Request 152861
I’ve been trying Auto Unlock and it’s been spotty. First response was links to ensure basic location settings were correct. I responded that all is as it should be with some extra detail. Next response “ For the auto unlock issue, please use a Android Smartphone to try again. Will it work better?”
I said I don’t have android. Response was asking for purchase proof. When provided the response was “you’re out of warranty please buy a new product”. Nothing was done to show I have any hw issues. No guarantee was provided that buying another lock would fix my issue. The software is buggy as evidenced by other users post all over the internet. I haven’t seen much improvement. On the smart home side I can’t even have the lock auto update its status in smartthings. It needs a manual refresh. This prevents any automations based on lock status from working. I was thinking about getting the zwave version of the lock only find basic functionality is missing and users are still waiting on promised updates. If I buy a new lock this brand will not be considered based on my experience.
I had a Motorola smart phone that was a few years old when I bought the UBolt with built in wifi in Feb '22. It worked fine until there was an update on the lock, then it got very unreliable as far as being able to connect remotely. Unfortunately that update happened when we had left our winter home for the season, and wanted to be able to change entry codes for our rental guests until we returned. The lock went through batteries about every three weeks, and I was lucky if I could get a connection once out of 10 times trying. The support people kept wanting me to do updates that required the phone app and lock be at the same location, but we were 1800 miles away, so I planned on just suffering through the sporadic connections until we could get there again the following winter. On Black Friday I found a deal on a new MotoG Stylus 5G, I transferred my apps etc from the old to the new phone, and all of a sudden the UTEC lock worked like it was supposed to have since I got it. The old phone was Android 7.1.1, and the new phone was Android 12, and I haven’t had any issues since, but I turned off all features except being able to change the codes between guests. I check the lock status when guests leave on their last day to make sure the door is closed and it’s locked., and delete their code, but that’s about it, other than programing in new codes as new booking come in. Now the batteries are lasting about 6 months. Since everything I need the lock to do is working right now, I also have avoided doing any updates on either the app or the lock until we are at the house again, so if there is a problem I’ll be there to take care of it.
Glad things improved. My issues aren’t BT related. Direct control via BT is the most stable. My issues stem from the interplay of the bridge and the lock in regards to remote connectivity. Still not getting far with support. The rep is not being helpful and is dancing around with addressing my concerns consistently. My other U-tec lock has some glitches but works much better.
