Spotify Car Thing: Difference between revisions
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Spotify officially announced the Car Thing's discontinuation on their website on 23 May 2024, warning users that it would cease functioning entirely after 9 December 2024 (effectively bricking the device).<ref>{{Cite web |author= |title=Car Thing discontinued |url=https://support.spotify.com/us/article/car-thing-discontinued/ |website=[[Spotify]] |date= |access-date=12 Mar 2026 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250128235625/https://support.spotify.com/us/article/car-thing-discontinued/ |archive-date=28 Jan 2025}}</ref><ref name="timeline" /> The resulting customer backlash led to Spotify instituting a refund process specifically for owners of the product.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Gallaga |first=Omar |title=Here's How to Get a Refund if You Bought Spotify's Failed Car Thing Device |url=https://www.cnet.com/roadshow/news/heres-how-to-get-a-refund-if-you-bought-spotifys-failed-car-thing-device/ |website=CNet |date=31 May 2024 |access-date=12 Mar 2026 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://megalodon.jp/2026-0313-1105-07/https://www.cnet.com:443/roadshow/news/heres-how-to-get-a-refund-if-you-bought-spotifys-failed-car-thing-device/ |archive-date=13 Mar 2026}}</ref> | Spotify officially announced the Car Thing's discontinuation on their website on 23 May 2024, warning users that it would cease functioning entirely after 9 December 2024 (effectively bricking the device).<ref>{{Cite web |author= |title=Car Thing discontinued |url=https://support.spotify.com/us/article/car-thing-discontinued/ |website=[[Spotify]] |date= |access-date=12 Mar 2026 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250128235625/https://support.spotify.com/us/article/car-thing-discontinued/ |archive-date=28 Jan 2025}}</ref><ref name="timeline" /> The resulting customer backlash led to Spotify instituting a refund process specifically for owners of the product.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Gallaga |first=Omar |title=Here's How to Get a Refund if You Bought Spotify's Failed Car Thing Device |url=https://www.cnet.com/roadshow/news/heres-how-to-get-a-refund-if-you-bought-spotifys-failed-car-thing-device/ |website=CNet |date=31 May 2024 |access-date=12 Mar 2026 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://megalodon.jp/2026-0313-1105-07/https://www.cnet.com:443/roadshow/news/heres-how-to-get-a-refund-if-you-bought-spotifys-failed-car-thing-device/ |archive-date=13 Mar 2026}}</ref> | ||
===Class | ===Class action lawsuit against Spotify (''May 2024'')=== | ||
Spotify was served a | Spotify was served a {{Wplink|class action}} lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York on 28 May 2024. The lawsuit claimed "Spotify misled consumers by selling them a soon-to-be obsolete product and then not offering refunds, reports Billboard".<ref>{{Cite web |last=Perez |first=Sarah |title=Spotify Faces Class Action Lawsuit Over ‘Car Thing’ Deactivation: ‘A Useless Product’ |url=https://techcrunch.com/2024/05/30/spotify-begins-offering-car-thing-refunds-as-it-faces-lawsuit-over-bricking-the-streaming-device/ |website=TechCrunch |date=30 May 2024 |access-date=12 Mar 2026 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250129011219/https://techcrunch.com/2024/05/30/spotify-begins-offering-car-thing-refunds-as-it-faces-lawsuit-over-bricking-the-streaming-device/ |archive-date=29 Jan 2025}}</ref> Prior to the lawsuit's filing, Spotify had set up a refund page for buyers through e-mail which directs customers to [https://support.spotify.com/us/contact-spotify-support/ this link], where customers can receive a refund with proof of purchase (excluding resales). The lawsuit was dismissed by the plaintiffs after Spotify began issuing refunds.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Smith |first=Dylan |title=‘Car Thing’ Class Action Lawsuit Voluntarily Dismissed After Spotify Begins Issuing Refunds |url=https://www.digitalmusicnews.com/2024/07/10/spotify-car-thing-lawsuit-dismissed/ |website=Digital Music News |date=10 Jul 2024 |access-date=12 Mar 2026 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240721014704/https://www.digitalmusicnews.com/2024/07/10/spotify-car-thing-lawsuit-dismissed/ |archive-date=21 Jul 2024}}</ref> | ||
==See also== | ==See also== | ||