Subscription payments to access heated seats

[fossyant]

VW do some shoot with the car apple/android link on some models. You have to pay extra for something thats there already.

Just don't buy them is the answer.

 

[tyred]

Well why can’t they just give it as a standard option if it’s cheaper to fit it?

Because they can charge you a subscription to use the extra features so make more money.

 

[fossyant]

I remember when my mates switched the heated seat on in my mates car in summer when he hadn't realised. He wondered why he was sweatting.

PS someone will find a hack soon enough.

 

[Bonefish Blues]

Well why can’t they just give it as a standard option if it’s cheaper to fit it?

Because more profit.

 

[Bonefish Blues]

Of course some manufacturers are less sophisticated, so hacks rapidly spring up, such as retro-fitting cruise in Dacias for the cost of a £18 switch from eBay

 

[Seevio]

BMW subscription indicators.

 

[CXRAndy]

A few companies have done this in the past. Their competitors made a point of advertising saying you get what you pay for. Needless to say the company trying to use a subscription model dropped the idea when sales plummeted

 

[dan_bo]

But if BMW get away with it, others will try.

So don't buy bmw. Or have a cold arse like you've had since the 90s.

 

[Buck]

Car manufacturers will have to generate income/profit from different streams now that the shift to EV is taking momentum.

The headline isnt the whole truth and this is not a new principle either. Audi, Nissan, VW, Tesla and others already do this - it just happened to grab the news recently. It started with connectivity but with the development of software driven functionality, over the air updates are a simple way of enabling functionality that can be built-in efficiently to be switched on for a similar fee as if you were speccing as a factory order.Even better for second owners for example whomwish they had traffic/navigation built in or heated seats for example.

The line gets crossed (for equipment not connectivity IMO) when you cant enable with a reasonable one off payment and have to pay every month for the duration of ownership.

 

[T4tomo]

Of course some manufacturers are less sophisticated, so hacks rapidly spring up, such as retro-fitting cruise in Dacias for the cost of a £18 switch from eBay

I wouldnt pay 50% of a cars value just to get cruise control..

 

[Bonefish Blues]

I wouldnt pay 50% of a cars value just to get cruise control..

Not my bag, but as it happens Dacia residuals are very strong indeed

 

[T4tomo]

Not my bag, but as it happens Dacia residuals are very strong indeed

apologies for any offence caused, James May hacked my account

 

[Dogtrousers]

I've only used a car with heated seats once. It was a hire car in Finland. It was autumn at the time so a bit chilly in the evening. It was rather luxurious.

 

[T4tomo]

I've only used a car with heated seats once. It was a hire car in Finland. It was autumn at the time so a bit chilly in the evening. It was rather luxurious.

I love my heated seats, once I'd had a car with them I wont be without them.

Returning to topic, this actually isnt a bad move as for someone who buys decent specced 2nd hand cars, if tis s the way the market moves, then it gives a 2nd or 3rd buyer the option of "unblocking" the higher spec options if they wish too, thus opening up the pool of "cars would want to buy", whether that be thru the dealer or thru an inevitable 3rd party unblocking hack. Even if BMW reset such "hacked" option at service time (assuming you use a main dealer) it will be a 5 minute hack to turn it back on.

 

[BoldonLad]

BMW subscription indicators.

Very low take up on that one