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Most people aren't reading terms and conditions. There is an expectation that when you buy a thermostat and install it, you will get to control it without outsi

Most people aren't reading terms and conditions. There is an expectation that when you buy a thermostat and install it, you will get to control it without outside interference. People shouldn't have to read fine print in order for the things they buy to meet the most basic of expectations. I wouldn't call it nefarious, but I would say this kind of thing is a dark pattern, meant to take advantage of end users' ignorance. Maybe if this kind of thing happens a few more times people will start to realize there are some major downsides to smart devices, including losing control of your own belongings.

Animats 5y ago
Here are the terms and conditions.[1] Nest resells this program, without saying up front that it's about adjusting your thermostat for their advantage.[2] The site will not work in private browsing mode - you get "Cookies are blocked. To continue, change your browser settings to allow third-party cookies and try again." Why it needs third party cookies is not clear. It's so Google. What Nest tells users is this: A Nest thermostat can help you use less energy by cooling your home in summer or heating your home in winter ahead of time and tweaking the temperature up to four degrees during the rush hour. You’re in control. If you’re home, Nest won’t let the temperature become uncomfortable. You can change the temperature at any time. The Nest site does show terms under Legal. No mention of "Nest won't let the temperature become uncomfortable" there, of course. [3] "Under the program, your Utility notifies Google of the existence of a Rush Hour Rewards event, causing Google’s servers to remotely inform your Google Nest thermostat (“Nest Thermostat”) to automatically change the temperature setpoint in your home on that day, without any manual intervention by you." [1] https://my.radiothermostat.com/rtcoa/terms/ercot/rtcoa-ercot.html https://my.radiothermostat.com/rtcoa/terms/ercot/rtcoa-ercot... [2] https://nest.com/energy-partners/texas/ https://nest.com/energy-partners/texas/ [3] https://nest.com/legal/energy-partner/texas/ https://nest.com/legal/energy-partner/texas/
dubyah 5y ago
They had it installed as part of a home security package and guessing from their thermostat(which appears to be a GoControl Z-Wave thermostat), it was with Vivint. That dark patterns ship has sailed long ago.

Animats 5y ago

Here are the terms and conditions.[1] Nest resells this program, without saying up front that it's about adjusting your thermostat for their advantage.[2] The site will not work in private browsing mode - you get "Cookies are blocked. To continue, change your browser settings to allow third-party cookies and try again." Why it needs third party cookies is not clear. It's so Google. What Nest tells users is this: A Nest thermostat can help you use less energy by cooling your home in summer or heating your home in winter ahead of time and tweaking the temperature up to four degrees during the rush hour. You’re in control. If you’re home, Nest won’t let the temperature become uncomfortable. You can change the temperature at any time. The Nest site does show terms under Legal. No mention of "Nest won't let the temperature become uncomfortable" there, of course. [3] "Under the program, your Utility notifies Google of the existence of a Rush Hour Rewards event, causing Google’s servers to remotely inform your Google Nest thermostat (“Nest Thermostat”) to automatically change the temperature setpoint in your home on that day, without any manual intervention by you." [1] https://my.radiothermostat.com/rtcoa/terms/ercot/rtcoa-ercot.html https://my.radiothermostat.com/rtcoa/terms/ercot/rtcoa-ercot... [2] https://nest.com/energy-partners/texas/ https://nest.com/energy-partners/texas/ [3] https://nest.com/legal/energy-partner/texas/ https://nest.com/legal/energy-partner/texas/

dubyah 5y ago

They had it installed as part of a home security package and guessing from their thermostat(which appears to be a GoControl Z-Wave thermostat), it was with Vivint. That dark patterns ship has sailed long ago.