Connected Shop — Local services in North Bay Village

SCAM!!!!!! Below is the letter that I sent the the owner, Nicholas Zennaro, of The Connected Shop without any response. As of today they want me to send a full video of the install of the smart door lock to see if it is not working!! See letter below to Nicholas Zennaro :

Mr. Zennaro,

I have purchased a door lock from your company, The Connected Shop, on 12/22/22 on order #3849. The process of business dealings with your company has been painful to say the least.

When I purchased the product on 12/22/22 the original shipping address was wrong. When I realized the product was going to the wrong address I immediately contacted your customer support team, but they were unable to change the address even though it had not shipped yet. The product was sent to my old address in TN, then forwarded to New York. I asked customer service to refund my money and I would reorder the part, but they refused, so I had to fight with USPS for 1 month to finally get it sent to my address in Florida. I did not get the product until 2/17/23.

At this point, I contacted customer service because I no longer needed the product because it took two months to get to me. They sent me the directions to send it to Buffalo Grove IL, however they made me pay for the return shipping.

After I sent the product back to your returns department, I did not hear anything from them for 2 weeks. I had to contact them to get a response to see when a refund would be issued. They responded back to me that a refund would not be issued because the product was damaged. Since I already had a door lock by then, I never even opened the box when I received it. I sent the product back immediately after receiving the package on 2/17/23.

Your company informed me that the product would be sent back to my address, however they sent it to the wrong address in TN again. It was yet again forwarded, and sent back to the returns department. Then, finally, sent to my address in FL yesterday.

At this point I opened the box and figured I would install and replace my other brand new lock with it because your company was refusing to give me a refund on the product.

After installation, the lock would not even work! It would only lock if the key was in the key hole on the outside of the door.

I contacted customer service again and they informed me to send a video to tech support, however a refund would not be issued and they would only replace the part. They also said that if this next part doesn't work, they' just keep replacing parts.

I am currently waiting on tech support, but I need you to understand that this situation has been going on for 3 months over a single product from your company.

There are some major factors of concern of how business is being conducted from a customer's standpoint. This is unethical and borders along the line of scamming.

At this point I am considering filing a complaint with the BBB and the FTC on poor business ethics and failure to issue me a refund, due to a damage issue that I did not cause because I never opened the package when I got it on 2/17/23.

I would like for you to please resolve this issue ASAP and a full refund to be issued to me based on...

Advised to purchase a lock that did not meet my needs, despite being VERY clear of what I needed it for and what I needed it to do. Lock arrived and I used their recommended installer. (They also sent the incorrect information to the locksmith about my lock. Pictures sent to locksmith weren’t even of my door) The lock installation took over 7 hours because they sent him the WRONG manual not once but TWICE!!!! Their own manual had the incorrect information and was for the wrong lock!!! The lock they sent DOES NOT DO WHAT I NEEDED IT TO DO NOR DOES IT WORK WITH THE TUYA APP! It will not unlock remotely unless someone rings the doorbell. To make matters worse, it has gone through FIVE SETS OF BATTERIES IN 5 DAYS!!! How is this even sustainable?!?! I am incredibly stressed bc we are a business and this lock doesn’t even fit my door setup properly and once the battery is low, it will not remain unlocked on the outside, discouraging my clients to enter the lobby. After countless conversations and their claims they will make it correct, and promise to send me a lock that meets my needs, their solution is for me to send the one I have back for exchange (it’s already been installed) OR I can pay for the replacement and send this one back when it arrives to get a refund EXCEPT their return policy in the email CLEARLY STATES IT MUST BE UNUSED AND UNINSTALLED.. EXCEPT THEY KNOW ITS ALREADY BEEN INSTALLED!!!!!!!!!! I also forgot to mention that all of this has cost me extra money as the locksmith had to stay on and deal with this situation and charged me an extra $150 for the extra time. Now, I have a lock that doesn’t work.. with an app it doesn’t correctly connect to, that drains batteries requiring a new set EVERY day (4 - AA) holes in my commercial storefront door, and ZERO resolution or accountability on their part!!!! THANK YOU CONNECTED TEAM FOR WASTING A WEEK OF MY LIFE AND THE THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS I WILL SPEND ON THE ORIGINAL PURCHASE & INSTALL AND NOW THE REPLACEMENT! At this point, the door itself may have to be replaced! One last thing- the lock comes from china, not Miami!

I’m sure they will respond to this with the “solutions” they have provided however even their solutions are a scam! The useless piece of junk they sent me has been installed and they are not going to send a replacement unless I send this one back first or buy the other and send this one back.. either way , this one has been installed and doesn’t meet their return requirements! This isn’t a solution, this is robbery!!! DO NOT BUY FROM...

Do not purchase from this company. They have the worst customer service of any company I have dealt with in 31 years. I submitted pictures and measurements of my door as requested. It took forever to get a response but finally they recommended a lock and said it would fit my door. Once I received the lock, it took me about 10 days to find a contractor to install it. Once we opened the box, we knew immediately that it would not fit because one of the measurements that they never ask for is the distance between the sliding door and the screen door. They also don't publish the handle depth online so I would have been able to see that it didn't fit. I called the company and asked to speak to the tech support department. I was told that they don't allow you to speak with them. I asked if they could call me back and was again told no, so I emailed the company to see if there was a fix or option so that the handle didn't have to protrude so far. As typical, it took a few days to get a response and the answer was no. I called again and left a message on the voicemail. 24 hours later, I received a message that said she would try in back in the morning. After waiting most of the day and not hearing back, I left another message. No one to date has ever called me back. Each of their emails to me says they are available for text, phone or email support so I texted the number and asked someone to call me. Again, no one did. I again emailed stating the problem. After a couple of days between each email, I received a response that I could return the lock as long as it had never been installed (and it hadn't) and I had to make pictures and upload them. No where on this email is a deadline for the return stated. I was sick for 2 weeks so as soon as I was on the mend, I made the pictures and tried to upload them. The system wouldn't let me because it had been over 30 days. I again emailed explaining the situation to them thinking they would fix it since they told me I could return. It took them 3 days (or more) to respond that they couldn't do anything to help me. So I ordered the lock they recommended, it's still brand new in the box in all original packaging and I am out $300.00. I was even trying to just exchange this for the lock that will fit my door but they won't allow that either. I don't know how they stay in business when they aren't accessible, don't respond and have no customer service at all. Buy from anyone except them or you will be stuck too. ...