Car Giants forcing Owners For “Basic Features Subscriptions”
With an evolution observed in car technology, auto giants are racing for stern financial measures. Chasing a new revenue model, the dominant automakers are forcing car buyers to pay a tacked-on fee to access basic feature subscriptions.
Surprisingly, automakers are naming it “just a beginning”. Meaning, car owners may face similar cumulative brash manners in the near future. Auto analysts consider it not a customer-friendly policy and not-well-devised thought.
Subscriptions – The Hidden Price Hikes
Following Tesla, BMW recently unleashed a strategy to charge $18 from the buyers as a subscription to turn on the heated seats in their cars. Where the move shattered the owners’ hopes, also turned the would-be buyers to break the deals.
Similarly, General Motors has done the same – asked the buyers of GMC, Cadillac Escalade, and Buick to pay $1500 to get a mandatory “OnStar service” for three years. Mind you; the service includes features like voice control from the mobile app.
Giant Automakers like Audi, Porsche, and Volkswagen have also come up with similar subscriptions. whilst, Toyota is acquiring the buyers to pay $8 to turn on the engine with the help of a remote key, had previously been a free-of-cost feature.
General Motors aimed at generating a revenue of $25 billion from such subscriptions by 2030. Reports have revealed that the said strategy could be imposed as a standard thing – warrants a serious reflection.
Tesla, the electric car giant that fostered the subscription trend, acquired its customer to pay $9.99 to turn on the features like music streaming and satellite maps. The company also offers the aggravating monthly and annual subscriptions of $200 and $12000, respectively, to get the “Full Self-Driving” feature, which is still in the experimental phase.
What do you think about these extra charges acquired in the name of subscriptions? Share your thoughts in the comment section.