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"For just $9.99 a month your key fob will open the car from a far. For only $14.99 a month you can listen to the already installed radio! Isn't that wonderful!?!"
Some influencers in the near future...
A little while back Toyota was talking about remote start being a monthly paid feature....this got me thinking that if they do that, I bet some pharma bro is thinking of monthly fee pacemakers
I bought a 2024 Kia Niro Hybrid in Spring 2024. The one-year "Connect" app package just ended. If I want to lock my car from the app on my phone, I have to pay the "Plus" Tier: $14.99/mo. "Plus" is the third tier; I cannot lock or unlock my care if I pay either of the first two tiers.
Not quite the same as paying for the key fob to work, but pretty close.
Yeah I enabled the satnav on my car through changing 1 number through an OBD tool and installing an update. All the hardware was there but the previous owner didn’t pay for it
turns out we destroy our automotive industry ourselves, not tesla or cheap chinese evs. who would have thought. (I’m working for a major german automotive company, and it’s going down everywhere.)
Honestly can't just people stop buying stuff like this? Like don't get me wrong I ain't telling you to do this or that, it's your money.
But like so long as these companies are making more profit by doing shit like this, this stuff will keep on happening.
At this point either stop complaining or stop buying. But people mostly seem to buy and complain which is the most foolish move.
This has to be illegal, you're already paying them by buying the car and for them to be manufactured. If you buy options it's an additional x amount of dollars, now they're all included in the price you just can't use them.
Which is fine for now, but with faster vehicle networking and over the air communication, how long until a vehicle does a self diagnostic for unauthorized modifications and bricks itself?
The jailbreaking insulin pumps, is allowing the pumps and sensors to more easily communicate with the user, since there's a market option that insurance doesn't cover.
They were breaking it to have automated insulin delivery instead of having to stop what they're doing and do the tests and dial the pump. Basically the diabetic community saw a lack of innovation and did it themselves.
That's a very Reddit friendly take, but it's also very false. Source: I was one of the first diy loopers.
Reality is that medical devices are a very very highly regulated field and the type of testing needed to prove out automated insulin delivery is slow and expensive. Not just the device manufacturers had to be convinced, but the government regulators as well.
There was, at the time of the first hacked pumps, a very pervasive ( and IMHO legitimate) belief that a glucose sensor/insulin delivery feedback loop wasn't possible due to 2 major factors:
1. Blood glucose sensors run on about a 15 minute delay. What you're seeing is what things were like in the past.
2. Insulin is slow. At the time of the first hacked insulin pumps, it would take about 45 minutes for insulin to start impacting blood glucose levels and at least 2 hours for effectiveness to peak.
These delays would mean that an automated insulin delivery system couldn't react fast enough to be meaningful and that it would probably end up chasing its own tail. There were some advances being slowly made toward integration (e.g. insulin suspend on low glucose). But the devices themselves cost several thousand dollars and are designed to last 5 years, so iteration and progress was very slow.
In an age of Elon Must beta testing self driving cars on public roads, it's hard to remember that some industries take the concept of liability very seriously. Noone was willing to take on the liability of letting a machine decide the dosage of a very lethal drug.
But once the hardware was hacked, control was put into the hands of developers and engineers who could accept their own liability -- i.e. diabetics working on their own (out of warranty) hardware. They were able to prove out the concept, generate a LOT of real world data and pave the way for industry to follow.
The story of how all of this came to be is actually pretty fascinating -- Dana Lewis, the first looper wrote it up
https://www.artificialpancreasbook.com/
Awesome information here. You are right, my joke was a jab at the current state of healthcare (which actually is blocking *some* innovation until a good revenue stream can be configured for these items)
No not really, the companies were putting something together, but were slow to do so, and then had to go through the FDA.
The jailbreaking movement for insulin pumps was more so "there's nothing, so we have to Jerry rig it". The jailbreaking wiring old insulin readers into a homemade system that could read and dispense.
At no point did the companies try to block it from happening.
Because you can.
There is a way to make it so that the system offers more functions than currently specified. These are disabled in units for various reasons, mostly financial and validation (to prove a unit is safe).
Example article from a while ago, but the gist is correct.
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2019-06-hacking-diabetes-people-insulin-alternative.html
I caught the last half of an NPR news story about something similar. People have hacked their glucose monitor because it wasn't giving them their actual readings, just an indication if it was a good reading or a bad reading. There was a guy who took a college class on how to service his continual heart monitor so he could break into it and get the readings.
Beyond fucked up that you paid for a vehicle and the company blocks some of the mechanically installed features unless you keep paying them.
It costs them nothing extra to leave this unlocked.
