# Meater Block Buyer Beware ***UPDATE***



## dirtsailor2003

I haven't posted to this site for ever, but thought I'd share my experience with the Meater Block. I was an early backer on Kickstarter and finally received mine in one of the first shipments after production.

It has not worked properly from the get go. The unit has needed to do an update from day one. Every time I try the update the unit crashes and does not update.

Tech supports solution its to hold a button while doing the update until it completes. This has not worked on the unit that I have.

I have run through multiple sets of batteries.

I have requested a new unit and or a refund, but they only offer me to try the fix I mentioned above.

Too bad my Meater + works great. Customer service from this company is crap.


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## dr k

I'd send it back to them if it doesn't work and it's under warranty. Have them refer to your case or emails and send it to you when they resolve it.


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## dirtsailor2003

dr k said:


> I'd send it back to them if it doesn't work and it's under warranty. Have them refer to your case or emails and send it to you when they resolve it.



That would be an excellent solution, if they’d offer a mailing address to do that...  

I’ve requested returning the unit, refunding my money, sending me a unit that works. 

It may take me driving theunit to California to get anything done. 

It’s been quite the run around.


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## johnmeyer

I looked at a few of the comments about this "Wireless Smart Meat Thermometer" on their kickstarter page. Not a lot of love coming from their Kickstarter backers, so you're not alone.


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## HalfSmoked

Hey dirtsailor where you been man missed you. 

Having a failed unit sucks especially when the maker doesn't offer any help.

Warren


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## daveomak

Hey dirt.....  Is it another LEMon....   Sorry I had to do it...  
Been missing you bud....


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## chopsaw

HalfSmoked said:


> Hey dirtsailor where you been man missed you.


Yup .


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## SmokinAl

Hey Case!
It's good to see you back here!
Hope you'll stick around a while!
Been missing you!!!
Al


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## indaswamp

daveomak said:


> Hey dirt.....  Is it another LEMon....   Sorry I had to do it...
> Been missing you bud....


LOL!!!


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## dward51

Sounds like it may be a good thing I missed the initial round on Kickstarter.  I was concerned when the rollout took so long, and it appears this company is a soon to be thing of the past.


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## NiceToMeatU

dirtsailor2003 said:


> I haven't posted to this site for ever, but thought I'd share my experience with the Meater Block. I was an early backer on Kickstarter and finally received mine in one of the first shipments after production.
> 
> It has not worked properly from the get go. The unit has needed to do an update from day one. Every time I try the update the unit crashes and does not update.
> 
> Tech supports solution its to hold a button while doing the update until it completes. This has not worked on the unit that I have.
> 
> I have run through multiple sets of batteries.
> 
> I have requested a new unit and or a refund, but they only offer me to try the fix I mentioned above.
> 
> Too bad my Meater + works great. Customer service from this company is crap.



Hello,

My name is Zach, I'm sorry to hear that you're having trouble with your MEATER Block. Also I apologize if our steps seem a bit excessive, we just want to get you back up and cooking as fast as possible and make sure its not something that could be a quick fix via email. Since it seems like you have gone through the troubleshooting and that does not seem to help we would be happy to replace your MEATER Block.

You can email me directly at [email protected] or If you'd like to set up phone call with us please visit this link https://meater.youcanbook.me/

We look forward to hearing from you!

Best,
Zach


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## Misplaced Nebraskan

I just pre-ordered this the other day.  Glad they are shipping to the backers.  Sucks you've had issues.  ^^Looks like it may move towards resolution though.  In for outcome though and hope you get taken care of and the bugs get worked out as I've been waiting for a long time for this.


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## daveomak

NiceToMeatU said:


> Hello,
> 
> My name is Zach, I'm sorry to hear that you're having trouble with your MEATER Block. Also I apologize if our steps seem a bit excessive, we just want to get you back up and cooking as fast as possible and make sure its not something that could be a quick fix via email. Since it seems like you have gone through the troubleshooting and that does not seem to help we would be happy to replace your MEATER Block.
> 
> You can email me directly at [email protected] or If you'd like to set up phone call with us please visit this link https://meater.youcanbook.me/
> 
> We look forward to hearing from you!
> 
> Best,
> Zach



Better late than never....  First impressions...  you only have one opportunity.....


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## HalfSmoked

Wow somethings do happen and seem to amaze us.

Warren


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## dirtsailor2003

NiceToMeatU said:


> Hello,
> 
> My name is Zach, I'm sorry to hear that you're having trouble with your MEATER Block. Also I apologize if our steps seem a bit excessive, we just want to get you back up and cooking as fast as possible and make sure its not something that could be a quick fix via email. Since it seems like you have gone through the troubleshooting and that does not seem to help we would be happy to replace your MEATER Block.
> 
> You can email me directly at [email protected] or If you'd like to set up phone call with us please visit this link https://meater.youcanbook.me/
> 
> We look forward to hearing from you!
> 
> Best,
> Zach




Hi Zach,

I’ve been asking for a refund, new unit for months and have sent my phone number for you to call me.

