A Twisted End to a Promising Smart Home Lighting Product
The Twist smart bulb was supposed to provide a high-quality lighting and sound experience. Instead, customers are now being told the company has ceased operations and refunds aren’t be sent, according to 9to5Mac.
Earlier this week, Twist CEO Shaun Springer alerted customers via email that funding difficulties had forced an immediate shutdown of the company. The email came after growing complaints on Twitter regarding unfulfilled orders and silence from customer support.
In the email, Springer explains:
It is with a heavy heart that I have to share the news that Twist will be shutting down the business as of today. We have spent the past several months trying to raise a round of funding necessary to invest in our next round of inventory, as well as the next phase of the business, but were unsuccessful in getting the capital needed.
More worrisome, folks with pre-orders for the AirPlay-compatible bulb probably won’t be seeing a refund anytime soon.
Again, back to the email:
Will I still receive my order?
We are unable to fulfill any more pre-orders at this time, but are still working on finding a solution that could make that possible.
Will I get a refund?
If you purchased directly from Twist Home, you we will not be able to refund. If you purchased from a third party, you will be covered by their individual return policy.
Not surprisingly, this news isn’t sitting well with Twist customers who have taken to Twitter to complain.
Among the comments:
@TwistHome @Shaun_Springer — I take it twist is dead? The https://t.co/LRvlUdlvDy site is gone, and the app no longer works (I can’t turn in my lights anymore). If so, while I empathize with the startup thing not working out, an email to your customers would be appreciated.
— Andrew Myers (@andrewmyers) December 13, 2017
@Shaun_Springer https://t.co/P5usDspRBb is no more and app stopped controlling twist bulbs. Out of business? Say it ain’t so?
— Madani Adjali (@MadaniAdjali) December 13, 2017
For those who successfully purchased Twist light bulbs, there’s some good news. 9to5Mac has received word the Twist app will continue to work, at least for now.
Update: In an email to 9to5Mac, Twist says that “the app works fine and the cloud services are paid for and covered for a long while.”
Twist's still on Twitter!
Companies, especially tech startups, go out of business all the time. Twist’s closure, however, looks extra dirty for obvious reasons.
First, not offering refunds to customers is inexcusable. Hearing examples like this are why many folks now avoid startups and crowdfunding projects. It’s also unfortunate that Twist had the time to send emails to customers telling them they won’t receive a refund, but seemed to have forgotten to shut down the company’s online footprint.
Currently, the HelloTwist website is still online as are the company’s Twitter and Instagram accounts. Neither mentions the company has just gone down the toilet. The company’s Facebook presence is gone, however.
You can read more about Twist in our article first published in June 2015.
Did you lose money on Twist? Let us know below.