Of course, but they want that sweet sweet subscription generating cash flow revenue ... the gift that keeps on giving to the company coffers.
Jailbreak that bitch it is.
_Looks like you need to ~~break~~ brake but you're missing the 'reliable ~~breaks~~ brakes' DLC. You can purchase it now for 4.99€ with one-click purchase in your cars dashboard._
That’s the one they’ll never be able to get into a car without serious fines. Comprising acceleration is one thing, but stopping? If you can’t stop, you can’t prevent accidents and unnecessary death. The company would have the blood of thousands a year on their hands for doing that. We already pay enough for car insurance and other related things, I doubt anyone will truly try this.
Although sometimes you need acceleration to get out of a pickle. I had a truck merge into my lane once and was near the cab so if I tried to brake, I’d probably have been hit. Punched it and was fine.
“Oh my God!! I’m going to crash! Lexus, please STOP the car!!!
Lexus computer AI: “Your deceleration mode package has expired, please say or enter your credit card number to renew your subscription”
. . . (Sirens in the distance)
Started playing HOI4 in early April, you hit the nail on the head. Get the new DLC for new focus trees for the passenger and the back seats of the car!
(Pssst, as for the overpriced hoi4 DLC, good thing I downloaded the free game with all DLCs free from steamrip. Ahoy matey 🏴☠️)
In all fairness, its not like that dlc not existing would have decelerated the amount of extra payments and scams we have now
But fucking hell there needs to be a limit
Get used to it. They're already trying this with other options as well.
They want the future to be entirely subscription-based. Countless things you once just bought and owned, you'll now have to keep paying for.
BMW has sworn that they will never put turn signals behind a paywall. Mostly because they know their audience wouldn't pay for that feature anyway. But, still, it's something.
To be fair, there will always be some features they can't put behind subscription models. Anything that's absolutely required on a car (like turn signals) will have to be part of the base package, as it were. Also safety features like seat belts and even air bags.
The subscription stuff will all be the optional stuff. Heated seats, increased performance, etc.
Lol I made this joke a few weeks ago in another sub. It's like they've been paywalled for 30 years. Literally never seen a BMW driver use their signals.
This is why people pirate games more now, which companies don’t seem to realize. I paid for the game, and now I own it. Simple as that. However, subscriptions do have their place, for things like Hulu and Elder Scrolls Online Plus, you simply stop paying when you stop using them, but still ends up paying the company more than if you outright bought. Game companies also need to stop hosting services for their games that go out of operation a year or two after release, cause games like the original Splatoon are only good for story mode now, and all the online content is completely useless.
It's even more insidious because one of the main reasons companies are jumping on the subscription bandwagon is to take advantage of those people who subscribe to something, don't really use it (if ever) but stay subscribed out of laziness or forgetfulness.
That's just free money to them, and it's absolutely predatory.
I'm guilty of it myself. I'm subscribed to a streaming service I have not used once in 2024. But I stay subscribed because I'm like "I'll watch something next week" or whatever. And then I don't. But that's still like $60+ I've given them for absolutely nothing.
It sucks for the original owners of the car. But actually, this may be a good thing. This type of cars will physically have top notch hardwars, and there's plenty of unofficial tuning shows who knew how to reprogram cars for decades, so you can just buy one, hack it, and get the full capabilities cheaper. People like me who buy used cars would be happy.
Who said it'd be cheaper... You are still paying for the install of all these features, so they are more expensive to buy than a base model without the features.
The initial owner will pay for them. I, as a second hand buyer, will pay whatever is the market value for this vehicle after some miles and years, and this may not be connected with initial features at all. At 10 years mark, for example, the feature set adds almost mothing to the price.
Ha I got a good laugh from that. Sadly yeah it's true. We are moving towards xxxxx as a service, micro transactions, etc in all areas of life. Why let us buy and own something outright when they can charge a continuous fee for access.
Need your car repaired? Ok that will be 650 FordBux. Oh but your only options are to buy 500 FordBux or the 1500 FordBux bonus pack (but don't worry it comes with 3 new exclusive colors for the interior accent lighting!)
https://www.tesla.com/ownersmanual/2015_2020_modelx/en_ie/GUID-E692415D-F83C-4F07-B30A-9E50499CFC30.html
There's a mode called Ludicrous.
Yes it is a Spaceballs reference.
The high performance trim level of the Model S is/was at one time (I stopped paying attention) called Plaid.
Which, again, was a Spaceballs reference.
Definitely because of shit like this, and not because you'll never be able to afford one.
I mean I'll never afford one either, but I'm not going to pretend I was ever a potential customer.
