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Roku TV bricked until agreeing to new terms of service (programming.dev)

submitted 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago) by DaleGribble88@programming.dev to c/technology@lemmy.world

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See title - very frustrating. There is no way to continue to use the TV without agreeing to the terms. I couldn't use different inputs, or even go to settings from the home screen and disconnect from the internet to disable their services. If I don't agree to their terms, then I don't get access to their new products. That sucks, but fine - I don't use their services except for the TV itself, and honestly, I'd rather by a dumb TV with a streaming box anyway, but I can't find those anymore.

Anyway, the new terms are about waiving your right to a class action lawsuit. It's weird to me because I'd never considered filing a class action lawsuit against Roku until this. They shouldn't be able to hold my physical device hostage until I agree to new terms that I didn't agree at the time of purchase or initial setup.

I wish Roku TVs weren't cheap walmart brand sh*t. Someone with some actual money might sue them and sort this out...

EDIT: Shout out to @testfactor@lemmy.world for recommending the brand "Sceptre" when buying my next (dumb) TV.

EDIT2: Shout out to @0110010001100010@lemmy.world for recommending LG smart TVs as a dumb-TV stand in. They apparently do require an agreement at startup, which is certainly NOT ideal, but the setup can be completed without an internet connection and it remembers input selection on powerup. So, once you have it setup, you're good to rock and roll.

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[–] Zagorath@aussie.zone 9 points 8 months ago (1 children)

Also, if outside of America, you probably would have a strong case for getting a full refund on the product if they did this.

It's not (to my knowledge) a type of case that's been specifically tested in court, but I think you could make a strong case that under Australian law, being required to agree to a new TOS that wasn't there when you first purchased the device and which you don't agree with would qualify as a "major problem". The description of a major problem includes:

is very different from the description or sample

can’t be used for its normal purpose, or another purpose the consumer told the seller about before they bought it, and can’t easily be fixed within a reasonable time.

And when there's a major fault, you as the customer are entitled to a full refund or replacement "of the same type of product".

Unfortunately, if you did this, it would be the shop that sold you it that takes the hit, because you have to go to them to get the refund, not the original manufacturer.

[–] cyberfae@lemmy.world 2 points 8 months ago (1 children)

Unfortunately, if you did this, it would be the shop that sold you it that takes the hit, because you have to go to them to get the refund, not the original manufacturer.

Couldn't you just buy a new tv of a different brand from the same shop to offset the hit from the refund?

[–] Zagorath@aussie.zone 1 points 8 months ago

Yeah you could. Plus the store would probably try to reclaim the loss from the manufacturer.