IP2M-858W Firmware Problem, NO CUSTOMER SUPPORT!

[usarmympdad]

I purchased an IP2M-858W Wi-Fi IP PTZ Outdoor security surveillance camera from Amcrest earlier this year through their listing on Ebay. Item was shipped to me directly from Houston. That camera has never been a problem, and has a firmware date of 2019-11-13, which I believe is the most current firmware for this camera.

This past Monday, September 14th, 2020, I received another new IP2M-858W camera purchased from Amcrest but fulfilled by Amazon. This camera has a manufacture date of September 19th, 2019. It also has the firmware dated 2018-07-06. This camera, because of the older firmware, is giving me a headache. Some of the settings, meaning, separate ones for day and night settings, are not changing between day and night like they are supposed to, causing me to login to the camera and manually change the exposure settings to daytime or nighttime, depending on the time of day.

NOTE: Amcrest does NOT have any firmware downloads at all on their support page, for the IP2M-858W camera. There's just no excuse for that.

I called the Amcrest customer service number, the toll free one, and got a woman at an overseas call center that was hard to understand because of her heavy accent. It took a while, but it sounded like she understood the problem and stated she would call me right back after she spoke to someone about getting a copy of the newer firmware file so I could update the firmware in the camera to correct the settings problems. Several hours later, after not getting a call back from that lady, I called the Houston number that starts with the area code of 713. Apparently it goes to the same call routing line. This time around, I selected sales, got a male sales rep on the phone, told him my situation, and asked him to have someone from the HOUSTON OFFICE contact me about the firmware issue. He said he would do it right away.

Today, this morning to be more specific, after receiving no call back from Amcrest what so ever, I filled out an online request for support on the Amcrest web site. I got an email that stated they received my request. As of this evening, Phoenix time, I have not heard a word from anyone.

Late this afternoon, I contacted Amazon customer support by phone, asking if they could contact Amcrest to request they contact me about the firmware issue. Best they could do was to offer me a full refund. Amcrest, unlike you, Amazon does take care of their customers. It's only a matter of logging in to my Amazon account, and then request a return shipping label. You, not Amazon, will have to pay the return shipping costs, along with any other fees involved with Amazon's handling of the returned item. The easiest and more cost effective way to handle this situation is for someone from your company to just contact me about the firmware issue, so I can get the newer firmware file to use to update the new camera and hopefully resolve the issues that I'm having with it.

There's one very BIG lesson that I've learned about business all through the years leading up to my retirement and that is, "If You Don't Take Care Of The Customer, Someone Else Will." So, continue to ignore this issue, not take care of me, your customer, and I will contact Amazon, request a return shipping label, pack the item back up, and then proceed to write a lengthy and ACCURATE review about how horrible your customer service truly is. The clock is ticking. If I don't hear back from someone at Amcrest within 24 hours, that's exactly what I'm going to do.

Signed Me,

One Very Disgusted and Angry Repeat Customer

[Revo2Maxx]

Hello and Welcome to the Forum...

Sadly I can't say what and or why things are the way they are right now... I love it though that people don't take in to account of the current Covid and that they in Texas have had a large amount of infections and that I am going to guess that just because people think this whole COVID is a JOKE I can tell you that it is no JOKE.. I have personally lost someone this year to the Covid Virus and TICKS me off that people think it is cool to live life as there is nothing going on and that this will just pass one day as something that has not happened... TEXAS while it might be able to open for business I am going to guess that there are some people that have LIGHT Staff if they are open.. ONe because you have to keep distance and others safe...

I don't know really I just think that the Staff right now might be Lower then normal and that even before this whole Covid thing it took some time to get a call back.. Some times there are things that need to be done before one can make such a call back...

Then this bring me to another issue with your statement... In one camera you have a FW from 2019 that you bought from Ebay? Was it Amcrest Direct? or some other company off Ebay? Hard to understand why Amcrest would offer a NEW product with 2019 FW for sale online NEW on Ebay and not offer same product that you said was bought with a 2019 Production date on it.. I wonder was any of these Seconds or Re manufactured... About the FW I can only guess that if there was a JS release that your one camera has with the 2019 FW online there has to be an issue with the FW and with that was Removed so others don't have the issues they found out after the relase...

What is odd is your saying the NEW FW camera works better then the released FW camera and normally it is the other way around and this again brings me to Ebay with NEW fw I wonder if it was not a used camera from someone other then Amcrest?

[usarmympdad]

Revo2Maxx, Covid-19 is becoming the oxymoron of excuses when it comes to poor customer service or none at all. I, and most likely a whole lot of other customers, are NOT dealing face to face with Amcrest. I didn't purchase the first camera from them at a sales desk, just like I didn't purchase the second one in person, the one that I'm having firmware issues with. Quite simply, this matter can be taken care by just emailing me the damn newer firmware file so I can update the camera with it.

Amcrest continues to do business. They are selling their products through their Ebay online store, shipping directly from Houston. The camera that I bought from them through Amazon was sold by Amcrest, but fulfilled by Amazon. Now, the listing shows it's being fulfilled by Amcrest, again, shipping from Houston. In other words, sales have NOT been suspended.

You do a disservice to customers, including repeat ones like myself, who have spent a nice chunk of change on Amcrest products, when you make excuses for the company's lack of customer service when you really have no idea what's going on at corporate. I know that you know they've had issues with the firmware for this particular model of camera, because I've read your comments about the firmware in another post for the IP2M-858W. Besides that, Amcrest sales appear to be internet driven, or at least most of them are, so there is NO contact between an Amcrest employee or myself. In addition to that, they are still shipping from their Houston location, otherwise they wouldn't be selling their products online. Again, this is a matter that can be taken care of with one email that has the newer firmware file attached to it, it's just that simple.

