BMW, do you hear? A seat heating subscription can be suspended
BMW has found a new revenue model. With the German premium brand, you can subscribe to seat heating or a high-beam assistant, for example. But in this American state, they want to put a stop to it.
Normally one buys a new car with or without heated seats. But BMW has an alternative. You can buy a new car without heated seats, but buy or rent the option later through the BMW Connected Drive Store. In the Netherlands, the monthly subscription costs 19 euros. You can try the option for free for one month. You can also opt for a one-year or three-year contract. Then you are cheaper.
Seat heating is already physically in the car
What exactly is the problem? Why is BMW so criticized for this revenue model? Because the seat heater is already in the car, even if you didn’t check it on the options list. By this we mean that the necessary heating elements are properly seated in the seats, but are not activated. When you subscribe to BMW seat heaters, you’re actually paying for something you already have.
New Jersey wants to ban subscription model
This annoys not only the public, but also politicians. A bill has been introduced in the state of New Jersey to ban this type of service. Bill 4519 amends the Consumer Fraud Act to prohibit manufacturers from offering security and convenience features on a subscription basis. That is, if the physical parts for it are already in the car.
There is a loophole in the bill
However, there is a loophole in the bill. If a car manufacturer can show that a service incurs ongoing costs for the dealer, for the company itself or for third parties, something can be offered on a subscription basis. A concierge service, for example, that requires brands to run a call center.
But yes, of course, the manufacturers can think of all sorts of ways in which a semi-autonomous driving assistant, a speed camera detector or real-time traffic information constantly costs money. Three years ago, BMW tried to charge customers an annual fee for Apple CarPlay. After heavy criticism, the BMW quickly stopped. All CarPlay updates go through Apple and the user’s phone. So there are no costs for BMW.