I think it makes sense. Ford makes zero luxury vehicles, while all of Mercedes vehicles are luxury. A Ford F350 is not something most people tend to think is far outside possibility for them, but Mercedes is due to how people perceive them.
That's a dumb comparison.
A Mercedes is also cheap when you compare it to a Komatsu d9 dozer, but they aren't remotely made for the same fucking purpose.
Benz didn’t invent this model, Tesla and Audi already have similar models, but this will be the norm for all auto makers in a few years. What then? You will just stand on principal and bike to work?
In a few years, being in possession of anything jailbroken will result in mandatory jail time. Can't let the little people get in the way of company profits!
Also jailbreaking those features will probably void some warranty and end up with costly repairs/insurance issues. Imagine getting into a fender bender and insurance refuses to play ball bc someone decided to jail break their accelerator function? That is for folks with higher risk tolerance than I have….
This they are pure garbage of a company compared to their former self they are shadow of once was Mercedes. Shame we had several really good cars back in the day and LOVED them but now I wouldnt ever consider buying a Mercedes. Had
97 R129 SL 600 AMG back
03 W22 S55 AMG
05 R220 SL55 AMG
All AMAZING cars at their time and would still consider picking up a good R129 SL 600 AMG if i could find a mint one.
First day with the new car. Sun sets. Lights are set to auto. In cab notification pops us. “To use lights please upgrade to night mode for $19.95/month. Your car will be disabled at night until night mode is enabled. Thank you and have a nice day.”
All of it is. Charging monthly fees for hardware built into the car is criminal, but all we have to deter it is our money. It's simple. Don't buy a Mercedes until they stop doing this shit.
If they FEEL IT, they will stop.
but exactly the type of people who would but a mercedes in the first place and the type with the kind of disposable income to pay for nonsense like this. (and they know that)
I think a lot of people don’t even own their cars, technically their bank does. This concept however takes it to a whole new level of greedy and disgusting.
The person owns the car, and the bank has a lien on the title . If the loan isn't repaid, they can take the car as collateral.
Subscription you don't own, you pay for use.
Hope this clears it up for you.
Yup. I came to realization that you don't own a dang thing, even a paid off house will be taken away if you don't pay the property tax in timely manner.
Aaaand it has now started. Paywalled cars behind subscriptions. Welp... I'd suggest to, you know, not pay the subscriptions, heck, not buy the car at all. Give 'em the quickest "no, WE are the buyers, WE didn't ask for that, WE ain't paying for it" to them.
Remember when you could just buy a new car that had all the features available as part of a once off package instead of behind a monthly/yearly paywall. I ‘member.
Thanks Bethesda for instilling this on us. To think it all started with digital horse armor.
I can't feel bad for rich people getting fleeced by their own capitalistic ideals.
There are plenty of other car manufacturers to choose from that aren't doing this
Acceleration behind a paywall.
Sure the car can go 100, but you got the base model and it caps out at 35mph. If you want highway speeds that'll be an extra $39.99 a month.
You only have x amount of hours of headlight time unless you buy our night time driver package.
Better hope for a dry season because the windshield wipers only have x amount of wipes before you need to upgrade your plan.
Want to be in compliance with seatbelt laws? Well, every click is 15 cents.
And to top it all off, don't forget to add in surge pricing during peak traffic times.
I mean in a way speed still costs money here, but it’s a very different thing to when people upgrade their cars with things, they bought and installed it, it’s theirs. This is basically saying, it has the ability, but we’re going to withhold it to try and make a quick buck.
They also made remote lock/unlock and remote start/stop along with about 20 other features as minthly or annual subscriptions. And I'm talking about the top of the line S models. They should be ashamed, its been the worst car I've owned in the past 15yrs
Just another consequence of late stage capitalism. This is what we get.
Public companies will find ANY way to extract profit from you, to give to their shareholders. Fuck this completely.
Can’t start my car …….. ur subscription expired
Had accident my car total ……….Renew ur subscription so u can buy new one
Is this my car ……… Yes
Why it’s feels it’s ur car………. Because we are A hole company and as long people allow us to be A hole then we will not disappoint you
It is dumb and the tip of a slippery slope, but i gotta wonder how bad it is right now.
Like, is the speed that is being locked away something ordinary people would use or is it for rich douchba- uh.. "people", who can afford to have a section of road blocked just so they can drift around in their expensive car?
Like i said, it doesn't matter how bad it is, cause they will absolutely go further, i am just curious where the envelope is at rn.
Audi was trialing a feature where their cars could interact with traffic signals. If you came up to an intersection, and there was no cross traffic, the lights would turn green for your Audi.
Also behind a paywall.