Everyrime I send a requesrt I get a message to do this or that. Hold a button, stand on my head, spin in a circle, replace batteries, reset my WiFi. 

All the results have been the same. 

Then I send another request, which takes you guys 3-4 business days to reply to and then I get the same message. 

I’ve wasted a Costco pack of batteries trying all your suggestions to no avail. 

Sent my phone number asking you to call me. No call. 

I have the MEATER + and like it but this has deal has soured me on doing business with your company. 

I received another message yesterday asking me to hold this button and do this and contact you if it didn’t work. It didn’t work. I will once again reply to that message. 

Case Turner.


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## smokerjim

if you keep getting the run around contacting the bbb does wonders


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## indaswamp

Kinda reminds me of this commercial....


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## pineywoods

Well Case it seems that doing all the things you have done to try to get a good response from them all this time didn't get you very far but one thread calling them out on the forum seems to have gotten something. I hope it works out if you would post the results one way or the other so the rest of us can decide if we want to do business with them or not.


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## smokerjim

pineywoods said:


> Well Case it seems that doing all the things you have done to try to get a good response them all this time didn't get you very far but one thread calling them out on the forum seems to have gotten something. I hope it works out if you would post the results one way or the other so the rest of us can decide if we want to do business with them or not.


ditto


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## dirtsailor2003

pineywoods said:


> Well Case it seems that doing all the things you have done to try to get a good response them all this time didn't get you very far but one thread calling them out on the forum seems to have gotten something. I hope it works out if you would post the results one way or the other so the rest of us can decide if we want to do business with them or not.



I’m having LEM flashbacks....


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## indaswamp

^^^^LOL!!!


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## NiceToMeatU

dirtsailor2003 said:


> Hi Zach,
> 
> I’ve been asking for a refund, new unit for months and have sent my phone number for you to call me.
> 
> Everyrime I send a requesrt I get a message to do this or that. Hold a button, stand on my head, spin in a circle, replace batteries, reset my WiFi.
> 
> All the results have been the same.
> 
> Then I send another request, which takes you guys 3-4 business days to reply to and then I get the same message.
> 
> I’ve wasted a Costco pack of batteries trying all your suggestions to no avail.
> 
> Sent my phone number asking you to call me. No call.
> 
> I have the MEATER + and like it but this has deal has soured me on doing business with your company.
> 
> I received another message yesterday asking me to hold this button and do this and contact you if it didn’t work. It didn’t work. I will once again reply to that message.
> 
> Case Turner.



Hello Case,

I apologize again for the inconvenience, it is not our intent to give you the run around. We are always trying to improve our service to provide the best customer experience possible. Unfortunately I have not seen your number on our call schedule but I would be more than happy to get on a call with you. I am in the office from 10-6 PST, you can email me your number and what time works best for you. Otherwise we can follow up with your customer service ticket and handle your replacement that way.

Thank you for your response and I hope to hear from you soon.

Best,
Zach


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## dirtsailor2003

NiceToMeatU said:


> Hello Case,
> 
> I apologize again for the inconvenience, it is not our intent to give you the run around. We are always trying to improve our service to provide the best customer experience possible. Unfortunately I have not seen your number on our call schedule but I would be more than happy to get on a call with you. I am in the office from 10-6 PST, you can email me your number and what time works best for you. Otherwise we can follow up with your customer service ticket and handle your replacement that way.
> 
> Thank you for your response and I hope to hear from you soon.
> 
> Best,
> Zach




Hi Zach,

Once again I’ve tried the solution that Kavan (or is it Caveman) sent. To no avail. 

I also once again sent my phone # asking for a call so this can be dealt with. 

I like my MEATER+ but the block is a piece of.... 

Case Turner


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## dward51

Ok, since emailing is clearly not getting this done, just PM the phone number to him.  He should at least get it here instead of it being lost in a zillion other emails.

Or do I detect the aroma of trolls in the air?


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## dirtsailor2003

dward51 said:


> Ok, since emailing is clearly not getting this done, just PM the phone number to him.  He should at least get it here instead of it being lost in a zillion other emails.
> 
> Or do I detect the aroma of trolls in the air?



I’ve replied with my phone number to the “Customer Rep” that ive been dealing with multiple times. They have my contact info. 

It boggles my brain why I would need to send a message to Zach, or book an appointment, for a phone call when I’ve beenrequestimg this from their customer
service for months. 

If I did this in my business I wouldn’t be in business.


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## chilerelleno

dirtsailor2003

Hate to hear such about any business, sucks being used so poorly.
Hope this guy takes care of ya.

Missed ya... Hope ya hang around.


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## NiceToMeatU

dirtsailor2003 said:


> View attachment 392270
> 
> 
> I’ve replied with my phone number to the “Customer Rep” that ive been dealing with multiple times. They have my contact info.
> 
> It boggles my brain why I would need to send a message to Zach, or book an appointment, for a phone call when I’ve beenrequestimg this from their customer
> service for months.
> 
> If I did this in my business I wouldn’t be in business.




