When you buy a car and want to use a feature in the car, but you have to pay for a subscription for that feature, will you continue to use it?
A few days ago, someone on the Internet revealed that smart genie #1 pushed hardware paid subscription options, and provided monthly, annual or permanent three activation methods according to different fees, including seat heating ventilation and steering wheel heating. According to the relevant pictures transmitted, it can be seen that in the function subscription, the monthly package, annual package and permanent package of front seat ventilation are 199 yuan, 599 yuan and 1999 yuan respectively; The heating monthly package, annual package and permanent package of front seats cost 129 yuan, 399 yuan and 1299 yuan respectively; The steering wheel heating monthly package, annual package and permanent package cost 99 yuan, 299 yuan and 999 yuan respectively.
What is even more incomprehensible is that smart genie #1 also has a paid virtual pet in the car, and the pets and accessories in it need to be purchased by payment. Is this a move to the car with all the "leek-cutting" methods in the game? Have car companies begun to do whatever it takes to "cut leeks"?
"Cutting leeks" has become a brand tradition?
You know, the smart brand is jointly owned by Mercedes-Benz and Geely Automobile Group, which is committed to creating high-end electric intelligent cars. The smart Genie #1 is designed by Mercedes-Benz and is based on Geely's vast SEA platform. All in all, the smart Genie #1 is a pure electric model with the pedigree of the luxury brand Mercedes-Benz.
Mercedes-Benz was exposed last year to launch the paid unlock function, Mercedes-Benz EQS rear wheel active steering system (10° steering angle) cost 4998 yuan / year. Even the million-level model of EQS has to charge for some functions, and Mercedes-Benz really cuts the user as a "leek".
Not only in the Chinese market, but also in the United States, which also happened last year, Mercedes-Benz launched a power unlock subscription service for EQ pure electric models in the US market, priced at $1200, which can increase the engine power of the vehicle from 20% to 24%.
It can be seen that Mercedes-Benz has regarded this paid subscription service as a tradition, smart as its holding brand, it is natural to continue this tradition, and those users who trust and support them are treated as "leeks" to cut.
Has paid subscription services been flooded?
In fact, this kind of paid subscription service does not only appear in Mercedes-Benz, in the Korean market, BMW has also launched subscription services such as seat heating and steering wheel heating. Among them, it costs $406 to turn on the seat heating permanently, and $222 to turn on the steering wheel heating permanently.
As early as 2006, Lexus launched a subscription add-on service - G-BOOK intelligent co-pilot. This function can obtain complete navigation services through manual customer service, but the current vehicle system can basically achieve such a function.
It is not difficult to find that in these luxury brands, the wind of "paid subscription services" has begun to roll, and the users who buy cars have become the "leeks" of these car companies, which is really bitter and unspeakable.
summary
If it is said that in order to provide consumers with value-added services with differentiated experience, the fee has a certain reasonableness. Hardware devices such as seat heating and steering wheel heating belong to the functions that come with the vehicle, and they have to be charged by "unlocking", is this not the behavior of "cutting leeks"?
This time Smart Genie #1 launched a paid subscription service, maybe just the beginning, if more car companies follow suit, then what functions will be available in the future car that need to be unlocked for an additional fee, I really dare not imagine, as netizens said, "Will the brakes also have to be paid for years in the future?" ”
Therefore, in order to put an end to the chaos of such additional charges for vehicle functions, it is urgent to introduce relevant laws and regulations for automotive products and services to restrict car companies from charging additional fees for vehicle functions, so as to avoid disputes and protect the legitimate rights and interests of consumers.
The material comes from the Internet, if there is any infringement, please contact the author to delete
Edit: Ginger that doesn't eat ginger