My Opinion on FAMILEO: the Family Journal to Stay Connected!

There’s nothing easier today than staying in touch with loved ones, thanks to instant messaging services or video calls! Despite this apparent ease, it often happens that a part of the family feels isolated: indeed, few older people use WhatsApp or social media.

To keep your whole family connected, companies like Famileo have developed the concept of a family newsletter, which each family member can contribute to with their photos and updates, and which will then be printed and sent directly to its recipient. In recent months, I had the pleasure of testing a Famileo box, and I’d like to share my thoughts on it.

What is Familéo?

👍 I Loved It

• The concept of Famileo that has captivated my entire family,
• Seeing my grandmother delighted and being able to chat with her about her newsletter,
• The user-friendly nature of the Famileo app,
• The affordable pricing and the option to share the costs,
• The final output of the newsletter,
• The ability to adjust the subscription according to one's budget.

❌ What I Liked Less

• The quality of the paper is rather average,
• 30 messages can sometimes feel a bit restrictive if there are many of us!

How does Famileo work?

Famileo offers to send a printed newsletter to your chosen person every month, twice a month, or every week, featuring 30 messages and photographs. This service can be used in various situations, but it is primarily designed to send news to your parents, grandparents, or even great-grandparents.

Every family member who wants to participate can download the app or log in directly to the website, where they can enter their family code provided to the person who registers their family during the subscription process. They can then easily create their newsletter by uploading photos and adding messages of their choice.

Every family member can get involved: there is actually a maximum of 60 people who can contribute to each newsletter. So, don’t hesitate to create a personal account to make the content diverse and engaging.

👉 For instance, you could send a photo of a family gathering, a place you visited on holiday, or a moment that reminded you of your grandfather or grandmother.

Excerpt from a Famileo newsletter

The layout is done automatically afterwards, and the newsletter is sent directly to its recipient, via post, no matter which country in the world they live in.

💌 With the first Gazette, the recipient receives a letter explaining what it's all about. This makes it perfect for surprising your loved ones!

📅 On your side, each family member involved in writing the newsletter will receive an email three days before it is published, so they have time to complete their contributions.

💲 Famileo offers a pooling system: everyone can easily contribute to the subscription without the hassle of bank transfers or money exchanges.

📱 Finally, every participating member can view the completed newsletter to stay updated on family news!

✅ Famileo is a fantastic invention that allows your entire family to stay connected, while the elderly can receive updates from their loved ones. Be warned, it can be quite addictive: grandparents love receiving the newsletter and keep asking for more!

Who is the Famileo newsletter for?

A Famileo subscription is a genuine family gift. Of course, the newsletter is primarily intended for the elderly person to whom it is sent. If they live alone, they will be delighted to hear about the latest adventures of their family members and will feel very connected. In a couple, your grandparents or great-grandparents can discuss their newsletter together.

Finally, if your loved one lives in a nursing home or an elderly care facility, it is completely possible to subscribe them to this newsletter to brighten their day and show them that you're thinking of them.

How much does Famileo cost?

Famileo offers three different pricing options:

These subscriptions are contract-free: you can pause or cancel your subscription whenever you wish.

👉 If you’re on a tight budget, the monthly plan at R99 per month is a great option. It allows you to give a lovely gift without breaking the bank!

👉 If you're from a big family, the offer at R17.99 per month allows you to send out a newsletter every week. It's perfect if there are many people involved in the newsletter, as it gives everyone the chance to post messages regularly.

In any case, you can very easily upgrade your subscription and adjust it according to your needs and budget. Simply go to the "my account" section, then "subscription management", and click on "Change plan". The changes will take effect from your renewal date.

What does a Famileo newsletter look like?

The Famileo newsletter is formatted as a small A4-sized newspaper (similar to an A4 printer paper). It starts with a front page that includes the date, upcoming holidays and birthdays, as well as the family members who contributed to this edition of the newsletter.

On the following pages, the messages follow one after the other, each time:

• A large format photograph printed in colour,
• A message written by a loved one, clearly legible (in large font),
• The name of the author of the message, clearly displayed, along with a small photo.

The first page and a random page from a Famileo newspaper

How to gift a Famileo subscription or a single box? 🎁

To gift a Famileo subscription, you have two options:

🔸 Subscribe the recipient directly to the newsletters from the website, by choosing your preferred subscription type (monthly, bi-monthly, or weekly). In this case, each person added to the family group can then, if they wish, contribute to the payment pool.

