Swann Reviews
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Gless
Bought Swann NVR 8580 with 2TB storage and 6 x 4k cameras.
It has been nothing but problems from the moment received. Audio recording generates so much noise you can hardly hear anyone speaking near the camera for the static noise. You can hear an aeroplane, a siren or a motorcycle hammering down the road - rather hear the conversation near the camera though! Copying the footage into MP4 or AVI and it NOT copies the audio. I phoned support and they said give the police (the investigating officers receiving the footage) the software so they can see/hear the footage.
The police are such a regulated organisation, giving them software to install is impossible. How stupid to even suggest it in the first place. The cameras are flipping the images so it records upside down even after the configurations are done. They say I do not qualify for a refund because it it out of the 30-days warranty - I have just checked with trading standards, UK and EU law and because the product is faulty I SHOULD get a refund. Thank god for that - HIKVISION CCTV Equipment here I come!!!
Today, Thursday, 1 November 2018, Swann 2nd line support remote controlled into my PC and installed VLC without permission, when I realised what was going on they stopped the installation. Then stalemate because it is THERE RECOMMENDED software so unless I let them install VLC Player we cannot move forward and whether it is working or not I'll not get a refund anyway.
My sincere advice, I know you wont take it, but here it is for what it is worth and such that it is, DON'T BUY SWANN, BUY HIKVISION instead. I am probably not going to get my money back so I am going to buy Hikvision anyway because it is better and comes highly recommended by people in the CCTV industry. I will give the Swann 4K CCTV RUBBISH for the kids to play with, it is nothing more than a children's toy so the kids can put it in their toy box.
BTW, Swann NVR 8580 is so rubbish. I can say this because it come with 2TB or storage for 8 cameras and each camera needs 6TB or storage for 4K resolution. What does that tell you, they cannot even design their own products.
All in all, I am having a bad day with this!
6 years ago
Peter Higgs
I bought a NVR8 7082 in mid 2016 and signalled it in late that year. I have always found the remote reviewing software difficult but put it down to lack of familiarity. This week I needed to get some capture video for real. Big mistake. Connecting a screen and trying to control via mouse wont work anymore. And this current version of Swannview Link for Mac OSX, and all previous versions I have tried are useless and don't provide even the most basic functionality for reviewing captured video. There are no speed controls, only the first searched date/camera shows anything, the downloads say they download but don't, and often actually delete the folder specified for downloading - too bad if that was your desktop or documents folder. This is the most useless software/hardware I have purchase for the past 30 years. I am so sorry I didn't pay a bit more and buy HIKvision.
Swann should be ashamed to market the hardware if they aren't prepared to support the software. What good is an NVR if you can't search, fast forward. review and download video.
Shame
6 years ago
johnleex@comcast.net Lake Oswego, OR
I bought two surveillance systems by Swann. I bought them for two reasons. Firstly, they are cheap. Secondly, they have long warranty – 18 months. Apparently, I made a terrible choice.
Six months after installation, the cameras started going bad, one after another. Two of the cameras got moisture in them. The images were either foggy, snowy, or discolored. Fortunately, I thought the warranty would cover those poor quality cameras. However, the process to get those cameras replaced was very time consuming and frustrating. I finally got them replaced a few months ago. Now, more cameras are doing the same thing again. Moisture got into two of the cameras. The third one turned black, and fourth one shows double image. The cameras are still under warranty. However, they won’t replace them for me.
In comparison, my Q-see system has been running for more than five years. They are still working well.
DL
Oregon, USA
6 years ago
Ian
Bought 8 ch swann system worked until 1 month out of warranty.
Then could not buy a dvr from them to replace on its own. Note my system out so no security still. So ended up purchasing one from swann usa and when finally arrived sent with wrong power pack but ok used my old one. The unit just flickers on and off. Used swann au who tried to fix. Got loaded once all cameras fuzzy and pixilised then lost and system tries to reboot but unsuccessfully while still flickering. Absolutely useless. Told by tech try getting an old vga monitor see if works.
So rang back head office and cant supply dvr on own will look at for $85 fee to give quote on repair. What a let down and feel rip off when their product fails and I'm left with no security while being stuffed around. Now waiting on usa to send return form and then get another. This taking months without security. Swann back up service useless dont buy.
