‘It’s better to break it with a brick’, anger drivers as popular audio accessory is suddenly discontinued without refund

DRIVERS have threatened to sue Spotify after it suddenly shut down a smart vehicle player.

The streaming giant revealed that it will cut its “Car Thing” accessory to streamline its products.

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Car Thing will no longer be operational after December 9, 2024, it warned.

Anger exploded over Spotify’s surprise announcement last Friday.

“This should be criminal,” said one fan on Facebook, while another asked “we should sue Spotify.”

“I love it when companies remove features from devices under warranty,” said another user.

“Like I’m not going to return the device or charge it back.”

Car Thing – originally launched in the US for US$89.99 in February 2022 – is a Bluetooth accessory for cell phones that plays music.

When it launched a few years ago, Spotify promoted it as a gadget that would give drivers a more convenient way to operate their music streaming service while driving.

Updates introduced in 2022 it allowed users to also answer phone calls in Car Thing, queue up music and podcasts, or view and control other media.

WILL NOT WORK

But, in a major turnaround, the company announced through its website last week that the device was being turned off.

“Car Thing is our first hardware product that allows users to control Spotify through their car speakers when connected to a phone using voice recognition and preset buttons,” the statement began.

“We have made the decision to discontinue Car Thing. This means that (the device) will no longer be operational.

“This decision was not made lightly and we want to assure you that our commitment to providing a superior listening experience remains unchanged.

“We recognize and deeply appreciate the support and enthusiasm you have shown for Car Thing.

“It has been an incredible journey and we are grateful for all the miles we have shared.”

There are currently no plans to release a replacement or new version of Car Thing

Spotify

“Spotify is blocking the devices they sell to consumers because they will not support them after 2024; their advice is to ‘throw away’ the devices,” said Dexerto, an entertainment media group.

“We’ve gotten to the point where you don’t own your software, the hardware is designed to fail, and now Spotify might as well send a guy to break into your car and smash that thing with a brick,” agreed a video editor who works for content producer Gameplan Media.

“Holy terrible customer service Batman! They should support you for at least three years. I will never buy anything from them,” another angry fan posted.

“Seems pretty useless… the phone does exactly the same thing,” said one person.

In an online Q&A, Spotify said it was discontinuing Car Thing to simplify its products.

“We understand this may be disappointing, but this decision allows us to focus on developing new features and improvements that will ultimately provide a better experience for all Spotify users,” he added.

For those wondering what to do with the device after it becomes unusable from December 9th, the service recommends that it be thrown away.

“We recommend resetting your Car Thing to factory settings and safely disposing of your device following local e-waste guidelines,” it said.

“Contact your state or local waste disposal department to determine how to dispose of or recycle it in accordance with applicable laws and regulations.

“You can still enjoy Spotify in your car and through other methods, such as using the app on your smartphone or via Bluetooth or cable connections, depending on your vehicle’s capabilities.

“There are currently no plans to release a replacement or new version of Car Thing. We are not offering any trade-in options.”