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I never really got the point of them since they were usually for things that stored really well and get used up at a relatively constant rate so it's usually no

by sct202 7y ago

I never really got the point of them since they were usually for things that stored really well and get used up at a relatively constant rate so it's usually not a surprise when you run out, so like why would I need to rush and blindly push the button to buy more detergent/toothpaste of a certain brand without knowing the price when I'd just eventually buy it in my normal shopping run/order.

gdulli 7y ago
It's not for your benefit, it's for Amazon's. It's for them to train people to lower both the cognitive and physical barriers to buying. And specifically, buying from them by default without exercising the thought process of evaluating other vendors, noticing price increases, etc.
- beatgammit 7y ago
  I've started only using Amazon as a last option, not a first option, because I've noticed that their process aren't really any better and buying through them can make some things more difficult (warranties, refunds on reduced price items, etc). That being said, it's very easy to just default to Amazon and not bother looking elsewhere.
prepend 7y ago
They were fun. I bought a few back when they were $1. It’s more fun to press the red bull button than to say “computer, order more Red Bull.” I didn’t really use them that much because amazon’s prices got a lot worse so I ordered my Red Bull and batteries from other places. I hope I can repurpose them for other iot signals.
- close04 7y ago
  I think most buttons were actually used for other purposes (so for the hardware) instead of for Amazon purchases. In some countries selling something without showing the price at the time of purchase is not entirely legal.
  - prepend 7y ago
    It didn’t actually buy. It sent me an email saying “you bought this, are you sure?” So it was a funny situation where I had to get my phone out anyway.
    - zwily 7y ago
      Where was that? In the US at least you didn’t have to confirm.
      - merb 7y ago
        in germany it was like this after a while.
      - grogenaut 7y ago
        In the US you had the option to cancel
- feel_the_need 7y ago
  could you share where you purchase them now?
- Splines 7y ago
  > I hope I can repurpose them for other iot signals. I bought one for that - it's authenticated on my wifi but doesn't know what to order on Amazon. Pushing the button will make it visible on the network but do nothing else. So I wrote some scripts to run when it associates on the network, works pretty well.
jfengel 7y ago
The goal was to reduce friction in the purchase. You had to walk to a computer, bring up Amazon, look up the product, click the version of it you want, and push "one click order" (or maybe two or three more clicks) -- that's a lot of opportunity for you to just add it to your shopping list and just buy it at the grocery store. Or from your point of view, that's a lot of effort for a product that you already know you want. If you're busy doing laundry, you want to keep doing that, rather than stop and order detergent, or risk forgetting it in the next five minutes (and then not having it the next time). The price is somewhat variable, but the variation is likely below your threshold of caring. These aren't huge costs, but it's very much web-UX thinking: people have very short memories (and attention spans) and even a single extra click is an opportunity for people to change their minds or get distracted. If your washing machine came with an infinite supply of detergent, or your cat food canister were infinitely deep, your life would be a tiny bit better. If they knew the cost were comparable to other sources, many people would take that deal without worrying too much about whether the exact price. That's Amazon's schtick. They make your life a tiny bit better and take a tiny profit on that. It works only if they can get that tiny profit on basically everything you buy. Everything everyone buys. They've since discovered other ways. As you say, you know the rate at which these things get used up, so it's even better for them to just replace the button with a recurring order.
- the8472 7y ago
  > You had to walk to a computer, Wouldn't a smartphone app that has a repeat-purchase item dashboard allowing 1-click orders for them cover most of those "issues"?
  - dragonwriter 7y ago
    > Wouldn't a smartphone app that has a repeat-purchase item dashboard allowing 1-click orders for them cover most of those "issues"? That's pretty much (not the exact feature set, but close enough) what Amazon cited in cancelling it, so...yes?
    - adrianmonk 7y ago
Touche 7y ago
I used them and liked them. It's nice never having to remember to pick up detergent. I just push the button when it gets low.
amelius 7y ago
Yeah, what I really want is a service that buys detergent/toothpaste in bulk when the price is below a certain given threshold.
- shostack 7y ago
  Could you script something with CamelCamelCamel?

