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Amazon Dash Buttons Ruled Illegal In Germany (gizmodo.com)
Amazon Dash buttons have been ruled illegal in Germany for making it too easy to buy Amazon products. Germany consumer advocacy group, Verbraucherzentrale NRW, "complained that Amazon's terms enable the company to switch out an ordered product with something else, and the buttons break laws protecting shoppers from buying things they are not fully informed about," reports Gizmodo. From the report: At first the wifi-connected buttons enabled users to quickly buy basic home goods and groceries -- like detergent, paper towels, macaroni and cheese, and bottled water. But Amazon has since added dozens more, from Slim Jims to Red Bull to Calvin Kline underwear. "We are always open to innovation. But if innovation means that the consumer is put at a disadvantage and price comparisons are made difficult then we fight that," Wolfgang Schuldzinski, leader of Verbraucherzentrale NRW, said to in a public statement.
The Munich court has sided with the organization, and ruled that the Dash buttons break consumer protection rules. The Verbraucherzentrale NRW statement suggests Amazon can't appeal the decision. But an Amazon spokesperson told Gizmodo that the company believes the button and its app don't violate German law, and Amazon is going to appeal. "The decision is not only against innovation, it also prevents customers from making an informed choice for themselves about whether a service like Dash Button is a convenient way for them to shop," the spokesperson said.
The Munich court has sided with the organization, and ruled that the Dash buttons break consumer protection rules. The Verbraucherzentrale NRW statement suggests Amazon can't appeal the decision. But an Amazon spokesperson told Gizmodo that the company believes the button and its app don't violate German law, and Amazon is going to appeal. "The decision is not only against innovation, it also prevents customers from making an informed choice for themselves about whether a service like Dash Button is a convenient way for them to shop," the spokesperson said.
Why are they unable to create their own popular online shop?
For that matter, the entire EU seems to be lacking a proper Amazon competitor. I am genuinely puzzled as to why this is the case. There are some bright minds posting on Slashdot - does anybody have a theory for why Europe cannot seem to come up with their own online shopping portal?
Amazon have multiple branches in Europe made of up entire European companies they bought out for competing against them. Being headquatered and registered in Europe, what makes you thing Amazon Europe is in anyway American?
It's not a problem that a country wants to make sure its citizens are fully informed before buying a product, get over it already. *GASP* oh no they'll have to click a few times and... READ! I can see why the Americans in the crowd are revolting.
Laws are rules for the court, but merely a bottom bar to hit for life. Think beyond laws in your actions always.
Effing joke. You have to buy the buttons, and if they sell you something you didn't want return it.
It's more hilarious than that.
When you set the button up on your wifi, you have to link the button to a product on amazon for it to order.
So one has to purchase the button, install a smartphone app, give the button their wifi password, explicitly link it to a particular product, then push the button.
Now after going through all that effort and work, apparently that means the person didn't actually want the product they linked the button to on their site after setting it up with a password to their wifi on a phone app...
Am I to presume contracts signed in blood and sacrificing your first born in order to agree to are also not legally binding in germany under the reasoning all of that can be done on accident?
Remind of that the next time someone commits fraud against you.
It's funny. Consumer protection rights on sales apply at time of sale. They're not rights that can be remove through contract. Every press of the Dash button is a sale, so those consumer protection rights apply every press. The fact that you believe Amazon should and can interject at its own discretion different products or at different prices without specific consumer approval at each sale because of up front terms is honestly appalling to me; it fails the most basic aspects of "the meeting of the minds" relevant in any sort of exchange. The logic you use, if allowed, would allow *any* seller online to put up front terms that allows them to ship you anything they want for any price they want to charge. Amazon shouldn't be able to do this, even if the scope of the damage is likely minimal.
A fool and his money are easily parted. You have the literal stupidity to not want laws that might at least offer the capability of getting money returned for being scammed. Let me guess: you think Amazon will, out of the kindness of their heart, refund you the difference if they ever "accidentally" sending you a product 10x as expensive. Man, it must be great living in your fantasy world where companies and individual sellers aren't prowling online to take your money without delivering on what was promised.