14 replies to this topic

[mab01uk]

BMW has sparked debate after offering an online subscription to turn on heated front seats in its cars in the UK for £15 per month.

"A monthly heated steering wheel subscription costs £10.

Subscriptions have been available for features on BMW cars for some time in the UK, but the heated seat offer started this month.

The company says customers can enable all hardware features for a one-time payment if they prefer.

The features are available via BMW's ConnectedDrive online store and are activated remotely, with no need to visit a dealer.

The heated seat offer is available in the UK, but the subscriptions that are available vary by country."

https://www.bbc.co.u...nology-62142208

Edited by mab01uk, 02 August 2022 - 04:27 PM.

[PoolGuy]

Great idea for subsequent owners who'd like a feature that the original owner didn't spec.

[Midas Mk1]

Nothing new really, loads of manufactures standardise hardware with firmware updates enabling features ota.

[stuart bowes]

what so the hardware is there, but if you don't pay enough they don't switch it on? lol

 

surely someone somewhere will be offering a service to just hack it 

[sonscar]

Of more concern to me is the ability of third parties to remotely access your car.I have a lifetime supply of tinfoil hats.Steve..

[nicklouse]

It really is nothing new. It is just easier now most functions are controllable via the lin and can networks. 
 

in the old days they just fitted standard harnesses and you could just buy the units and plug them in.

[MikeRotherham]

£15 a month for a warm backside and £10 for warm hands!! Is there also an admin fee to turn the function on or off?

 

Laughable.

Edited by MikeRotherham, 03 August 2022 - 05:55 AM.

[mab01uk]

£15 a month for a warm backside and £10 for warm hands!! Is there also an admin fee to turn the function on or off?

 

Laughable.

 

To save money can a BMW owner subscribe for heat only during the winter months?

Edited by mab01uk, 03 August 2022 - 07:37 AM.

[greenwheels]

Just checked - it' not April 1st

[MikeRotherham]

 

£15 a month for a warm backside and £10 for warm hands!! Is there also an admin fee to turn the function on or off?

 

Laughable.

 

To save money can a BMW owner subscribe for heat only during the winter months?

 

That's what I thought as well and that's where the admin fee would likely be applied.

[coopertaz]

monthly fee so don't see why not. prefer older cars, the more modern you get it seems like you own less, looking back with rose tinted specs.

[mab01uk]

monthly fee so don't see why not. prefer older cars, the more modern you get it seems like you own less, looking back with rose tinted specs.

 

It is the modern sales model used for many things now from phones to cars, sign you up for a subscription as a regular source of income but make it difficult and expensive to terminate the contract early or ever buy the product outright, then make it easy to upgrade to the latest model every few years and continue the cycle.....plus the manufacturer gets the 'old' car back for making further profits from their Dealers 'used approved schemes'.

Edited by mab01uk, 03 August 2022 - 02:10 PM.

[sonscar]

So when you sell it do they then turn if off and contact the new keeper to ask him if he would like to turn back on the options it had before he bought it on the test drive?only cynical,still wearing my foil hat.Steve..

[Homersimpson]

My wife has a 2016 Ford Focus and it came without the satnav however with just a few software adjustments and the map card I've added it now. 

 

I can't imagine many people who would pay £120 per year for heated seats, they might get a lot of subscribers between October and March if they are lucky!

[Clip]

I wonder if BMW are going down the Tesla road whereby when you on-sell the car to a new owner any extras that the original owner has paid for are disabled and the new owner has to pay to get them back.