Latest grab by auto manufactures

[Chriswt314]

The future of cars is a subscription nightmare

Clickbait with no auto manufacturer quoted

P. S. I know you didn’t write the article Ruffdog

 

[kenb1023]

My next truck will be older than my current truck, I do believe that.

I miss my 99 Diesel Ram 2500

 

[tacticalturnip]

Clickbait with no auto manufacturer quoted

Did you miss the items linked to in the article, or just choose not to look into them? From there, you can go down the rabbit hole to the point of finding a PDF released to GM shareholders, amongst other things.

If need be I'll directly link to these for you, but I'd prefer you just take the time to re-read the article, opening the links they provide.

 

[tacticalturnip]

I miss my 99 Diesel Ram 2500

Aye, I've got a number of vehicles in the past that were lost to rust or just foolish decisions, it hurts.

 

[bmaverick]

Yeah, $30/month for heated seats in New Zealand! (Perhaps they only need it one month a year?)

I won't even rent Word or Quicken. I buy 10-year-old install disks secondhand.

Sigh, and I've reached the point where I'm thinking I need a heated steering wheel in my next car. Maybe I can rent it by the day? I only want it when the temps are below zero F.

Go to OPENSource software and get OpenOffice. 100% compatible with all of the M$ products. Works on Windoze or Linux.

Apache OpenOffice Product Description

I can do everything like Word, Excel, PowerPoint and when done, save it in the M$ file format too.

 

[felixedo]

I read that BMW was doing this on a trial basis in Europe. I believe heated seats only, right now. I have an On-Star subscription for my GMC that allows remote start via my cell phone. If I cancel, I lose that feature via cell, but still have the function on the key fob. I don't know if that's how they intend to enforce it going forward or not, but seems somewhat acceptable, since you either would or would not be using be using resources that the company maintains. Heated seats-- a whole other issue. Be ready for a big after-market on that feature.

 

[kwbobwi]

BMW's subscription

 

[OzarkChris]

I thought the same until I had a rental in a cold climate. It’s nice to warm your car up on an extremely cold day. I could take or leave this but the feature I am addicted to is when you don’t have to get the keys out of your pocket to unlock the door. That is an awesome feature!

Remote turn on functions - we call them youngins.

'Round here we don't need need no stinkin' fob to unlock doors. We just don't lock 'em - used to leave the keys in the ignition too so we had a turn dohicky instead of a push button. .

 

[Chriswt314]

Did you miss the items linked to in the article, or just choose not to look into them? From there, you can go down the rabbit hole to the point of finding a PDF released to GM shareholders, amongst other things.

If need be I'll directly link to these for you, but I'd prefer you just take the time to re-read the article, opening the links they provide.

Mea culpa- no direct quotes but the links TechCrunch article seems robust.

That said, folks will vote with their wallets.

 

[alpha&omega]

My wife had a car with heated seats. I'd accidentally turn them on in summer and couldn't get them off. It was a very.uncomfortable.experience.

I did the same thing in the middle of summer. I thought I was having a stroke or about to pass another kidney stone, before looking around and embarrassingly to my surprise the heated seats were on high.

 

[HAR]

I've always given thought to switching to Linux, since I was a teenager actually, but it comes off as rather intimidating.

I worked in IT for over 25 years, as a UNIX system administrator, who was forced by mangagement to make WIndoze computers work with UNIX. While it could be done, 75% of my time was doing updates to keep Windoze running. When management opened the door too far, I left. From that time on, I worked for myself, doing computer installs and upgrades. While I dabbled in Windoze, when Version 10 came out, I had had enough and retired. I never regretted either move. When the early versions of Linux came out, I was all in. I have been using Linux now for many, many years and have never looked back. I converted my daughters, son, wife, and many others. As for intimidation, that is what Windoze is all about!

As for cars and subscriptions, the way to say no to that is not buy or subscribe. I too am looking for a much older vehicle for my next "new" car. Even if I have to pay $40K to find one! I can live without AC, PW, AT, etc, etc, etc. Some of us 'older folk' remember when there was no such thing, and we survived. AC was called '4-60'....4 windows down doing 60 mph!

 

[motormike]

My 85 Ramcharger has a module behind the glove box whose sole purpose is to turn on the check computer light after so many miles or hours. It was put in so you would have to return to a dealer to turn it off and while you was there, they could sell you service. By the way the truck dont have a computer.

 

[mrmikey]

I won't even rent Word or Quicken. I buy 10-year-old install disks secondhand.

Ditto here on the rental, I use the open source ones. Open Office for Word, don't know if there's a Quicken alternative tho.......M

 

[Hoho223]

Next will be the baggage fee for using the trunk. Used cars without these things are going to more of a commodit.

 

[OzarkChris]

I went through the same thing with banking until I figured out that there are still banks out there that offer no fee checking and savings accounts, you just have to keep a minimum 10k monthly balance or some form of that, the numbers vary from bank to bank, also if you have a local credit union they are sometimes far better to deal with over chain banks, I still have an account with my local credit union and probably always will, I just have an account with a chain bank because no matter where you go or travel to you can find a branch to get cash or if you have a problem.

I don't think I've paid banking fees for well over 20 years - personal or business. Not that I have huge sums in the bank, but I shop around. For example, Chase offered a military account with free basic checks, no fees & no monthly minimums - I still have the accounts, but there isn't a local branch in AR, so it's primarily a transfer account. Local banks 'round here offer free basic checks, no fee, essentially no minimum ($20 minimum) average monthly balance.

I've had folks round here ask how I got such a good deal. I told them, I just asked if they had a free basic account and they brought out the information. BTW, all of these accounts I have include most (if not all) of the features that a person might want - free cashiers checks, free transfers (# of savings transfers are limited each month on some accounts), bill pay, etc, etc. Business account does Not include free credit card processing, but that's what square is for. I don't get more that a couple grand in credit card sales per year - most folks round here use checks or cash.

Moral of the story, shop around. Banks no longer offer you a toaster to start an account, but they still want/need your money.

 

[beowulf]

They need to charge a monthly fee for people who do not use their turn signals.

 

[slider909]

BMW is doing this, $39 a month or $390 a year. Who needs (wants) a heated seat more than a few months of the year anyway?

 

[NEPA guy]

I read about that a month or so back re Toyotas and their remote start. They 'give' it to you for a year I think it was so you get comfortable with it and then boom, it stops working. From then on it's a monthly subscription.
IMHO, a slimy, underhanded blood sucking rip off..........Mike

I've got a RAV4 that had the option to renew at $8.00 a month for using their app that uses remote start and some other features. I cancelled but can still use the remote start just have to push the fob key to do so. No bigs.

 

[slider909]

My understanding was just that feature. Mind you, it's the feature that you've paid for, guess you don't own the car, just rent it.
I was watching a review of a Hyundai Ev ( I think it was a Hyundai) not that I would ever buy an electric car mind you. The charging cable was extra, $1,200, the girl doing the review compared it to buying a gas car, with a gas tank but no filler neck.


They may have, even if they did, I bet you dollars to donuts it'll be back

All EV's come with a L1 charging cable, if you want a L2 it will cost extra. Then you need to have a 40 amp 220 to plug it into to. I know, I have one.

 

[lc12]

Just as with Disney "goin woke" is getting them broke, GM and others will find out soon enough that the people are TIRED of being taken advantage of.