Automakers are increasingly obsessed with turning everything into a subscription service in a bid to boost quarterly returns. We’ve noted how BMW has embraced making heated seats and other fea…
Bought a car with a future subscription to its remote services (climate, lock/unlock, etc). Company wants $450/year for access. Guess what we aren’t going to sign up for when the free 2 year period expires?
WHOOOSH. Seriously dude you’re just preaching the ideal while making exceptions for yourself.
Same exact shit as ‘my abortion is the only moral abortion’, NIMBY, “I’m not a bad driver I just had the sun in my eyes/they came out of nowhere!”
It’s fine and human nature to make exceptions for ourselves. But it’s important to try to catch yourself, if so at the very least you don’t look like an asshole on the internet.
But wait, what features are actually behind the subscription wall? Your other comment mentions the climate system and… door locking? You can’t be serious…
Systems monitoring and I wouldn’t call it remote start because it’s a PHEV but they do. And yes, I’m serious. It’s a ridiculously overpriced service. Thank god they didn’t lock down the heated seats.
There’s a big difference between what this article is describing and what you’re describing. Remote features likeones you’re complaining about require a cellular service and while $450/year is very expensive, providing them for free would be silly.
The article is describing built-in features with no connectivity requirements, which is like disabling your heated seats unless you subscribe. This is what is described as rent-seeking behavior and it’s very different from overcharging for operational costs.
I just bought a cellular plan for my car: $99/yr, including streaming video and audio. That seems fair to me, given the cost of adding a tablet or something to my phone bill. You paying 4.5 times is surely a ripoff
Same thing for me with 5g hotspot in my new car. They said “hey that’s free for 6 months, along with enhanced onstar”, and I replied keep it, I don’t fucking want it.
They looked at me like I was growing a second head. They said they didn’t know how to deactivate it, as nobody had asked that before. My ass. They knew better than to ask for a credit card number to activate the service, at least.
Bought a car with a future subscription to its remote services (climate, lock/unlock, etc). Company wants $450/year for access. Guess what we aren’t going to sign up for when the free 2 year period expires?
Vote with the wallets folks.
you bought the new car you literally failed the mission
walk dude
You beat me by 7 seconds.
This was my first thought. “sure showed them by buying that car…”
Yeah “2 years free” no it’s not it was factored into the price they charged you for the vehicle.
With a large family there weren’t many options. This was the best option.
WHOOOSH. Seriously dude you’re just preaching the ideal while making exceptions for yourself.
Same exact shit as ‘my abortion is the only moral abortion’, NIMBY, “I’m not a bad driver I just had the sun in my eyes/they came out of nowhere!”
It’s fine and human nature to make exceptions for ourselves. But it’s important to try to catch yourself, if so at the very least you don’t look like an asshole on the internet.
I get it. What I’m saying is that they’re all doing this. You have to pick the least bad option.
Update I wouldn’t have even bothered replying if I had seen the god awful reply you added.
But that’s not what you said. You preach vote with your wallet and that there weren’t many options.
And is pre owned not an option? I get it we aren’t all able to be perfect but it’s wild to be so hypocritical in one conversation.
Honest question – why not get a used vehicle that didn’t have that nonsense in it?
Because used was as much as new monthly. The market is upside down and down right stupid.
Fair enough. Thanks for answering.
But wait, what features are actually behind the subscription wall? Your other comment mentions the climate system and… door locking? You can’t be serious…
Systems monitoring and I wouldn’t call it remote start because it’s a PHEV but they do. And yes, I’m serious. It’s a ridiculously overpriced service. Thank god they didn’t lock down the heated seats.
There’s a big difference between what this article is describing and what you’re describing. Remote features likeones you’re complaining about require a cellular service and while $450/year is very expensive, providing them for free would be silly.
The article is describing built-in features with no connectivity requirements, which is like disabling your heated seats unless you subscribe. This is what is described as rent-seeking behavior and it’s very different from overcharging for operational costs.
That’s fair.
I just bought a cellular plan for my car: $99/yr, including streaming video and audio. That seems fair to me, given the cost of adding a tablet or something to my phone bill. You paying 4.5 times is surely a ripoff
Same thing for me with 5g hotspot in my new car. They said “hey that’s free for 6 months, along with enhanced onstar”, and I replied keep it, I don’t fucking want it.
They looked at me like I was growing a second head. They said they didn’t know how to deactivate it, as nobody had asked that before. My ass. They knew better than to ask for a credit card number to activate the service, at least.