Spotify says it has quietly started offering refunds for its soon-to-be-launched app Car thing. Starting last Friday, customers with proof of purchase (such as an emailed invoice) can contact customer service and get a refund for the car streaming device, the company told Engadget on Thursday.
Spotify took some heat last week for announcing that it would Brick every Car Thing device on December 9, 2024. The company described the decision as “part of our ongoing efforts to simplify our product offerings” (read: cut costs), allowing Spotify to “focus on developing new features and improvements that will ultimately deliver a better experience for all Spotify users.” .
TechCrunch reports Gen Z users on TikTok expressed their frustration videos, while others have filed complaints directed at Spotify in DMs via X (Twitter) and direct customer support. Some users claimed that Spotify’s customer service agents only offered a few months of free Premium access, while others were told that no one had been refunded. It is not known if any of them have contacted them since last Friday when they changed the transmitters during the refund.
Others went further. Billboard first informed in a class action lawsuit filed May 28 in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. The lawsuit accuses Spotify of defrauding Car Thing customers by selling them a $90 product that will wear out without a refund. fair enough point.
Notably, according to Spotify, while the lawsuit was only filed on Tuesday, it began offering refunds last week. If the company’s statement about the refunds since May 24 is correct, the refunds are not a direct response to the legal action. (Although the company started offering them in anticipation of the lawsuits.)
Regardless, anyone contacting customer service with a valid receipt should be offered a refund. If you’ve tried since then and been rejected, we recommend you contact them again.
