Amazon’s experiment with Dash Buttons is officially coming to an end. While the company stopped selling them back in March, you could still use any that were stuck about your home, but that feature will stop functioning worldwide on August 31.
Dash Buttons were such an oddity when they launched that some wondered if they were an unlikely prank: small plastic buttons, dedicated to one product on Amazon. Press the button, and the product in question would be shipped to your address as fast as the Amazon Warehouse could get it out – provided you were a Prime member.
While the most popular use of this was for items that need replacing in a hurry – laundry pods, toilet paper, toothpaste, and so on – there were some wildcards thrown in there. Why anybody would need an order of Play Doh as a matter of urgency is still beyond us, and yet there was a Dash Button for it.
Of course, many people bought Dash Buttons, but then co opted them for their own IoT projects. Turning on lights, ordering a pizza or something more off the wall:
When we wrote that Amazon would no longer be selling them, the impression given was that the company would continue to support them as long as people were pressing the button, so why are they getting a permanent axe just five months later?
“Since sales of Dash Button devices ceased earlier this year, we have seen continued growth of other shopping options to meet customer needs, including Virtual Dash Button, Dash Replenishment, Alexa Shopping, and Subscribe & Save,” the company said in a widely-shared statement. “With this [in] mind, starting August 31, 2019, customers will no longer be able to place orders through Dash Button devices globally.
“Customers can continue reordering products using their free virtual Dash Buttons on the Amazon.com website and mobile app, which are available for the same great brands customers love from Dash Button devices. Customers will see that virtual Dash Buttons have already been created to replace current physical Dash Button devices.”
What are you going to do with your Dash Buttons? Let us know on Twitter: @TrustedReviews.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
