Logitech Class Action Says Video Security System Riddled with Defects

Two purchasers of the Logitech Alert security system say it’s full of defects that the company has failed to properly remedy.

Plaintiffs Steven Chernus and Ed Shapiro say that both the hardware and software in Logitech Alert’s security system are riddled with defects that make them unreliable and sometimes completely inoperable.

They allege Logitech has refused to honor its own warranty by offering replacements or repairs.

According to this Logitech Alert class action lawsuit, the company began selling the Logitech Alert system in 2010. The system uses a high-definition weatherproof video camera to route a live video feed to the user’s computer, smartphone or tablet.

The system also provides motion detection alerts via email and smartphone push notifications. It can be expanded to include up to six additional cameras. Additional features are available for users who sign up to Logitech’s “Web and Mobile Commander” subscription service.

Plaintiffs say Logitech advertises the system as providing comprehensive and reliable home security, offering “peace of mind in a box.” The company also touts the system’s ease of installation and use thanks to its “HomePlug” networking technology, which uses the home’s electrical wiring to carry the video signal.

Yet Chernus and Shapiro cite complaint after complaint logged in online forums by customers who say their Logitech Alert systems failed to perform as advertised.

Complaints allege a variety of malfunctions such as failure to turn on, stay on, or record and download video properly; hardware and software failures; overheating; faulty or inoperable motion sensors; and delayed alerts, or alerts that are never received.

The Logitech Alert system comes with a one-year warranty that guarantees repair, replacement or refund in case the product fails. While some customers reported Logitech responded to their complaints, the plaintiffs say Logitech required many customers to jump through unreasonable hoops to get warranty coverage.

To make a warranty claim, plaintiffs say customers are forced to step through cumbersome and sometimes ineffectual troubleshooting procedures. Logitech allegedly stalls claims made during the warranty period by telling customers that the necessary components are on back-order.

Plaintiffs also accuse Logitech of making false promises of hardware and software fixes that are never delivered and of replacing defective Logitech Alert systems with other systems that are themselves defective.

Compounding the problem was Logitech’s decision in 2012 to discontinue the Logitech Alert system by 2014. It wasn’t until 2014 that Logitech finally disclosed this decision to consumers, the plaintiffs say. Meanwhile, the discontinuation cut off consumers’ access to replacement components, according to the plaintiffs.

The plaintiffs are proposing to represent a Class consisting of all persons in every state except California who purchased Logitech Alert systems. They also propose two subclasses to represent Class Members from Pennsylvania and New Jersey.

They seek an award of injunctive and declaratory relief, damages, restitution and disgorgement of profits, plus reimbursement of court costs and attorneys’ fees.

The plaintiffs are represented by attorneys William J. Pinilis, Laurence D. King, Linda M. Fong and Matthew B. George of Kaplan Fox & Kilsheimer LLP.

The Logitech Alert Defective Security System Class Action Lawsuit is Steven Chernus, et al. v. Logitech Inc., Case No. 3:17-cv-00673, in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey.