All shoppers who bought this piece of Amazon tech will be given a gift card worth the full retail price.
A popular Fire TV Stick accessory is being discontinued, with shoppers receiving a full refund.(Image: Getty Images)
Amazon Fire TV Sticks have become widely popular across the country as they allow you to access all of your favourite streaming services through an affordable device. With a range of models to buy to best fit your needs, the retail giant has also created a variety of accessories to heighten your viewing experience.
However, Amazon has announced that it has decided to discontinue a popular piece of technology that allows shoppers to enjoy a hands-free experience. As a result, anyone who owns the Fire TV Blaster will be receiving a refund in the coming weeks for the inconvenience.
The Fire TV Blaster was a gadget that could be connected to Fire TV Sticks and Echo speakers to enable voice control over your home systems without having to lift a finger. While handy for those who frequently lose their remote control, the device is now coming to the end of its life.
Once the gadget had been successfully connected, it would allow users to change channels on set-up boxes, turn soundbars on or off, and adjust volume levels all through Alexa, reports the Express. While the Blaster promised to be a must-have item, it sadly received negative feedback from customers.
The majority of customers complained about the complex setup process involved with the gadget, which ultimately led to it being pulled from sale around a year ago. To combat the issues presented by shoppers, Amazon later came out with the Fire TV Cube.
This new device delivers similar functionality to the Fire TV Blaster, but was found to be far easier to use and set up. With new customers being directed towards the Cube, the Blaster became more irrelevant and led to it being discontinued.
As the gadget will be rendered unusable, shoppers in the UK have been notified that they will receive a full refund for the Fire TV Blaster added to their customer accounts. The refund of £34.99 should appear within 24 hours, with shoppers not having to do anything to secure the money.
Meanwhile, customers in the US who bought the Blaster will not be sent a refund. Instead they will be offered a discount on the Fire TV Cube.
AFTVnews shared the email from Amazon, which states: “We’re emailing because you purchased a Fire TV Blaster — an accessory for hands-free control of soundbars and TVs when combined with a Fire TV Stick and Echo device.
“In the coming weeks, support for the Fire TV Blaster will be discontinued, and the device will stop working.”
On top of the refund, Amazon has said it will recycle any Fire TV Blasters for customers free of charge. All shoppers need to do is print a prepaid shipping label and return the device.
This shut down of the hands-free device comes as Amazon is cracking down on the use of “dodgy” Fire TV Sticks across Europe and the UK. Currently 17 areas in the UK are involved in raids, with other regions to surely follow.
A spokesperson from the National Trading Standards warned: “Accessing pirated content through illegal TV fire sticks undermines the UK’s entertainment industry, putting its talented workforce and supply chains at risk by depriving them of fair earnings and revenue.
“It also puts consumers at risk by exposing them to illegal software that can put their data and bank details in jeopardy. An important reminder to all those who buy and sell TV firesticks is that crime does not pay, it breaches copyright law and we encourage people to report suspected cases to the Citizens Advice consumer service.”
17 UK areas targeted in ‘dodgy’ Fire Stick crackdown
- London
- Kent
- Sussex
- Norfolk
- Northamptonshire
- Lincolnshire
- Derbyshire
- Staffordshire
- East and West Midlands
- Greater Manchester
- Cheshire
- Merseyside
- Northumbria
- North Yorkshire
- South Wales
- North East England
- North West England
