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this post was submitted on 22 Nov 2025
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I resent that the cost to the car company to install seat warmers is the actual installation of the seat warmers. Running them costs ME money in electricity generated by gasoline I bought. It costs them nothing to run them but i have to pay a subscription to use them on top of paying to power them?
The football grandstand continues to cost the owners in maintenance and space that they own. You pay for the privilege of using something that is not yours. I bought my car, I shouldn't have to continue to pay for the privilege of using something I already own since the equipment is already there and doesn't require any interaction with a remote service that would make sense to charge for (navigation, satellite radio, etc...)
OK I accept the analogies are not good equivalents.
It is not necessarily true that everyone has already paid for the seat warmer hardware. The car may cost the same as if it didn't have the hardware installed. Certainly the owners were happy enough with the car price to buy it without seat warming option.
The manufacturer may find it cheaper to just install it for everyone and wear the cost in the hope that enough people will pay for the warmer to be enabled.
Of course it is possible that everyone pays for the hardware anyhow but it is not necessarily the case.
It is necessarily the case. No company incurs the cost of making something, delivers it and then just hopes that someone pays for it. You literally can’t do business that way.
Right. Consoles can't be sold at a loss and stores never sell things at a loss at a sale because they make it back with other products that are sold at the same time....
It is very possible that if not enough people buy the subscription they will be at a loss.
However, I understand it from a business standpoint.
Cars are usually good quality now. They will probably last 15 years or more. Which means manufacturers are their own competition now. Not to mention that China is making some pretty cheap and impressive cars too.
So how does a brand keep existing? Extracting more value out of the customers they have. And hope that this minor thing isn't enough to make them buy a different car. Or hope other brands do the same thing so it doesn't matter.
I think on expensive brand cars, the buyers usually can afford a subscription. Odds are they also have a strong preference for a brand so they are not very likely to switch.
So for a Mercedes, Audi, Bentley, BMW etc I understand why they think they can get away with it.
I just hate it with a passion and will never ever go with it unless I literally don't have a choice. My car, I paid for it. Want me to pay extra to build an extra option? Fine, but it is a one time fee of the cost of building that option on the car. If it does not require anything that is a returning cost to the seller, I am not paying a returning fee.
Vote with your wallet and the bullshit will eventually disappear.