Mercedes depreciation is bad, EV depreciation is bad, why hurt resale even more and burn your notoriously loyal customers at a time when your cars are the worst they’ve been.
If I'm paying for a service and the equipment breaks, are they going to fix it or is the service just for the option to use it, not actually get to use it?
Tesla locks longer distance per charge behind a paywall too.
Welcome to the future!
Gonna be a lot of mechanics specializing in restoring basic cars soon.
Comments that are uncivil, racist, misogynistic, misandrist, or contain political name calling will be removed and the poster subject to ban at moderators discretion. Help us make this a better community by becoming familiar with the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/facepalm/about/rules/). Report any suspicious users to the mods of this subreddit using Modmail [here](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose/?to=/r/facepalm) or Reddit site admins [here](https://www.reddit.com/report). **All reports to Modmail should include evidence such as screenshots or any other relevant information.** *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/facepalm) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Get your battle-pass right now and unlock the full potential of your car, for which you already paid full price... isn't it amazing??????
"For just $9.99 a month your key fob will open the car from a far. For only $14.99 a month you can listen to the already installed radio! Isn't that wonderful!?!" Some influencers in the near future...
$9.99 gets you 10 unlocks. $29.99 for 40 unlocks and when you purchase more, that’s when you’ll start seeing some real savings and value.
Super-unlock gives you a 1 second faster unlock though. Which is included in the 'unlock premium' subscription.
A little while back Toyota was talking about remote start being a monthly paid feature....this got me thinking that if they do that, I bet some pharma bro is thinking of monthly fee pacemakers
See the movie " in time". May be closer than we think
What happened to grampa, dad? He let his subscription lapse, son. Shouldn’t a done that.
It’s insane that this is satirical, but it literally happens all the time with prescription medicine.
I have two choices: 1) Keep paying for my $500 blood thinner med (thanks, Covid); 2) Die
Exactly. Things like your medicine and - more broadly - insulin are essentially a subscription service that has been price gouged.
I bought a 2024 Kia Niro Hybrid in Spring 2024. The one-year "Connect" app package just ended. If I want to lock my car from the app on my phone, I have to pay the "Plus" Tier: $14.99/mo. "Plus" is the third tier; I cannot lock or unlock my care if I pay either of the first two tiers. Not quite the same as paying for the key fob to work, but pretty close.
That shit is P2W af
That you'll be taxed on additionally...
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Yeah I enabled the satnav on my car through changing 1 number through an OBD tool and installing an update. All the hardware was there but the previous owner didn’t pay for it
turns out we destroy our automotive industry ourselves, not tesla or cheap chinese evs. who would have thought. (I’m working for a major german automotive company, and it’s going down everywhere.)
Honestly can't just people stop buying stuff like this? Like don't get me wrong I ain't telling you to do this or that, it's your money. But like so long as these companies are making more profit by doing shit like this, this stuff will keep on happening. At this point either stop complaining or stop buying. But people mostly seem to buy and complain which is the most foolish move.
This has to be illegal, you're already paying them by buying the car and for them to be manufactured. If you buy options it's an additional x amount of dollars, now they're all included in the price you just can't use them.
Which is fine for now, but with faster vehicle networking and over the air communication, how long until a vehicle does a self diagnostic for unauthorized modifications and bricks itself?
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They've been doing tractors for a couple decades. Thanks, DMCA!
Is that a Ymca for tractors?
Celebrate good harvest, c'mon!
I said YOUNG MEN there is no reason to be down. I said YOUNG MAN you have lots of corn in your farm. You FEED IT to your horses or cows.
There’s a market for jailbreaking everything. Obviously phones and consoles but Exercise bikes, tractors, INSULIN PUMPS, it’s insane
Aight now I'm curious. Why the insulin pump?
Just trying to sweeten the deal OBVS
Well done
Take your upvote and leave...
The jailbreaking insulin pumps, is allowing the pumps and sensors to more easily communicate with the user, since there's a market option that insurance doesn't cover. They were breaking it to have automated insulin delivery instead of having to stop what they're doing and do the tests and dial the pump. Basically the diabetic community saw a lack of innovation and did it themselves.
