Lowe’s to Shut Down Iris Smart Home Platform After Failure to Sell Off the Business
Lowe’s will shut down the Iris smart home platform on March 31, but allow customers to be reimbursed for certain devices.
MOORESVILLE, N.C. – Well, you can’t say they didn’t give it the ol’ college try. After failing to find a new owner for its Iris smart home business last fall, Lowe’s has announced it will shut the platform on March 31, according to an email sent to subscribers last Thursday.
Customers with eligible products that exclusively work on the Iris platform are able to redeem them for a prepaid VISA gift card. So if a device works with Iris in addition to another hub, such as SmartThings, you’re out of luck. Customers also no longer have to pay for the service and can use it until their account is deactivated.
Considering there’s nothing worse than investing money in a platform only for it to shut down and leave users with useless devices, this isn’t a terrible deal.
A Lowe’s spokesperson told Digital Trends, “After carefully evaluating a range of options, the decision was made to shut down the Iris platform once it was determined that none of the alternatives would allow Iris to continue to deliver the experience our customers have come to expect of us. Lowe’s remains committed to carrying the breadth and depth of smart home products and brands to meet our customers’ needs now and in the future.”
You can read the email sent to subscribers below, and view the shutdown FAQ page here.
Dear Iris Customer:
As a valued customer, we wanted to provide an important update regarding Iris. We have decided to shut down the Iris smart home platform and related services effective March 31, 2019. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause and are committed to providing the resources and support needed as you transition to comparable smart home products.
This email provides important information on the process and resources available for Iris customers. Please do not bring your connected Iris devices back to a Lowe’s store.
• We have created an online redemption process that will allow customers who have eligible, connected Iris devices to receive a Visa prepaid card to help migrate to another smart home platform.
• Upon logging into Iris, you will be directed to complete the redemption process using a customized, online tool. You will also be able to access additional information, such as redemption status and support articles.
• All Iris customers need to complete the redemption process through the Iris app or at home.irisbylowes.com/redemption by March 31, 2019.
• The online process is the only way you can receive a redemption for your already connected Iris items. Please do not bring connected items back to the store.
• Customers can return any Iris items they have purchased within the last 90 days that are not connected to the Iris platform via Lowe’s normal return policy (see your Lowe’s receipt for Lowe’s Return Policy details).
• Some customers may find the redemption value exceeds the amount owed via Lowe’s Return Policy.
• Many devices used with Iris are compatible with other smart home platforms. For example, SmartThings is a comparable platform to Iris, and to ease the transition, SmartThings’ support team is ready to assist you with the migration process.
• Some devices incompatible with other smart home platforms are eligible for redemption.
To find out more about the shutdown of the Iris platform, please read more here.
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About the Author
Steve Karantzoulidis, Web/Senior Editor
Steven A. Karantzoulidis is the Web Editor for Security Sales & Integration. He graduated from the University of Massachusetts Amherst with a degree in Communication and has a background in Film, A/V and Social Media.
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Just so everyone knows, it’s completely impossible to get any help or support directly with Samsung. I’ve been on hold for 50 minutes, and their online chat is not possible for the smartthings
This must be the most frustrating things for end users, Imagine setting up a Smart Home with all of their technology – and it’s not just a financial investment, there is considerable time and familiarity to be considered. Only to have the products you’ve chosen suddenly not working, because of the online nature of technology nowadays it’s not like a TV or something that will still work normally even if the company discontinues the model.