Amazon has announced that it will be shutting down its go-to camera reviews website ‘DPReview’ in the near future after nearly 25 years of operation…reports Asian Lite News
Amazon has shuttered its health-focused Halo division and discontinued Halo Band, Halo View, and Halo Rise devices which are no longer available on its website. The company has also laid off employees from the Halo team.
The company said in a blog post late on Wednesday that beginning on August 1, Amazon Halo devices, and the Amazon Halo app, will no longer function.
“We recently made the very difficult decision to stop supporting Amazon Halo effective July 31, 2023. We notified impacted employees in the US and Canada today. In other regions, we are following local processes, which may include time for consultation with employee representative bodies and possibly result in longer timelines to communicate with impacted employees,” said Amazon.
For employees who are impacted by this decision, Amazon is providing packages that include a separation payment, transitional health insurance benefits, and external job placement support.
In the coming weeks, Amazon will fully refund purchases made in the preceding 12 months of Amazon Halo View, Amazon Halo Band, Amazon Halo Rise, and Amazon Halo accessory bands.
“In addition, any unused prepaid Halo subscriptions fees will be refunded to your original payment method. If you have a paid subscription, as of today you will no longer be charged the monthly subscription fee. You do not need to take any additional steps,” said the e-commerce giant.
Amazon launched the original Halo Band in 2020.
The company said it encourages users to recycle Amazon Halo devices and accessories through the Amazon Recycling Programme.
Meanwhile, Amazon has announced that it will shut down its UK-based online bookstore ‘Book Depository’, which it acquired in 2011, on April 26.
According to The Guardian, this comes after Amazon announced it had decided to ‘eliminate’ a number of positions across its Devices and Books businesses.
Stuart Felton and Andrew Crawford, former Amazon employees, founded Book Depository in 2004 with the mantra of selling ‘less of more’ rather than ‘more of less’, the report said.
The company sent out an email to vendors and publishing partners explaining that Book Depository will be closing and that the last date customers will be able to place orders is April 26.
“Over the coming weeks, we will complete a winding down of the business, including discontinuing our listings as a marketplace seller and closing our website,” Andy Chart, head of vendor management, was quoted as saying.
“I would like to take this opportunity to say a big thank you, from everyone at Book Depository and our book-loving customers, for your supportive partnership over the years in helping us to make printed books more accessible to readers around the world,” he added
The report said that this move is part of wider cutbacks at Amazon which it announced in January.
Meanwhile, Amazon has announced that it will be shutting down its go-to camera reviews website ‘DPReview’ in the near future after nearly 25 years of operation.
“The site will remain active until April 10, and the editorial team is still working on reviews and looking forward to delivering some of our best-ever content,” said Scott Everett, General Manager of DPReview.com.