🔸 Gift a six-month subscription box for R39:

This gift set is very handy if you want to make your present special: in addition to a six-month monthly subscription to the magazine, the recipient will also receive a box to store their magazines. You can order it directly from the homepage of the website.

📚 After a year, you can also get all the newsletters printed in a beautiful bound book. There's nothing quite like preserving those lovely memories and sharing them with your loved ones!

➡️ Who is Famileo for?

👵 The Famileo box makes a wonderful gift for older family members who aren't very connected to social media and messaging apps. It’s the perfect present for your parents, grandparents, or great-grandparents. It is also suitable for your in-laws or any uncles and aunts.

👩‍🦽 The Famileo journal can also be sent to a person with a disability residing in a care facility, or a person hospitalised for an extended period.

🌍 If your family is scattered around the world, the Famileo newsletter is a fantastic way to stay connected and share your daily adventures. In fact, Famileo ships worldwide!

What do our subscribers think? Find out what customers are saying about Famileo!

Whether you’re looking to buy a gift or treating yourself, customer feedback is an invaluable indicator of whether the product meets your expectations. To assist you in understanding what people are saying about Famileo, I’ve summarised customer reviews from various online platforms for you.

About the Famileo Site

On the homepage of the site, there are video reviews that give an insight into customer satisfaction:

🔸 The recipients of the newsletters express their eagerness to receive the magazine each month, and the joy of feeling connected with the rest of their family.

🔸 Families that contribute to Famileo rave about the user-friendliness of the platform, the joy of seeing their loved ones happy, and the delight of receiving news from the entire family each month in the newsletter.

On Famileo's Facebook Page

The platform where Famileo customers leave the most reviews is Facebook.

The excellent rating of Famileo and the numerous reviews suggest that most customers are satisfied with this publication.

💚 Customers Loved

• Keeping their elders happy by regularly giving them updates,
• The practical side of Famileo,
• The ease of use of the app and the website, even for those who are not tech-savvy,
• The contact with the customer service, which is very effective,
• The affordability of the subscription,
• The fact that it is a French company.

Example of a positive review from the Famileo Facebook page

❌ They enjoyed it less

• The fact that the newsletter does not allow writing in Asian characters or Arabic,
• The print quality of photographs (only for a minority of people, and it seems they have recently changed their printing service),
• Some delivery delays caused by postal services.

Example of a mixed review from the Famileo Facebook page and a response provided by another user

About Trustpilot

Currently, there are very few reviews for Famileo on the verified review site Trustpilot. The reviews received are average, mainly due to a negative review from a person who experienced delivery issues (largely attributed to the courier), which brings down the overall rating. However, there are also some very positive reviews that help to balance out this negative experience.

Famileo on Social Media

You can find the company Famileo on:

• Instagram, featuring photo examples of the newsletters, competitions, and feedback from users...

Excerpt from Famileo's Instagram account

• Facebook, with over 50,000 followers and regular competitions, updates on the latest news from your newsletter, and much more.
• Twitter, where you can get straight to the point and send your questions directly to Famileo.
• And finally, YouTube, featuring quick and comprehensive tutorials (on YouTube Shorts) and videos about the Famileo concept and its benefits for older adults.

Can we trust the company Famileo, or is it a scam?

Famileo has been around since August 2015. The service was launched by the French start-up Entourage Solutions. According to the official site "Société.com", this company has been in existence since 2014, which provides it with a level of stability. It employs around thirty staff members and has over 700,000 active users.

Excerpt from the website Société.com about Entourage Solutions, the company behind the Famileo service

The company takes the time to respond to customer reviews and questions on Facebook and via messages, and has a customer service line available by phone, on a standard rate number. Additionally, the quality of this support is praised by users in Facebook reviews.

Finally, the company has won two prestigious awards in the field of entrepreneurship:

• "France is Committed" in 2017,
• "Pass French Tech" in 2019.

✅ Famileo is part of a French company that is easily reachable, with a dedicated customer service team, which ensures reliability.

My Verdict on Famileo

I chose to use Famileo to stay in touch with my grandmother, who lives more than three hours' drive away from me. Initially, it was more of a personal project, as I was worried that other family members, particularly my mother, wouldn’t be able to add content to the newsletter.

However, from the very first newsletter I received, the rest of my family wanted to know how they could get involved in creating this publication. So, I passed the family code to my sister first, then to my mother, and then to my aunt and uncle. Each of them chose the option that suited them best. The mobile app is very convenient for those who have a smartphone: it's very user-friendly and allows you to easily add photos and text, without needing any computer skills.

When it comes to payment, we have recently started using a pooled payment system that allows us to share the costs. It’s really convenient and it works well!

