{"id":1071,"date":"2024-05-30T16:31:00","date_gmt":"2024-05-30T16:31:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usatrustedlawyers.com\/blog\/spotify-faces-class-action-lawsuit-over-car-thing-deactivation\/"},"modified":"2024-06-02T17:24:52","modified_gmt":"2024-06-02T17:24:52","slug":"spotify-faces-class-action-lawsuit-over-car-thing-deactivation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usatrustedlawyers.com\/blog\/spotify-faces-class-action-lawsuit-over-car-thing-deactivation\/","title":{"rendered":"Spotify Faces Class Action Lawsuit Over \u2018Car Thing\u2019 Deactivation"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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\n\tSpotify is facing a class action lawsuit over its recent decision to kill its short-lived \u201cCar Thing\u201d device, filed by angry consumers who say the streaming company\u2019s move left them \u201cwith nothing more than a paperweight that cost between $50 and $100.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tThe case came just days after Spotify announced that the Car Thing \u2013 a device launched in 2021 for playing music in a car but discontinued just a year later \u00a0\u2013 would be rendered fully non-usable in December. Spotify has offered no refunds or trade-in options.<\/p>\n

\n\tIn a complaint filed Tuesday in Manhattan federal court, attorneys for the jilted customers accused Spotify violating state and federal laws by essentially of duping their clients into buying a \u201cuseless product.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cHad plaintiffs and other members of the class known that Spotify manufactured the Car Thing with the ability to brick the product at any point after its introduction to the marketplace and in Spotify\u2019s total discretion, they would not have bought a Car Thing, or would have paid substantially less for them,\u201d the lawsuit reads.<\/p>\n

\n\tThe lawsuit was filed by three Car Thing buyers \u2014 Hamza Mazumder, Anthony Bracarello and Luke Martin \u2013 but aims to represent thousands of other consumers who experienced \u201cthe forced obsolescence of their purchase.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tSpotify announced the Car Thing in April 2021, saying it would provide users with a \u201cseamless and personalized in-car listening experience.\u201d The product \u2013 a touch screen with a physical dial that still requires access to a smartphone \u2014 rolled out February 2022 at a price point of $89.99. But just months later, Spotify said it would cease production, telling investors that they \u201cfrankly haven\u2019t seen the volume at the higher prices that would make the current product financially viable.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tLast week, Spotify alerted users last week that it would stop supporting the devices. Then this week, the company confirmed that the move, set to take effect Dec. 9, would render the devices fully inoperable. The company told users it was \u201cnot offering any trade-in options\u201d and urged them to consider \u201csafely disposing of your device following local electronic waste guidelines.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cThe goal of our Car Thing exploration in the U.S. was to learn more about how people listen in the car,\u201d Spotify said in a statement. \u201cIn July 2022, we announced we\u2019d stop further production and now it\u2019s time to say goodbye to the devices entirely. Users will have until December 9, 2024 until all Car Thing devices will be deactivated.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tIn the new lawsuit, Spotify\u2019s customers say they couldn\u2019t have expected that the company would shut down the devices just a few years after they were purchased. The decision to do so \u201cunilaterally and without recourse\u201d has left buyers nothing more than a paperweight that cost between $50 and $100.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cPlaintiffs and class members would not have purchased a Car Thing if they knew that Spotify would stop supporting the product within just a few months or years of purchase,\u201d attorneys for the users write.<\/p>\n

\n\tIn technical terms, the lawsuit includes allegations that Spotify violated state consumer protection and false advertising laws in New York, Florida and Pennsylvania, as well as the federal Computer Fraud and Abuse Act and various other forms of civil wrongdoing.<\/p>\n

\n\tA spokeswoman for Spotify did not immediately return a request for comment on the lawsuit\u2019s allegations.<\/p>\n

\n\tRead the entire complaint here:<\/strong><\/p>\n