Amazon has recently stopped selling the Dash buttons they launched back in 2015.

The Dash buttons were designed to make re-ordering products easier. Working via WiFi, users could put the button on a product in the home and simply press to automatically order more when it was running low. This could be used on a washing machine, for washing detergent, for example. You could also purchase a ‘blank’ dash button and use IOT methods to attach this to your own custom order request.

Despite the Dash buttons being undeniably clever in terms of technology and arguably low cost for the convenience (£4.99 which was deducted from the first order) more recently the buttons have not succeeded well. In January, a court in Germany ruled that the buttons were illegal because they did not let customers see the current price of products when they ordered. Amazon have said in response that product subscriptions and automatic reordering had since grown in popularity, and therefore the buttons are becoming unnecessary.

Amazon have now decided to stop selling the Dash buttons. Amazon have reported that advances such as, digital Dash buttons in their app and shopping via voice-controlled speakers (eg Amazon’s Alexa), has superseded the physical buttons.

It’s likely that this discontinuation is also due to concerns over current general concerns around security of our online accounts and services – i.e. the buttons can be pressed by anyone, not just the account holder. Furthermore, there is the current debate regarding transparency of processes with large internet giants such as Amazon – not being able to see the details of a transaction raises the possibility of the vendor/service provider being able to alter the details without user consent.