Brian H Posted May 23, 2020 Share Posted May 23, 2020 There is a 25% off Memorial Day sale on the Smarthome sales site. From 05/22/2020 to 05/26/2020. Some exclusions apply. There is a list of them and it said. More added as items on sale sell out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrBill Posted May 25, 2020 Share Posted May 25, 2020 I supported smarthome/insteon as I often do during their sales. Between some odds and ends, spare parts for my system, and a 5 switch addition to my adult son's system, I dropped $550 after the $180 discount. Some random thoughts after placing my order: I hope the Hidden Door Sensor that's been out of stock for awhile is coming back, I'm using 9 of those, want to add 2 more in use and have no spares left, so that item was on my wish list for this sale. I've noted they have deleted many accessory items, I had planned to order the 8-button white face to convert an existing 6 button switch, while the 8-button face is still available in some colors, its not available in white. I also miss that you can no longer order just blank white buttons. I order etched buttons whenever I have 8 to print, but there's often a need for a blank white or two. A few years ago smarthome told me blank white buttons were never available, I argued and included an order number and item number where I had purchased them before, they never replied to my reply. I really wish i could find the leftovers of that white blank button package but i fear I threw it away with a bunch of A,B,C,D,E,F,G,H default buttons that I removed after receiving etched replacements. Finally, I question this now antique business model that smarthome utilizes. Specifically the "holiday" deep discount sales. Back in the 90's and early 2000's it was probably a good thing for them, an event that created excitement. But now that users have many more choices in the marketplace it has to ultimately hurt sales, and the brand in general. I'm certain that all of us 'serious users' with existing large systems wait for the sale to roll around to order anything of significance. I also know for a fact the typical $49.95+ everyday prices turn away random shoppers. Sure they give 20% off everyone's first order to try and "hook" new customers, but the marketplace is littered with much less expensive options like tplink, etc. (sure those of us here know the problems of "wifi" switches but the avg customer starting out doesn't). Even basic z-wave switches can be had everyday in the $30-35 prices bracket. Because of the weird "deep discount" holiday promo business model there is literally no "buzz" in the marketplace about Insteon. I feel like they would be far better served with "everyday low prices" and smaller discount about once or twice a year (i.e. black Friday, and since they sell on Amazon too a second sale at Prime Day). Bottom line: Insteon needs to learn to compete with the CURRENT market contenders. It's a great product that is loosing market share so rapidly that I'm afraid it will be voted off the island. Just my thoughts...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
larryllix Posted May 25, 2020 Share Posted May 25, 2020 3 hours ago, MrBill said: I supported smarthome/insteon as I often do during their sales. Between some odds and ends, spare parts for my system, and a 5 switch addition to my adult son's system, I dropped $550 after the $180 discount. Some random thoughts after placing my order: I hope the Hidden Door Sensor that's been out of stock for awhile is coming back, I'm using 9 of those, want to add 2 more in use and have no spares left, so that item was on my wish list for this sale. I've noted they have deleted many accessory items, I had planned to order the 8-button white face to convert an existing 6 button switch, while the 8-button face is still available in some colors, its not available in white. I also miss that you can no longer order just blank white buttons. I order etched buttons whenever I have 8 to print, but there's often a need for a blank white or two. A few years ago smarthome told me blank white buttons were never available, I argued and included an order number and item number where I had purchased them before, they never replied to my reply. I really wish i could find the leftovers of that white blank button package but i fear I threw it away with a bunch of A,B,C,D,E,F,G,H default buttons that I removed after receiving etched replacements. Finally, I question this now antique business model that smarthome utilizes. Specifically the "holiday" deep discount sales. Back in the 90's and early 2000's it was probably a good thing for them, an event that created excitement. But now that users have many more choices in the marketplace it has to ultimately hurt sales, and the brand in general. I'm certain that all of us 'serious users' with existing large systems wait for the sale to roll around to order anything of significance. I also know for a fact the typical $49.95+ everyday prices turn away random shoppers. Sure they give 20% off everyone's first order to try and "hook" new customers, but the marketplace is littered with much less expensive options like tplink, etc. (sure those of us here know the problems of "wifi" switches but the avg customer starting out doesn't). Even basic z-wave switches can be had everyday in the $30-35 prices bracket. Because of the weird "deep discount" holiday promo business model there is literally no "buzz" in the marketplace about Insteon. I feel like they would