6 years ago
Spence abear Rathdrum, ID
I have used many many swann products over the years while in the military for home protection/security , recently I purchased three high definition cameras and tried to get them hooked up they were not working properly so I called customer support to find out that they will not even work anymore and not because they’re broken but because they should not of sold them because the software is not offered anymore so I have $300 in 3 cameras that are no good and Swann is just running me in circles and not making it right telling me there’s nothing they will do The lady I spoke with was very disrespectful and when I asked to speak with a manager she told me there were no managers or supervisors nor was there anyone else I could speak with which is a blatant lie and totally unprofessional and disrespectful, and if I wanted to speak with someone else that I could hang up and call back and someone else would answer . I can definitely say because of how the situation was handled I will never be a swann customer again nor will anyone in my family we are all switching to another company this week If they cannot be professional and make this right , to me it’s really simple these cameras were still on the market even though they’re unable to be used because of software and they will do nothing to make it right how my supposed to trust the security of my entire house and everything I own and the safety of my wife with this company if they can’t even make something this small right
6 years ago
Mr Dissapointed Customer
As a concerned customer I contacted Swann Tech to ask about reason for their latest firmware update and explained that I was worried that their camera cloud services could have been compromised triggering the urgent update. Not only dud I not get a response but my own personal cameras are not not working. I suspect that 'swanntech' have done someting to cause them to fail. Like many others, I have found that this company is impossible to work with, they have no idea what customer service is or the value of our custom. I am removing their products from all of my global sites and my customer sites. Customer Security is a commodity that cannot be underestimated. My recommendation to anyone considering using their products is DON'T. Go elsewhere.
6 years ago
Trevor
Although Swann products are competitively priced, with a comprehensive range please take heed of my and many others experience of Customer care, which is anything but!! The signs of a quality product is also judged by the Aftersales Care.
When I found one of my cameras was letting water in I contacted Customer Care to arrange a replacement. Even though I contacted the UK number I was immediately transferred to a foreign call centre and had difficulty understanding his English. I was told that the camera wouldn’t be replaced if subjected to adverse weather conditions, to which I replied that its outdoor camera and we don’t have extreme weather in UK and was sheltered on 3 sides anyway!
To justify my claim I had to produce photos of its location, take a photo of the camera even though I provided the serial number and proof of purchase!!
Once I had satisfied their requests I then had to pay for its return, only for them to return the wrong camera and then to be told they don’t replace with a new camera too! After a long trail of communications it took over 2 months to replace the faulty camera, leaving the security of my property vulnerable in the meantime!!
You have been warned and do hope you manage to take notice before purchasing their products!
6 years ago Edited September 14, 2021
Mark Thorpe
We are Electrical Contractors based in the UK, and have had to deal with Swan Security Systems. We do not sell CCTV, so we have no other reason for writing this review than to warn UK customers from buying any Swan Security Product sold in your local electrical store like Maplins. We have fitted three systems and every one of them have failed in a short period of time. They are only Guaranteed for 1 Year, in which you can ring technical services who just try to get you off the phone by asking you to complete acts which are impossible. They also have no customer services in the UK and no complaints system. I know the systems are cheap, but they do not last and the In fared Lights burn out causing the cameras to lock onto a black screen. Maplins will replace if it goes wrong within a year, but we have had to return so many cameras we have lost count. Please be warned this is not a reputable company and after the warranty period their reply is Tuff. Regards, Managing Director Newton Electrical Contractors
6 years ago
Jocelyn C Bellerose, NY
i've never experienced such terrible customer service. i work in a call center and i would never treat my accounts the way this agent treated my parents and i. Not only did this agent purposely disconnect the call he also made rude comments the entire time and made it blatantly clear he did not want to help. on top of that on numerous occasions he insulted my other intelligence. My parents dropped hundreds of dollars on this system for a reason and we expect better service than what we received. Shame on this company for hiring such rude simple minded people. I hope you guys record your calls and do quality assurance. i would rate his service as extremely poor. Again being that i work in a call center i get things are frustrating and if that was the case he should've transferred the call to an agent who was not only able but more importantly willing to help.
