Legal recourse options? Spacetalk locking all previously free functionality behind paywall. Previously functional $270 watch will be rendered useless without $9 month fee.

Forums › Gadgets, robotics, home automation, electronics (including wearables) › Legal recourse options? Spacetalk locking all previously free functionality behind paywall. Previously functional $270 watch will be rendered useless without $9 month fee.

tehgerbil

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#324460 13-Apr-2026 12:01

Hi Geekzone,

Bought kids smartwatch as there were a lot of free and unrestricted ways of using the watch.

The listing stated:

The Adventurer 2 Smartwatch requires a 4G SIM card and Spacetalk app subscription for the parent to manage the device functions and monitor their child's activity. Spacetalk app charge of NZD$8.99 per month for unlimited devices will apply and be billed through your Apple Store or Google Play account when using third-party SIM card providers. Two week trial included.

However certain features were functional for free - Managing contacts, in-app messaging and location tracking.
Company has emailed me to say "oopsies that was never meant to be free" and are now locking basic functions behind a paywall 9 months after purchase

This feels incredibly insidious and I want a refund of the purchase price to take my money elsewhere.
Given they explicitly do not state what features were free, what are my chances?

I'd argue after 9 months there's a certain expectation of various functions remaining free as those functions were neither listed as explicit paid nor free in writing at time of purchase.
After this change, without spending $9 the $274 watch is basically a brick.

Thank you for any advice you're able to offer.

boosacnoodle

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#3480391 13-Apr-2026 12:13

Where did you buy from?

wellygary

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#3480395 13-Apr-2026 12:26

Hang on, The advert you cite claims quite openly that

"requires a 4G SIM card and Spacetalk app subscription for the parent to manage the device functions and monitor their child's activity. Spacetalk app charge of NZD$8.99 per month"

So I'm guessing that after you bought it you found you could do (some) stuff without the subscription, something that is now being remedied...

I'm not seeing anywhere where the company or retailer said you could do stuff without the subscription? - Are you claiming that they did?

Senecio

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#3480397 13-Apr-2026 12:31

tehgerbil:

Given they explicitly do not state what features were free, what are my chances?

I'd say your chances are pretty low. If they did not advertise these features as being free when you bought it then it sounds like you've been taking advantage of a bug for the last 9 months and that is now being rectified.

networkn

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#3480398 13-Apr-2026 12:36

Zero, it's clearly outlined, and they are now enforcing the terms of their agreement which they are 100% entitled to do.

nitro

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#3480410 13-Apr-2026 13:10

nothing in "the listing" suggested that any feature would be available sans subscription, not sure what legal option you have. if you bought from a local business, perhaps CGA (change in behaviour/functionality after a software update)?

curious that you have been able to use "certain features" for 9 months, when they say "the bug" was introduced in november 2025.

tehgerbil

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#3480424 13-Apr-2026 13:47

nitro:

nothing in "the listing" suggested that any feature would be available sans subscription, not sure what legal option you have. if you bought from a local business, perhaps CGA (change in behaviour/functionality after a software update)?

curious that you have been able to use "certain features" for 9 months, when they say "the bug" was introduced in november 2025.

Bought in July 2025 and have never paid a cent to Spacetalk to allow in-app messaging or contact management or locaton.
We may have signed up for the 2 week free, cannot recall. Certainly not paying anything currently and do not recall paying then cancelling.
When on wifi the device is quite functional for free currently, no sim needed.

Ok thank you everyone for your confirmation.

HP

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amanzi

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#3480475 13-Apr-2026 14:05

tehgerbil:

However certain features were functional for free - Managing contacts, in-app messaging and location tracking.

If you have something in writing to prove that these features were originally meant to be free, then you may have a case. But if they just "accidentally" worked without a subscription, then you can probably take some comfort in knowing that you managed to save some money on the subscription. You got almost a whole year for free, so you scored yourself around $100 in savings!

mattwnz

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#3480506 13-Apr-2026 15:35

Reading the description on the NL website, it says that it requires an ' app subscription for the parent to manage the device functions and monitor their child's activity'. But that doesn't state that it would have no functionality at all unless you buy a subscription and that the child couldn't manage those things via the watch without a subscription. So the description seems some what vague. I have an apple s watch, and to use apple fitness I don't need to buy a subscription to use it, but a subscription will add some additional features, and I think that is generally the way these things work when you buy hardware. eg you get a freemium version to use for free, and for additional features you buy a license or subscription. . Especially as it isn't a cheap product. Do you get any functions for free and that don't need a subscrition? I presume if you had purchased it and then discovered it had no functionality, you would have returned it if you didn't want to pay a subscription. Maybe you could discuss it with the store you purchased from and show them the email you got.

