Incorporated Startup Will Brick $800 Moxie Emotional Support Robot For Kids—No Refunds

In addition to the robot being bricked, Embodied noted that warranties, repair services, a companion app for parents and guidelines, and support staff will no longer be accessible.

“Unable to Issue a Refund”

Embodied said it is “unable” to reimburse the majority of Moxie’s owners due to its “financial condition and impending dissolution.” The exception may be for people who purchased Moxie within 30 days. For those customers, Embodied said that “if the company or its assets are sold, we will do everything in our power to prioritize the refund of the purchase,” but emphasized that this is not a guarantee.

The startup also acknowledged the problems of those who got an expensive robot through a third-party lender. Embodied has advised such customers to contact their lender, but it is possible that some will end up paying interest on the toy that no longer works.

Embodied said he is looking for another company to buy Moxie. If that happens, the new company will receive Embodied customer data and decide how to use it, according to Embodied’s terms of service. Otherwise, Embodied said it “securely” deletes user data “in accordance with our privacy policy and applicable law,” which includes removing personally identifiable information from Embodied’s installed systems.

Another Smart Gadget Bites the Dust

For now, there is others I hope the Moxies can be resurrected. Things look bleak for Moxie owners, but we’ve seen failed smart device companies, like Insteon, resurrected before. It’s also possible that someone will release an open source version of the product, like the one made for the Spotify Car Thing, which Spotify officially bricked today.

But the short-lived, expensive nature of Moxie is exactly why some groups, like reform activists, are pushing the Federal Trade Commission to strictly regulate smart devices, especially when it comes to disclosure and commitment to software support. With smart gadget makers trying to figure out how to navigate the challenging economic landscape, owners of a variety of smart devices—from AeroGarden indoor gardening systems to Snoo bassinets—have had to deal with the consequences, including broken devices and paywall features. Last month, the FTC noted that smart device manufacturers who don’t commit to software support may be breaking the law.

For Moxie owners, the disappointment comes not only from wasted money and the creation of e-waste but also from the pain of giving a child a technology “friend” to grow up with and then suddenly taking it away.

This story appeared first Ars Technica.