Amazon starts selling quick-buy Dash Buttons for $5 each

Scorpus

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Amazon's Dash Buttons, interesting little devices that allows you to easily order household items by simply pressing a button, are now available to Amazon Prime members for just $4.99 each.

When Amazon first announced the Dash Buttons on March 31 this year, many suspected the strange product was an April Fools' Day gag. However that's clearly not the case, with Dash Buttons expected to reach the doorsteps of Prime Members who buy them by July 31st.

There are currently 18 Dash Buttons available, most of which cover cleaning product brands such as Tide, Glad, Cottonelle and Bounty, although you can get Buttons that quickly send you more Kraft Macaroni and Cheese, Gatorade, or Gillette razors.

The buttons are tied to a specific brand rather than a specific product, meaning you can set up a button to order whatever product from the brand in whatever quantity you desire. For example, you could set up the Tide button to ship you a 95 oz box of laundry detergent, or a pack of Tide Pods, depending on what you use on a regular basis.

Dash Buttons are set up and managed through the Amazon app on your smartphone. To prevent a user from accidentally ordering multiples of the same product in succession, only the first press will order the item, resetting when the order has been delivered. However there's no stopping a child pressing the button unnecessarily if you're already stocked up, as that order will be placed immediately.

The Dash Buttons are currently a "limited release" for Prime members, so if you really want to get one, you might have to do so quickly before they sell out.

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Neat product.

Even neater, Amazon snagged Hammond, May, and Clarke for a new car show. Where's the Top Gear whatever-they're-gonna-call-it button?
 
Neat product.

Even neater, Amazon snagged Hammond, May, and Clarke for a new car show. Where's the Top Gear whatever-they're-gonna-call-it button?
Yeah, until Clarkson starts punching Bezos :p

About the button, I think Amazon is pushing the one click buy option a bit too far with these. Save the $4.99, and buy from your smartphone.
 
I'd assume it's standard pricing, but it'd be nice if they would give you some sort of discount like when you do the subscribe & save. With subscribe & save and a bit of planning, you can save a nice amount on some products.
 
So when the kids find it and press press press and we get shipments of 50 things of whatever...

Ya... that won't ever be in my house. I can make a note and sit down to Amazon and order it or get it next time at the grocery store. Talk about lazy and problematic.
 
Let me get this straight ... I have to *pay* $5 to be able to push a button to buy your products?

This might be the stupidest thing I've ever seen. Amazon already has 1-click ordering on their site. How f**king lazy do you have to be to want to pay money for the privilege of buying something in a bit lazier manner?

If these companies are going to distribute these "first world problem" devices, they should be free, FFS. They will ostensibly make back the $5 and then some in the sales of the actual product.

Idiocracy is really happening.
 
So when the kids find it and press press press and we get shipments of 50 things of whatever...

Ya... that won't ever be in my house. I can make a note and sit down to Amazon and order it or get it next time at the grocery store. Talk about lazy and problematic.
You did not read, it says only the first press will count and more presses do nothing until the first item is delivered and then it will reset itself.
 
I've always understood the concept that, "you have to spend money to save money"!

However, this ca-ca is way over the top.

Now it would appear, you have to spend money for the privilege of saving money, then spend more money on top of that, for the privilege of allowing Amazon to tap into your bank account whenever you open the flood gates, with the push of a "please take my money button".

....[ [....Idiocracy is really happening.
Let me offer some suggestions to tweak the mood of the verb in that sentence. How about, "the idiocracy has been here for quite a while now, but this should serve to alert everyone over the age of two of its arrival"? Or, "I hope Carrot Top runs for president as an independent next election". Maybe, "Elon Musk will straighten this mess out, if we just crown him supreme dictator, and give him all our credit card account numbers and banking passwords"!....(y)
 
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I've always understood the concept that, "you have to spend money to save money"!

However, this ca-ca is way over the top.

Now it would appear, you have to spend money for the privilege of saving money, then spend more money on top of that, for the privilege of allowing Amazon to tap into your bank account whenever you open the flood gates, with the push of a "please take my money button".