7 years ago
Paul Simpson
When we first purchased the camera kit, the equipment worked perfectly after being installed by an electrician. The screen didn't show any picture after several months later so we called in another electrician to investigate as this is out of our expertise. He informed us that the cameras are fine but not the DVR unit. I called the toll free support line (1300 138 324) where we had difficulty understanding what the lady wanted us to read out. We couldn't understand what she meant by "read the power output number from the power adaptor”. My wife hung up in frustration because the lady couldn't offer an alternative solution over the phone. About 2 months later I tried to see if I had better luck with the Phillipino lady on the other end. We reached the part where she wanted me to read the power output number from the power adaptor. I did that but then she wanted me to swap the power adaptors of the cameras & the DVR unit around. I didn't feel comfortable doing this so I refused but she kept insisting that I proceed as instructed otherwise she couldn't help me troubleshoot!?? The customer should not have to be a make shift electrician or a technical person especially when it comes to dealing with electrical components! I asked her if she can arrange for a technical person to visit me but instead she suggested that I look for a technical person in my local area to help! I asked her if Swann will pay for his services. She didn't say anything!
7 years ago
nosmadac Memphis, TN
After 5 months 3 of my cameras crapped out and had terrible picture. The good news is they were warrenteed. bad news is it took me well over 1 1/2 hours to get this resolved. Their customer service i greatly lacking in efficiency. I've had to call about 3-4 times and every time i'm on hold for at least 30-45 min. Their shipping of the product is terrible. The order for the replacements was on 9/21, the order didn't ship until 9/30 with a delivery date of 10/7. 18 days to process and deliver? It was the same when i bought my system. It took them over 2 weeks to get it. This is beyond horrible in todays standards.
9 years ago
Andrew Myers
Had a customer with a stolen credit card in my shop. After he left I went to look for his image on my 3 month old Swann 720p system. The camera had stopped working, couldn't believe it.
So contacted Swann's 24/7 support by email. 1 week later no response so sent another. 1 week later still no response. So, tried UK telephone where there is constantly a message saying 'temporarily out of service, try later'. So emailed company's general enquiries, where guess what, your email bounces straight back from 'noreply@swann.com'
24/7 support? This must be the joke of the decade.
FOR GODS SAKE DO NOT BUY SWANN. THEIR PRODUCTS FAIL AND THE AFTER SALES SERVICE WILL DRIVE YOU TO THE POINT OF WRITING REVIEWS LIKE THIS - WOW IT IS SO DAMN IRRITATING.
9 years ago
Not happy!
I have bought a Swann camera system from Costco, it was a 4 pack with DVR. I had one camera that was non functioning, i contacted Swann and was given a claim number. I then was told i would have to pay for the shipping on a warranty claim for one of the cameras that has never been installed yet does not function? I complained to Swann about this and was told they would cover all cost if i provided a Costco receipt, which I did! Over a week later i inquired to as why I have not received a response to there request (shipping info or anything i need to do to have it repaired)......and still NOTHING....i request again....and nothing? I do like there product but I am real dissapointed with my customer service response, or lack of...
9 years ago
Review Source
William Rosengrant Red Lion, PA
I bought a set of 3 SWANN wireless wifi security cameras. Overall, they were pretty easy to set up and the picture quality was good. The software isn't great and I was disappointed that there is no way to force a recording. The only way the camera will record is if motion detection is triggered. You can go to a live view but you can't make it record the live view.
2 years ago
Review Source
Holly Ware Atlanta, GA
We had a few Swann cameras and they were adequate enough for what we we re using them for. However., their cameras aren't as good as other ones that we have used and the pricing isn't a very good deal for the quality of the product.
2 years ago
Review Source
Audrey Macfarlane Dallas, TX
I got Swann a few years back and I have had an amazing experience. I've never had an issue with the equipment or the monitoring and the customer service is fabulous! So glad to have them.
2 years ago Edited January 28, 2022
Review Source
SMJohnson_Indy Indianapolis, IN
We've installed Swann security cameras in both of our small business offices. After four or five years of use, we've found them to be reliable and to provide good image quality, with a relatively simple user interface for searching, retrieving, and saving video.
2 years ago
Jason Morgan Melbourne, VIC
Horrible company. Horrible, if none existent, customer service. I would give zero stars if I could. They promise to call back and they lie because they never do. Never buy their products again.
