Neato D7 Robot Vacuum

This is my THIRD Neato. Use it on top floor of house but just like the previous ones, after a 6 to 8 months of great operation the cleaning becomes erratic. Meaning the Neato randomly does not start as scheduled, or even though I have set up no-go lines it still goes on those areas, or the latest it gets "lost or stuck". This last time it kept trying to go around the same bed post even though I moved it 5 different times to different parts of the bedroom AND it's cleaned this room before with no issues!! Finally I just got tired and docked it.
Product cleans well and that's why we purchased the D7 but too many hassles as product ages.

We had a D5 for over 5 years and had ZERO problems with it the entire time. We used the D5 3+ times per week and we have tile, hardwood, area rugs, carpet. I LOVED MY D5 and at least 3 friends/family bought one based on my raving reviews of it. However, the D5 encountered cat vomit and died so we needed a new vacuum. The D5 was no longer available so we purchased the D7. I HATE the D7!!! We bought it in Nov '21 and we have had constant issues with the machine. First, it would not map the house, so I had to reset everything, delete the app, and reinstall it. After multiple attempts and time on the phone with customer service, it finally mapped the house. It ran well for about a week (3-4 runs) and then gave error messages. After about 5 phone calls, Neato finally agreed there was an issue and issued a replacement. The replacement D7 is also horrid. It has worked for about 3 months with intermittent issues such as a "Clean the brush" error message even with brand new brushes (and I clean the brush at least once per week). Most recently, the vacuum went back to the charge base and would not reconnect to wi-fi after about 10 attempts. I left it until the next morning to find the battery was dead. By the time I had finished breakfast, the machine had powered off and would not power back on. I tried the D5 battery in the D7 and the D7 would not power on. I put the D7 battery into the D5 and the D5 DID power on so it was not a battery issue. Another conversation with customer service and they agreed to repair the machine. I got the machine back two days after tracking showed they had received it. The machine powered on but would not connect to wi-fi after another 10-12 attempts and was dead by morning. I emailed the customer service member who took care of the supposed repairs and was told the brushes were replaced but the battery/charge base was not changed or addressed. He also told me that I would need to buy a new charge base. So, I put my old D5 on the D7 charge base and the D5 charged.
I put the D7 on the D5 base and the D7 was still dead. Another phone call and the machine is again being replaced. Only one time has a supervisor contacted me and I have been on the phone over 20 times and have about that many email exchanges saved. I definitely would not recommend Neato to anyone, and I am currently shopping the iRobot brand because I do not expect much from the 3rd machine that is being sent to us.

This piece of garbage is the opposite of automated. Its scheduled to run twice a week and roughly every other week just randomly disconnects and needs to be manually Reconnected to function. Ive had this for two years and its a pain to deal with early 2-3 times a month. I have an older D3 that runs flawlessly so by comparison the D7 is garbage. Ive worked with customer service and then just run you in circles until the warranty expires and then tells you there is nothing they can do. Ive had two of these models (one of which I turned in during warranty) and the newer one that is only marginally better. When this decides to run it always stops prior to completing the floor plan. The D3 works great but D7 is definitely the worst purchase Ive ever made. My next robot vacuum will be an iRobot as they are the original and have better customer service reviews.

1. It constantly loses connection to the Wi-Fi which is a nightmare to reconnect.
2. I spent HOURS on the phone with customer service trying to get the app to work only to find out it only works if you shut off your iPhone cell data so I've been having to manually push the button with my hand and get none of the benefits of the mapping/app features.
3. The soft rubber gasket thing rotted away and started disintegrating from the trash bin/collector after two years (I've had 2.5 years), so I had to glue it back on. .
4. My house is 1800 sq. ft., it could never vacuum the entire house on one charge (on normal, not turbo). It had to recharge and finish later.
5. I find it ridiculous that you have to buy a new $70 battery every ONE-TWO years (per their recommendation)!
6. It constantly gets stuck/lost, and without the app, I have to get on my knees and search everywhere for it constantly.
7. The map feature never did work.
8. It won't even pick up powder sprinkled on the floor as you can see in the attached photo.

This was my first robot vacuum, so I have no idea if any of the other brands are this bad, but this is pretty bad in my book.

BUYER BEWARE! Neato Botvacs break down frequently and have a high rate of mechanical issues!

My family and I have been long-time customers of Neato -- almost 10 years. In that time, we have had THREE Neato Botvacs, all high-end models at the time of purchase. Our current robot, the D7 connected has stopped working, as did all of the others within about 9 months to 2.5 years of purchase. So, if we were to invest in another Neato, we will be on our FOURTH Neato Botvac in 10 years. At a cost of $650-$800 each, that is a hefty price tag. I contacted customer service to tell them of my latest issues with our robot (not suctioning and all debris/hair getting caught in the chute and clogging so very little debris makes it into the dustbin). I sent pictures and told them that I had to unclog the robot MULTIPLE times during one run. To make matters worse, the robot spread dirt and hair around on my floors -- no suction at all. This is in stark contrast to how the robot performed when it was first received. It suctioned perfectly and cleaned our floors wonderfully! When I called customer service for help on fixing the issue, I was told that there was NOTHING wrong with my robot and to just keep unclogging it all day long. THEY ALSO TOLD ME I MIGHT NEED TO PRE-SWEEP MY FLOORS BEFORE USING THE VACUUM! WHY ON EARTH DID I GET A VACCUM, THEN?? Again, previously, it worked great and never got clogged. I asked to speak to a supervisor about my complaint and was told that they had escalated my issue to the supervisor and who said there was nothing they could do...that they were shutting down the ticket, even though I requested to personally speak to a supervisor. I am appalled that, as 10-year customers, we would be treated so poorly as to not even be given the opportunity to speak personally with a supervisor. What's more, for them to completely ignore the issues we were dealing with and insinuate that the problem was not a problem is unacceptable. The reason we continued to purchase Neato botvacs time and time again was because they have great suction and REALLY REALLY did a great job cleaning our floors. The third one that stopped working was actually replaced by Neato, as we had only had it only 9 months when it stopped working. It was still under the manufacturer's warranty. Anyway, we are writing this review, which I will be posting on google, Yelp and anywhere possible, to let other buyers know that these robots have terrible mechanical issues and DO NOT last! If you purchase a Neato Botvac you will constantly be dealing with the headache of the robot continually breaking down and investing $700-$800 every two years to replace it. Also, customer service, although nice enough on the phone, produced no results and shut me down without hesitation. To me, that is the worst part of it all.