Amazon stops selling Nest products as war with Google continues

[midian182]

The ongoing battle between Google and Amazon has just taken another turn, after the online retail giant announced it wouldn’t stock future products from Nest. As a result of the move, Nest has decided not to sell any more of its items on the site once the current inventory is depleted.

Business Insider reports that a conference call between the two companies’ employees saw Amazon’s team inform Nest it wouldn’t be listing any of its newer products, such as the latest thermostat and Nest Cam IQ. Amazon said the decision had nothing to do with the quality of Nest’s products, which have excellent customer reviews, but “came from the top.” It appears that this was a reference to CEO Jeff Bezos, but the Amazon staff never explicitly mentioned the company boss.

A person familiar with the matter said that in response, Nest decided to take an “all or nothing” approach and stop selling its products on Amazon once current stocks run out. It’s unclear if third-party Amazon sellers will still be able to move Nest goods.

Google acquired Nest Labs for $3.2 billion back in 2014. Nest became its own company following the massive reorganization efforts that saw the creation of holding firm Alphabet a year later, but it was reabsorbed back into Google last month. Google hardware SVP Rick Osterloh said the move would “create a more thoughtful home.” It would also help Nest better compete against the likes of Amazon and Apple.

Amazon, of course, has smart home ambitions of its own, as proved by the $1 billion acquisition of doorbell maker Ring last month, as well as the purchase of home security provider Blink in December. It also competes with Google in the smart voice assistant market with Alexa, which is found in the Echo and other devices.

The latest move isn’t all that surprising. Amazon doesn’t sell other Google hardware like its Home speaker or Pixel smartphones, though the handsets are available through third-party sellers. Tensions between the companies boiled over last year when Google stopped Amazon’s Echo Show and Fire TV from accessing YouTube over claims the company was violating its terms of service.

It looked as if things were improving in December when Amazon said it would allow Chromecasts to be sold on its store for the first time since 2015, but three months later and there’s still no sign of them. You can still find and buy a Nest Thermostat or Nest Security Camera on Amazon but possibly not for long. With the latest revelations, it seems Amazon and Google’s relationship is at an all-time low.

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https://www.techspot.com/news/73545-amazon-stops-selling-nest-products-war-google-continues.html

 

[Uncle Al]

That's OK, our local Home Depot has them on sale right now for $200 ......

 

[Cycloid Torus]

Someone tell me, is this a trade war?

So instead of defining a common standard and competing on price, quality and customer service, these guys are busy building walls and hiding behind them - at least until the Chinese come out with better products at 2/3rds the price.

Ah, nuts.

 

[Axle Grease]

Someone tell me, is this a trade war?

So instead of defining a common standard and competing on price, quality and customer service, these guys are busy building walls and hiding behind them - at least until the Chinese come out with better products at 2/3rds the price.

Ah, nuts.

There are no tariffs involved at the moment. Should Trump slap a tariff on the cheaper Chinese products, *then* it becomes a trade war.

 

[Cycloid Torus]

If not a trade war, then what? There should be a special term for this kind of stupidity. Um, yah, 'war' (thanks, Mr. Perlman, who so eloquently explained - 'it never changes').

ps I expect more of the same soon - probably ISPs and different levels of service depending on who is on the corporate hit (which sometimes starts with an 's') list. Imagine if car dealers only sold one branded product...oh, right, that is what they do. Edsels and Corvairs in the making while they fight about the necessity for a dealership to sell you a car (yes, Mr. Musk, it was a good idea in 1920s until ISO 9000 or so - they broke down weekly)

 

[Axle Grease]

It's a feud.

 

[Cycloid Torus]

Good word.... reminds me of https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hatfield–McCoy_feud

 

[captaincranky]

It's a feud.

Exactly! In fact, it's a blood feud. They're fighting like, "the Googlefields and the McBezos".

 

[Catweazle]

It all seems very childish to me and really lowers my opinion of the company.

 

[captaincranky]

See, I think we need less of this IoT overpriced garbage, no matter who is, or isn't, selling it, and for whatever reason.

 

[captaincranky]

It all seems very childish to me and really lowers my opinion of the company.

Oh gosh, what the heck is Amazon going to do now? I'm sure if Jeff Bezos heard this, he'd be home biting his nails with worry..... (or not)...

 

[David Wolder]

I feel this does not look good on Amazon. They need to remember that they are an online webstore first, hardware manufacturer second (remember when Amazon only sold books?!?). My love of Amazon comes from the fact that I can expect to find anything I am looking for on Amazon (and I am an Amazon junkie). If they start making this scenario untrue, they will start to lose value to me as a customer.

 

[captaincranky]

I feel this does not look good on Amazon. They need to remember that they are an online webstore first, hardware manufacturer second (remember when Amazon only sold books?!?). My love of Amazon comes from the fact that I can expect to find anything I am looking for on Amazon (and I am an Amazon junkie). If they start making this scenario untrue, they will start to lose value to me as a customer.