8 months ago
Bill Gettig Myrtle Beach, SC
Every time I try to watch live or playback it will move about 1 second Every 5 seconds!
Will not play live or playback,. Use to work better. Trying to figure which system to switch to. So over swann. And I have good internet over 300 mbps. It worked better before they did away with the thumbnails that I could find recordings easier. Not happy with swann at all. Looking to replace them.
1 year ago
Lin P Peoria, AZ
2 times in the last 10 months we needed footage off our cameras, last time law enforcement needed it. Camera captured before & after but not the actual incident. Customer service blamed it on wiring issue! We now have it on 24/7 recording instead of detection.
Still within warranty but Swanns not honoring it. SAD!!! Support & System not worth the $$$!
1 year ago
Kevin Rankin Mississauga, ON
So after just over a year DVR is Faulty based on their tech support determination, see attached photo. They tell me to complete RMA to have it replaced, after locating all the information they required they respond back that even though it is of poor quality from them that I cannot return it, but they will give me $50 towards another one of their pieces of crap, it will not allow mevto attach screenshots of emails
1 year ago
greg woehl Dayton, OH
There is no person to talk to for help. All there is is a bot. Not knowing the terminology makes it even harder to ask questions. I only need a little help with pairing and verifying credentials, but it does not tell you what to do to fix the problem. They want you to do all the work and read a whole bunch of stuff to find an answer rather than pay a support person. This is going back to the store, and I'll buy another brand.
1 year ago Edited May 15, 2023
Enoch Hein Fort Smith, AR
Would be 0 stars if possible. Just like every other review, their automated support is worthless. And not your typical worthless, but actually garbage… trash… just like their cameras and software. Lights would randomly turn in without the camera sensing motion. Reset them and now they won’t link to my account. “This device is already registered to another account.” So now I have $380 worth of garbage. I’m not one to usually write reviews, but if I can help one person not waste the money that I did, then it’s worth it. Beyond horrible. Start over as a company.
1 year ago
40fastback North Richland Hills, TX
I bought the NVR 4K Wireless system and can't begin to tell the nightmare you will be facing. The system is only 2.4 and so badly designed that the range is 5 ft. My NVR crashed and customer server was so bad that my only thought was how can I get this system out of my house....that was day 10 of ownership. Only thru my company was able to return the system. Two things Swann listen to these reviews you either need to fix your company or let everyone you must for sell and don't care. 2nd new security camera shoppers.....YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
2 years ago
Ahmed AnwarAhmedA Cairo, C
Swann technical support doesn’t exist, if you have a problem with it you are on your own, and if you have any hardware issue you are in your own, they will tell you “take it to your local repair shop” and they don’t even bother to help if you need a spare part to get it fixed, I bought Swann 8500 NVR system with 6 camera package, the NVR had a hardware issue (some ICs on the board is damaged) so it doesn’t boot, and I got zero help after chasing their technical support for a month, and they are ignoring my opened support ticket
2 years ago
Mike Cosgrove Clarks Summit, PA
zero rating not allowed to publish this.. took hours to wire in 4 outdoor cameras and the video is offline 99% of the time; my modem is brand new and not the problem. They do not stand behind their product and any positive review on this website has to be generated by an employee or owner. I will eat the cost and change systems after no results from their technology service.
2 years ago
Peter Pan
Welcome to junk America the only place for just about everything you buy is going to cost you much time with Tech Support to help them do their job before you may get a slight chance of getting the product to work with a lot more Hoops to jump through to replace or return then no hoops at all for them to get your money . Do not I repeat do not buy any swann product at all you will definitely regret it. The sad part of it is they will waste much of your valuable time for a long time before you finally figure that out.
2 years ago
TP Kangaroo Point, QLD
Very Disapointed with my product. I bought 4 of the wireless cameras and they don't even connect, I wouldn't buy this ever again, I don't understand how you can get away with this. Ive purchased cameras at $40 each since and they work better than my Swann ones. hahaha. SWANN YOUR A JOKE. Ive told numerous people about this and have actually showed them person. They end up buying the cheaper ones and couldn't be happier. Swann you suck. Yours sincerely Tommy Philp ,
4 years ago
Steve Crowe
Would give zero stars if I could. Shocking service. DVR has packed up, emailed, one response asking for model number, then nothing. Several emails later, still no reply. Don’t bother with this system and buy elsewhere is my recommendation.
