Posted on 07/13/2022 4:09:55 AM PDT by lowbridge
BMW is now selling subscriptions for heated seats in a number of countries — the latest example of the company’s adoption of microtransactions for high-end car features.
A monthly subscription to heat your BMW’s front seats costs roughly $18, with options to subscribe for a year ($180), three years ($300), or pay for “unlimited” access for $415.
It’s not clear exactly when BMW started offering this feature as a subscription, or in which countries, but a number of outlets this week reported spotted its launch in South Korea.
BMW has slowly been putting features behind subscriptions since 2020, and heated seats subs are now available in BMW’s digital stores in countries including the UK, Germany, New Zealand, and South Africa. It doesn’t, however, seem to be an option in the US — yet.
We’ve asked BMW for the exact details of this roll-out, but it was unable to say when the subscriptions had been launched in which countries. It’s no surprise that BMW isn’t trumpeting the news, though.
Since the company announced in 2020 that its cars’ operating system would allow for microtransactions on features like automatic high beams and adaptive cruise control, customers have decried the move as greedy and exploitative.
(Excerpt) Read more at theverge.com ...
Insane
German alternative to living in your cold house after Russia shuts off nat gas. Live in your heated seat car for 18k a month!
Mebe they will use this extra cash to engineer a reliable and durable car
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=40fKEBwXQ7k
Bun warmers should be standard!
So you pay for the hardware to heat your seat, then pay again to activate it.
Eff that.
Burn coal to cook your gruel.
They going to check your social credit score before allowing you to turn it on?
Gee, my Ford Explorer had heated seats and I only had to pay for the option once.
Satire? Has to be
BMW Salesman “Great, we have you enrolled in the Seat Heater subscription! Now let’s discuss the Tire subscription………”
You can buy a car seat warmer on Amazon for $20.
What's next, limiting the car to 50 mph (5 mph above the minimum interstate highway speed limit), but for $25/mo the limit will be lifted?
-PJ
They should be ashamed of themselves.
“Hello, this is BMW. Please fax a certified copy of your vaccination status so we can authorize the heating of your seat.
Would you like the wife and children to have their seats heated too? Only $18 per seat per month.
Be certain to fax us copies of their vaccination status cards as well.
Or we can just read it from the microchips.”
Another reason why we buy base trims...
(Satire? Has to be)
Let’s hope so
A great cottage industry opportunity for some bright entrepreneur...disengaging the remote control for the seat heater and turning control over to the car owner. And, of course, avoiding being in the hot seat for doing it.
Subscriptions for everything these days. Something very sinister going on.
Because the car isn’t expensive enough to begin with? Because total cost of ownership wasn’t high enough already?
Bravo marketing and product development teams, you’ve found another way to differentiate the brand...
I’ll stick with my F150. And its heated seats.
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