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

Re: Amazon will pull the plug on dash buttons

#81

Post by Splines » Sat, Aug 03, 2019, 2:40 AM UTC

prepend wrote: post #29

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.

They were fun. I bought a few back when they were $1. It’s more fun to press the red bull button than to say “computer, order more Red Bull.” I didn’t really use them that much because amazon’s prices got a lot worse so I ordered my Red Bull and batteries from other places. I hope I can repurpose them for other iot signals.

> I hope I can repurpose them for other iot signals.

I bought one for that - it's authenticated on my wifi but doesn't know what to order on Amazon. Pushing the button will make it visible on the network but do nothing else. So I wrote some scripts to run when it associates on the network, works pretty well.

Re: Amazon will pull the plug on dash buttons

#82

Post by perl4ever » Sat, Aug 03, 2019, 2:51 AM UTC

donatj wrote: post #43

driverdan wrote: post #37

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't understand why you'd need it. It's not like detergent is something you need to order every week. It takes me over a year to use a large jug of laundry detergent. All you have to do is get two containers, one open and one backup. When you use up the first buy another one the next time you go grocery shopping.

> It's not like detergent is something you need to order every week That's exactly why this is useful. It's something I forget to buy at the store because I run out so rarely. Right now while I'm doing my laundry if I notice I'm below about a third I'll hit the button. Before I'd almost always realize I was out of detergent mid-washing, undoubtedly the night before some important meeting, and have to run to the store…

Maybe, but the advice to have two containers of stuff like that seems like a good idea. The only issue I have with that is that I misplace the backup and then I buy another and accidentally have 3.

Re: Amazon will pull the plug on dash buttons

#83

Post by kalleboo » Sat, Aug 03, 2019, 2:52 AM UTC

adrianmonk wrote: post #72

dragonwriter wrote: post #52

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> 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?

Amazon doesn't seem to have that feature in their app, though. The closest thing is a buy again section, but it doesn't hit the mark (to me): (1) Many of the items aren't consumable items. On my page, there is a wall clock, a power strip, and an instant pot. (2) The ordering of the items appears to be based mostly on what I bought recently rather than what I'm likely to buy over and over again consistently. (Or likel…

My Amazon app has a section of "virtual dash buttons" down the bottom with only consumable items and they all purchase directly with one tap

Re: Amazon will pull the plug on dash buttons

#84

Post by adrianmonk » Sat, Aug 03, 2019, 3:13 AM UTC

kalleboo wrote: post #83

adrianmonk wrote: post #72

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Amazon doesn't seem to have that feature in their app, though. The closest thing is a buy again section, but it doesn't hit the mark (to me): (1) Many of the items aren't consumable items. On my page, there is a wall clock, a power strip, and an instant pot. (2) The ordering of the items appears to be based mostly on what I bought recently rather than what I'm likely to buy over and over again consistently. (Or likel…

My Amazon app has a section of "virtual dash buttons" down the bottom with only consumable items and they all purchase directly with one tap

Huh, so it does exist! I had to scroll through an almost endless list of tiles, but I was able to find it. (I tried a second time to count how many, and it wasn't there that time.)

Turns out it's also possible to intentionally navigate to it: app menu (top left "hamburger" icon) -> "See All Programs" (under "Programs and Features" group in menu) -> "Your Dash Buttons". And the UI looks just like dash buttons. With buttons that say "Buy now" rather than adding to cart.

It'd be great to have the ability to somehow pin it in a more prominent / convenient location if I were seriously planning to use it.

Re: Amazon will pull the plug on dash buttons

#85

Post by ta0987 » Sat, Aug 03, 2019, 3:27 AM UTC

thr0w4w4yy wrote: post #78

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…

How much friction is there really in adding “toilet paper” to your shopping list and grabbing it during the next grocery run? It really feels like a solution in search of a problem.

a lot, if you're e.g. depressed

though to be fair, I am (was?) too depressed to even set up the dash buttons

Re: Amazon will pull the plug on dash buttons

#86

Post by IgorPartola » Sat, Aug 03, 2019, 3:31 AM UTC

dheera wrote: post #51

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…

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…

Not only that, but you also had a limited selection of brands.

Re: Amazon will pull the plug on dash buttons

#87

Post by bahmboo » Sat, Aug 03, 2019, 3:36 AM UTC

dheera wrote: post #51

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…

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…

Spot on. It just needed a cheap LCD display with the basic info. They are remote terminals and need to provide standalone feedback for the experience.

Re: Amazon will pull the plug on dash buttons

#88

Post by esotericn » Sat, Aug 03, 2019, 3:36 AM UTC

I don't understand the appeal behind ordering something without knowing the price.

The only thing I ever buy without knowing the cost is a drink in a pub, and that's some sort of strange anachronism.

And in that situation, if the bartender turns around and tells me 25 quid or whatever after pouring it, I'd just walk off.

The economy doesn't work properly if you just blindly pay whatever.

Re: Amazon will pull the plug on dash buttons

#89

Post by dragonwriter » Sat, Aug 03, 2019, 3:42 AM UTC

sj4nz wrote: post #73

adrianmonk wrote: post #72

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Amazon doesn't seem to have that feature in their app, though. The closest thing is a buy again section, but it doesn't hit the mark (to me): (1) Many of the items aren't consumable items. On my page, there is a wall clock, a power strip, and an instant pot. (2) The ordering of the items appears to be based mostly on what I bought recently rather than what I'm likely to buy over and over again consistently. (Or likel…

Unrelated: Your speech-to-text result threw me for a loop, "moose Leon" (mostly) Related: A hardware "Dash" button made more sense in a time when mobile smart devices were not ubiquitous. The recommended items I see are really strange, often items that are "one-offs" which I might only buy once every ten years are recommended. This to me is a serious problem with their algorithm.

> Related: A hardware "Dash" button made more sense in a time when mobile smart devices were not ubiquitous

Dash buttons were introduced in 2015, which was hardly the pre-ubiquitous-smart-device dark ages.

Re: Amazon will pull the plug on dash buttons

#90

Post by schristou88 » Sat, Aug 03, 2019, 3:43 AM UTC

esotericn wrote: post #88

I don't understand the appeal behind ordering something without knowing the price. The only thing I ever buy without knowing the cost is a drink in a pub, and that's some sort of strange anachronism. And in that situation, if the bartender turns around and tells me 25 quid or whatever after pouring it, I'd just walk off. The economy doesn't work properly if you just blindly pay whatever.

During setup of the dash button you tell amazon what you want the button to purchase. When setting up the button you get a few choices to choose and you pick one to link, so whenever the button is pressed it will order that exact product. When you pick the product you’re also told the price.