I ended up binning the Swann system and replacing it with two Ring Floodlight Cams and can confirm that these are an INFINITELY better system.
4 years ago
BAW
I purchase a system a few months ago with cameras, alarm remotes and motion sensors.
I have had nothing problems from the first day where not all the products arrived.
Daily false alarms. Remote camera view doesn't work. Tech support is terrible, weeks of back and forth with no resolution as they can't figure out what the problem is.
Today I got over 40 false motion sensor alarms. Camera motion sensor goes off over changes in natural light.
Avoid their products as they will only create stress.
5 years ago
T.jimmieson
Swann australia after sales service is non existant.have a faulty bullet camera purchased from swann in may 2019. Have sent 7 emails asking for adress to send it.rang their tech help 8 times and get the same respnse,have you done this etc etc,have done everything they say 8 times to no avail.they just will not give an adress.just fobbing me off so as i give up.well it worked i have given up and now will tell the world what swanns idea of help is.
5 years ago
Bertha West Covina, CA
We bought the eight camera security unit about four months ago and it was installed about three months ago , Per month ago one of the camera stopped working so I contacted Swan a couple of times customer service and they can’t referring me to technical support and we keep continue to go back-and-forth with no resolution over one non-functioning camera
5 years ago
Hassan
Ater 8 months one off the 4 camera not working at night, i contacted the support 3 time and every time they ask me to do the same, i sent them a screenshots to the problem but still they want me to hire a technician to do full check to beleave there is on obvious prblem.
My advice don't do my mistake don't buy SWANN find cheapest one it work better and you will get better sopport .
5 years ago
Andy Polak Warren, MI
Purchased a home security system less than two years ago for $400 and the system has already broke and Swann is not willing to do anything to help me they just told me to buy a new hard drive Prior to purchasing the system I had a cheap security system that didn’t last a year thought I would go to a brand name company and the system would last for years but there are no better than the cheap systems very unhappy and will not purchase another swann product
5 years ago
Leonard Parker Matteson, IL
Poor video quality and poor customer service. I purchased a 8 channel 4 camera system from a big box store and 4 additional cameras directly from Swann. Two of the cameras that came with the system, the night vision has turned very poor after 4 months! I sent them a picture of the video and they took a months to get back to me, problem never resolved! The camera I purchased directly from Swann one of the cameras was defective straight out of the box and now they are making me jump through hoops to replace it! I will never purchase Swann products again!!!!
5 years ago
Sami Fort Lauderdale, FL
I went online to look at products, and the company offered 10% off first order if I provide my information and email. I did, and received an email with a code, which did not work. I had a friend of mine to try the same, he signed up, got a code, and again, it did not work. I tried again with a different email, with same results.
It appears tat Swann put out this offer to gather customer information and for no other reason.
5 years ago
Shannon B Lincoln, CA
I have spent 3 days emailing for technical support. The customer service line only permits tech support via email, no live person to assist. I have gone 3 days with no access or cameras and have asked repeatedly for a tech to call (left my number twice) so I am back online quickly. No calls. Just another email asking where I purchased my equipment. Horrible customer service and tech support.
5 years ago
Kay Lake Montezuma, AZ
I own 3 sets of swann camera systems for different locations. They have worked fine for several years. Since january of this year I can’t logon and view the cameras remotely. I went to the location for tech support and got the cameras going again and the day after I left was again not able to login and view them remotely. Tech support says you have to go back to the site which is 350 miles away. This company’s cameras are a total waste for security at a different location
5 years ago
TB Alamogordo, NM
Swann systems used to be okay...but they sold the business and it has gone down hill ever since. DVR's need updated bad as they lose some of their functionality and are very combersum to use. CS doesn't know what they are doing.
5 years ago
Blue
Why are these cameras sold to the general public?! They are garbage! I just moved 1 camera to a new location and now both cameras are not linking to the NVR!😠😠 I called your customer service and they need to escalate cause going through their steps they screwed things up further.😠😠 extremely pissed off!!! Furthermore.... Have English speaking customer service reps....that will make a huge difference. Anytime I get to complain about Swann....I will!