Well with all due respect, I think you're full of crap about not shopping there anymore over this issue.

But ever so much more importantly, Amazon could most likely lose both of us as customers, to no ill, or even noticeable effect.

I'm getting a kick out of so much indignation, from people who are disappointed that Amazon will no longer, "part fools with their money" for Nest products.

Set back thermostats are half the price of Nest's offerings, and they're not part of the "IoT" crap, like your TV, which many n'er do wells are busy trying to hack.


Realistically, the money you save with an internet connected device, would l;likely take several years to realize any savings, (if any).

And don't get me started about those stupid, stupid, internet "security cameras". I haven't been able to understand how much you can watch you house on your phone, without being fired from your job.

Besides, a smash and grab burglary at your home could take as little as a few minutes. Which gives me pause to wonder, "what action a victim could possibly take, being stuck at work, with a one hour train ride to his or her home". Those critters will be long gone by the time you get there, and a standard alarm system will have long called the police, before you're likely even aware anything has happened.

Unless of course, "Nest" is "the new crApple" of thermostats, and people simply can't afford to let their friends know they're without one or more of their products.

 

[BadThad]

Who cares? There are a million other places that sell their over-priced stuff.

Needed to replace my old thermostat last year, after a good bit of research, I picked up a Honeywell for $79. It's probably better than the Nest and a helluv a lot cheaper!

 

[Rod Johnson]

This is so petty, and ultimately it's consumers who suffer. Hopefully they can work this out soon.

 

[captaincranky]

This is so petty, and ultimately it's consumers who suffer. Hopefully they can work this out soon.

Yeah, because god knows how far reaching and devastating the impact on the entire world's economy and the human condition in general will be, when Amazon stops selling the entire line of massively overpriced Nest products.

 

[David Wolder]

Well with all due respect, I think you're full of crap about not shopping there anymore over this issue.

But ever so much more importantly, Amazon could most likely lose both of us as customers, to no ill, or even noticeable effect.

I'm getting a kick out of so much indignation, from people who are disappointed that Amazon will no longer, "part fools with their money" for Nest products.

Set back thermostats are half the price of Nest's offerings, and they're not part of the "IoT" crap, like your TV, which many n'er do wells are busy trying to hack.


Realistically, the money you save with an internet connected device, would l;likely take several years to realize any savings, (if any).

And don't get me started about those stupid, stupid, internet "security cameras". I haven't been able to understand how much you can watch you house on your phone, without being fired from your job.

Besides, a smash and grab burglary at your home could take as little as a few minutes. Which gives me pause to wonder, "what action a victim could possibly take, being stuck at work, with a one hour train ride to his or her home". Those critters will be long gone by the time you get there, and a standard alarm system will have long called the police, before you're likely even aware anything has happened.

Unless of course, "Nest" is "the new crApple" of thermostats, and people simply can't afford to let their friends know they're without one or more of their products.

In response, first of all I did not say I was going to stop shopping at Amazon because they aren't carrying Nest. I don't have any Nest products (I am an Ecobee household). I SAID that as an Amazon Junkie who loves Amazon because I CAN find everything there, if they start selectively blocking products the value of Amazon will decrease because the 'find everything there' principle will be reduced. No where did I say that I was going to stop buying at Amazon because of Nest. Now, in regard to the other topic... I do have all of those things you mention. I am not sitting watching my phone. I have a home automation system that does it all for me. The IOT devices simply lets the home automation system know what to do. So, if no family members are at the house, the temperature is reduced. If no family members are at the house, the smart cameras go into full monitoring mode for the purpose of recording. When am home, as I work from home usually, the cameras are set to alert me when someone is at the front door so that I can get that Amazon package before it is stolen ;-). The lights will turn off if no presence is here, and the front door will turn on upon one of our arrival. I don't sit looking at my phone... that isn't the point.

 

[captaincranky]

@David Wolder Well Dave, your house sounds like a really magical sort of place. Very hip, very tuned in, very turned on.

With that said, I still think I prefer my home burglar alarm, entirely separate from the internet. And as for surveillance cameras, are your really going to recoup the cost of investing in a system that just turns off the interior cameras while you're there? I'd rather leave them running, in the event of something as horrific as a home invasion.

I'm also amused at all the indignation coming from some of the members, because one -competitor, is choosing to no longer stock, a direct competitor's product.

It may well be trifling between those big guys, but it's just as trifling coming from the peanut gallery.

Besides, when I think of "suffering", I tend to think of things like getting a leg shot off in Afghanistan, not whimpering about not being able to buy Nest at Amazon.

Or possibly suffering on an order of magnitude such as GTX-1080 ti withdrawal. They say the symptoms are worse than a heroin detox.

 

[Boilerhog146]

Well Alexa seems to think its FUNNY! I was wondering what that thing was laughing at.