car feature subscriptions...

[cfz2882]

... seems with certain new cars you can pay to unlock features built into the car you bought-extra horsepower, special interior lighting, and other doo-dads... several decades past are the days of checking off options such as radial tires,fm radio,v8 engine,automatic transmission,etc.

 

[daveamkrayoguy]

really? how?

 

[phillymatt53]

really? how?

Hi Dave,
I assume that it's like when you want to subscribe to say,.... optional streaming music services, etc.

It's all about marketing, hype, and digging continuously into your back account.
What cracks me up is the cost of having a car these days.
High price, high cost of repairs, making cars so that they require taking it in for service because of the complexity of design.
You're never done buying one.
And teased to pay for options.

Gone are the days of changing your own brakes, shocks, engine repairs, etc.
Buying your own radio and installing it.

It's about corporate greed, and milking the consumer.

 

[DADoES]

Dave, think of satellite radio ... it's integral to the automobile's entertainment but non-functional if one doesn't pay a continuing subscription. There are now other optional features that are handled as such which previously had to be selected for a given vehicle at the time of purchase. The automaker can enable or disable them via the airwaves.

Signed: Goofy Glenn

 

[phillymatt53]

Dave, think of satellite radio ... it's integral to the automobile's entertainment but non-functional if one doesn't pay a continuing subscription. There are now other optional features that are handled as such which previously had to be selected for a given vehicle at the time of purchase. The automaker can enable or disable them via the airwaves.

Signed: Goofy Glenn

And just another way of having control over the consumer for an extended period of time.

 

[daveamkrayoguy]

And just another way of having control over the consumer for an extended period of time.

Well, if my car has those features right now, how do activate them (illegally?) myself?

I wish my radio had a seek & scan, so it will automatically run through stations until I get something I want to listen to...

What special interior lighting? Is it there & I need to activate a special switch...

Per-month by some remote control?

What if I fall behind on the payments for these devices? They'll be turned off...

And in the case of my engine, brakes, transmission, it seems to dangerous to trifle with anything inadvertently going out or shutting off, and maybe just from some glitch in the command...

 

[cfz2882]

Seek and scan radio was a cool feature in the '79 Park Avenue
For cars affected by this features subcription phenomenon, think of buying a smartphone and then buying apps to set up the device to your liking...features are built into the car-just extra cost subscription to unlock them...

 

[phillymatt53]

Well, if my car has those features right now, how do activate them (illegally?) myself?

I wish my radio had a seek & scan, so it will automatically run through stations until I get something I want to listen to...

What special interior lighting? Is it there & I need to activate a special switch...

Per-month by some remote control?

What if I fall behind on the payments for these devices? They'll be turned off...

And in the case of my engine, brakes, transmission, it seems to dangerous to trifle with anything inadvertently going out or shutting off, and maybe just from some glitch in the command...

Why should you PAY extra for a feature after you're done paying for a car?
It's yours now, and you own the vehicle.
Options should be installed and operative once you own it, not hidden, and offered later on.
That's the way cars used to be sold.

 

[phillymatt53]

Seek and scan radio was a cool feature in the '79 Park Avenue
For cars affected by this features subcription phenomenon, think of buying a smartphone and then buying apps to set up the device to your liking...features are built into the car-just extra cost subscription to unlock them...

So it's like this...
You're paying say, $45,000 for a vehicle, cash.
And it's got hidden features not told to you until later on, that will cost you more.
So..... part of that original cost was for putting those fancy hidden options in at the factory.
To me, that's a ripoff and sneaky sales.
It gives a new meaning to Highway Robbery.