Hello Case,

I will be handling this from here since we are just south of you in California. Kav is a respected member of our UK team, so there is a bit of a time difference between you two. I just left you a voicemail, regarding your replacement MEATER Block. We would like to email you a return label for your current Block. Once we receive it back, we can ship out a brand new fully updated and personally tested unit.

Please feel free to call me back at the number provided in my voicemail or email me through our ticket system so we can get this resolved for you.

Thank you!

~Zach


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## pineywoods

Case it's pretty evident where the problem is and it sure doesn't seem like it's on your end. You would think they'd want to give better customer service than what your getting. I know that at this point there is no way I'd buy anything from them we'll see if that changes but so far it sure doesn't look good.


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## indaswamp

pineywoods said:


> Case it's pretty evident where the problem is and it sure doesn't seem like it's on your end. You would think they'd want to give better customer service than what your getting. I know that at this point there is no way I'd buy anything from them we'll see if that changes but so far it sure doesn't look good.


You would think on a very public forum such as this that they would bend over backwards to fix the issue....hell just sending a new unit would be better that the negative publicity this thread is generating, plus it would demonstrate they are committed to customer service. 

I'll never buy anything from them either if this issue is not resolved soon.


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## chopsaw

NiceToMeatU said:


> Once we receive it back, we can ship out a brand new fully updated and personally tested unit.


YOU have got to be joking !!!  Send the man a unit that works , and FORGET about the junk you sent him .  I bought a therm I didn't really need from Ink bird ,,, BECAUSE they support the forum . Give discounts and give aways . No questions . Same thing with Thermo pro ,,, I bought 2 from them , BECAUSE they are smart , support the forum and know how to sell !!  I would never buy from you the way you are . LAME .


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## chilerelleno

NiceToMeatU said:


> Hello Case,
> 
> I will be handling this from here since we are just south of you in California. Kav is a respected member of our UK team, so there is a bit of a time difference between you two. I just left you a voicemail, regarding your replacement MEATER Block. We would like to email you a return label for your current Block. Once we receive it back, we can ship out a brand new fully updated and personally tested unit.
> 
> Please feel free to call me back at the number provided in my voicemail or email me through our ticket system so we can get this resolved for you.
> 
> Thank you!
> 
> ~Zach


How about you just refund Case his money?
I will never buy a thing from y'all after reading this.
Very poor customer service and apparently product too.


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## bmudd14474

NiceToMeatU said:


> Hello Case,
> 
> I will be handling this from here since we are just south of you in California. Kav is a respected member of our UK team, so there is a bit of a time difference between you two. I just left you a voicemail, regarding your replacement MEATER Block. We would like to email you a return label for your current Block. Once we receive it back, we can ship out a brand new fully updated and personally tested unit.
> 
> Please feel free to call me back at the number provided in my voicemail or email me through our ticket system so we can get this resolved for you.
> 
> Thank you!
> 
> ~Zach



Zach,

I appreciate you trying to take care of the issues Case is having with the unit.

I hope you can get him a working unit or refund and get resolution.

I look forward to hearing the outcome.


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## johnmeyer

When a product or when customer service for a product is great, and everyone in a forum raves about it, someone will say, "you can't buy publicity like this."

On the other side of that coin, when you have a thread like this, I would say that "you can't buy your way out of this."

I spent ten years consulting with startups, and my free advice is that the company needs to focus on those who have been hurt by the bad product and service, and turn them into advocates by giving them an absurd amount of special attention, soliciting feedback, and doing everything to turn this negative into a positive. You cannot possibly go too far in what you do for these early adopters.

As someone already said, you only get one chance to make a first impression, and you blew that. Fine. Stuff happens.

Now make it right.


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## indaswamp

John- you are spot on my friend.


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## kelbro

Not a vendor defender by any means but in this day and time, companies have to do things like this (return physical product) with regards to defect claims. The vendor seems to be trying to help resolve the issue.

I've watched this product progress and like to support innovators but I'm too risk averse to be a kick-start funder. Once more reviews surface, I might consider this product.


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## HalfSmoked

So where do you go from here I get what kelbro is saying but with this co. it seems the co. is the one is moving away from settling this case. Is their product that bad? If you return the broken product then will they replace it or say what broken product? At this point of time they differently do not seem to be very trust worthy to deal with. Hoping this works out for you Case but I think I would only settle for a refund at this point in time.

Warren


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## bmudd14474

dirtsailor2003
 Were they able to get you some kind of resolution?


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## dirtsailor2003

Okay, so I’ve been in contact with Zach
and now I have a shipping return label printed and will put the defective unit in the mail Monday, assuming I have time to get to the post office. So will see how this goes. I have been told as soon as they see the units on its way they will ship out a tested working unit to me. 

Which is what should’ve happened long ago...


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## seenred

Howdy Case!  Sorry to be reading about your frustrations with this whole ordeal, but it’s good to hear from you...Long Time!

