Connection issues with car stereo receivers

[MafeG]

Hi everyone,

We've received reports about car receivers (mainly Pioneer) having connectivity issues. Bluetooth connection usually works fine, but when trying to use Connect it fails. 

The team in charge is already looking into this, so we've merged a few threads here to keep you all in the loop.

[aeroncadin]

@MafeG - How can you and Spotify just brush this away???

This is totally unacceptable. Long time premium member and now family plan user.

I have zero reason to stay with Spotify. This is TERRIBLE! PLEASE HELP US. 

[aeroncadin]

@MafeG It's still in your own website!

https://support.spotify.com/us/article/spotify-in-the-car/ 

I am absolutely furious about this garbage. 

[Russbmw]

I've had a response from Kenwood, whom I forwarded this now comical forum thread.  They weren't warned:

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Hi

This caught us all by surprise . Because their app is there everything , all their resources go there .

Thanks for you feedback , this will still be forwarded as INFO .

Thanks Rory

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Spotify customer service got back to me as well:

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Hi

Thanks for keeping in touch. We apologize that you didn't get a clear answer to your concern. We'll definitely clear this up for you.

We can confirm that what you found on the forum is correct. Spotify Connect has been indeed deprecated from Kenwood audio head units. However, you should still be able to play audio from your mobile devices via Bluetooth or through a USB cable. 

We hope this clears things up.

If there's anything else we might be able to look into for you, please let us know.

All the best,

Kristina C

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So Kristina has now had the email conversation I've had with Kenwood, and the shop I bought my headunit from sent to her - along with screenshots of Kenwood's global pages, various shops pages and spotify's own website still advertising the benefits of Spotify Connect sent to her; along with the following:

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Hi 

No, it does not really clear things up at all.

As you can see from the attached, I have wasted money on a car stereo unit that was advertised as having Spotify control, yet now clearly does not and Spotify have no intention of resolving either.

Whom can I speak to about being reimbursed for my purchase, which is now not functioning as advertised because of changes Spotify have made to their app – and as you can see, obviously didn’t kenwood/Pioneer/JVC about either, as you can see form their representative’s response on the attached.

Can you please confirm if Spotify connect works with iPhones still?

Does it work with any headunits at all?

Will Spotify be bringing back “car mode”  on the app, seeing as Spotify connect has been suddenly killed off?

This is unacceptable that manufacturers not been forewarned about this situation in sufficient time to do anything about it, and even moreso that the general public are still unwittingly being sold products as having a key selling point such as Spotify Connect, when there is no chance of working from the minute they get it out of the box.

The people that are going to bear the brunt of this are the retailers and manufacturers, and I sincerely hope someone at those companies gets wind of what is going on and challenges Spotify to correct this situation they have generated, as what Spotify have done has now meant retailers and manufactures are mis-selling goods to the public.

Please send any responses to my personal email  **bleep**  as I do not wish to keep using my work email for this purpose. 

When I started this query, I really had not envisaged the abysmal response Spotify have finally given, effectively washing their hands of the situation and leaving goodness knows how many consumers like myself out of pocket with brand new car stereos (and all the fitting accessories I purchased to fit it to the car) that are not fit for purpose and falsely advertised.

Kind regards

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Even though I'm not living in the UK anymore, I've a good mind to summarise this predicament to the various consumer watchdog  organisations and TV shows - they love this kind of thing.

Spotify have god knows how many subscribers, they're not going to listen to a minority fraction of those numbers that they've now really **bleep** off - nor are they going to care that a few people storm out with "Well I'm cancelling my subscription!".

They may, however pay attention to another large business outfit such as Kenwood/Pioneer/JVC who will have the means and motive to confront Spotify about what they've done here.

[NoSurrender]

@Russbmw I'm gonna contact kenwood tomorrow too. 

I want my head unit refunded. Not as advertised. Perfect. 

[Mick46]

My response from jvckenwood australia.

Hi Michael,

It looks like this is something that Spotify has done on their end with one of the updates to their Phone App.

Until it is rectified on their end, it looks like this can be bypassed by installing an older version of the app to your phone. By what I have seen the Jan 2022 release should still function.

You will just need to make sure auto updates are disabled for this app.

https://spotify.en.uptodown.com/android/versions

Regards

Seems like they dont really care or they assume spotify will fix it.

[Russbmw]

@Mick46the problem is, at some point we will be loosing out on Spotify functionality we've been paying for (or the app just won't work at all when Android updates again I'm sure).

So the old version, which doesn't seem to work for everyone either, is only a temporary fix - and to be honest, I hadn't envisaged Spotify would act with such blatent disragard on the matter.

[Mick46]

@Russbmw yeah i know the app eventually wont work. I have no understanding of how the app works to even try to understand how hard it would be to fix, but i imagine they've done this on purpose because they make enough money without having to look after their customers.

[JesterK]

The old version has worked for the last 3 months for me (since Spotify updated). I'm pretty sure there is some user error involved with those who can't get the previous version to work.

Sounds like the manufacturers of the head units don't give a **bleep** either. Android Auto still works great though but I have moved on to Tide.

Would be interested to see if any iPhone users report this issue.... Might go grab my wife's phone and try.

[Russbmw]

@JesterK yes, hence I have asked the question, as I have an older iPhone XS that I use as an iPod at the moment.  Problem is for me, the model headunit I bought only works with Andoid - and seeing as I've only ever used Android phones, it seemed the sensible choice!  However, if iPhones still work, then I'll be looking to change my headunit out for a different one that does at least work. 

Already been onto the shop I bought it from a only 2 weeks ago.

Also reiterated this story, and how nobody seems to give a toss about us end users/consumers,  to a UK consumer watchdog (even though I'm in australia now), but the BBC is also here in Aus as well.

If I'd had an email in 8 months time or something from Kenwood or Spotify saying "Sorry, but in 6 months time we'll be discontinuing Spotify Connect" I honestly wouldn't be that bothered by it.

What has really got my goat here is that this I've literally wasted $300 or so less than 3 weeks ago, on a stereo that was falsely advertised (through no fault of the shop, nor Kenwood for that matter) because Spotify have stealth massacred Spotify Connect, clearly in an effort to manipulate the media streaming market (and one they are obviously king of) to force people into buying some product they've made that does exactly what spotify connect has been doing perfectly well for ages. 

In the meantime, for reasons I do not understand, having their own staff start a thread on here asking the general public for information on a problem Spotify themselves had already created at the time, and had/still have no intent to correct.

To add to that confusion, Spotify still advertise Spotify Connect as being a feature on their own website - so stands to reason that manufacturers would still continue to advertise their products the same way.

Utter circus this is.  

[Thatguy801]

Does anyone else think this fits into the class action lawsuit category or is it just me? 
No notice, false advertising of a product etc etc. 
Regardless this claim can be sent to the FTC or the BBB for false advertising and deceptive trade practices. 
Will be filing my reports in the next week.
The more people that join in the better the case will be.