Update, 6:40pm ET 11/9: Logitech will now offer all owners of the Harmony Link a free upgrade to the Harmony Hub. Owners who have already redeemed the 35 percent off savings on the Harmony Hub will be refunded the amount they paid for the replacement. The company has also unblocked the terms "class action" and "lawsuit" on its forum.

Logitech announced it will shut down all services for its Harmony Link system that allowed smartphones and tablets to function as universal devices in the spring of 2018, which has caused an uproar among consumers who still use the device.

The announcement of the impending shut down came via email, in which Logitech said it would "discontinue service and support" for the Harmony Link on March 16, 2018 and warned users that the device "will no longer function after this date."

Logitech has thus far been rather mum regarding the decision to effectively brick the device that has been on the market since 2011. Consumers on the company’s forums have noted no technical problems with the device, which lets users control home electronics including televisions and sound systems through their smartphone.

The only glimpse the company provided into why it would kill off the device came from a Logitech employee in the company forums. Posting with the username Logi_WillWong, the employee explained that Logitech will not renew a "technology certificate license" necessary for the device to function. That license comes up for renewal in March.

"The certificate will not be renewed as we are focusing resources on our current app-based remote, the Harmony Hub," Logi_WillWong wrote, suggesting Logitech is ending the life cycle of the Harmony Link to push users to its new product. The Harmony Hub also supports Internet of Things devices.

Logitech has pulled the Harmony Link from its own store and the device is listed as “discontinued by manufacturer” on Amazon, but a number of users noted the company has still been trying to move its inventory of leftover Harmony Links.

One user pointed out the company offered the Harmony Link at a discount in recent months, likely with the knowledge that it would not be supported for long. The company is offering a free upgrade to the Harmony Hub to those who have a Harmony Link that is still under the device’s three-month warranty and a 35 percent discount to those who are no longer covered.

The free upgrade may placate recent purchasers of the Harmony Link but because of the short warranty, users who have owned the Harmony Link for as little as 91 days will still have to pay to upgrade to the Harmony Hub or be stuck with a device that no longer works.

A number of customers have expressed outrage over the decision to kill off the device completely, which has resulted in some consumers attempting to organize action against Logitech. Unfortunately for those consumers, the company’s forum has proven to be a less than ideal place to lead the charge.

Users quickly found the Logitech forums censor the terms “class action” and “lawsuit,” replacing the words with asterisks.

International Business Times reached out to Logitech for more details regarding the discontinuation of the Harmony Link and other complaints raised by users in the company’s forum. Logitech did not respond at the time of publication.

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