Warning! Eufy homebase 2 is flawed and georestricted

#1

So I just bought an entire box of eufy products. 18 in total. Specifically for a smart home series that’s coming up on my tech channel. I bought the stuff in December well in advance of my new place being built so I would be ready.

After trying to connect the homebase 2 for ages, it just wouldn’t work, just like all the countless threads I found online. Now I bought two wireless doorbell sets and they each came with a homebase. So I thought I would try the other one. Same exact issue, it will not be found after scanning the code.

It’s definitely connected to the internet, tried direct to wall, through Orbi router, pressing sync button, nothing.

It can’t be that both homebases have issues can it? So I went to their live chat.

The person was extremely unhelpful. Before even trying to trouble shoot. Just said, oh well looks like your homebase has to be replaced. I explained I had two and what are the odds of both being faulty.

He then asked where I purchased it. I said Amazon US. He then asked where I was living. I said Doha. He immediately said, sorry since you’ve taken your home base out of the US you just lost your warranty. Woah woah woah. I’ve never ever had a company want to quickly just write off a customer like this.

I said guys, I don’t care about a replacement. I want to figure our why this isn’t working. He then basically said that he could not help me. Thanks Evan.

I asked why these devices would not work and if they were georestricted and he said yes.
He said that homebases from the US would not work outside of America.

He then told me to send an email and see if Saudi or the UAE would help me.

Anyway, just a little warning for you all. If you buy a eufy product from Amazon and live internationally. Eufy won’t help and your product won’t work.

1 Like
#2

I’m sorry for your trouble with that person via chat. That is not who Anker is or how their support generally works, please reach out to them via email support@anker.com

#3

The reason they don’t help out of support is to end the chat and so they move faster onto those in support.

To get around geographic restrictions is a common issue (media streaming etc) so you can use a DNS un-locator type service which you place different DNS server IP on the router and configure it to the desired country.

Yes there’s often legal requirements placed on supportable countries, and other reasons.

#4

Could happen.
Those employees are not in all the items from the company.
Much better to contact via support email.
This can be forwarded to someone who knows about.

#5

THanks for the replies. I do have an update, I’m not sure if
1- I got through the ‘georestriction’ (if there is one)
2- I got through to connect to the server
3- It wasn’t any of those issues and was mainly because of the network name

So I saw in threads some people had issues with special characters. I had a “.” in my router name. So I removed it and it connected.

It then asked for a firmware update. I proceeded. It got to 99% then failed. Now the homebase 2 wont connect again :smiley:

Two days now trying to figure out something that should be plug and play

#6

Always “Plug and Pray” :rofl:

#7

In general if you’ve broken the support-in-country mandate it’s best to never declare it as you will immediately be put into the non-support reply, even though you’ve implicitly paid for support by buying the items.

It’s weekend so official support will be slight / none but go here for more official support, and more dedicated community.

Right now your issue is “Homebase 2 firmware update bricked”.

The reasons to not support items from other than bought country is many, you probably know them all better than anyone! The biggest issue is if the conclusion is need to replace, the customs declaration when new units imported (to USA) and when discarded as dud means the costs are higher when items are returned from other than procured country. Also USA is a little weird about anything involving encryption, and China. I bought a lot of Huawei when last in USA knowing I’d not get support…

#8

I understand how frustrating this is, hopefully support can solve your issues