be far better served with "everyday low prices" and smaller discount about once or twice a year (i.e. black Friday, and since they sell on Amazon too a second sale at Prime Day). Bottom line: Insteon needs to learn to compete with the CURRENT market contenders. It's a great product that is loosing market share so rapidly that I'm afraid it will be voted off the island. Just my thoughts...... Insteon has heard this for years now. They just don't care or have just become scammers with their annual "watch us now" announcements. Two years ago I bought from their sale and I got three for three bad devices. IN Canad they do not offer free shipping, and when something goes bad they demand you ship a $25 item back for $45 in shipping costs. Unfortunately I discovered each device was bad a few months apart. IN Canad, they would have to give me the products free for me to deal with that counterpart again. The reversed wired iRLinc sensor was the last straw. QA is not QC. hey don;t open the packages shipped from China. I love their basic plug-in system and devices but they are almost in the same boat with X10, their inspiration and possibly copied technology, now. If you go with WiFi devices make sure your router can handle 100 devices without choking. Never seen a router company that would release that information but it may have caused me a lot of grief. for several years. Still no proof or admissions, except a newer model shows up more devices at one time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teken Posted May 25, 2020 Share Posted May 25, 2020 3 hours ago, MrBill said: I supported smarthome/insteon as I often do during their sales. Between some odds and ends, spare parts for my system, and a 5 switch addition to my adult son's system, I dropped $550 after the $180 discount. Some random thoughts after placing my order: I hope the Hidden Door Sensor that's been out of stock for awhile is coming back, I'm using 9 of those, want to add 2 more in use and have no spares left, so that item was on my wish list for this sale. I've noted they have deleted many accessory items, I had planned to order the 8-button white face to convert an existing 6 button switch, while the 8-button face is still available in some colors, its not available in white. I also miss that you can no longer order just blank white buttons. I order etched buttons whenever I have 8 to print, but there's often a need for a blank white or two. A few years ago smarthome told me blank white buttons were never available, I argued and included an order number and item number where I had purchased them before, they never replied to my reply. I really wish i could find the leftovers of that white blank button package but i fear I threw it away with a bunch of A,B,C,D,E,F,G,H default buttons that I removed after receiving etched replacements. Finally, I question this now antique business model that smarthome utilizes. Specifically the "holiday" deep discount sales. Back in the 90's and early 2000's it was probably a good thing for them, an event that created excitement. But now that users have many more choices in the marketplace it has to ultimately hurt sales, and the brand in general. I'm certain that all of us 'serious users' with existing large systems wait for the sale to roll around to order anything of significance. I also know for a fact the typical $49.95+ everyday prices turn away random shoppers. Sure they give 20% off everyone's first order to try and "hook" new customers, but the marketplace is littered with much less expensive options like tplink, etc. (sure those of us here know the problems of "wifi" switches but the avg customer starting out doesn't). Even basic z-wave switches can be had everyday in the $30-35 prices bracket. Because of the weird "deep discount" holiday promo business model there is literally no "buzz" in the marketplace about Insteon. I feel like they would be far better served with "everyday low prices" and smaller discount about once or twice a year (i.e. black Friday, and since they sell on Amazon too a second sale at Prime Day). Bottom line: Insteon needs to learn to compete with the CURRENT market contenders. It's a great product that is loosing market share so rapidly that I'm afraid it will be voted off the island. Just my thoughts...... Regarding the blank KPL buttons which you're correct they did exist and have since been pulled off. My *Tin Foil Hat Conspiracy* is someone read about some of us using a laser etcher to make our vary own custom KPL buttons! Hence why they removed that option because instead of pricing the custom button at a more reasonable level - Nope! As an aside you can take any existing button and remove the OEM paint with isopropyl alcohol / nail polish to make a blank button. