Owners of Snoo's $1,695 “smart” crib like to gather on forums like Reddit's r/snoolife to share charts of their children's sleep patterns. But they also like to complain about Happiest Baby, the company behind the Snoo. That's because this summer, Happiest Baby added a $20 monthly subscription fee for several of the Snoo's “premium features,” which are controlled via a smartphone app.
Anyone who bought their Snoo from an “authorized” dealer before July 15, 2024 will get the premium features free for nine months. No problem!
However, those who bought their Snoo from an unauthorized retailer—that is, second-hand—can “enjoy all the fun and benefits of our premium app features for FREE until July 15, 2024,” the company announced in the fine print. After that date, the premium features will no longer apply. The only way to access used Snoos now is to shell out $20 each month, on top of the $600 to $1,000 you’ve already spent on the device.
Because the Snoo is so [fabulously|ludicrously|incandescently] expensive, and because a cradle is only used for the first few months, while a newborn [learns to sleep|bawls its head off at least six times a night]and because a new baby [expensive|extremely expensive]many [new parents|sleep-deprived zombies] are looking for a non-new Snoo. And the parents are not happy about this new subscription fee. One Reddit user says:
I'm just saying. This is bullshit. Current Snoo owners and users should be grandfathered in and continue to have access to basic features like movement lock (which I use the most), and future new accounts should receive clear notification that without paying $20/month they are only purchasing a $2,000 basket.
It's time to heap criticism on your app.
Dazed and confused
The Snoo works by rocking the cradle at different levels while tracking the baby's sleep state. For example, it can simulate a car ride or provide gentle movements when the baby wakes up during the night. The idea is that both the baby and the parent get more sleep.
The Snoo's basic features will work for anyone, even those who bought used, but the Premium package includes things like the aforementioned “car driving mode,” response settings, a weaning mode (to prepare for a crib), sleep monitoring and logging, a “level lock,” and “sleep sounds.” In other words, the Premium sub includes some pretty basic features that most Snoo owners want. (In fact, a common online complaint is that the “premium” features are pretty primitive for a smart device like this.)
Many of the angriest online comments seem to misrepresent the actual details of the new subscription, particularly the fact that new Snoo buyers Do Continue to receive premium features for free (at least for nine months).
But that's part of the problem with such sudden business model changes – the details are confusing! Customers buy an expensive piece of hardware in the hope of calming a screaming child, only to find that in addition to a screaming child and a lot of money to spend, they also have to remember email addresses, online accounts, subscription fees, whether they bought the device new or used, and whether today is before or after July 15th. Just rock that screaming baby, smart cradle!
Furthermore, regardless of legality, it can often feel unfair to charge for features that used to be free, even leading mild-mannered Snoo owners to take the advice of the aforementioned Redditor and start “review bombarding” Happiest Baby's apps.
On the Google Play Store, for example, Happiest Baby's smartphone app is currently down to 1.4 stars. Most of the recent reviews are one-star complaints that say things like:
When we got our Snoo, the app was free and worked perfectly. 5 months later, you now have to pay to access the log (and other features) that were free. And now the app keeps crashing! Every time we want to turn it on, we have to reset the app first and then it comments. I'm glad we only have 1 month left. I LOVE the Snoo. It's been a lifesaver. But the decision to start charging for most of the app's features out of the blue was disgraceful. Even the weaning mode? That's bullshit.
Or:
This app used to be great. But then they took a lot of the more important features and hid them behind a $20/month “premium” subscription, which is ridiculous. And just in case Happiest Baby is trying to “clarify” this, yes, the free version has several features. But that doesn't change the fact that all of those “premium” features USED TO BE FREE. It's just an attempt to squeeze more money out of parents who only want the best for their kids.
Angry parents have also turned to the Better Business Bureau (BBB) to file complaints about Happiest Baby, which currently has just one out of five stars and an “F” rating.