Here’s how to get a refund if you bought a damaged Spotify Car Thing device

Spotify’s experiment with dedicated audio hardware is over, and customers who paid $90 to get an early adoption of the Car Thing device will receive a refund.

The company confirmed to CNET that as of May 24, it began refunding customers who contact customer service and provide proof of purchase, such as an email invoice. The device launched in early 2022 after being quietly made available to some Spotify Premium subscribers who received it for free in late 2021 (Disclosure: I was one of them).

Read more: From 2022: Spotify eliminates the car problem

The device used Bluetooth technology to connect to the vehicle’s audio system and displayed playlists and artist information from the user’s Spotify account. It had buttons, a touchscreen and a control dial, but it could also be controlled using voice commands.

“We are discontinuing Car Thing as part of our ongoing efforts to improve our product offerings,” the company says on the Spotify website. “We understand this may be disappointing, but this decision allows us to focus on developing new features and improvements that will ultimately provide a better experience for all Spotify users.”

The experiment didn’t last long. Spotify discontinued Car Thing just five months after its 2022 launch, and earlier this month said all devices would stop working after December 9, 2024.

Reports suggested that the company did not intend to refund buyers, and a class action lawsuit was filed in New York over the matter. But now the company says it began refunding the money before the lawsuit was filed on Tuesday.

Spotify told CNET that Car Thing customers should contact the company directly through its support channels to request a refund. The Spotify website advises users to factory reset their device and then dispose of it according to local e-waste guidelines.

The list on the company’s website suggests other ways to listen to music via Spotify in the car, including: via Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.