Spotify has backtracked with the Car Thing: there will be refunds for the buyers

Spotify has reversed its decision and is offering refunds to people who bought its dashboard accessory, the Car Thing…

A few days ago we brought one of the craziest and most unfair news in the industry in recent times: Spotify withdrew the Car Thing from the market and was not going to give any kind of refund. They said “take it to your nearest recycling point”.

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Now Spotify has backtracked on the decision and is offering refunds to people who purchased their dashboard accessory, the Car Thing, for $90.

While the streaming company unceremoniously discontinued its first and only hardware product in 2022, just five months after its launch. And recently announced its plans to deactivate all remaining Car Things on December 4, 2024.

A withdrawal that no one understands, not even on Spotify

Users who want to get their money back will have to contact Spotify’s customer support and provide proof of purchase.

This small concession comes after a group of Car Thing customers filed a class action lawsuit against Spotify in the Southern District of New York for its short-lived and now doomed accessories.

Car Thing was a simple screen that replicated the Spotify app from your phone, a very attractive gadget for drivers whose cars lack Android Auto or Apple CarPlay.

Although the device was quite simple and probably a sales failure for Spotify, it found new life once it was put on sale and clever users started implementing their Car Things in places other than the car, such as home desks and keyboards.

Although a refund is better than nothing, Spotify continues to put its customers through the hassle of digging up receipts from years ago. With refunds or without them, there will still be a lot of useless electronic waste.

Author: Chema Carvajal Sarabia

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