Sonos account now required just to add a speaker?!

Forum|Forum|8 years ago
December 16, 2017
54 replies
7757 views

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.

This topic has been closed for further comments. You can use the search bar to find a similar topic, or create a new one by clicking Create Topic at the top of the page.

Show previous replies

I

InowhateSONOSnewOS

Avid Contributor I

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

InowhateSONOSnewOS

Avid Contributor I

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.

T

TonyPhanord

Lyricist I

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.

S

SpicySpiceAuthor

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/

M

Marc J

Trending Lyricist I

[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!

S

stopbreakingthings

Lyricist I

I have several PLAY:1s, a PLAY:5 and a CONNECT:AMP and I have been happy with them. I only use them to play music from my computer (no online services). They have been working fine for years. The software and firmware updates fine. I decided to buy a couple more PLAY:1s when they announced the PLAY:ONE because I worried Sonos would retire the microphone free model and I refuse to volunteer for corporate surveillance.
I tried to add the new PLAY:1s and now Sonos is forcing me to sign up anyway. An online account was not a stated requirement when I bought the speakers. Apple doesn't require an online account to use an iPad. Sony doesn't require an online account to play Playstation. Why does Sonos?
I contacted Sonos support and asked them if they would buy all of my speakers back. They chose not to reply. Today I got a popup in the phone app that if I don't register soon I won't be able to use the system all all. Not even the previously setup and working speakers. I am rightly angry. Is there a lawyer in the house?

bockersjv

Local Superstar

There is a hardwired button on the Sonos One to inhibit the use of the microphone for those concerned about corporate listening in. I'm not sure what you use your ipad for but to add any app to make it useful you need to sign up to the apple itunes store. Unfortunately that is the way of the world. Sonos does this process to ensure all the kit is on the same version otherwise the system will not perform as intended. You can always sign up with a 60minute email address and once all the kit has been updated to the same current version i believe you can remove any access to the internet for your Sonos system.

Ken_Griffiths

stopbreakingthings,

Sonos system requirements are stated here:

Sonos System Requirements

And here are the stated terms and conditions for adding products to an existing Sonos system:

https://support.sonos.com/s/article/1006?language=en_US

Sonos do clearly state what their requirements are before you buy their products. It’s not even what I would call 'small print'.

I don’t see what the difficulty is in creating a (free) standalone email account just for this purpose and register your products under a pseudo-name if you are that concerned with your own privacy and identity issues. It must be quite simple to do that?

I haven’t yet reached the paranoid stage, but I like to think I disclose 'just enough' to be 'sensible' about my online presence for the many benefits it can provide.

M

muwu

Lyricist I

Kind of like bs this whole account required stuff.

1: This wasn' t required when i bought my setup.
2: if not accepting it makes the services unusable, that's ok for something like free mail. NOT acceptable for a system which costs more than 2k. As a matter of fact, this is really really unacceptable!
3: If it really was anonymous, they wouldn't require you to register an account. These days, there is no such thing as anonymous data.

And I am kinda pretty mad for these changes. In fact, I'm warning everybody against buying Sonos gear.

This isn't paranoid, Just really unnecessary

H

HiFiAtLast

Trending Lyricist I

I've been using my Sonos system (with multiple components) happily for 5 years, and I am watching this with interest.

To borrow the phrase used above ... Yes I am willing to cut off my nose to spite my face - on principle - and I am prepared to abandon Sonos entirely if I ever lose control of my system due to some 'hereafter essential' connection with any online "service" which I do not want (Alexa, Spotify .... or what else.)

I'm already concerned, like muwu above, at the direction this seems to be heading.

And I am kinda pretty mad for these changes. In fact, I'm warning everybody against buying Sonos gear.
This isn't paranoid, Just really unnecessary

That's exactly how I feel.

Colin P.

Show more replies

Sign up

Login to the community