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lilyoyo1 Posted May 25, 2020 Share Posted May 25, 2020 3 hours ago, MrBill said: I supported smarthome/insteon as I often do during their sales. Between some odds and ends, spare parts for my system, and a 5 switch addition to my adult son's system, I dropped $550 after the $180 discount. Some random thoughts after placing my order: I hope the Hidden Door Sensor that's been out of stock for awhile is coming back, I'm using 9 of those, want to add 2 more in use and have no spares left, so that item was on my wish list for this sale. I've noted they have deleted many accessory items, I had planned to order the 8-button white face to convert an existing 6 button switch, while the 8-button face is still available in some colors, its not available in white. I also miss that you can no longer order just blank white buttons. I order etched buttons whenever I have 8 to print, but there's often a need for a blank white or two. A few years ago smarthome told me blank white buttons were never available, I argued and included an order number and item number where I had purchased them before, they never replied to my reply. I really wish i could find the leftovers of that white blank button package but i fear I threw it away with a bunch of A,B,C,D,E,F,G,H default buttons that I removed after receiving etched replacements. Finally, I question this now antique business model that smarthome utilizes. Specifically the "holiday" deep discount sales. Back in the 90's and early 2000's it was probably a good thing for them, an event that created excitement. But now that users have many more choices in the marketplace it has to ultimately hurt sales, and the brand in general. I'm certain that all of us 'serious users' with existing large systems wait for the sale to roll around to order anything of significance. I also know for a fact the typical $49.95+ everyday prices turn away random shoppers. Sure they give 20% off everyone's first order to try and "hook" new customers, but the marketplace is littered with much less expensive options like tplink, etc. (sure those of us here know the problems of "wifi" switches but the avg customer starting out doesn't). Even basic z-wave switches can be had everyday in the $30-35 prices bracket. Because of the weird "deep discount" holiday promo business model there is literally no "buzz" in the marketplace about Insteon. I feel like they would be far better served with "everyday low prices" and smaller discount about once or twice a year (i.e. black Friday, and since they sell on Amazon too a second sale at Prime Day). Bottom line: Insteon needs to learn to compete with the CURRENT market contenders. It's a great product that is loosing market share so rapidly that I'm afraid it will be voted off the island. Just my thoughts...... I do agree that they need to stop running so many sales. It cheapens the brand and makes it seem cheaper than what it should be. Lowering the price to compete with other lower cost makers shouldn't be done either. Low cost mfg. are cheap for a reason. Just because consumers jump on the cheaper product doesnt mean you should be cheap yourself. If someone feels like they must compete in the low end, they've already lost and are on the way to shutting down. If anything, I'd come out with a better (feature rich) lineup at the same (or slightly higher) price point and letting the current lineup be the lower cost option. The idea isn't to be the first to the bottom but provide a product lineup that is worth its price. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ajax Posted May 27, 2020 Share Posted May 27, 2020 I would love to find some of the colored buttons for the KPLs again. I have a 3D Printer maybe I should try and experiment... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teken Posted May 27, 2020 Share Posted May 27, 2020 8 minutes ago, Ajax said: I would love to find some of the colored buttons for the KPLs again. I have a 3D Printer maybe I should try and experiment... Do you mean the color inserts?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ajax Posted May 27, 2020 Share Posted May 27, 2020 Teken, sorry I meant these https://www.smarthome.com/insteon-2401l-led-color-change-kit-for-keypadlinc-4-color.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrBill Posted May 27, 2020 Share Posted May 27, 2020 1 hour ago, Ajax said: Teken, sorry I meant these https://www.smarthome.com/insteon-2401l-led-color-change-kit-for-keypadlinc-4-color.html those are the inserts and would be easy to make. I didn't use many but they are nice for certain things, like I put red behind the fireplace buttons and blue behind the bedroom ceiling fan that stays on all night just to further dim it out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lilyoyo1 Posted May 27, 2020 Share Posted May 27, 2020 10 minutes ago, MrBill said: those are the inserts and would be easy to make. I didn't use many but they are nice for certain things, like I put red behind the fireplace buttons and blue behind the bedroom ceiling fan that stays on all night just to further dim it out. Forget about inserts. I wish they would put a color changing led behind the kpl buttons and let us change that. It would be a win win for them. They could charge a few extra bucks and get an easy sell as people like me would swap out a perfectly good device for the new version Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
larryllix Posted May 27, 2020 Share Posted May 27, 2020 15 minutes ago, lilyoyo1 said: Forget about inserts. I wish they would put a color changing led behind the kpl buttons and let us change that. It would be a win win for them. They could charge a few extra bucks and get an easy sell as people like me would swap out a perfectly good device for the new version We may not see anything new for the next decade or more the way the cold war is being escalated with China. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