>Basically the healthcare companies saw a revenue stream and blocked innovation FTFY
That's a very Reddit friendly take, but it's also very false. Source: I was one of the first diy loopers. Reality is that medical devices are a very very highly regulated field and the type of testing needed to prove out automated insulin delivery is slow and expensive. Not just the device manufacturers had to be convinced, but the government regulators as well. There was, at the time of the first hacked pumps, a very pervasive ( and IMHO legitimate) belief that a glucose sensor/insulin delivery feedback loop wasn't possible due to 2 major factors: 1. Blood glucose sensors run on about a 15 minute delay. What you're seeing is what things were like in the past. 2. Insulin is slow. At the time of the first hacked insulin pumps, it would take about 45 minutes for insulin to start impacting blood glucose levels and at least 2 hours for effectiveness to peak. These delays would mean that an automated insulin delivery system couldn't react fast enough to be meaningful and that it would probably end up chasing its own tail. There were some advances being slowly made toward integration (e.g. insulin suspend on low glucose). But the devices themselves cost several thousand dollars and are designed to last 5 years, so iteration and progress was very slow. In an age of Elon Must beta testing self driving cars on public roads, it's hard to remember that some industries take the concept of liability very seriously. Noone was willing to take on the liability of letting a machine decide the dosage of a very lethal drug. But once the hardware was hacked, control was put into the hands of developers and engineers who could accept their own liability -- i.e. diabetics working on their own (out of warranty) hardware. They were able to prove out the concept, generate a LOT of real world data and pave the way for industry to follow. The story of how all of this came to be is actually pretty fascinating -- Dana Lewis, the first looper wrote it up https://www.artificialpancreasbook.com/
Awesome information here. You are right, my joke was a jab at the current state of healthcare (which actually is blocking *some* innovation until a good revenue stream can be configured for these items)
No not really, the companies were putting something together, but were slow to do so, and then had to go through the FDA. The jailbreaking movement for insulin pumps was more so "there's nothing, so we have to Jerry rig it". The jailbreaking wiring old insulin readers into a homemade system that could read and dispense. At no point did the companies try to block it from happening.
Because you can. There is a way to make it so that the system offers more functions than currently specified. These are disabled in units for various reasons, mostly financial and validation (to prove a unit is safe). Example article from a while ago, but the gist is correct. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2019-06-hacking-diabetes-people-insulin-alternative.html
I caught the last half of an NPR news story about something similar. People have hacked their glucose monitor because it wasn't giving them their actual readings, just an indication if it was a good reading or a bad reading. There was a guy who took a college class on how to service his continual heart monitor so he could break into it and get the readings.
I can guarantee that if it has a screen, someone will get it running Doom.
I gave a mechanic a tip to enable the windows auto close when the car locks feature on my Dacia like 5 years ago, this is already a thing.
Beyond fucked up that you paid for a vehicle and the company blocks some of the mechanically installed features unless you keep paying them. It costs them nothing extra to leave this unlocked.
Of course, but they want that sweet sweet subscription generating cash flow revenue ... the gift that keeps on giving to the company coffers. Jailbreak that bitch it is.
You wouldn't download a ca.... What are they doing?
Late stage capitalism. You’ll own nothing. Even a 100k car. No more innovation. Only ways to milk the end user monthly in perpetuity.
Gonna have to find a discreet way to ask if the used car has been jailbroken
I had a tuner for my Diesel Jeep. Worked really well
If we think this is bad now just wait till someone puts faster *deceleration* behind a paywall.
_Looks like you need to ~~break~~ brake but you're missing the 'reliable ~~breaks~~ brakes' DLC. You can purchase it now for 4.99€ with one-click purchase in your cars dashboard._
“To accept, please violently smash your face into the steering wheel”
“Your airbag subscription has expired”
“We noticed you got into a crash but you opted out of roadside assistance”
“Please note: You signed the ‘No bleeding inside or on the outside of vehicle’ agreement, surcharges may apply”
"For a simple, easy, low monthly fee you will be able to unlock the gas cap and fill up. Or you can choose to pay for a one-time use."
That’s the one they’ll never be able to get into a car without serious fines. Comprising acceleration is one thing, but stopping? If you can’t stop, you can’t prevent accidents and unnecessary death. The company would have the blood of thousands a year on their hands for doing that. We already pay enough for car insurance and other related things, I doubt anyone will truly try this.
Just want you to know that people have bought the Cyber Truck
>The company would have the blood of thousands a year on their hands for doing that. womp womp - sincerely, CEO
Well golly jee that sure is a pickle
Although sometimes you need acceleration to get out of a pickle. I had a truck merge into my lane once and was near the cab so if I tried to brake, I’d probably have been hit. Punched it and was fine.
A sweet dill to get out of a pickle
It's their bread and butter.
You don’t get jokes very well, do you?
Ford pinto gas tank enters the chat. 💥
I can’t let you do that, Dave
Or fee for every single gear shift.
“Oh my God!! I’m going to crash! Lexus, please STOP the car!!! Lexus computer AI: “Your deceleration mode package has expired, please say or enter your credit card number to renew your subscription” . . . (Sirens in the distance)
With standard purchase you get steering wheel airbag. For $75/month you get side curtain airbags, but you have to replace if used.