....[ [....Idiocracy is really happening.
Let me offer some suggestions to tweak the mood of the verb in that sentence. How about, "the idiocracy has been here for quite a while now, but this should serve to alert everyone over the age of two of its arrival"? Or, "I hope Carrot Top runs for president as an independent next election". Maybe, "Elon Musk will straighten this mess out, if we just crown him supreme dictator, and give him all our credit card account numbers and banking passwords"!....(y)
As I see it, it is simply a logical extension of Amazon's "please take my money" tactics that include one click buying and cr^p search results.
 
As I see it, it is simply a logical extension of Amazon's "please take my money" tactics that include one click buying and cr^p search results.
I think you meant to say, Amazon's, "a fool and his money are soon parted company", mentality, "and we're about to prove our customer's are fools, once and for all time", policy!
 
So when the kids find it and press press press and we get shipments of 50 things of whatever...

Ya... that won't ever be in my house. I can make a note and sit down to Amazon and order it or get it next time at the grocery store. Talk about lazy and problematic.
You did not read, it says only the first press will count and more presses do nothing until the first item is delivered and then it will reset itself.

That doesn't stop the kids from clicking it over and over and getting a new thing every few days. Still very easy to stockpile whatever it is at your cost.
 
That doesn't stop the kids from clicking it over and over and getting a new thing every few days. Still very easy to stockpile whatever it is at your cost.
I've long held the belief that CEOs are sociopaths, power corrupts, and and absolute power corrupts absolutely.

The reason people don't pick up this trait in Amazon, Apple, Microsoft, or substitute any big name retail supplier <(here)>, is they're not trying to shape minds through politics. Their penchant for world domination is a bit more subtle.

It's very comforting, having big brother holding your hand, escorting you through a forest of poor products and manufacturing wolves. And really, isn't it wonderful that Amazon doesn't want you to ever run short of all the wonderful things they sell you? Wouldn't it be wonderful if the little toy helicopter showed up at your door, almost the minute you thought you needed something? Why, you'd never have to shop anywhere else!

The logical next step is for Amazon to introduce a bill paying service, and arrange for employers to direct deposit your paycheck in your Amazon account.

Don't worry boys and girls, and children of all ages, "Amazon's gonna take care of you, Amazon's gonna make all of your nightmares come true".

(And yes kidz,, that last sentence is paraphrased from, "Mother" in Pink Floyd's, "The Wall").
 
That doesn't stop the kids from clicking it over and over and getting a new thing every few days. Still very easy to stockpile whatever it is at your cost.
There is something there to stop them, it is you. Yes, they might buy more than needed at first but if you allow it to continue that is your own fault as their parent. The companies are there to make money and not to protect you from your kids, or yourself, buying extras because you didn't think about it. I never got this line of thinking, they are your kids you are supposed to watch what they do the company is just trying to put something out that is useful and makes them more money.
 
There is something there to stop them, it is you. Yes, they might buy more than needed at first but if you allow it to continue that is your own fault as their parent. The companies are there to make money and not to protect you from your kids, or yourself, buying extras because you didn't think about it. I never got this line of thinking, they are your kids you are supposed to watch what they do the company is just trying to put something out that is useful and makes them more money.
I think this might be hard to explain, but, some of us here have the mindset that this is a completely unnecessary item. Amazon gives customers enough quick and easy ways to order more products. Paying $5 for a washer mounted button to reorder your favorite detergent seems ludicrous at best given the "50-ways to order your product" already available on the Amazon site. What's next? A button you mount on the outside of your computer to order a new hard drive when that wears out?
 
I'd assume it's standard pricing, but it'd be nice if they would give you some sort of discount like when you do the subscribe & save. With subscribe & save and a bit of planning, you can save a nice amount on some products.

Tried it, loved how things went on & off the list, lowering my count so the -good- discount didn't apply. I had up to an hour to do something about it when the emailed the info, if I opened and read it to see if something was suddenly missing, if not stopped in that hour, they shipped and I got the crap 5% discount. IMHO, subscribe is utter crap unless you live at your computer.
 
