The idea seems good: You like a product such as a laundry detergent and you hate to run out. Why not stick a button on the washer with a link to the Internet? One push and your order is automatically entered and delivered within two days. You will never forget to pick it up again.
But the idea, promoted by web giant Amazon, hasn't taken off and some observers think that it isn't a great deal.
In fact, according to The Wall Street Journal, most people who buy the buttons don't even use them once.
A reporter from Fast Company lived with the buttons for a while, but found that, while they were convenient, they didn't deliver the best value available. If an item is on sale, you don't get the sale price, for example. 122.txt
Rick Good spent ten years in the newspaper business, including with The News & Observer (Raleigh, NC) and The Greenville News (Greenville, SC). He co-wrote, with Melinda Coleman, Rutledge to Riley: Governors of South Carolina, 1776–Present (Published by The Greenville News), and is the author of Mind Games Trivia #1 (Amazon). He has recently spent 15 years creating original trivia content through Sounds Good Mobile Entertainment and continues that with his new company, SGME Software. He edits The Smart Reader’s money, real estate, and business coverage.
