Spotify is now offering refunds to people who purchased its $90 Car Thing dashboard accessory. While the streaming company unceremoniously discontinued its first and only hardware product in 2022, just five months after its release, it recently announced plans to deactivate all remaining Car Things on December 4th, 2024. Users looking to get their money back will need to reach out to Spotify support and provide proof of purchase.
The slight concession comes after a group of Car Thing customers filed a class action lawsuit with the Southern District of New York against Spotify over their short-lived and now doomed accessories.
Car Thing was a simple external screen / remote control for the Spotify app on your phone— most attractive to drivers whose cars lack Android Auto or Apple CarPlay. While the device was fairly simple and likely a sales failure for Spotify, it found new life once it went on fire sale and crafty users took to implementing their Car Things into non-car places like home desk setups and on their keyboards.
