Between failing hardware and multiple lawsuits, Bose has been having quite the year. But it seems like those who are truly suffering from these issues are customers and some of them have had enough. Here’s exactly why.
Here Are a Few Reasons Customers Are Dropping Their Bose Headphones
Most recently, the Massachusetts-based corporation came under fire after a lawsuit was filed against the company for violating their customers’ rights to privacy. According to the suit filed April 18 by customer Kyle Zak, Bose collected customer information regarding their music preferences, playlists, and more via their headphones companion app Bose Connect, and sold it to a third party.
Zak is seeking millions of dollars for buyers of Bose headphones and speakers that pair with the Connect app, including QuietComfort 35, QuietControl 30, SoundLink Around-Ear Wireless Headphones, SoundLink Color II, SoundSport Wireless and SoundSport Pulse Wireless. He is also demanding Bose stop compiling customer data. As of Wednesday, Bose said in a statement that the company will “fight the inflammatory, misleading allegations… In the Bose Connect App, we don’t wiretap your communications, we don’t sell your information, and we don’t use anything we collect to identify you — or anyone else — by name.” The latest version of Bose Connect, also launched on Wednesday, allows users to opt out of data collection by the app, but some users are calling for a solution to this quick fix as well.
Data collection opt-out is part of the latest @Bose connect update. This should be opt-in. Please fix this. pic.twitter.com/tLJCA7JiYK
— Jacob K. Bluhm (@JacobKBluhm) May 3, 2017
About a month prior to this fiasco, Doppler Labs filed a suit against Bose for allegedly stealing their technology and reworking it into their new QuietComfort 30 Wireless Headphones rebranded as Hearphones. The suit claims Bose “modified… to include the design and function of Doppler Labs’ award winning Here Active Listening system, Here One listening system, Here Buds wireless earbuds, and companion mobile application.” Doppler Labs is demanding Bose cease and desist production of the QC 30 as well as pull all advertisements and campaigns for the product.
Lastly, Bose’s latest firmware update has rendered some active noise cancelling headphones useless. It stops the headphones from cancelling noise. Bose is reportedly trying to sort out the issue, but has not been able to do so to date.
Some QC 35 users have downgraded their firmware.
@wesbos My QC35s are on Firmware 1.0.6 – seems there are issues with later versions. Downgrade fixes it for now. https://t.co/HY92UnAWWA
— Christopher Hamilton (@39digits) May 2, 2017
Others have said they are ditching products from the company for now.
via MajorHiFi comments
I don’t know about you, but I’m going to steer clear of Bose headphones, speaker, and app for a little while.