My grandmother is always delighted to receive her newspaper. She enjoys flipping through it and revisiting it from time to time. When we go to visit her, she shows it to us and it becomes a fantastic conversation starter! So far, we haven't had any delivery issues.

Source: Instagram (@labulledesevy, @odrai_et_louis, @louiseetleskids)

Some photos are truly beautiful, and the journal format isn't always ideal for showcasing them. I'm considering reprinting them on photo paper. I've also noticed that Famileo offers to reprint the newsletters into a bound book after a year; I might go that route as well.

In the end, this subscription has had an unexpected effect: in addition to staying connected with my gran, we're all now enjoying the newsletter that we can download with each new issue. This helps us keep up to date with what's happening in the family and everyone's daily lives: it's very unifying!

✅ I highly recommend the Famileo experience, especially for families who are geographically distant. It's an adventure that everyone can enjoy together, easy to use, and it brings all family members closer together! 😉

FAQs about Famileo: I'm here to answer YOUR questions!

👉 In the following lines, I will answer the questions you have about Famileo. If you can't find the answers you're looking for, feel free to leave a comment at the bottom of this page to contribute your thoughts. I would be more than happy to assist you!

How to Connect to Famileo?

If you already have a Famileo account, simply visit the website and log in by clicking on "My Account" at the top right. You can also download the app available for Android and iPhone.

If you want to join your family who are already subscribed to Famileo, you will need a family code, which has been provided to the person who subscribed. Next, simply scroll to the bottom of the homepage, click on "I want to join my family" and follow the instructions. You can also do this from the app!

Finally, if your loved one resides in a partner facility of Famileo, they should provide you with a code that you can also enter on the website, on the homepage, in the section titled: "Does your loved one live in a subscribed facility?".

Who prints Famileo?

When you subscribe, it’s the Famileo company that takes care of printing and sending the newsletter directly. Once it’s filled with your photos and messages, there’s nothing more for you to do. 😉

How can I get a Famileo promo code?

When you sign up, you can enter the promo code "COUPDEPOUCE" to receive 70% off your first month. This offer is valid for monthly and bi-monthly subscriptions. It’s a great deal if you want to try out Famileo for a month without any commitment, as it will only cost you around R30.

Does Famileo offer a referral system?

Yes! Famileo has set up a referral programme. Simply ask the person who is referring you for their referral code, which they would have received via email and is available in their "My Account" section. By providing this code when you sign up, you will receive one month free. Additionally, the grandparents of the referrers can win prizes!

Source: Instagram (@welovecharliandcapucine, @magicaroh, @cynthiakanaie)

What happens to the personal data (photos, messages, etc.) that we send to Famileo?

Famileo is committed to not selling your data: photos, messages, personal information... The site is ad-free and promises to remain that way. Your data is stored securely on dedicated servers for Famileo and is encrypted.

If you would like to delete your data after cancelling your account, you can get in touch with Famileo and ask them to remove it. This will be done quickly and at no cost to you.

How to contact Famileo?

There are several options available to you:

• Through social media, on Facebook or Instagram,
• Directly on the website, via the contact form,
• By email at the address: contact@famileo.com,
• By phone at 📞02 46 84 02 82 (local call rates apply).

Is there a commitment with Famileo?

No, Famileo is non-binding. This means you can cancel at any time.

How to cancel Famileo?

Only the family member who is the manager (by default, the person who created the subscription) can cancel it. That person simply needs to log into their account, go to the "subscription management" section, and unsubscribe.

👉 If you have remaining funds in your account, feel free to contact the Famileo customer service directly to find out how to retrieve that money.

Are you a professional in elderly care: How to become a Famileo partner establishment?

Famileo enables facilities accommodating elderly people (such as care homes, long-term care services, retirement homes...) or individuals with disabilities to provide their residents with a way to stay connected with their families through the Famileo newsletter. If you're interested in this service, feel free to get in touch with Famileo directly, either by phone at 📞02 46 84 02 82 or via email at contact@famileo.com.

👉 At the bottom of the homepage, you will find a link to a section titled "Famileo for Professionals", which will provide you with detailed information about the services offered for institutions.

For professional establishments: What logbook service does Famileo offer?

If you work in a facility caring for elderly or disabled residents, you can also use Famileo to quickly and easily create a newsletter to share what's happening in your organisation. It's a fantastic way to strengthen the connection between your residents and their families, while also highlighting your activities and initiatives.

I hope you found the answers to all the questions you had about the Famileo service. Please feel free to share your thoughts in the comments or to share your experience! 😉