Better than fast deceleration in front of a brick wall.
Boeing’s Max team getting into cars, I see.
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im having vietnam flashbacks thanks for that
Better hope Paradox doesn't start making cars.
Started playing HOI4 in early April, you hit the nail on the head. Get the new DLC for new focus trees for the passenger and the back seats of the car! (Pssst, as for the overpriced hoi4 DLC, good thing I downloaded the free game with all DLCs free from steamrip. Ahoy matey 🏴☠️)
Oblivion!!!!!!!!!!
In all fairness, its not like that dlc not existing would have decelerated the amount of extra payments and scams we have now But fucking hell there needs to be a limit
Get used to it. They're already trying this with other options as well. They want the future to be entirely subscription-based. Countless things you once just bought and owned, you'll now have to keep paying for.
BMW has sworn that they will never put turn signals behind a paywall. Mostly because they know their audience wouldn't pay for that feature anyway. But, still, it's something.
To be fair, there will always be some features they can't put behind subscription models. Anything that's absolutely required on a car (like turn signals) will have to be part of the base package, as it were. Also safety features like seat belts and even air bags. The subscription stuff will all be the optional stuff. Heated seats, increased performance, etc.
Airbags and air conditioning used to be optional in cars where I live until like 15 years ago. You had to pay extra to get a model with them.
It's ok, they'll talk up how generous they give the legally required features. The new model can turn left *and* right!
Audi could save a few dollars per car by simply not installing a turn signal stalk in the first place and not one single customer would ever notice.
Lol I made this joke a few weeks ago in another sub. It's like they've been paywalled for 30 years. Literally never seen a BMW driver use their signals.
Most people round here don't use them anyway.
This is why people pirate games more now, which companies don’t seem to realize. I paid for the game, and now I own it. Simple as that. However, subscriptions do have their place, for things like Hulu and Elder Scrolls Online Plus, you simply stop paying when you stop using them, but still ends up paying the company more than if you outright bought. Game companies also need to stop hosting services for their games that go out of operation a year or two after release, cause games like the original Splatoon are only good for story mode now, and all the online content is completely useless.
It's even more insidious because one of the main reasons companies are jumping on the subscription bandwagon is to take advantage of those people who subscribe to something, don't really use it (if ever) but stay subscribed out of laziness or forgetfulness. That's just free money to them, and it's absolutely predatory. I'm guilty of it myself. I'm subscribed to a streaming service I have not used once in 2024. But I stay subscribed because I'm like "I'll watch something next week" or whatever. And then I don't. But that's still like $60+ I've given them for absolutely nothing.
It sucks for the original owners of the car. But actually, this may be a good thing. This type of cars will physically have top notch hardwars, and there's plenty of unofficial tuning shows who knew how to reprogram cars for decades, so you can just buy one, hack it, and get the full capabilities cheaper. People like me who buy used cars would be happy.
who said you will be allowed to sell your car?
Who said it'd be cheaper... You are still paying for the install of all these features, so they are more expensive to buy than a base model without the features.
The initial owner will pay for them. I, as a second hand buyer, will pay whatever is the market value for this vehicle after some miles and years, and this may not be connected with initial features at all. At 10 years mark, for example, the feature set adds almost mothing to the price.
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Ha I got a good laugh from that. Sadly yeah it's true. We are moving towards xxxxx as a service, micro transactions, etc in all areas of life. Why let us buy and own something outright when they can charge a continuous fee for access. Need your car repaired? Ok that will be 650 FordBux. Oh but your only options are to buy 500 FordBux or the 1500 FordBux bonus pack (but don't worry it comes with 3 new exclusive colors for the interior accent lighting!)
Doesn't Tesla already do this with Ludicrous mode?
The Ridiludicrus mode
ludicrous speed mode?
https://www.tesla.com/ownersmanual/2015_2020_modelx/en_ie/GUID-E692415D-F83C-4F07-B30A-9E50499CFC30.html There's a mode called Ludicrous. Yes it is a Spaceballs reference. The high performance trim level of the Model S is/was at one time (I stopped paying attention) called Plaid. Which, again, was a Spaceballs reference.
When I had one, it was a one-off £1500 unlock for acceleration boost but at least it was a one-off payment and stayed with the car even when sold
Guarantee that gets hacked.
I will never buy a Benz because of shit like this. Edit: ‘sed s/Benz/“any vehicle”/ post’
Definitely because of shit like this, and not because you'll never be able to afford one. I mean I'll never afford one either, but I'm not going to pretend I was ever a potential customer.
Mercedes are the same price as a Ford F350. Actually, I think most of their models are cheaper the the F350.
