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.

  • ocassionallyaduck@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    Going forward, BMW says it will continue to offer subscription-based services but only for software options, like driver assistance and digital assistant services, which is completely understandable.

    The fuck it is. You offer car features at time of sale. And if you want me to like your brand, at best you offer OTA or wifi updating for free to enhance the experience, and make me want to buy your next car.

    You try and nickel and dime me for shit technology that has been around for 20 years, and I could give two fucks. I’ll plug in my phone, ignore your entire. Infotainment and actively campaign for it to fail and blow up in your face.

  • fubo@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    Did cars peak around 2016? That’s when you could get a plug in hybrid, with Bluetooth audio, a rear view camera, but no spyware or mandatory subscriptions. Sure they’d pester you to get SiriusXM but you could just say no.

  • ikidd@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    Pretty sure signal lights are a subscription option, and nobody that drives a Beemer has subscribed.

    • Raiderkev@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      If you ever feel like your just a cog spinning endlessly in a machine with no real purpose in your career, remember that there is a man in Germany who has a job installing turn signals on BMWs.

      • 100@lemm.ee
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        1 year ago

        Ironically the BMWs here in Germany tend to use their signals in my experience

        • raspberriesareyummy@lemmy.world
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          1 year ago

          Might be, but the majority of drivers is constantly ignoring safety distance and trying to butt-fuck me on the Autobahn. I used to like BMW when I was younger, but I decided I will never buy that brand because I don’t want to be associated with the majority narcissistic assholes group that is BMW drivers.

          • LUHG@lemmy.world
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            1 year ago

            Maybe it’s not trickled down yet but I can assure you the Tesla drivers are now the worst in the UK. It was Audi.

  • Hazdaz@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    give up

    No. That’s not what companies do.

    BMW and Mercedes were the “leaders” in milking their customers and thus they got the most bad press. All BMW is doing is waiting until more companies start doing this and the whole idea of subscriptions in the car business becomes normalized to the public.

    Unless consumers continue to shun this concept and the press blasts these companies for trying to push this nonsense, it will make a comeback in the years to come. Unfortunately, I simply do not think consumers will look at their long-term interests. Its like telling gamers not to pre-order the hottest upcoming releases because it encourages companies to release buggy software… all the pleading in the world ends up falling on deaf ears. Same too, I believe, will happen in the car market.

  • BigBananaDealer@lemm.ee
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    1 year ago

    there was a subscription to pay for fucking heated seats?? even when you buy a car you dont buy a car

    • Ulv@feddit.nu
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      1 year ago

      It was even dumber kinda. They decided that it was easier not too have options for heated or non heated seats so they made all cars with heated to simplify production and if you bought the xar with heated seats thats it you got heated seats no subscription but if you didnt and changed your mind you had too pay as a subscription for them too activate the heating your car was already equipped with.