nothing to the functionality of the system. Instead I'll be publicly recommending against buying Sonos gear: http://www.eevblog.com/forum/chat/sonos-holding-their-users-hostage-cloud-account-now-required/

[quote=dbircher]Now I have one of those three speakers which is (for unknown reasons) not recognized in the WLAN anymore (although that worked for years). And simply adding it again leads to the account question (which perfectly fits the title of this thread).

This just happened to me (see https://en.community.sonos.com/controllers-software-228995/android-8-6-battery-drain-and-windows-8-6-issues-6808576). A CONNECT:AMP (wired) suddenly become a "new device" in my Sonos setup, and I had to re-add it, but only after I entered my Sonos account details....which I thought was different than before but didn't think much of it...at the time! It is a little concerning though....

I have a Pebble watch which is now a paperweight because they were bought and shelved by Fitbit - and that's just a watch! If my whole Sonos setup suddenly became unusable because of something outside of my control, I'd be more than a little p****d off!

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