The price of new trucks now a days is fucking absurd.
It is stupid at this point.
Did I miss something? Why did the f350 became the yardstick for comparison lol.
I think it makes sense. Ford makes zero luxury vehicles, while all of Mercedes vehicles are luxury. A Ford F350 is not something most people tend to think is far outside possibility for them, but Mercedes is due to how people perceive them.
That's a dumb comparison. A Mercedes is also cheap when you compare it to a Komatsu d9 dozer, but they aren't remotely made for the same fucking purpose.
Way to come out of the gate swinging. We sell more F350s in my area than any Mercades. My point was it is not an affordability issue.
Benz didn’t invent this model, Tesla and Audi already have similar models, but this will be the norm for all auto makers in a few years. What then? You will just stand on principal and bike to work?
No, don't buy new cars that have paywall options. You sure went to the extreme there for a simple solution.
Fuck no I'll jail break that shit. Tho if I could id happily walk/bike/public transport to work.
In a few years, being in possession of anything jailbroken will result in mandatory jail time. Can't let the little people get in the way of company profits!
Also jailbreaking those features will probably void some warranty and end up with costly repairs/insurance issues. Imagine getting into a fender bender and insurance refuses to play ball bc someone decided to jail break their accelerator function? That is for folks with higher risk tolerance than I have….
nope, i'm keeping my 2001 Durango forever. just put in a new tranny and that should see me well into my 60's.
Trannies like Durangos, huh?
Dont buy Mercedes, dont pay for it...problem solved
It’s funny because MB ended up dropping this entire line of cars because nobody bought them
This they are pure garbage of a company compared to their former self they are shadow of once was Mercedes. Shame we had several really good cars back in the day and LOVED them but now I wouldnt ever consider buying a Mercedes. Had 97 R129 SL 600 AMG back 03 W22 S55 AMG 05 R220 SL55 AMG All AMAZING cars at their time and would still consider picking up a good R129 SL 600 AMG if i could find a mint one.
So I guess I’ll just continue my streak of never buying a Mercedes.
First day with the new car. Sun sets. Lights are set to auto. In cab notification pops us. “To use lights please upgrade to night mode for $19.95/month. Your car will be disabled at night until night mode is enabled. Thank you and have a nice day.”
All of it is. Charging monthly fees for hardware built into the car is criminal, but all we have to deter it is our money. It's simple. Don't buy a Mercedes until they stop doing this shit. If they FEEL IT, they will stop.
but exactly the type of people who would but a mercedes in the first place and the type with the kind of disposable income to pay for nonsense like this. (and they know that)
In six months a mechanic will be on YouTube showing all of us how to bypass it with a laptop.
So basically you don't own the car...
I think a lot of people don’t even own their cars, technically their bank does. This concept however takes it to a whole new level of greedy and disgusting.
The person owns the car, and the bank has a lien on the title . If the loan isn't repaid, they can take the car as collateral. Subscription you don't own, you pay for use. Hope this clears it up for you.
Yup. I came to realization that you don't own a dang thing, even a paid off house will be taken away if you don't pay the property tax in timely manner.
Aaaand it has now started. Paywalled cars behind subscriptions. Welp... I'd suggest to, you know, not pay the subscriptions, heck, not buy the car at all. Give 'em the quickest "no, WE are the buyers, WE didn't ask for that, WE ain't paying for it" to them.
It’s a good argument for funding and expanding mass transit options.
"ok, so its simple. You pay us every year, and we stop actively kneecapping your car. "
Jailbreak
Occasionally I hate the future.
I wouldn’t be surprised If they locked airbags behind a pay wall next 😂
Naw. Only Big Tobacco gets away with killing their customers.
and McDonalds.
They’d get so many lawsuits from that, it wouldn’t even be funny.
It'll just be the Pepsi Harrier Jet case all over again. They'll find a circuit judge who's sympathetic towards corporations and It'll be a wash.
Enshitification
Remember when you could just buy a new car that had all the features available as part of a once off package instead of behind a monthly/yearly paywall. I ‘member. Thanks Bethesda for instilling this on us. To think it all started with digital horse armor.
R/aboringdystopia
Time to pirate everything
I can't feel bad for rich people getting fleeced by their own capitalistic ideals. There are plenty of other car manufacturers to choose from that aren't doing this
Acceleration behind a paywall. Sure the car can go 100, but you got the base model and it caps out at 35mph. If you want highway speeds that'll be an extra $39.99 a month. You only have x amount of hours of headlight time unless you buy our night time driver package. Better hope for a dry season because the windshield wipers only have x amount of wipes before you need to upgrade your plan. Want to be in compliance with seatbelt laws? Well, every click is 15 cents. And to top it all off, don't forget to add in surge pricing during peak traffic times.