The way they’ve handled this has been terrible PR for this outfit...the rep who has posted here seems to be finally trying (too late) to make it right.  They’ve missed an opportunity here to impress a large group of prospective buyers...and instead seem to have fallen on their faces.

Hope they do whatever it takes to satisfy you Brother!

Watching...
Red


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## bmudd14474

dirtsailor2003 said:


> Okay, so I’ve been in contact with Zach
> and now I have a shipping return label printed and will put the defective unit in the mail Monday, assuming I have time to get to the post office. So will see how this goes. I have been told as soon as they see the units on its way they will ship out a tested working unit to me.
> 
> Which is what should’ve happened long ago...



Thats progress. I hope that it works out for you Case.


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## pineywoods

Hope it works out but sure shouldn't have to rise to this level to get it taken care of.

Seems I remember somebody else starting a business with a smoking accessory and while he had a great product like Meater Block may or may not have (to early for some of us to know) what he did have was outstanding customer service. Everybody I ever heard comment about the product also commented on the excellent customer service. Needless to say Todd and his wife built an outstanding very successful business  A-MAZE-N Smokin Products should give lessons in how to do customer service.

Maybe this new company needs to learn that customer service or lack of it can make or break a business no matter how good the product may be.


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## dubob

pineywoods said:


> *Maybe this new company needs to learn that customer service or lack of it can make or break a business no matter how good the product may be.*


Amen to that statement.  From this one thread alone, I wouldn't consider a Meater for purchase.  Customer Service is the backbone of any companies structure and it appears that this company hasn't fully grasped that concept yet.


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## dward51

So I thought this was a USA based company from the original kickstarter, but their customer service is in the UK and that is the reason given for lack of response coordination?  Add that to the fact it took them like 3 years longer than first promised to get the product to market.  Ummm.... not good.  It's a shame too, because the idea looked great.


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## schlotz

Unfortunately what has been described certainly can occur with a kickstarter. I won't say the majority of them go this way but it has happened a number of times and will most likely continue. It's a risk everyone should be aware of before they dive in.  Most have good intentions to bring forth to market a solid product. However a number of them do not have a great deal of exposure or knowledge in regards to potential business and manufacturing errors to avoid during the process. In your case it does sound like things might finally be on the mend.  Fingers crossed for ya!


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## GaryHibbert

Great to hear from you Case--been too damn long.
Hope they finally resolve your problems ASAP.  Sucks to wait that long to get a new product and then have it fail.
Gary


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## dirtsailor2003

Well I made it to the post office, so now its in the hands of the USPS. We shall see.


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## HalfSmoked

Hopefully you requested a return receipt so you can prove they received it.

Warren


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## dirtsailor2003

HalfSmoked said:


> Hopefully you requested a return receipt so you can prove they received it.
> 
> Warren



Unfortunately the return postage was paid for by them. The USPS wouldn’t let me add tracking. So hopefully they are on the up and up. 

They said as soon as they saw it had shipped my new unit would be on the way. 

So that should mean I should see a new unit in the mail today. 

We’ll see...


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## flatbroke

I had been considering their product but after seeing their interaction,  I wouldn't take one if offered for free


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## Bearcarver

Best of Luck, with these guys, Chase!!
Looks like you need it.

I remember when this outfit first showed these things & were trying to get backers.
I showed it to my Son, and we considered it, but then figured we'd wait & pay a little more if they work out good.
I though about them a couple times since, but now I'm glad we never pulled the Trigger.

BTW: Good to see you, Chase.

Bear


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## dirtsailor2003

I did receive the replacement. I won't have time to set it up with the WIFI until this weekend and see how it performs. 

I did go camping last weekend in the rain. It dried out enough to burn some wood. And looked at wooden boats a the Depoe Bay Wooden Boat Show.


























Cooked a Tri tip one night. Not much was left when we were done!


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## HalfSmoked

Glad to heard it didn't just fall through the cracks. Hope it works.

Warren


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## DocShadownix

Hey Guys,

I am new to the forums, but thought I would chime in... I too was a backer and have MeaterBlock that won't update.  Their customer service takes DAYS to respond and well, we shall see.  Having the SAME problem.  Buyer beware.  Waited 3 years for this??? Yikes...gotta love Kickstarter :(


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## dirtsailor2003

Just an update.

MEATER made good on sending me a new unit.

Work has been off the wall & I haven’t been able to test it out.

I finally unpackaged it and per the directions it is now charging for 8 hours. Tomorrow if I have time I will pair it with my WiFi, phone, etc...

Then i’ll see if it works.

Hopefully if it needs and update it will update, so my next update will be a good update...


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## pc farmer

Some good news anyway.  Keep us updated


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## indaswamp

I'm glad this was resolved in a positive way for you.


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## DocShadownix

Still waiting for mine to be resolved... they sent me a shipping label that shipped it back to me...what a crock of POO.   This company is not impressing me.


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## dirtsailor2003

This past weekend I had time to boot up the new unit. Connect to my wifi, bluetooth,etc... 

