Photo: BMW
BMW decided to drop the controversial heated seats subscription following massive backlash. For months, customers had to pay extra money for functions their cars were equipped with. Instead, the Bavarian carmaker will offer software and service-related functions with paid subscription.
Last year, BMW caused plenty of controversy when they rolled out functions based on subscriptions. Even though it had been announced in 2020, customers could just not get used to the idea. They had to pay $18 per month or $180 per year, $300 for three years, or $415 for unlimited acces.
The Bavarians thought that the new approach would bring flexibility and would be widely accepted by customers. They would pay for the seats heating while they needed it, for example, during winter, and stop the subscription during summer time, when they would not need it anymore.
But the effect was exactly the opposite. Customers ended up paying extra money for the heated seats or advanced driver assistance systems that their cars were already equipped with. But unless they paid for the subscription to unlock the feature, they were totally useless on board. The BMW head honchos have now changed their minds, trying to calm down the anger of customers.
"We offer it by the factory and you either have it or you don't have it," said BMW board member for sales and marketing Pieter Nota. "What we don't do anymore is offer seat heating by this way."
Nota claims that from now on, BMW will focus on software and service-related products, such as driving and parking assistance or similar services that customers are used to paying for.
The Germans had to get used to the idea that user acceptance of the heated seats subscription program got very low user acceptance. The reason BMW chose to stop the program is that customers complained of paying double for the feature, even though it was not exactly true.
Following the negative experience with the heated seats subscription, BMW will still charge for various features. They put an end to the controversial subscription, instead charge for software-based services, such as downloading a parking assist product. “It's the same as downloading a film or an extra feature on an app. That is accepted," Nota added in a conversation with Autocar.
Mercedes-Benz came in with a similar subscription strategy, but it involved extra performance on some of the models in their lineup. Customers would pay monthly for some extra oomph, autonomous parking or 5G data connection. Thus, customers had to pay for features that the cars were already capable of.
The $1,200 yearly subscription improves performance by a 20-24% boost, increasing torque, thus shaving around 0.8 to 0.9 seconds off the 0-60 mph (0-97 kph) acceleration time when the driver switches to Dynamic driving mode.
The Bavarians thought that the new approach would bring flexibility and would be widely accepted by customers. They would pay for the seats heating while they needed it, for example, during winter, and stop the subscription during summer time, when they would not need it anymore.
But the effect was exactly the opposite. Customers ended up paying extra money for the heated seats or advanced driver assistance systems that their cars were already equipped with. But unless they paid for the subscription to unlock the feature, they were totally useless on board. The BMW head honchos have now changed their minds, trying to calm down the anger of customers.
"We offer it by the factory and you either have it or you don't have it," said BMW board member for sales and marketing Pieter Nota. "What we don't do anymore is offer seat heating by this way."
Nota claims that from now on, BMW will focus on software and service-related products, such as driving and parking assistance or similar services that customers are used to paying for.
The Germans had to get used to the idea that user acceptance of the heated seats subscription program got very low user acceptance. The reason BMW chose to stop the program is that customers complained of paying double for the feature, even though it was not exactly true.
Following the negative experience with the heated seats subscription, BMW will still charge for various features. They put an end to the controversial subscription, instead charge for software-based services, such as downloading a parking assist product. “It's the same as downloading a film or an extra feature on an app. That is accepted," Nota added in a conversation with Autocar.
Mercedes-Benz came in with a similar subscription strategy, but it involved extra performance on some of the models in their lineup. Customers would pay monthly for some extra oomph, autonomous parking or 5G data connection. Thus, customers had to pay for features that the cars were already capable of.
The $1,200 yearly subscription improves performance by a 20-24% boost, increasing torque, thus shaving around 0.8 to 0.9 seconds off the 0-60 mph (0-97 kph) acceleration time when the driver switches to Dynamic driving mode.
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