‘I paid $700’: Customer says Moxie AI robots will no longer work one year after buying it—and you can’t get a refund

A TikToker is sharing her frustration over an expensive robot toy her family bought last year that will allegedly be completely unusable very soon.

In a video that has been viewed over 965,000 times, TikTok user Brooke (@brookedacook8) vents after learning that the Moxie robot her child adored will soon be nonfunctional due to the company shutting down. 

Mom left frustrated as $700 robot faces shutdown

“Did you happen to purchase a Moxie?” Brooke begins, addressing other parents who might also own the $700 robot. “If you didn’t get the email, Moxie will no longer work, and you cannot get a refund.”

She explains her frustration, revealing that her family purchased the robot just last Christmas. 

“I understand companies go under, but it’s only been a year since we’ve had this robot,” she says. 

Brooke then reads from the company’s announcement, which attributes the shutdown to funding issues and warns that Moxie could stop functioning “within days.”

What’s particularly upsetting for Brooke is the emotional toll on kids who’ve grown attached to the robot, especially children with special needs.

“Moxie is just not a robot to children,” she says. “It is their friend, and now it’s not going to work. So the parents are out $700, and it’s like … now we have to explain, ‘Yeah, your friend doesn’t work anymore.’”

Brooke also criticized the way the company is handling the situation.

“You cannot even receive a refund for a $700 robot,” she says, expressing disbelief that the company is still advertising Moxie rentals despite its imminent shutdown. “That’s not fair to people who are going to receive it,” she adds.

“I understand you’re trying to squeeze every bit of dinero out of somebody that you can before you go completely under, but that’s not cool,” she further adds.

While Brooke acknowledges she’s “thankful” for the year her child had with Moxie, she calls on the company to compensate recent buyers.

“All in all, for the people who just purchased Moxie, please reach out to the company and try to get something,” she urges.

What’s going on with the company?

Embodied Inc., the company behind the Moxie robot, announced its shutdown earlier this month, citing financial challenges.

In its statement, the company revealed that a critical funding round fell apart after a lead investor withdrew at the last moment. Without this funding, Embodied says it was unable to secure the resources needed to continue operating.

The Moxie robot, a $700 AI-powered companion designed to support social and emotional learning for children, relies on cloud-based functionality. According to Embodied’s announcement, these cloud services will cease within days, rendering the robot nonfunctional.

“We do not have an exact date for when Moxie services will stop, but it will be soon,” the company stated in a FAQ section on its website.

For customers seeking refunds, the company offered little reassurance, stating that its financial position prevents it from issuing refunds.

It added that if it becomes possible, it would prioritize refunds for customers who made purchases within the last 30 days. However, it made no guarantees.

@brookedacook8 #moxierobot #moxie #robotmoxie #ai #airobot ♬ original sound - brookedacook8

Viewers react

In the comments section, other Moxie owners expressed their frustration. Viewers also suggested ideas for saving the robot. 

“It’s so deceptive, too, because their website is still up like nothing is wrong,” wrote one viewer. “I smell a class action lawsuit coming on. Moxie was a cash grab. I bet they planned this.”

“Never buy anything attached to a subscription or online model,” advised another. “gamers learned this years ago.”

“They can totally make it open source and allow people to continue developing it and keep it functional,” suggested a third.

The Daily Dot has reached out to Brooke via TikTok direct messages and comments. It also contacted Moxie via email. 

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