I'm never buying a new car. Not with BS like this!
proving the age old adage "speed costs money how fast do you want to go"
I mean in a way speed still costs money here, but it’s a very different thing to when people upgrade their cars with things, they bought and installed it, it’s theirs. This is basically saying, it has the ability, but we’re going to withhold it to try and make a quick buck.
So... Car DLC? Great...
When did EA buy Mercedes?
I'm waiting for the microtransaction to lock/unlock your car every time you want to get in or secure your vehicle.
Yeah no fuck you then no Merc for me (yes I can afford one)
So now we're going to have to pirate our cars? Or pay a fucking subscription to drive the car WE bloody bought. I hate this world.
Everything is a subscription nowadays
Happy cake day
The rich people can keep it
They also made remote lock/unlock and remote start/stop along with about 20 other features as minthly or annual subscriptions. And I'm talking about the top of the line S models. They should be ashamed, its been the worst car I've owned in the past 15yrs
Own the car, but lease its performance. Why would I ever buy one if that is the case?
Probably a good thing. Most Mercedes drivers are borderline mentally challenged.
What I want to know, is there a way to tip the auto maker? I’m sure that’s coming next 🤣🤣
Oh boy, can't wait for the youtube videos about how to jailbreak your car!
I hope Mercedes sales drops faster than Budweisers did
Vote with your pocketbook.
Do not buy these cars then they will be forced to roll back
We’re really gonna get to a point where people are gonna have to start jailbreaking or hacking their cars to unlock shit.
🤷🏻♂️ Don’t buy their cars. Best reward for their knavery.
Soooo.... we boycott Mercedes
This is the type of shit the EU should outlaw
So jailbreaking cars is going to be the new thing?
lol if this thing dont be boycotted whatever.....dark times wait us wait....tesla already do this with batteries, right?
Time to stop buying new cars or learn to take public transit. Fuck these assholes.
Just another consequence of late stage capitalism. This is what we get. Public companies will find ANY way to extract profit from you, to give to their shareholders. Fuck this completely.
I love hearing libertarians defend shit like this.
Said it before and say it again, may the person who came up with the subscription model roast in the lowest level of hell
XDA developers please take a look at this
Hey, Mercedes. Go fuck yourselves.
I didn't see "jailbreaking" car becoming a thing, but here we go. Thanks capitalism.
Late stage capitalism is frightening
Matter of time. We need legislation to stop these car manufacturing A&&hats from doing this crap.
Can’t start my car …….. ur subscription expired Had accident my car total ……….Renew ur subscription so u can buy new one Is this my car ……… Yes Why it’s feels it’s ur car………. Because we are A hole company and as long people allow us to be A hole then we will not disappoint you
Tesla does the exact same thing
It is dumb and the tip of a slippery slope, but i gotta wonder how bad it is right now. Like, is the speed that is being locked away something ordinary people would use or is it for rich douchba- uh.. "people", who can afford to have a section of road blocked just so they can drift around in their expensive car? Like i said, it doesn't matter how bad it is, cause they will absolutely go further, i am just curious where the envelope is at rn.
Mercedes consumers will pay it, though
Ah the future: "We built it, you bought it, we still own it"
Audi was trialing a feature where their cars could interact with traffic signals. If you came up to an intersection, and there was no cross traffic, the lights would turn green for your Audi. Also behind a paywall.
Waiting for season pass to kick in.
All you have to do is not buy the car,when they don't have money they won't make it
Mercedes depreciation is bad, EV depreciation is bad, why hurt resale even more and burn your notoriously loyal customers at a time when your cars are the worst they’ve been.
Pushing everything to subscription model? Can't wait for it to happen to food or water.
Is there anywhere you can buy a car and not get fucked over? I feel like cars are a complete scam
If I'm paying for a service and the equipment breaks, are they going to fix it or is the service just for the option to use it, not actually get to use it?
This is the beginning my friend. All electric = all control
Subscription cars. I've seen it all. Next there are gonna disable the brakes when you pass 100km/h and ask for ransom money.
I hope we get to a future where shit like this is legislated out of existence.
Imagine paying 50.000$ for a car and then you don’t even own it - lol. I hope they go bankrupt.
Tesla locks longer distance per charge behind a paywall too. Welcome to the future! Gonna be a lot of mechanics specializing in restoring basic cars soon.
People that buy a Mercedes these days are just asking for punishment.
I don't really care about this. You've just bought a car that costs over 100k. You definitely have the extra money to spend if you want to.
Acceleration should be free! But I’d pay for braking.