5 years ago
Tony
More bad news for swann system users. If you continue to buy their junk system, One day you will receive a message as follows:
Swann Staff
SwannEye HD - Permanent Outage
Last Update: Jan 24 2019 11:12pm
Swann regrets to inform you that the SwannEye HD platform has ceased operation as of 23 January 2019.
This will affect all SwannEye HD devices that connect using the SwannEye HD account service, most notably via the smartphone app. (no compensation or refund)
it means Swann company treats their cosumers like an idiot.
Stay away from all Swann junk system
5 years ago
Roymattblack
DO NOT buy a Swann system!
The on-screen navigation system if you want to look at any possible recordings is a NIGHTMARE.
The WORST user-friendly system of ANYTHING I've ever known.
Totally un-intuitive, complicated, unresponsive - AWFUL.
Camera quality is mediocre, setup takes forever.
I recently had my car keyed right outside with a camera pointing at it.
NO WAY can I find a recording.
It tells me ALL log files are empty and there are no recordings, yet the system is apparently running.
It's going to be dumped for a proper system, not a Mickey-Mouse outfit like this.
5 years ago
Darin MacFarlane
If I could give these cameras one star I would. 1st the application does not easily connect to Android I had to connect and open the account with my iphone 1st. 2nd they do not hold a charge indoors let alone outdoors. A week maxium, and does not come with a charger. 3rd tech support is awful takes them an hour to figure out the type of camera then they will never replace anything or take blame. SAve your money or spend the extra one hundred dollars and get cameras that work!
5 years ago
Jarry L Valentine Whitesburg, TN
These products are junk. We bought a 900.00 system and after six days one of the IR cameras went out. We called and got nothing but a scripted attempt at customer service. I asked for a supervisor and was told that there were none. Do not buy this product if you want quality, a real warranty or customer service. This company should be investigated for fraud.
5 years ago
JP Tacoma, WA
Frist and far most I wish I could had read these review prior to ordering they product. Now I have a friend who have they product and so far no problem , I really having had my product long but customer service SUCK. I will say this to most of these people making comment remember it we all band together and start our own down company here in American. This mess wouldn't be happened.
5 years ago
Murray Stapp
I have installed a Swann DVR5580 k4 camera system in my house. The actual system installation was easy and got it hooked up to a moniter without too many hassles. And then the nightmare started. Could not get the alerts set up to my phone and could not make sense of Swanns online manual BS. Ended up paying a Tech to come and do it for me. He gave up after 2 hours and it is still not sending alerts. Waste of time and money all because their instructions are written by/for anyone with a computer science degree. Buyers beware!
6 years ago
William Mather Ithaca, NY
If there was a lower number I would use that!. The hardware is pretty good but the customer service (Tech Service) is deplorable. I had to pay $5. to ask a question and waited (and still waiting) for a response. The DVR has failed (still under warranty period) and no one responds. Does Swann have a phone number to help you? No. You have to go to some other company. Clearly making the sale has greater value to Swann then customer service.
6 years ago
Advice PC Group Tacoma, WA
I have had my system (Pro Series 960H) for about 2 years now. I have have had to reset the DVR 4 times when support told me there was nothing else to do. After the 1 year warranty ran out the real problem surfaced - failing hard drive. And of course swann support says "sorry, your unit has a 1 year warranty and we are past 1 year". Well if they would have fixed the issue instead of resetting the unit 3 times, it would have been under warranty. Stay away from SWANN products.
6 years ago
Ralph Ioro Panama City Beach, FL
Have to agree with the other reviews citing very poor customer service, and product quality is poor as well.Wanted to replace an existing camera that really never worked well and add an additional camera to my system. It was about impossible to get Swann to respond to let me know what they had available that would be compatible. I ordered two cameras that I thought would work...they did not. Now its impossible to get Swann to help me return them. This company is horrible...they'll take your money and run...avoid Swann at all costs!
6 years ago
Dean Spring Lake, MI
I have a total of six Swann WiFi pan and tilt cameras in two geographic locations (different modems/routers). These cameras randomly go off-line with the resulting loss of surveillance or alarm function rendering them completely useless. The only way to correct the problem is to MANUALLY reset the cameras...something impossible to do if you’re a long distance away. Swann customer and technical support have been worthless in resolving this repeated problem
6 years ago Edited September 14, 2021