Handle9

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#3480552 13-Apr-2026 15:47

mattwnz:

Reading the description on the NL website, it says that it requires an ' app subscription for the parent to manage the device functions and monitor their child's activity'. But that doesn't state that it would have no functionality at all unless you buy a subscription and that the child couldn't manage those things via the watch without a subscription. So the description seems some what vague.

You're playing semantic games. The reasonable person test seems pretty straightforward here - is the vendors position one a reasonable person would take? In this case it seems quite clear from the passage that OP quoted that there is no Fair Trading Act or CGA issue here.

mattwnz

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#3480553 13-Apr-2026 15:55

Handle9:

mattwnz:

Reading the description on the NL website, it says that it requires an ' app subscription for the parent to manage the device functions and monitor their child's activity'. But that doesn't state that it would have no functionality at all unless you buy a subscription and that the child couldn't manage those things via the watch without a subscription. So the description seems some what vague.

You're playing semantic games. The reasonable person test seems pretty straightforward here - is the vendors position one a reasonable person would take? In this case it seems quite clear from the passage that OP quoted that there is no Fair Trading Act or CGA issue here.

Unless it states that it has zero functionality without a subscription, I wouldn't assume anything and wording can be key. The thing is that if they had discovered this out of the box , they could have returned it to the store for a refund. But because the manufacturer had made an error and been providing it for no cost, they now can't really return it. Reasonable person test is subjective especially in a tech forum where it is being discussed by people who have more tech knowledge and intelligence than an average person. Most non technical people wouldn't have a clue TBH, and looking at some of the reviews it looks like some people haven't rated it well for not realizing that a subscription was needed.

Jase2985

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#3480584 13-Apr-2026 18:06

It clearly stated it required a subscription when purchased.

They sounds like they took the free 14-day trial, it worked as they expected, the trial expired, it continued to work, then months later they get an email stating the watch doesn't have a current subscription, and they are disabling the functionality that's behind said subscription. Now the watch doesn't work as expected.

Either buy the subscription or don't. Nothing of malice here.

"The Adventurer 2 Smartwatch requires a 4G SIM card and Spacetalk app subscription for the parent to manage the device functions and monitor their child's activity."

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Qazzy03

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#3480594 13-Apr-2026 18:58

Jase2985:Either buy the subscription or don't. Nothing of malice here.

"The Adventurer 2 Smartwatch requires a 4G SIM card and Spacetalk app subscription for the parent to manage the device functions and monitor their child's activity."

Yup, this one was interesting, I decided to go down the rabbit hole to see if this was an one off or a bunch of people caught up in this.
I didn't spend long but it seemed to be fairly isolated.
Then i went down why some users were paying a subscription while others weren't.
Found that if people had a Spacetalk SIM card, then there was no app sub.
However that isn't available in NZ.
Then I went looking for who would be providing support in NZ, this is from Spark.
https://www.spark.co.nz/online/legal/terms-and-conditions/kids-watch-smart-plan-terms

If you have the Spacetalk Watch, you must:

To use the Watch, you need to subscribe to the Spacetalk app service (in addition to the Smart Plan charges). To do this you'll need to download the Spacetalk app and pay these charges to Spacetalk via that App. If you stop paying the subscription, you'll no longer be able to use the contacts, features and tracking for the Watch. Your use of the Spacetalk app is governed by a separate agreement between you and MGM Wireless Holdings Pty Ltd. You'll pay the Spacetalk app subscription fee directly to Spacetalk and Spacetalk may change that fee in accordance with its contract with you. Personal information about you and your child will be processed by Spacetalk via the App and the Watch.

TBH the subscription model is insidious and genius from a money generated POV, there seems to be a huge market that want to monitor their kids on demand but not provide a locked down phone.
#not_a_parent not judgement, more interesting as someone that hasn't had to think about what I would do.

Edit:
I watched a set up guide for the app admittedly very old at it looks like one of the requirements before even managing any features on the watch is subscribing.
https://youtu.be/3DXq7r-GC34?si=M6TrUC_-asrkxEUU&t=459