All seems to have worked. No glitch telling me I need to update. Connects to the phone without any problem and the probes seem to be working properly. I haven't cook with any of them yet just let them run in various places for a couple hours. Tested temps side by side several times with a calibrated therm that I have. 

The instruction pamphlet that came with this unit is better than the first one. 

The ambient end of each probe is etched with the number that it is so there's no guessing which probe is which. 

I ran the Meater+ at the same time and the app seemed to have no issues monitoring everything. 

I still haven't tried monitoring the probes while out and about as I only have my phone. That will be changing soon as I have a new iPad on the way, so I will be able to leave one unit at home. 

Range seemed to be fine at least for where I cook. If I need to put the block out by the smoker, it will need to be in a large ziplock to protect it from the weather. Pretty much what I've done with every other therm I've had to date. 

Once I get to use it a bit I will post another update.


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## HalfSmoked

Glad it seems to be working for you.

Warren


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## chopsaw

Good deal .


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## DocShadownix

Glad to hear yours works, Dirt...hope mine does. Mine is enroute back to company as we speak... same runaround from them, so we shall see... you give me hope.  I just don't understand why companies don't get their SH&% together.  If I acted half this way at work, well, I would be unemployed.


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## Ustna

Uh oh...I just got my Meater Block yesterday and am running into the exact same problem with the update. This really sucks because I need to use it today. I had a Loki which was nice but i broke it on accident.


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## DocShadownix

Yeah, I had to send mine in and get them to update.  The problem with their customer service is they are kinda idiots.  First, they are somewhere not in the US so you only get a response once a day.  For the first week it will be "Try this... " and you have to try, say it did not work....  Takes forever.  Then they will switch you to a US rep and get you to mail out to them.  Make sure they don't fugg this up.  Mine had me mail it in a circle...BACK to me... what an idiot.  Finally got it then NO communication.   I got it back in about a week and it works (so far).  Anyway, whole ordeal took about a month.  Good luck.  Would NOT recommend  buying.


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## Ustna

What buttons were they asking you to push to try to force the update?


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## dirtsailor2003

Ustna said:


> What buttons were they asking you to push to try to force the update?



All of them when they finally decided to send me a new unit that was updated. 

Which I’ve not had any problems with the new unit. It works as advertised and I have tested the probes against all of my other calibrated therms. 

The unit hasn’t tried to update yet, but the app has and that hasn’t seemed to create any issues. 

It’s nice being able to rotisserie and use the probes with wires.


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## Ustna

No one from support has responded yet to my email. Ugh


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## dirtsailor2003

Ustna said:


> No one from support has responded yet to my email. Ugh



Email [email protected]. He was the one that got me on track with a new unit.


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## Ustna

Thanks. I will.


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## Misplaced Nebraskan

Only issue I'm having is mine still isn't here... no updates other than it being "dispatched" for weeks now.  Nothing on my submitted ticket yet.  Assuming they are buried from the holiday, so I'll wait til tomorrow.

and they are in stock and available to purchase right now on their site.

One funny note. On the ticket I submitted, the auto response has this little nugget in there...

_*To avoid delays, please DO NOT reply to your own ticket before you've heard back from us. Otherwise your original ticket will be moved to the back of the queue. *_


Don't bother us or we will ignore you.

I get the point but that's interesting.

All that being said, I am still very intrigued by this product and want to use it!

just getting antsy.

Glad yours is working good now and you got some resolution 

 dirtsailor2003


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## dirtsailor2003

This past weekend I headed out into the wilderness to camp. Which we do all the time. Had a nice roast to cook on a friends GMG smoker. 

Went to use the probes on the Meater Block via blue tooth, none would connect. Tried the "Stand Alone" mode. Nothing would connect. Though Okay I have the Meater+ with me and have used the Bluetooth mode on it. No go, the probe wouldn't connect via blue tooth to my phone. Yes probes were close enough. Probe in one hand phone in the other. 

Thankfully I had my trusty Javelin instant read (never leave home without it). 

So back to Meater CS, I go... Ughhhhhhh!


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## chilerelleno

That is really too bad.
The system if it worked properly would be great.
Best of luck getting it repaired or replaced.


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## Misplaced Nebraskan

Dang.  was hoping for a home run review of one of the main features!  I'm gonna have to try mine out and see now.


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## dirtsailor2003

Misplaced Nebraskan said:


> Dang.  was hoping for a home run review of one of the main features!  I'm gonna have to try mine out and see now.



I'm going to do some more testing this afternoon. I haven't tried them since I got back. Every time in the past when I used the Meater+ on blue tooth I've been near WIFI. So wondering... 

With the Block there's an option in the set up menu in the app "Allow Pairing Meater Block Probes". Which if you have on is supposed to allow you to use the probes without the block. I tried this setting both on and off and neither seemed to help. I'll do some more testing.


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## Ustna

For the record...I was shipped a replacement and it works perfectly. This is an excellent product.


