Logitech To Give All Harmony Link Owners A Free Harmony Hub Following Online Uproar

by Brandon Hill — Thursday, November 09, 2017, 04:43 PM EDT

Logitech set off a nuclear bomb among its customer base when it was widely revealed yesterday that Harmony Link devices will be bricked in March 2018. There is nothing physically wrong with the devices, and they currently function normally, but Logitech indicated that an expiring technology certificate license was the reason for the slamming the door on the device.

Needless to say, the negative reaction from Harmony Link owners came swiftly, with many of them vowing to never buy Logitech products again and many others going off on long, profanity-laced tirades. Once news of the impending forced bricking spread around the internet, Logitech has been forced to go into full damage control mode.

Logitech Harmony Hub

In this case, Logitech's response seems more than fair for current Harmony Link owners -- especially those who are outside the manufacturer warranty. Rather than "only" receiving a 35 percent off coupon, which can be applied to the cost of a $99 Harmony Hub, Logitech will now give ALL Harmony Link customers a free Harmony Hub (this device is in essence a vastly superior replacement for the Harmony Link).

If you already parted with your hard-earned money to take Logitech up on that previous 35 percent off offer, it will soon be refunding you in full to align with this new initiative.

Logitech also explained the full reasoning for axing the Harmony Link writing:

We understand that services are important to you. Because the certificate that’s expiring relates to security, we would be acting irresponsibly by continuing the service knowing its potential/future vulnerability.

According to Logitech, it found that the Harmony Link, which was last sold by the company in late 2015, had a "small active user base". So, it felt that pulling the plug would be appropriate.

“I made a mistake. It was an honest mistake,” said Rory Dooley, head of Logitech Harmony in an interview with Wired. “Mea culpa. We’re going to do right by our customers, and do the right thing.”

Tags: Logitech, (NASDAQ:LOGI), harmony link, harmony hub

Brandon Hill

Brandon received his first PC, an IBM Aptiva 310, in 1994 and hasn’t looked back since. He cut his teeth on computer building/repair working at a mom and pop computer shop as a plucky teen in the mid 90s and went on to join AnandTech as the Senior News Editor in 1999. Brandon would later help to form DailyTech where he served as Editor-in-Chief from 2008 until 2014. Brandon is a tech geek at heart, and family members always know where to turn when they need free tech support. When he isn’t writing about the tech hardware or studying up on the latest in mobile gadgets, you’ll find him browsing forums that cater to his long-running passion: automobiles.

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