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These weird buttons of Amazon Dash will soon be dead, missing, no more. Designed to be an easy way to rearrange items, Amazon has now removed them from sales around the world and seems to admit that no one really needs them.
When the Dash buttons were introduced in 2015, it was hard to believe they were not an April Fool's joke. But no, Amazon really wanted consumers to be able to buy shit more easily. Certainly some buttons had practical applications, especially for bulk items such as laundry detergents or cat litter. But over time, they became increasingly ridiculous, with Dash buttons for products like pistachios, Pop Tarts, Calvin Klein underwear, Trojans and Red Bull. (If you use so much underwear that you need a Dash button, you may need to rethink your life choices.)
So what killed the Dash? In a statement to GeekWire, Amazon said that customers are increasingly using product subscriptions and digital auto-reorder options. The company also credits the increase in Alexa-based purchases as an additional reason why Dash buttons are simply no longer needed.
This does not mean that owners of existing Dash buttons are out of luck. Amazon says that it will continue to support existing buttons. So, if you really like your Kraft Macaroni and Cheese button, you can continue to click until it physically uses a simple plastic wrap and a printed circuit board.
"Existing Dash Button customers can continue to use their Dash Button devices," Amazon said in its release. "We look forward to continuing to meet our customers' shopping needs, including expanding our Dash Replenishment product line and offering more and more virtual Dash buttons."
What is uncertain is whether a recent decision of a German court was part of Amazon's decision to discontinue physical Dash buttons. The Court essentially ruled that buttons were illegal because they violated consumer protection laws by making things too easy for consumers to buy products without being informed of the actual price.
[BBC]
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