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## dirtsailor2003

Ustna said:


> For the record...I was shipped a replacement and it works perfectly. This is an excellent product.



Have you tried the blue tooth when not near WIFI?


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## dirtsailor2003

I had some time to mess around with the Block and the Meater+. I was able to get the Meater+ to connect via blue tooth and no WIFI connection. The Block however would not. I changed settings in the app, used the block in stand alone mode, no blue tooth. Reached out again to CS and have not heard a word.

Another complaint I have is that the app has no real way to contact CS. All the links they have run you around into the tutorial on what to try. NO physical link that provides a phone number or email address. 

Other than the BT not working on the block, everything else is. Will try out in the woods again this weekend.


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## Misplaced Nebraskan

dirtsailor2003 said:


> I had some time to mess around with the Block and the Meater+. I was able to get the Meater+ to connect via blue tooth and no WIFI connection. The Block however would not. I changed settings in the app, used the block in stand alone mode, no blue tooth. Reached out again to CS and have not heard a word.
> 
> Another complaint I have is that the app has no real way to contact CS. All the links they have run you around into the tutorial on what to try. NO physical link that provides a phone number or email address.
> 
> Other than the BT not working on the block, everything else is. Will try out in the woods again this weekend.


yeah, they make it hard to actually contact them.  I understand the referral to FAQs and Tutorials, but an email at least would be nice.  Still haven't attempted the stand alone BT mode, but this weekend I'll be away cooking and give it a go as well.  *fingers crossed*


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## dward51

Glad I resisted the urge to join the kickstarter.  To help some of the members here out, here is some contact info that may be useful if they are less than responsive.  They are HQ in the UK, but have a California office for USA (per the BBB and google searches).

*HUGE RED FLAG* - Google 11908 Ventura Blvd, which is supposed to be their California office and it is a hair salon!!!!!!!  Did they move and just not update any of the online info? Here is the hair salon's Yelp page:

https://www.yelp.com/biz/salon-true-studio-city-studio-city-3

Google maps street view of 11908 Ventura Blvd as of May 2019 (clearly the hair salon above):

https://www.google.com/maps/place/11908+Ventura+Blvd,+Studio+City,+CA+91604/@34.1427754,-118.3911275,3a,75y,217.98h,90t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sIPEGjK64tjIxvbOOW6Qwew!2e0!6s//geo1.ggpht.com/cbk?panoid=IPEGjK64tjIxvbOOW6Qwew&output=thumbnail&cb_client=search.TACTILE.gps&thumb=2&w=360&h=120&yaw=217.97543&pitch=0&thumbfov=100!7i16384!8i8192!4m5!3m4!1s0x80c2be086bed423b:0x71f6e582b6b3ab39!8m2!3d34.1426353!4d-118.3912579

Here is their corporate phone number in California if anyone wants to try it (from a Manta search):

Apption Labs, Inc
11908 Ventura Blvd STE 202
Studio City, CA 91604-2647
*Phone: (818) 929-8907*
Joseph Cruz - President

BBB Page (not a BBB member)
https://www.bbb.org/us/ca/studio-city/profile/online-retailer/apption-labs-inc-1216-757698

Apption Labs FaceBook page:
https://www.facebook.com/MEATERmade/


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## dward51

Just a personal observation, If someone was inclined to buy one of these now, I would do it via Amazon as at least you can send it back through Amazon returns (and use a real credit card - not a debit so you can do a charge back if they are less than helpful).


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## dirtsailor2003

Misplaced Nebraskan said:


> yeah, they make it hard to actually contact them.  I understand the referral to FAQs and Tutorials, but an email at least would be nice.  Still haven't attempted the stand alone BT mode, but this weekend I'll be away cooking and give it a go as well.  *fingers crossed*



Try it before you head out. Really pissed me off getting into the woods and it didn’t work. Nornthe the MEATER+ which is used before via Blue tooth.


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## WillRunForQue

I'm another one of the lucky ones.  My block and Meater+ both work perfectly.  I did have to move my big smoker closer to the Wifi router, which was fine for the summer.  Hope you guys get things worked out!


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## dirtsailor2003

i6quer said:


> I'm another one of the lucky ones.  My block and Meater+ both work perfectly.  I did have to move my big smoker closer to the Wifi router, which was fine for the summer.  Hope you guys get things worked out!



Mine are working fine on WIFi 

It’s now a BlueTooth issue. Using the unit on Bluetooth with no WiFi.

Yes some of us leave our houses and smoke in the wilds of the world where there is no WIFI!

With that said the BlueTooth won’t even work in my house with the Block right next to me, phone in one hand and probe in the other. 

Then after going into Bluetooth and back to connected only certain probes will connect back in. Not all 4 it’s a $h!t show!

In our Dee to get things to work again o had to pull all batteries, shut down phone , reboot.

It’s pretty obvious it’s a software problem that needs to dealt with. 

Unfortunately the developers of the software aren’t open to easy input when things don’t work.


