I’m going to change my robot vacuum cleaner, I switch from Roborock to Dreame and the first thing I’ve noticed is that the app looks more like AliExpress than an application of a robot vacuum cleaner. I see many unnecessary options. Is there any way to hide all this?
I'm sharing my experience here as a warning if you're planning to build your smart home ecosystem with this brand.
Last August, I bought a Xiaomi Smart Air Purifier 4 from their official website. The device itself works fine, but now it's time to replace the filter. As you probably know, the filter is the "fuel" for these purifiers; without it, the device is literally a useless brick taking up space in the living room.
Well, it turns out that Xiaomi has officially stopped selling the replacement filter.
I contacted their official customer support, and their literal response was to figure it out myself by looking for third-party distributors (who, surprise surprise, are also completely out of stock). So, a device that isn't even a year old and cost me around 150€ is going straight to the trash because the manufacturer is applying textbook planned obsolescence by not providing the most basic consumable.
The worst part is that, at least here in Spain and the EU, this is illegal. Under the latest consumer protection laws (Right to Repair directives), manufacturers are legally obligated to guarantee the availability of spare parts for a minimum of 10 years.
I've already filed an official complaint through the European Consumer Centre (ECC) and local consumer authorities to force a mediation (they either provide the filter, upgrade me to a supported model, or refund my money).
I wrote an article documenting the whole case, including screenshots of their support emails washing their hands of the issue and the exact legal steps I took, in case anyone else is going through the same thing and wants to file a claim. You can check it out here:
Anyway, beware of the "greenwashing" from some tech brands. They sell you these highly sustainable smart ecosystems, but when push comes to shove, they force you to generate e-waste because they just don't feel like selling you a replacement part.
Has anyone else been left stranded like this with the Xiaomi ecosystem or other brands?