Email from from Tuya IOT: free trial is expiring today - Tuya official integration

Third party integrations
#1

I got an email today notifying me that my Tuya IOT free trial expires today.

I signed up following the instructions for the new official Tuya integration. Does this mean that the free trial will be:

  • a) cancelled?
  • b) continue if I do something? (the email is unclear and signing into IOT platform does not provide additional information)
  • c) continue without me doing anything?

This new official Tuya integration is causing me nothing but trouble so far. I understand that emails from Tuya are not HA’s business, but this is a direct result of following the official instructions for the integration.

Luckily I only need to keep it while I get rid of my last two Tuya devices. After the outage of Tuya servers a few weeks ago, it became pretty obvious that any kind of cloud-tied integration like the new Tuya official one is not suitable for my use-case.

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#2

I think that answers any question about paying for the integration… and quite rightly too.

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#3
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#4

So my scenario was that I used LocalTuya which I had to use the IOT platform to get my local key for my one Tuya device I couldn’t TuyaConvert.
That demo expired right after that device died.
I had to create a new Tuya account to get the local keys and it worked.

I suppose in a year I’ll see if I can link a new IOT account to my main Tuya account so I don’t have to re-add the devices?
I’d rather do that than pay Tuya a dime.

If the official Tuya integration doesn’t work after the demo expires that’s pretty shocking on HA’s part because I don’t remember them saying anything about during the launch party, but in fairness you have to pay a one time fee of $5 USD to Google to get the Nest integration working, so it might be becoming a gross norm.

Gonna grab some popcorn and see how this one plays out.

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#5

I don’t think they knew it was going to be a subscription.

I find it really odd this whole thing.
Why are they going to such extent to keep us in their API and replaces their chips to make not flashable?
The simple human won’t flash and has no clue of APIs, he could buy any brand.
Those who know and can will now avoid and talk “bad” about Tuya because it’s subscription, not flashable and has no (good) integration.

This negativity will affect what brand the simple person chose.

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#6

Time to move to pre-flashed (local only) products.

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#7

Just ignore that email. I have no problem continue using the Tuya devices.

#8

Answer is simple. They are not charity organization. They have to make money, and the best way is to keep the devices under control, just like Apple. Have you even seen someone flashed Android on an iPhone? Same reason.

#9

Being able to flash the device is a great idea, if you are willing to pay 3~4 times the price than the Tuya ones…

#10

Yup.

Everything can be hacked as long as the right people sink enough time and money into it. And as long as it is worth the efforts. Tuya is not. Ditch that crap and buy something local instead.

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#11

I’d rather pay more upfront for a devices that’s local and doesn’t have monthly fees. :man_facepalming:

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#12

As far as I know these are not electrically certified in my country and therefore illegal. This means you can’t legally sell them in Australia though it makes no difference if I buy them directly from AliExpress.

HOWEVER it also means that, were they to start a fire, my home insurance policy would be void. And you can bet the insurance company, whose job it is to deny as many claims as possible, would use any excuse to deny the claim (for example, illegal electrical devices).

#13

Ok that’s a good one haha. But TBH I don’t think it’s going to work out for everyone. It’s a great PoC project though. Anyway, Tuya has every right/freedom to determine how their devices will work and where their business will go. Whether it’ll succeed or not is another problem. To me, the cloud platform works great and I’d like to enjoy the affordable device they provide(through many brands).

#14

That’s what I’m doing, for now.

Nobody said they were.

Tuya devices used to be flashable.

#15

Right. If you are willing to sniff on eBay you can still find some Tuya plugs/light bulbs that were manufactured in 2018, which can be luckily flashed with Tuya-convert. I bought probably 20 plugs and converted them all to ESPHome. But of course you have to pay more than the non-flashable Tuya devices. The sellers know very well the value of these endangered plugs.

#16

Milking that other fat cow on the pasture (the end user) which was left alone before seems to be a necessity for Tuya Inc. since their Paas (Platform-as-a-Service) and especially their SaaS (Software-as-a-Service) which they offer to businesses and developers are increasingly getting under pressure on the stock market and the forcasts for their overall stock value is rather gloomy. Although Tuya enjoys high revenue growth rates, it remains unprofitable. Even worse, not only is the company unprofitable, its negative operating income suggests that the company is destroying shareholder value.

Under such pressure, not only because they are a public listed company it is just a logical next step to look for other potential income sources …

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#17

You can only skin a cat once.
The second time it runs away.

People bought the device, that is the first time. If they now try a second time then people will run away from Tuya.

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#18

I was able to extend my trial period after telling them I had been struck down with COVID and wasn’t able to use the trial while I was sick.

Maybe try that.

#19

I have received the email and it won’t let me renew the “trial” edition, but I did see this in the help files:
https://support.tuya.com/en/help/_detail/K8sdybodwsifk

What can I do if my basic account expires?

Last Updated on：2022-03-17 14:21:09

The expiration notification displayed on the app for basic and Premium version users can be directly ignored. A business account is permanently valid after the enterprise certification is successful. If your ultimate account expires, send an application to Tuya business manager, and Tuya will evaluate and review your application.

I have the basic account, so I guess I will see what happens in a couple of weeks.

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#21

How did this work out for you in the end?