Among people writing to the Consumerist tipline, our post from earlier this week about Roku sending the gift of a brand-new Roku 3 to their earliest adopters from 2008 has already become the gold standard of corporate awesomeness. It’s impossible for all companies to meet that standard all of the time…including Roku itself. [More]
roku
Early Roku Adopters Get Amazing Surprise In The Mail
By 4.16.13
Roku, makers of tiny boxes that stream paid and free content to your television, is a company that has made much of its success on happy customers who evangelize to others. For companies that want to learn how to do that, here’s a lesson. Some early adopters who bought the very first Roku in 2008 received a present in the mail this week: a free Roku 3 with a nice hand-signed card. [More]
Roku Misplaces My Defective Box For 6 Months, Won’t Send Replacement
By 2.27.13
Jonathan’s Roku streaming video device broke back in August, so he sent it back for a warranty replacement. How have the last six months been with his shiny new replacement box? Well, Jonathan wouldn’t know. Roku said that his original box disappeared, and they couldn’t replace it. Except for how when he contacted them recently, and they said, oh yeah, they’ve had it since August. [More]
A ‘List Price’ Isn’t Real Just Because Some Company Says It Is
By 11.27.12
Yes, it’s pretty much consumer common sense that the “list” prices that companies use to convince us how great their bargains are can be more or less nonsense. Anyone can make their own list, then put prices on it. Just in case you need a refresher, though, here are two great reader-submitted examples of discount prices that aren’t all that discounted. [More]
Why Didn’t Roku Explain That A Warranty Replacement Is Really An Exchange?
By 10.17.12
A. got a Roku as a gift, and thought that it would keep working for a while. No… not really. It didn’t work from the start. He called tech support, who authorized an exchange for a working unit. What they failed to do was explain that “exchange” meant that they needed the old one back. His girlfriend tossed it out in the interim. No broken Roku? No replacement Roku. [More]
Dish Sends Me A Free Roku XD Box After I Complain About Missing AMC
By 7.13.12
While DirecTV has apparently been giving out discounts to customers who complain about the ongoing Viacom blackout, one Consumerist reader says he was able to score a free Roku video streaming box from Dish Network when he complained about its decision to remove the AMC Network channels. [More]
Why Are NBA League Pass Games On A 1-Hour Delay For Roku Users?
By 3.16.12
Darren is an NBA League Pass subscriber: a very useful subscription to have if you enjoy watching live basketball. The problem is that beginning this past Sunday, the games aren’t live anymore. Roku viewers–and only Roku viewers–are getting them on an hour delay. And nobody knows why. [More]
NBA And Roku Wrecked My Dad's Great Christmas Present
By 1.12.12
John bought a really thoughtful Christmas present for his dad, a basketball fan: an NBA League Pass subscription, and a Roku so he could watch games on his TV instead of huddling in front of the computer. At least, this gift seemed like a really great idea until the League Pass app just stopped working. John and his dad aren’t the only ones who have this problem, but no one at Roku or at the NBA seems to care about the poor, game-less customers. They’ve already got fans’ money, after all. [More]
No, You Don't Need To Drop $1000 On A Wifi TV To Use A Roku
By 12.28.11
Sure, you should research purchases ahead of time, but discovering new things while shopping out in the real world can be fun. Reader HogwartsProfessor was browsing the electronics section at Walmart and had some questions about a Roku. Two associates told her that no, the devices only work if you have a wifi-enabled TV. This isn’t true, as she learned: the point of the Roku is that it is the device that streams Internet content to your TV. [More]
Roku Replaces 3-Year-Old Streaming Video Box That Stops Streaming
By 4.13.11
When James’s father gave him one of the original Roku units from a few years ago, he couldn’t get it to connect to his house’s network… or to see any networks at all. He gave the company a call for help, not expecting much because the unit was well out of warranty. A short time later, a brand-new replacement box was on its way. [More]
Roku Has Your Returned Player For 2 Weeks, Still Won't Issue Refund
By 1.21.11
Consumerist readers (and editors) seem to love their Rokus, but has anyone in our audience ever tried to return one? June writes that she changed her mind after purchase, and can’t get the company to issue her a refund for the player that she’s already returned. [More]
Roku Having Trouble Streaming 30 Rock (Updated)
By 12.31.10
UPDATE: A Roku spokesman says the company has fixed the 30 Rock streaming issue. [More]
Roku Rep Tells Me There Are Secret Limits To Netflix Streaming (Updated)
By 12.24.10
Update: A Roku spokesman said there is no limitation on Netflix streaming. His statement: [More]
Netflix Apologizes For Roku Disruption With Bill Credit
By 6.9.10
Savvily taking the proactive route rather than suffering customer backlash, Netflix is sending out emails with account-specific links that users can click on to save 5 percent off their next bill. [More]
Roku Can't Swing Baseball Streaming Until Later This Month
By 4.5.10
Brett got a Roku and MLB.tv Premium package because he was psyched that the device would let him stream MLB.tv games in HD on his TV and computer. But baseball season has officially started and Brett still can’t stream his games. [More]
Roku Uses FedEx TARDIS Service, Sends Package Back In Time
By 1.6.10
Roku and Fedex have done an amazing thing. They didn’t send Merujo’s new media player via Smartpost. They sent it three months back in time and to the wrong city and state. Or maybe they just can’t find the correct tracking number. [More]
Roku Steps Up To The Plate, Becomes Major League Baseball Periscope
By 8.12.09
Roku has swung and seemingly connected a hard technological line drive that’s headed out of the ballpark, having forged a deal with Major League Ball that allows those with an MLB.tv subscription to stream games through the set-top box — previously a Netflix-streaming machine — to Tvs.
