Sonos backtracks on bricking your trade-ins, will allow reuse

Secondhand shoppers, rejoice: Sonos is reversing course on a plan to brick all trade-in devices, so a used speaker, if someone wants to give or sell you one, will still work. For now.

Sonos launched its "trade up" program last October. Consumers who owned a handful of older devices would receive a 30 percent discount on newer models if they traded in their old versions—a fairly typical program for expensive electronics, all things considered.

The company drew customers' ire with one important deviation from others' trade-in programs, though. Although the company does indeed sell refurbished equipment, devices users traded in through the program were destined not to become part of that cycle. Instead, Sonos straight up bricked them.

Read 4 remaining paragraphs | Comments