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.

  • Ton@lemmy.worldEnglish
    721·
    1 year ago

    BMW really doesn’t understand this business model. They tried to pull this shit with CarPlay in 2018 as well. Which one could buy as an €300 option, which was rediculous by itself, but was later moved to a fucking subscription.

    It also caused a huge uproar, largely forgotten by Covid now, but they also had to backtrack that. And now they’ve tried it again, also to backtrack again.

    Fix your cars to be a better value prop than that fuckface’s or the Chinese cars. Then you’ll make tons of money. Not by nickel and diming your customers.

    • Not_Alec_Baldwin@lemmy.worldEnglish
      342·
      1 year ago

      No, you’re not understanding.

      They save money by only producing the luxury model. Then they disable the feature electronically.

      But to prevent you from just jailbreaking the car, they need to have a system to monitor your status. So they need to be able to check and update software that you can’t control, etc etc.

      It’s still greed, but it’s like greed with extra steps.

      People were objecting to the subscription, but they should have been objective to the locked features.

      They’ll never stop the shitification, it maximizes profit.

      • ammonium@lemmy.worldEnglish
        24·
        1 year ago

        People were objecting to the subscription, but they should have been objective to the locked features.

        Why though, if it’s cheaper? Do you rather pay for features you don’t use or pay to remove features?

        • tryptaminev 🇵🇸 🇺🇦 🇪🇺@feddit.deEnglish
          9·
          1 year ago

          everyone would use the features if available. It is more economic aka cheaper for bmw to just install the pricier heated seat in every car ibstead of adjusting to what the customer bought.

          But instead of passing the economic gain to the customers, they arbitrarily lock it to maximize profit.

          • ammonium@lemmy.worldEnglish
            44·
            1 year ago

            But instead of passing the economic gain to the customers, they arbitrarily lock it to maximize profit.

            In a perfect market those things are the same, that’s the beauty of capitalism. By software disabling features they can lower prices for customers who don’t want them and asking higher prices of people who are willing to pay for it.

            Obviously perfect markets don’t exist, but cars are a super competitive market.

            • wewbull@feddit.ukEnglish
              31·
              1 year ago

              By software disabling features they can lower prices for customers who don’t want them

              They aren’t lowering the price.

              BMW’s costs are the same, so the base price must support the manufacture with all the options included. Options are 100% profit on top of the base model.

              It’s not even like we’re talking about software development that needs a lot of investment. If you were talking about self-drive, then I can see the justification. That R&D can be paid for just by the people who have bought it. Not for Aircon seats. Not for carplay / android auto.

              Artificial SKU creation should not be supported.

        • tabular@lemmy.worldEnglish
          3·
          1 year ago

          I want to own the car I just paid a lot of money for either way - that means all of the car.

          I’d pay more for cars which are modular, like computers.