Send this to the CEO today.  Since Patric Spence states that he is always open to feedback, let’s see if he is finally also willing to provide a more meaningful dialog and update. 

TO: Patrick Spence

Dec 15, 2024

___________

Mr. Spence,

I have been a loyal Sonos user since 2020, and for much of that time, I was a happy customer. However, since May 2024, I, like many others, have become deeply disillusioned with the Sonos brand. I chose the Sonos system for its unique features and the quality it represented - a commitment that led me to invest over 5,000 euros in your products, placing Sonos devices in almost every room of my home.

Your leadership, however, seems to have shifted focus. Instead of enhancing the experience for your existing customers, the priority appears to be on developing new features and products to attract new users and appease shareholders. This misguided emphasis culminated in the infamous May update  - a cautionary tale for other brands. For those of us who trusted Sonos, this update has robbed us of the experience we initially bought into. While many of us have been patient, it has now been over seven months, and we still do not have a reliable system. Despite claims that 80% of the old features have been restored, the system remains highly unreliable and riddled with issues.

The Sonos system has transformed from a source of joy to a source of daily frustration. It has become the party pooper during gatherings, the awkward technical glitch in romantic moments, and the reason I no longer enjoy music in my own home. When friends ask why music is no longer playing, I find myself recounting the many unresolved issues.

Here are just a few of the barriers that have stopped me from playing music today:

Endless re-authorizations for accounts. After reauthorizing, I get the same screen.

When re-authorizing Sonos Radio, I often get the message that my account does not exist (anymore I guess?).

Looking at an endless loading screen. Restarting is required to get it working.

Looking at a spinner for minutes at a time. In the end, nothing will start playing.

Endless re-tuning. Never seems to save the state for a prolonged period.

Additional issues just this week include:

• System not found.
• Sonos found two systems (my system now randomly splits into two with no way to manage them).
• Unable to play music (on multiple speakers simultaneously or on any speaker at all).

Recently, the EU passed Directive 2024/2853, which will rightfully hold companies fully liable for malfunctioning updates. This law prevents brands from bricking products — like Sonos has — for prolonged periods. No company, big or small, should be able to sell premium products and then render them unusable for months through poorly executed updates (and purposely preventing rollbacks or backward updates).

Before I am passed off to support staff once again to “face the music”, as seems to be the default leadership response, I must point out that I did not purchase a DIY system. I have spent the last seven months trying to bring my system back to a reliable state, but the issues persist, changing from one problem to another with no lasting solution.

Is it not time to offer relief and retribution for the months of frustration and inability to use the system meaningfully? I am not looking for corporate platitudes or vague assurances. I would like an honest and meaningful response from you directly, an acknowledgment of the harm caused to long-term customers, and a clear indication that Sonos is not only trying to fix these issues but also willing to make amends for the significant failure to deliver the product experience we paid for.

Sincerely,