Change ownership - No not really

So, I have not had a satisfying experience with Ring today. I have just bought a house and with it the Ring Doorbell 2. After following the instructions to set up the new account and then associate the device, I am stopped as the device is still associated to the old owner. The previous owner went through a divorce and is GONE, in the wind, not able to be contacted. Hey, no problem according the Ring documentation, Ring site, and FAQs…just call Customer Support. Okay, that seems easy.
So off to Support I go. Technician initially tells me that the device must be dormant and have not connected for 60 day before we can move it to my name. Where is that in the documentation? Oh, it is not in the documentation. Let me talk to a supervisor.
So supervisor tells me “for security reasons I can’t disclose, we cannot remove that device from the old account and move it to yours. I can give you a discount on a new device.” Wait. I own the device from the home purchase, have box, documentation, and physical possession and can prove it with pictures if needs be, but I can’t use this at all?! I don’t want a new one at a discount, I want to be able to use the one I own. There is no disclaimer anywhere which states, "oh by the way, our documentation is not correct and we can deny you use of your device. There is nothing so ‘secret squirrel’ security related to this simple device that changing account alignment could possibly jeopardize the company or someone’s data…please. If they have data stored it is associated with a unique user account and should be secured via the Security implemented by Ring internally.
This is the worst customer support I have seen in years and rather insulting when it comes to the offer to give me a discount on a new one…I already own one. If this is how this company operates, or has to operate due to internal process issues, maybe I’m better off without their device. You say what you’re going to do, do what you say, and properly document the process and procedures. This is hinky to say the least.

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@michaelh64 Personally I would remove the old Ring Doorbell and replace it with a new one. Technically you got it for free with the house as the previous owner paid for it. Plus you can get one of the newer/better models.

Sorry to hear about this experience, @michaelh64. When looking to take ownership of a Ring device, it’s best to follow our Change of Ownership process. It sounds like you’ve attempted this already, in which calling our support team would be the next best step.

As you’ve reached out already and have attempted setup, the previous owner will have had a chance to authorize the ownership change. We certainly want a better experience for all of our neighbors, and are always working to improve on features, devices, and procedures. I will definitely share this feedback with our teams here.

In the meantime, please give our support team a call at one of the numbers available here. We’re taking additional steps to protect our team and help reduce the spread of COVID-19, so this has resulted in longer than normal wait times. If you are outside of the US, please read our response to COVID-19 here to see how to contact support.

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