Voice Capability for Amazon Happy School Year Promo for Echo Devices Only

Consumers who try to support Amazon’s Happy School Year promotion are out of luck if they try to participate using an Alexa voice-control device that’s not an Echo, we found Monday when trying to support the cause. When we asked our Sonos One, with Alexa inside, the cost of donating a backpack for students in need, Alexa said, “Hmm, I’m not sure.” When we followed the exact request given in a news release announcing the program -- “Alexa, donate to Happy School Year" -- Alexa told us, “To donate to Happy School Year, you need to have an Echo device. Thanks for your interest.” In response to our question why the capability was available only on Echo devices, an Amazon spokesperson emailed: “The experience is only available on 1P [first-party] devices,” without elaborating. Backpacks are priced $9-$25, she said. For the program, customers with an Echo tell Alexa to donate, “and Alexa will take it from there,” said the release. Alexa confirms the backpack purchase, and Amazon fills a backpack with school supplies, “at no additional cost to the customer,” and ships it to Communities In Schools, a provider of in-schools resources and support. The program is part of Shaquille O’Neal’s Shaq-to-School events that will donate school supplies to 5,000 students in need; the curated list of supplies includes pencils, pens, a ruler and a notebook. Amazon is matching donations, it said.