An interesting combo of Dash buttons, Getty. Photo : Getty Images

Those quirky Amazon Dash buttons will soon be dead, gone, no more. Intended to be an easy way to reorder items, Amazon has now pulled them from sale worldwide and seems to be admitting that no one really needs them.


When the Dash buttons were originally introduced in 2015, it was hard to believe they were n’t an April Fool’s joke. But no, Amazon was serious about making it even easier for consumers to buy crap. Admittedly, some of the buttons had practical applications , especially when it came to bulk ite ms like laundry detergent or kitty litter. But as time went on, they got increasingly ridiculous, with Dash buttons for products like pistachios, Pop Tarts, Calvin Klein underwear, Trojans, and Red Bull. (If you’re using so much underwear you need a Dash button, you should maybe rethink your life choices.)

So what killed the Dash? In a statement to GeekWire, Amazon said that customers are inc reasingly using product subscriptions and digital automatic reordering options. The company also credits increased Alexa-based shopping as another reason Dash buttons simply aren’t necessary anymore.


That doesn’t mean existing Dash button owners are out of luck. Amazon says it will continue support existing buttons. So if you really love your Kraft Macaroni and Cheese button, you can keep clicking until it physically wears away into nothing but beat- up plastic and a circuit board.

“Existing Dash Button customers can continue to use their Dash Button devices,” Amazon said in its statement. “We look forward to continuing support for our customers’ shopping needs, including growing our Dash Replenishment product line-up and expanding availability of virtual Dash Buttons.”

What’s unclear is whether a recent German court ruling was part of Amazon’s decision to discontinue physical Dash buttons. Essentially, the court ruled the buttons illegal, as they broke consumer protection laws by making it too easy for consumers to buy things without being informed as to actual price.

[BBC]