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## Misplaced Nebraskan

dirtsailor2003 said:


> Try it before you head out. Really pissed me off getting into the woods and it didn’t work. Nornthe the MEATER+ which is used before via Blue tooth.



solid advice.  I'll try tomorrow before I head out.



dirtsailor2003 said:


> Mine are working fine on WIFi
> 
> It’s now a BlueTooth issue. Using the unit on Bluetooth with no WiFi.
> 
> Yes some of us leave our houses and smoke in the wilds of the world where there is no WIFI!
> 
> With that said the BlueTooth won’t even work in my house with the Block right next to me, phone in one hand and probe in the other.
> 
> Then after going into Bluetooth and back to connected only certain probes will connect back in. Not all 4 it’s a $h!t show!
> 
> In our Dee to get things to work again o had to pull all batteries, shut down phone , reboot.
> 
> It’s pretty obvious it’s a software problem that needs to dealt with.
> 
> Unfortunately the developers of the software aren’t open to easy input when things don’t work.




out of wifi range!?!?  what is this wilderness you speak of?!? 

I am waaaaay overdue for a nature retreat.  your last camping post hit me hard!  been too long and need to rectify.


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## dr k

Richard Foster said:


> This sounds like a nightmare but a great place to remind folks to keep it simple. You don't need the friggin internet or high tech to smoke meat. I have a wireless thermometer myself but the simpler it is the better in most cases. So keep it simple folks. The more complicated it is the more opportunity there is for something to not go right. This coming from someone who spent their entire life in the high tech industry. Don't let them dazzel you with bells, whistles and gadgets that you just don't need. They just want your money.


I love my Mes smoker with PID but this summer I've revisited my Kamado charcoal Akorn with fantastic results. I have a lot of cherry, pecan, apple and pear small splits and chunks and haven't seen a smoke ring since 2015 and was surprised when it showed up with the Kamado. I  like the Mes results the best since it's set it and forget it. I gave away my 700 sq inch charcoal brinkmann grill and this summer going through the kamado learning curve again since its my grill, 2nd smoker and pizza oven.


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## 86gn

I purchased a Block this summer from the Meater website. Out of the box it wanted a firmware update but the upgrade kept failing. Eventually broke down and reached out to support through the contact page on their website.

Support replied and was helpful. It turns out that the phone (or tablet) running the app and the Block both must be on the same 2.4 GHz WiFi network for the upgrade.  The firmware (1.0.16.2) loaded without any problem once I had both devices on 2.4. However many new routers don't distinguish between 2.4 and 5 GHz and my iPhone kept wanting to use 5 GHz so I pulled out an old 2.4 only router to make sure both devices were on 2.4 Ghz. I've since found the a way to create a dedicated 2.4 network with my home router but it is not as simple as most other brands of routers.

To use the probes with Bluetooth,  I found I had to have the Block powered off. This way the probes would connect to the phone directly by Bluetooth. This option is off by default in the app so you have to go change the setting in the app to allow your phone to connect directly to the probes by Bluetooth.

After the update the Block could be used in standalone mode which still allows each probe to be set up and monitored from the Block buttons or in WiFi mode which uses the App to setup and monitor the cooking.

Interestingly, it appears that once a probe is programmed for a cook it is possible to switch between Bluetooth, WiFi, and Standalone modes and the probe will continue reporting with the settings it was last programmed.


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## three2one

I just got my Block from Amazon (thankfully it appears as it is probably going back). I am in the same boat as everyone here. Update fails and can't get beyond it. Even probes won't connect with block on or off. My Xfinity modem doesn't distinguish between 2.4 and 5 so I can't get the connection I need to do the update.

I am thinking about returning the block and getting the individual plus models. My question is how do they get the 165 ft distance without a block type setup? And do they work as advertised? Do they just have a stronger blue tooth antenna? Will they broadcast into the home while sitting inside the smoker? I don't need the whole 165 ft, just about 80 ft.

I have two standard Meaters which work just fine, but that 33 ft distance is extremely limiting.

I did get a FB Messenger response from Daniel at Apption Labs who suggested using a separate cell phone as a virtual hotspot to connect my iPhone to, getting off the home wifi. But unfortunately I don't have another cell phone to do that with.


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## DocShadownix

Honestly stay away from this company... after sending mine in for update, it is now AGAIN asking for update and stuck - won't update!  It is an expensive paperweight.  Ridiculous.  Apption labs has HORRIBLE customer service.


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## three2one

DocShadownix said:


> Honestly stay away from this company... after sending mine in for update, it is now AGAIN asking for update and stuck - won't update!  It is an expensive paperweight.  Ridiculous.  Apption labs has HORRIBLE customer service.



I was thinking about the update. Someone mentioned that they received an updated block directly from the manufacturer. Great, but what about the next update? Same problem creeps in and you are dead in the water again. Is it just 2.4 vs 5.0 ghz that causes this? It must function fine on 5.0 but can't update unless distinctly on 2.4.