I think this might be hard to explain, but, some of us here have the mindset that this is a completely unnecessary item. Amazon gives customers enough quick and easy ways to order more products. Paying $5 for a washer mounted button to reorder your favorite detergent seems ludicrous at best given the "50-ways to order your product" already available on the Amazon site. What's next? A button you mount on the outside of your computer to order a new hard drive when that wears out?
I understand that and believe it is useless as well but blaming the company for your kids repeatedly buyings with it is just dumb. Companies will always make stupid products on the chance they will take off and make them money. My post was towards the thought that the kids will stockpile a huge amount of products because of this and them placing the blame on the company in order to make this product look bad (or worse). My point was that if you have this and kids the responsibility falls on you to make sure it is not misused and to not go around blaming the company for something you bought and are not using right.
 
I understand that and believe it is useless as well but blaming the company for your kids repeatedly buyings with it is just dumb. Companies will always make stupid products on the chance they will take off and make them money. My post was towards the thought that the kids will stockpile a huge amount of products because of this and them placing the blame on the company in order to make this product look bad (or worse). My point was that if you have this and kids the responsibility falls on you to make sure it is not misused and to not go around blaming the company for something you bought and are not using right.
I understand your viewpoint, and agree parents need to somehow maintain control over their children - and that if their kids pressed the button, would find a way to keep the button out of their reach.

But the conspiracy theorist in me ;) wonders whether Amazon is hoping that kids will press the button in the same manner they hope you will buy something in the list of items they return when you search for something on their site that they do not have.
 
FYI you have to have an iPhone or Android to set this up. I don't have an iPhone or Android. I have WP and Windows Tablet.
 
FYI you have to have an iPhone or Android to set this up. I don't have an iPhone or Android. I have WP and Windows Tablet.
Aw! Now you have no easy way to spend all your money in the first store you click to.

Besides, and I know this is hard ti imagine, but supermarkets in my area actually deliver!

Not only that, but you can call them on wun o' them thar prehistoric landlines to place your order/
 
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Aw! Now you have no easy way to spend all your money in the first store you click to.

Besides, and I know this is hard ti imagine, but supermarkets in my area actually deliver!

Not only that, but you can call them on wun o' them thar prehistoric landlines to place your order/
That's cool and all, but I can do basically what you're telling me with a click of a single button. Using the phone I would have to press at least 10 buttons.. Then there is a chance of pressing a few more buttons to actually speak to a person...

Then there is always this https://medium.com/@edwardbenson/how-I-hacked-amazon-s-5-wifi-button-to-track-baby-data-794214b0bdd8
 
That's cool and all, but I can do basically what you're telling me with a click of a single button. Using the phone I would have to press at least 10 buttons.. Then there is a chance of pressing a few more buttons to actually speak to a person...
I didn't think anybody actually bought Windows phones. If you want to be hip, you buy an iPhone. If you want to think you're hip, and want to argue about whose phone is better, you bought an Android device.

If you're bound and determined to trap yourself in Amazon's web, just use your desktop to shop there. Oh, but then you'd have to push that big, heavy mouse around. Never mind..

Cute.
 
I didn't think anybody actually bought Windows phones. If you want to be hip, you buy an iPhone. If you want to think you're hip, and want to argue about whose phone is better, you bought an Android device.

If you're bound and determined to trap yourself in Amazon's web, just use your desktop to shop there. Oh, but then you'd have to push that big, heavy mouse around. Never mind..

Cute.
It's too late I'm already caught in Amazon's web. I rather be caught in that web than Apples..

I'm not sure what mouse you are using, but mine sure isn't heavy.
 
It's too late I'm already caught in Amazon's web. I rather be caught in that web than Apples..
There's always the possibility of being caught in neither web. It really isn't, and certainly doesn't have to be, either/or.
I'm not sure what mouse you are using, but mine sure isn't heavy.
Yours seems, at the very least, to be symbolically heavy. Then there's those ten mighty clicks you'd need to make with it. (Your terms, not mine).
 
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