by sct202 7y ago

gdulli 7y ago

It's not for your benefit, it's for Amazon's. It's for them to train people to lower both the cognitive and physical barriers to buying. And specifically, buying from them by default without exercising the thought process of evaluating other vendors, noticing price increases, etc.

beatgammit 7y ago
I've started only using Amazon as a last option, not a first option, because I've noticed that their process aren't really any better and buying through them can make some things more difficult (warranties, refunds on reduced price items, etc). That being said, it's very easy to just default to Amazon and not bother looking elsewhere.

prepend 7y ago

They were fun. I bought a few back when they were $1. It’s more fun to press the red bull button than to say “computer, order more Red Bull.” I didn’t really use them that much because amazon’s prices got a lot worse so I ordered my Red Bull and batteries from other places. I hope I can repurpose them for other iot signals.

close04 7y ago
I think most buttons were actually used for other purposes (so for the hardware) instead of for Amazon purchases. In some countries selling something without showing the price at the time of purchase is not entirely legal.
- prepend 7y ago
  It didn’t actually buy. It sent me an email saying “you bought this, are you sure?” So it was a funny situation where I had to get my phone out anyway.
  - zwily 7y ago
    Where was that? In the US at least you didn’t have to confirm.
    - merb 7y ago
      in germany it was like this after a while.
    - grogenaut 7y ago
      In the US you had the option to cancel
feel_the_need 7y ago
could you share where you purchase them now?
Splines 7y ago
> I hope I can repurpose them for other iot signals. I bought one for that - it's authenticated on my wifi but doesn't know what to order on Amazon. Pushing the button will make it visible on the network but do nothing else. So I wrote some scripts to run when it associates on the network, works pretty well.

jfengel 7y ago

The goal was to reduce friction in the purchase. You had to walk to a computer, bring up Amazon, look up the product, click the version of it you want, and push "one click order" (or maybe two or three more clicks) -- that's a lot of opportunity for you to just add it to your shopping list and just buy it at the grocery store. Or from your point of view, that's a lot of effort for a product that you already know you want. If you're busy doing laundry, you want to keep doing that, rather than stop and order detergent, or risk forgetting it in the next five minutes (and then not having it the next time). The price is somewhat variable, but the variation is likely below your threshold of caring. These aren't huge costs, but it's very much web-UX thinking: people have very short memories (and attention spans) and even a single extra click is an opportunity for people to change their minds or get distracted. If your washing machine came with an infinite supply of detergent, or your cat food canister were infinitely deep, your life would be a tiny bit better. If they knew the cost were comparable to other sources, many people would take that deal without worrying too much about whether the exact price. That's Amazon's schtick. They make your life a tiny bit better and take a tiny profit on that. It works only if they can get that tiny profit on basically everything you buy. Everything everyone buys. They've since discovered other ways. As you say, you know the rate at which these things get used up, so it's even better for them to just replace the button with a recurring order.

the8472 7y ago
> You had to walk to a computer, Wouldn't a smartphone app that has a repeat-purchase item dashboard allowing 1-click orders for them cover most of those "issues"?
- dragonwriter 7y ago
  > Wouldn't a smartphone app that has a repeat-purchase item dashboard allowing 1-click orders for them cover most of those "issues"? That's pretty much (not the exact feature set, but close enough) what Amazon cited in cancelling it, so...yes?
  - adrianmonk 7y ago

Touche 7y ago

I used them and liked them. It's nice never having to remember to pick up detergent. I just push the button when it gets low.

amelius 7y ago

Yeah, what I really want is a service that buys detergent/toothpaste in bulk when the price is below a certain given threshold.

shostack 7y ago
Could you script something with CamelCamelCamel?