[Revo2Maxx]

Sorry you feel I have caused you HARM with my Rational thoughts of this current Pandemic... FWIW my Wifes sister passed away 2 days ago from Covid-19 1 person that has done nothing to anyone in this world besides be there for them and offer love and support for any thing they may have been going through...

Anything else below this line was not approved for posting

[davebray131]

usarmympdad, I feel your pain about the COVID excuse for bad customer support. It is not just Amcrest. Companies are using it as an excuse to under staff support and not provide customers with the help them need.

Having said that, I do not have the camera that you have, but I do have an IP8M POE camera. If I use the web interface to manage the camera there is a System menu option and under that there is an Upgrade option. On my camera I have the option to upgrade manually by providing a firmware file or to have the camera check for the update on its own. If I click the manual check it goes to the Amcrest site and downloads the latest firmware for my camera automatically. Perhaps they don't have it on their site, but the camera can download it on its own. Not sure if your camera has this option or not, but I thought I would mention it in case you had not looked in that area. Good luck with your firmware update.

[usarmympdad]

Davebray131, Thank You for the info.. I've tried doing what you suggested, but Amcrest has no firmware updates at all for my camera. Why, I have no idea. As for someone in Houston getting back to me, well, all I'm hearing is crickets, lots and lots of crickets.

[usarmympdad]

Davebray131, just tried to contact Amcrest through their online chat window that pops up on the amcrest.com home page. The lady tried but didn't succeed in trying to locate the firmware file. Amcrest makes quite the effort to advertise and sell their products, but apparently service after the sale is not a high priority for them. So, looks like I'm going to be contacting Amazon this afternoon to request a return shipping label.

I need a reliable surveillance camera and one that I don't have to change settings on every morning and night. First camera that I bought has the newer firmware and I haven't had a bit of trouble with that camera. Why they are selling cameras with the older glitchy firmware is a mystery to me. You think they would have recalled them and done firmware upgrades to them, or at least do something so simple as to offer the newer firmware on their support download page. Makes no sense to me. Amcrest makes quality cameras, but like everything else that is manufactured, sometimes issues arise with products, and that's why it's important to offer good customer service after the sale. Their call center located in India I believe, comes up short in that respect, at least in my case is does. They were friendly and courteous although difficult to understand, but they never followed through like they said they would. Also contacting Amcrest through the contact page, stating what the problem with the camera is, only yielded an auto reply that someone would get right back to me. I guess their idea of right back is weeks, months or years, or not at all. Sad.

[davebray131]

usarmympdad, I tried to call their call center as well for my issues and spoke with someone that was difficult to understand. After about 30 seconds she stated that she could not hear me and the call was disconnected. I had already been on hold for 30 minutes so I opted to try the forums which have given me much more insight than their support ever did.

[jack7]

usarmympdad,
I've used an IP2M-858 for over two years that has worked great with the 2018-07-06 firmware. Regarding your only stated camera problem, I have different settings including exposure in day and night profiles, and automatically switch at proper times with 2018 firmware. But it's probably best to return the camera to Amazon since you say you are " One Very Disgusted and Angry Repeat Customer".

[usarmympdad]

Jack7 and Davebray131, I finally got a reply from Amcrest yesterday afternoon. The following is from their tech support person, initials, J.L., "We do not have a firmware with build date 2019-11-13. However we do have a version 2019-11-12. I will go ahead and attach it on this email if you would like to try it out."

I'm puzzled by his reply about the date of the firmware. Here's the firmware version and date in the 858 camera that I'm not having any issues with.

Software Version V2.623.00AC003.0.R.R4.2510.9A.NR, Build Date: 2019-11-13

So, as you can clearly see, Amcrest did use a firmware with a build date of 2019-11-13. I replied back to Amcrest to verify that the firmware file they sent me with the 2019-11-12 build date is in fact the correct one for the new camera that I'm having trouble with, that had the following firmware installed in it. Software Version 2.422.AC02.0.R.R4.2510.9A.NR, Build Date: 2018-07-06

Never heard back from them so I went ahead and installed it. It was getting late and I forgot to leave Blue Iris up and running. When I checked the camera this morning it was operating in daytime mode after having it in nighttime mode last night. I won't know until tonight if that never version of firmware will solve the problem with the camera switching to nighttime mode automatically, and if not, then obviously the camera will be going back but at least I've got something to try before I have to pack it all back up in necessary.

This is the firmware version that is now installed in the new camera, same model as the older one. Software Version V2.623.00AC003.0.R.R4.2510.9A.NR, Build Date: 2019-11-12

Apparently there were cameras with older firmware versions sitting in Amazon bins. As I previously stated in an earlier post, the older camera that I purchased in February from Amcrest was shipped from Houston and not by Amazon like the second one, and has the newer firmware version. That camera has never given me a bit of trouble, and takes great photos day and night.

Jack7, keep in mind the reason I'm upset. These are security/surveillance cameras. They are used for a specific purpose, be it at a residence or a business. It's imperative that customers get good customer service to keep their surveillance cameras operational, and when they are not, time may be of the essence to get them back up and running. No doubt that Amcrest makes great cameras, which is the reason why I purchased the second one of the same model as the first. I have dealt with other Outdoor IP Wi-Fi/POE HD PTZ cameras manufactured by other companies, and while their cameras are well made, they don't measure up when it comes to nighttime use like my first IP2M-858W camera does. However, customer service for those cameras was far better and a lot quicker. Just sayin'.