The blowback worked—but subscriptions for software-based new car features will continue, according to a BMW board member.

BMW Is Giving Up on Heated Seat Subscriptions Because People Hated Them::The blowback worked—but subscriptions for software-based new car features will continue, according to a BMW board member.

  • gian @lemmy.grys.itEnglish
    26·
    10 months ago

    They arent going to fix the heated seats if a coil burns out. They aren’t going to fix a spun bearing you incur while using the extra performance you paid for. They aren’t going to repair a blown transformer in the radio. So you are literally paying for nothing.

    This is what a warranty is for.

        • jj4211@lemmy.worldEnglish
          7·
          10 months ago

          It is the point when the subscription is paid for lifetime, but the warranty is not.

          A subscription fee might make sense if it came with warranty coverage. If the fee is for using some heating elements you already have, but no promises they will actually keep working, then you are paying for something that doesn’t track any associated expense incurred on the supplier.

        • tabular@lemmy.worldEnglish
          1·
          10 months ago

          Is your point that warranty is part of the cost of the car and so they’ve already paid a substantial portion (for the lifetime of the car) of “the subscription”?

      • gian @lemmy.grys.itEnglish
        1·
        10 months ago

        I suppose not, but you are mixing two things: a subscription fee and a warranty. They are differnt things.

        I obviously agree that a subscrition model for a car hardware features, even if backed by software, is stupid but you are not paying to have it repaired if broken, you are paying for another thing: the use of it no matter how stupid the thing may be.

        • Reyali@lemm.eeEnglish
          1·
          10 months ago

          OP knows they aren’t the same thing. Their point was that if the subscription model came with promise of repair, maybe there’s a purpose/value in it for the consumer. But without that, it’s pure greed.

          • Adalast@lemmy.worldEnglish
            2·
            10 months ago

            Close to my original point. It’s more like “I’m paying you every month and I am going to have to pay exorbitant repair fees so I can keep paying for the privilege of using it.”