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TrackR: Rip-off or incompetent? Lessons to learn from a total customer service failure

CNET

Update: see the end of this article for a statement from TrackR’s CEO.

Human nature is twisted. We prefer good news, but we’re morbidly fascinated when things go terribly wrong. We want new companies to succeed, but stories of rip-offs and customer mistreatment fuel our righteous indignation.

This is one of those stories.

Before I dish the dirt, I’ll tell you one thing: this article isn’t just going to be a bitchfest. It includes important and helpful lessons for anyone starting and managing a company. So read on.

Our story begins on my couch, in early November. I was watching an episode of one of Leo Laporte’s TWiT network shows. I’m a big fan of TWiT. I’ve even had the honor of being a guest on TWiT’s Tech News Today. I was watching MacBreak Weekly, where they featured an advertiser selling a product called TrackR.

The TrackR bravo is a little tag that broadcasts a Bluetooth signal about 100 yards. It’s meant for luggage tags, purses, puppies, and anything else you want to locate. If you’re within that 100 yard range, you can find the tag. TrackR also uses a crowdsourced network, so if any TrackR user comes…

TRACKR LAUNCHES NEW FEATURES TO MAKE THE TASK OF REMEMBERING WHERE ITEMS ARE EASIER

Family Sharing and Custom Printing make TrackR bravo smarter and more personal

Tuesday, July 26, London, UK – Today, TrackR announced two new features for its TrackR bravo, designed to make the device smarter and more personal. Family Sharing allows TrackR users to share items with groups of selected people that make sense for their daily life, while Custom Printing allows TrackR users to print any photo directly onto their TrackR bravo so the device fits seamlessly into their style.

With the Family Sharing option, TrackR users can share items in the context of groups that they interact with most in their daily lives – families, roommates, neighbors, etc. – enabling a “group effort” approach for quickly locating misplaced items. For example, a user could set up a “Fami-ly” group that includes their spouse and children; within that group, they could share their TrackR-ed TV remote, car keys, and cat so anyone in the family can help find those items. The same user could set up a “Neighbors” group, in which each group member shares their TrackR-ed…

TrackR Announces New Tracking Devices and Home-Mapping Smart Plug

With CES gearing up in a few days, some companies have begun revealing new products ahead of the show, and today TrackR has unveiled new updates to its range of Bluetooth tracking devices that help users keep tabs on where their most precious items are located (via The Verge).

One of the new additions is the TrackR pixel, which the company is introducing as a cheaper and more colorful entry to the aluminum-cased TrackR bravo that is already on sale. Like the bravo, the pixel can be attached to an important personal item -- such as a key ring -- and with a connected iPhone and Android app, users can find anything lost with a GPS locator that shows when they are getting closer or farther away. When TrackR is far out of range, the company's "crowd GPS network" of users will anonymously help in rediscovery of the item in question.

The original TrackR wallet has also been updated to a 2.0 version, making the Bluetooth tracker visually similar to a credit card and the "thinnest item-finder on the market," according to TrackR. Otherwise, the wallet functions the same as the pixel, offering users close-range Bluetooth tracking through a…