asbril Posted May 27, 2020 Share Posted May 27, 2020 21 minutes ago, larryllix said: We may not see anything new for the next decade or more the way the cold war is being escalated with China. I doubt that..... Other markets (Vietnam, India and even Madagascar) are replacing China and why not Mexico. AND why not bring back manufacturing back home? Between rising salaries in China and automated production here, it should be possible. The one thing we have learned from this crisis (politics aside) is that we must not rely on China for personal protection items (masks, gloves, etc). Bring it home. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
larryllix Posted May 27, 2020 Share Posted May 27, 2020 25 minutes ago, asbril said: I doubt that..... Other markets (Vietnam, India and even Madagascar) are replacing China and why not Mexico. AND why not bring back manufacturing back home? Between rising salaries in China and automated production here, it should be possible. The one thing we have learned from this crisis (politics aside) is that we must not rely on China for personal protection items (masks, gloves, etc). Bring it home. It will be up to Insteon people. It should be interesting based on their past performance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
asbril Posted May 27, 2020 Share Posted May 27, 2020 43 minutes ago, larryllix said: It will be up to Insteon people. It should be interesting based on their past performance. My comment was more general, and you know how I feel about Insteon being a one manufacturer product. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrBill Posted May 28, 2020 Share Posted May 28, 2020 On 5/25/2020 at 4:27 PM, Teken said: Regarding the blank KPL buttons which you're correct they did exist and have since been pulled off. My *Tin Foil Hat Conspiracy* is someone read about some of us using a laser etcher to make our vary own custom KPL buttons! Hence why they removed that option because instead of pricing the custom button at a more reasonable level - Nope! As an aside you can take any existing button and remove the OEM paint with isopropyl alcohol / nail polish to make a blank button. A Funny thing happened at dinner last night. My wife and I were discussing smarthome for some reason (the beginning of the conversation was completely unrelated and dates back to when we owned a lighting store and had a smarthomepro.com dealer account, she was talking about a specific customer). This got me grumbling about smarthome and I mentioned your conspiracy theory about why they removed blank white buttons from the inventory. I then went on to ramble about how I must have thrown away some that I had purchased. She asked if they were with the "color things" and I said what are you talking about? She starts talking about the box in the laundry room.... the conversation gets confused because she's talking about a brown cardboard box, and I'm talking about a brown fiber box mounted on the laundry room wall that has relays for the doorbells, smoke alarms, and a smartenit EZIO2x4 controller (whatever happened to them?).... anyway as the conversation gets more confused we actually get up and go to the laundry room. She's talking about THIS box: On a high otherwise unused shelf. I open it and JACKPOT!!! Holy hell.... this stuff has been lost (to me) for 4 years: Including the elusive white buttons blanks: And a couple of 8-button conversion kits: Things I really needed.... It's amazing how small things in life can bring such joy.... lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teken Posted May 28, 2020 Share Posted May 28, 2020 A Funny thing happened at dinner last night. My wife and I were discussing smarthome for some reason (the beginning of the conversation was completely unrelated and dates back to when we owned a lighting store and had a smarthomepro.com dealer account, she was talking about a specific customer). This got me grumbling about smarthome and I mentioned your conspiracy theory about why they removed blank white buttons from the inventory. I then went on to ramble about how I must have thrown away some that I had purchased. She asked if they were with the "color things" and I said what are you talking about? She starts talking about the box in the laundry room.... the conversation gets confused because she's talking about a brown cardboard box, and I'm talking about a brown fiber box mounted on the laundry room wall that has relays for the doorbells, smoke alarms, and a smartenit EZIO2x4 controller (whatever happened to them?).... anyway as the conversation gets more confused we actually get up and go to the laundry room. She's talking about THIS box: On a high otherwise unused shelf. I open it and JACKPOT!!! Holy hell.... this stuff has been lost (to me) for 4 years: Including the elusive white buttons blanks: And a couple of 8-button conversion kits: Things I really needed.... It's amazing how small things in life can bring such joy.... lol That’s awesome - It’s a rare thing in life where some random topic discussed by perfect strangers translates to something positive. Rock On . . . Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ajax Posted June 5, 2020 Share Posted June 5, 2020 Nice find! Let me know if you would want to sell a couple of the color changing inserts! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
apostolakisl Posted June 5, 2020 Share Posted June 5, 2020 Periodically I have one of those l found a lost treasure moments. My wife, you see, likes to take anything of mine that I might leave out and stick it somewhere. Then years later I find it and it's like Christmas. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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