The Spotify Car Thing will no longer be a thing after December 9th, 2024. When the company announced this, it didn’t say anything about refunding the users for their device that’s about to get bricked. But now that the company already has a class action lawsuit against it with the possibility of more being filed, the streaming giant has started offering refunds.
Owners will need to reach out to Spotify customer service to initiate this refund process. Some users have already reported that they got their refund, while others are saying that the company refused their request. Worth noting that you will need to provide proof of purchase to be eligible for the refund. So, it’s possible that the customers who were refused didn’t meet the requirements.
Looking back, Spotify sold the Car Thing at $90, but it did go on sale from time to time. These sales brought the device down to $30, which is likely why the company is making proof of purchase a must. If you have bought it at any point, you will get exactly what you paid for it, given that you have the proof.
Of course, the refund isn’t making everyone happy, as many Spotify Car Thing users are still requesting the company to revert its decision to brick the device. For what the device could do, it did streamline the music listening experience in non-modern cars, and it seems the users don’t want to lose this convenience. If you're looking for an alternative, you can check out the Westods wireless car receiver with Android Auto and CarPlay support.