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## three2one

I am happy to say that I got mine working. I have a Netgear extender that splits the wifi signals and I was able to connect my iphone to the 2.4 channel. Moved the block and phone next to the NG extender and did the update. Switched back to 5.0 on the phone and am now communicating with 4 probes. Haven't checked the distance or anything else. I am just happy to get a connection at this point.

And now I know how I can get the next update done if necessary.

I was just about to ship it back to Amazon.


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## ross77

I bought the Block about a month ago and updated it once.  I've had no issues at all.  I use it in WiFi mode and always set it next to the smoker.  So far have had a solid connection.  I only use 2.4ghz for all my devices as 5ghz just doesn't have the range and walls really shorten the distance.


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## DocShadownix

three2one said:


> I was thinking about the update. Someone mentioned that they received an updated block directly from the manufacturer. Great, but what about the next update? Same problem creeps in and you are dead in the water again. Is it just 2.4 vs 5.0 ghz that causes this? It must function fine on 5.0 but can't update unless distinctly on 2.4.


That is exactly what happened to me, m8.  Second update, back to a brick... :( :(  Oh and I have tried updating it on 2.4...no go...just keeps resetting...starts the download then bam, resets.


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## Csoklaski

Hey everyone... I was an early investor in this product and waited forever to get it. When it works, it’s very convenient. My take is that the company doesn’t really care about customer service or what they release in software/firmware. I have been screwed by their updates twice now. You don’t realize you have to do an update until you go to use it. Then the update fails over and over.
SOLUTION / WORKAROUND
Connect the device that is running the Meater app to another devices Hot Spot. Then go through the process of also adding the Meater Block to that same Hot Spot. Then start the update and don’t touch the Meater Block until it’s done... that screen is super sensitive and my experience with other devices is that interrupting a firmware update usually renders the hardware useless. Once the update is finished, connect your device to the normal WiFi, and then connect the Meater Block to that same WiFi. It works great until the next update.
I would NOT RECOMMEND this product because of the company behind it. I am hoping for a reputable company to make a similar product and do it right.


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## Csoklaski

Ustna said:


> Uh oh...I just got my Meater Block yesterday and am running into the exact same problem with the update. This really sucks because I need to use it today. I had a Loki which was nice but i broke it on accident.


SOLUTION / WORKAROUND
Connect the device that is running the Meaterapp to another devices Hot Spot. Then go through the process of also adding the MeaterBlock to that same Hot Spot. Then start the update and don’t touch the Meater Block until it’s done... that screen is super sensitive and my experience with other devices is that interrupting a firmware update usually renders the hardware useless. Once the update is finished, connect your device to the normal WiFi, and then connect the Meater Block to that same WiFi. It works great until the next update.
I would NOT RECOMMEND this product because of the company behind it. I am hoping for a reputable company to make a similar product and do it right.


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## ross77

I don’t know. Maybe I’m the exception but I’ve had no issues with my Block. Updating or range or connectivity.


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## Smokedmeateater

Csoklaski said:


> SOLUTION / WORKAROUND
> Connect the device that is running the Meaterapp to another devices Hot Spot. Then go through the process of also adding the MeaterBlock to that same Hot Spot. Then start the update and don’t touch the Meater Block until it’s done... that screen is super sensitive and my experience with other devices is that interrupting a firmware update usually renders the hardware useless. Once the update is finished, connect your device to the normal WiFi, and then connect the Meater Block to that same WiFi. It works great until the next update.
> I would NOT RECOMMEND this product because of the company behind it. I am hoping for a reputable company to make a similar product and do it right.



YES!! That did the trick! I disconnected from the network I was connected to, did the factory reset on the MeaterBlock, set up my wife's phone to be a hotspot and connected to it (be sure to enable "Automatic" on Auto-Join Hotspot in Settings), and then set up WiFi on the MeaterBlock. The update downloaded and then installed on the MeaterBlock, and now it works like a charm!

Hopefully Apption Labs will provide a software fix for download that will allow it to download updates using a 5-Ghz router so I don't have to jump through this hoop in the future.


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## ross77

Does anyone know if the Block has 5ghz WiFi hardware?  If not, a software update won’t add the capability. My WiFi router runs both 2.4 and 5 ghz.


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## Csoklaski

My understanding is that you need to be on 2.4. I don't know if it has 5.0 but it doesn't work, or that it doesn't have 5.0... Meater tech support says use 2.4 WiFi.


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## ross77

Csoklaski said:


> My understanding is that you need to be on 2.4. I don't know if it has 5.0 but it doesn't work, or that it doesn't have 5.0... Meater tech support says use 2.4 WiFi.



Well if your modem is dual band then setup a 2.4ghz network. It works better than 5ghz anyway.   It doesn’t have nearly the range as 2.4ghz.


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## worldbfreebase

this is an issue with a lot of IOT's. They use a merged signal. You can log into your router and create an ssid for a 2.4 network and a 5 network.

The reason they have chosen 2.4 is it travels farther than 5 and is able to penetrate through obstructions better.

Anybody have any thoughts on the meatstick vs the meater block?


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