Ring Security System Review - A Long-Term Customer's Disappointment

I've been a Ring customer since November 2017, investing in seven cameras, two doorbells, landscape lighting, and numerous smart bulbs, along with faithfully paying the $100 annual fee for the Ring Protect Standard Plan. This plan provided cloud storage for my video recordings and, crucially, extended warranties on all my devices. For years, I was satisfied with this arrangement. However, Ring's recent restructuring of its service plans has left me feeling deeply disrespected as a loyal customer. While my original plan has been rebranded as the "Legacy" Standard Plan, new Standard and Premium plans have been introduced with enticing features like 24/7 recording and smart video search. The problem? Upgrading to these plans would force me to forfeit the extended warranties on all my existing devices. Essentially, Ring is telling me that to access these new features, I need to repurchase all my devices at full price before the warranty on the new plan kicks in. This feels like a blatant money grab, punishing long-term customers for their loyalty. Contacting customer service only added insult to injury. The agent I spoke with was dismissive and unhelpful, simply reiterating the company line and offering no solutions. The outsourced nature of their customer service, with agents struggling with English, further compounded the frustration. While the basic functionality of the Ring devices has been acceptable for reviewing recorded events, the frequent app updates often introduce video streaming issues like pixelation, pauses, and tearing. These problems usually get resolved in subsequent updates, but the recurring nature of these bugs is concerning. In conclusion, while I initially had a positive experience with Ring, the recent changes to their service plans and the poor customer service have left a sour taste. Ring's decision to effectively hold extended warranties hostage in order to push customers towards repurchasing their entire system is unacceptable. I would caution potential customers to consider the long-term implications of these practices before investing in the Ring ecosystem. For existing customers on the "Legacy" plan, be aware that upgrading comes at a steep, and frankly unfair, price.