Amazon will pull the plug on dash buttons • Hacker News Board

Re: Amazon will pull the plug on dash buttons

#51

Post by dheera » Fri, Aug 02, 2019, 9:18 PM UTC

jfengel wrote: post #42

sct202 wrote: post #11

I never really got the point of them since they were usually for things that stored really well and get used up at a relatively constant rate so it's usually not a surprise when you run out, so like why would I need to rush and blindly push the button to buy more detergent/toothpaste of a certain brand without knowing the price when I'd just eventually buy it in my normal shopping run/order.

The goal was to reduce friction in the purchase. You had to walk to a computer, bring up Amazon, look up the product, click the version of it you want, and push "one click order" (or maybe two or three more clicks) -- that's a lot of opportunity for you to just add it to your shopping list and just buy it at the grocery store. Or from your point of view, that's a lot of effort for a product that you already know you…

One problem with their approach IMO is there was no direct feedback on when you would actually receive the product both before AND after you press the button.

You don't know if the toilet paper is going to arrive the same day, next day, 2 days, or 2 business days. Many times if you know beforehand it's going to take 2 days to get toilet paper you'd just run to the grocery store instead.

Not just toilet paper -- even with shampoo, body wash, kitchen soap, laundry detergent, kitchen sponges, I'm usually unaware I'm running out until it actually runs out, and with most of these things I can't wait 2 days. I also live 2 blocks from a 24-hour Safeway so it's not actually an issue.

Re: Amazon will pull the plug on dash buttons

#52

Post by dragonwriter » Fri, Aug 02, 2019, 9:21 PM UTC

the8472 wrote: post #49

jfengel wrote: post #42

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The goal was to reduce friction in the purchase. You had to walk to a computer, bring up Amazon, look up the product, click the version of it you want, and push "one click order" (or maybe two or three more clicks) -- that's a lot of opportunity for you to just add it to your shopping list and just buy it at the grocery store. Or from your point of view, that's a lot of effort for a product that you already know you…

> You had to walk to a computer, Wouldn't a smartphone app that has a repeat-purchase item dashboard allowing 1-click orders for them cover most of those "issues"?

> Wouldn't a smartphone app that has a repeat-purchase item dashboard allowing 1-click orders for them cover most of those "issues"?

That's pretty much (not the exact feature set, but close enough) what Amazon cited in cancelling it, so...yes?

Re: Amazon will pull the plug on dash buttons

#53

Post by dragonwriter » Fri, Aug 02, 2019, 9:25 PM UTC

dlhavema wrote: post #31

mcpherrinm wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

$5: probably doable. An esp8266 dev board goes for $2 on AliExpress. That leaves $1 for plastics and $2 for a lipo battery.

If you're talking price point $5 would be $0 profit by that bill of items. Was the original/intended purpose to always sell them at cost and make the profits up through increased sales?

> If you're talking price point $5 would be $0 profit by that bill of items.

negative profit when you count assembly.

Re: Amazon will pull the plug on dash buttons

#54

Post by deanCommie » Fri, Aug 02, 2019, 9:26 PM UTC

ihuman wrote: post #17

phlowbieuq wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

As of now, Amazon appears to still be selling their "IOT button" (which is basically a programmable dash button) https://aws.amazon.com/iotbutton/

The $15 "1st Generation AWS IoT Button" is out of stock, but the $20 "AWS IoT Enterprise Button" is still in stock. Is there a difference besides the label?

1) Double the lifetime clicks (2000 vs 1000) 2) More tightly integrated with the AWS IoT 1-Click service. (so arguably more restricted, but actually easier to manage and scale if you're an actual enterprise managing thousands of these in the field, rather than one developer building a toy app)

Re: Amazon will pull the plug on dash buttons

#55

Post by reaperducer » Fri, Aug 02, 2019, 9:26 PM UTC

I had a few, but stopped using them because the pricing was erratic.

Push a button for pistachios, and a pound bag shows up for $8.99.

Push the same button two weeks later, and get charged $17.99.

I liked the idea, though. It would have been good if it had been incorporated into the whole Whole Foods thing.

Re: Amazon will pull the plug on dash buttons

#56

Post by zwily » Fri, Aug 02, 2019, 9:34 PM UTC

prepend wrote: post #46

close04 wrote: post #39

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think most buttons were actually used for other purposes (so for the hardware) instead of for Amazon purchases. In some countries selling something without showing the price at the time of purchase is not entirely legal.

It didn’t actually buy. It sent me an email saying “you bought this, are you sure?” So it was a funny situation where I had to get my phone out anyway.

Where was that? In the US at least you didn’t have to confirm.

Re: Amazon will pull the plug on dash buttons

#57

Post by javiramos » Fri, Aug 02, 2019, 9:57 PM UTC

reaperducer wrote: post #55

I had a few, but stopped using them because the pricing was erratic. Push a button for pistachios, and a pound bag shows up for $8.99. Push the same button two weeks later, and get charged $17.99. I liked the idea, though. It would have been good if it had been incorporated into the whole Whole Foods thing.

Same problem here. We used to use it at my company to order paper towels when we were running low. It was super convenient but the pricing varied so much - the same paper towel bundle could range from $22 to $37 depending on the day.

Re: Amazon will pull the plug on dash buttons

#58

Post by 420codebro » Fri, Aug 02, 2019, 10:00 PM UTC

javiramos wrote: post #57

reaperducer wrote: post #55

I had a few, but stopped using them because the pricing was erratic. Push a button for pistachios, and a pound bag shows up for $8.99. Push the same button two weeks later, and get charged $17.99. I liked the idea, though. It would have been good if it had been incorporated into the whole Whole Foods thing.

Same problem here. We used to use it at my company to order paper towels when we were running low. It was super convenient but the pricing varied so much - the same paper towel bundle could range from $22 to $37 depending on the day.

WTF? How many paper towel rolls are we talking about??

Re: Amazon will pull the plug on dash buttons

#59

Post by Touche » Fri, Aug 02, 2019, 10:02 PM UTC

sct202 wrote: post #11

I never really got the point of them since they were usually for things that stored really well and get used up at a relatively constant rate so it's usually not a surprise when you run out, so like why would I need to rush and blindly push the button to buy more detergent/toothpaste of a certain brand without knowing the price when I'd just eventually buy it in my normal shopping run/order.

I used them and liked them. It's nice never having to remember to pick up detergent. I just push the button when it gets low.

Re: Amazon will pull the plug on dash buttons

#60

Post by Touche » Fri, Aug 02, 2019, 10:04 PM UTC

pmlnr wrote: post #21

donatj wrote: post #18

I’m probably alone but I’m pretty bummed about this. I regularly used them to order detergent and Clorox wipes when we were getting low. Haven’t been fully out of either in a couple years. How much work would it honestly be for them just to keep the existing ones going.

"Alexa, add X to my shopping list"

Well you can directly buy the same products with Alexa, which is what I'll probably do.