Has Amazon sent your Echo Dot?
As a new developer of Alexa skills I was lured into creating a skill by the promise of a free Echo Dot for creating a skill. What can I say, I'm a cheap date who is easily plied with gadgets. :-)
As an Amazon zealot on the consumer side, and a big fan of Alexa, I was all about this promo and learning to build Alexa skills-- so I started with building an RSS feed skill for my blog. I have had more issues on the development side than I have ever experienced on the consumer side...
First, I created and submitted my skill--which tested and worked perfectly--only to have Amazon not approve it because my blog content does not post everyday. It seems that maybe the Amazon Gods were checking the skill on days when content was not posted so to them it seemed not to be working. I submitted 3 times - after trying to contact support numerous times to explain the situation - and I finally had to make sure there was a post on enough days for them to test on the same day. Success.
After finally getting my skill certified, I sat back and waited for my Echo Dot. This was exciting for me, it was my first foray into development and I was pretty proud. But alas, the Dot never came.
I wrote to Amazon Dev support to ask where it was. After several days waiting for a response (Amazon consumer side takes less than 24 hrs) I was told that my skill was submitted in June but was not certified until July so I was not eligible for the June promo - thus no Echo Dot for me. I wrote back to point out that the June promo was extended to July and therefore I should still be eligible for the Dot. I was told yes, that was true - but I was still not eligible because it was not approved in the same month it was submitted. I also pointed out my issues with certification and said that if I had been certified right away (because the skill DID work) that I wouldn't be in this situation.
Bottom line, I don't think they are going to approve the Dot. Even though I created a FREE certified skill within the contest period. We are talking about reward of well under $50. A carrot really. I just want to say REALLY AMAZON?
Has anyone else had a similar experience?
