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Would you buy a BMW where..
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By *rFunBoy OP Man
over a year ago
Longridge |
Things like heated seats and steering wheel has been factory fitted but disabled unless you subscribe at £10 per month.
So, if you don't want these and other features a subscription is required, you have to cover the fuel costs if carting redundant items around with you?
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.
Subscriptions have been available for features on BMW cars for some time in the UK, but the heated seat offer started this month.
The manufacturer told the BBC that "where heated seats, or any feature available in the ConnectedDrive store have been purchased when a customer vehicle is ordered, no subsequent subscription or payment is necessary".
Heated steering wheel - £10/month
Heated seats- £5 per month
Or £200 one time payment.
I though the intention was to make cars lighter?
It's fitted already so why not have it enabled other than a way to screw customers? |
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This model makes sense for people on short term leases who don’t want to pay the fee up front for the Options to be added to the lease as they would be charged at the full rate but you can then add them when you want them for a monthly fee. So in the case of heated seats where you only use them for a few months a year what makes more sense, paying £5 a month for 3-4 months for the 3 years you have the car or paying hundreds as a fixed option when you order the car? |
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By *rFunBoy OP Man
over a year ago
Longridge |
The car I've ordered and due in two weeks - heated seats and wheel is fitted and fully working and included with the spec.
I see your point but why not just give people the features installed?
Carting around additional weight and using resources to manufacture and may never be used. |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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If I buy something I own it
BMW will end up the same way as Sony did
Trying to tell people they didn’t own a product they purchased
They took a 1 billion $ hit in 24 hours for they argeents |
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When you say included in the spec, you have still paid for them in the overall price of the car. This allows the base price of the car to be lower and options enabled/disabled as needed. By including them in the car as standard in this way it also means that there are less changes on the production line making build costs cheaper. |
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By *oo..Woman
over a year ago
Boo's World |
I've never heard of this at all.
I have a year old 330e from brand new and everything works on it, all the added extras from I had put on it have always worked and any other app within the cars system, not one of them has ever asked me to pay extra for any subscription to make it work.
I don't even pay for the emergency "sos" button thing that takes you through to someone directly in case of an accident.
Not heard or been notified that I will have to pay extra for anything in the future either. |
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By *rFunBoy OP Man
over a year ago
Longridge |
I've manufactured devices with software over the air feature switch on.
It later became a pain as customers would only buy "fully featured", I ended up scrapping it.
Mainly sending SMS to 'software unlock' memory already fitted from 1000 users to 4000 for £25.
Nearly everytime the text was sent for free as a good will. |
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By *rHotNottsMan
over a year ago
Dubai & Nottingham |
"The car I've ordered and due in two weeks - heated seats and wheel is fitted and fully working and included with the spec.
I see your point but why not just give people the features installed?
Carting around additional weight and using resources to manufacture and may never be used."
It’s called late customisation , it’s a way of optimising production and still meet uncertainty in demand. Overall it works to minimise production complexity |
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By *W ChapMan
over a year ago
Swindon |
This is what Teska do, they supply a car fully loaded with features, you then have to pay to unlock them. I assume it reduces manufacturing costs but still earns them money for higher spec'd cars.
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By *rFunBoy OP Man
over a year ago
Longridge |
"There's your new car Sir"..
"Oh, you want to drive it - you need to subscribe to the Engine and Gearbox package for that".
Just hope the EU jump on as unnecessary additional weight to the vehicle. They spent 20 years making cars lighter, this is backwards. |
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By *JB1954Man
over a year ago
Reading |
I worked for years installing, commissioning production lines in the car industry. Going back before a lot of electronics of now. The wiring looms are put in to enable all features of that model. So further down assembly line . If an ‘extra ‘ had been ordered . Then was easy to fit . Cheaper for manufacturer to do than have different wiring looms for say every model . |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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"Remember the 80's program 'Bullseye". "Come and see what you would have won".
"Sir, come and see the car you could have had, for a fee"."
You get nothing for two in a bed . (Not strictly true that  ) |
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£200 for heated seats and steering wheel is good value any one who’s had a new car knows how much optional extras cost and the way BMW do things in regards to customise you’re own car is good as you can change and add things to you’re own car  |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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"It makes no sense - surely you pay extra when you order because you’re paying for the parts, not just the action of turning them on. They either cost more to put in or they don’t!"
Costs more to run multi configuration assembly lines than just one config so it's cheaper to fit the whole lot and actually quite a smart way of getting your money back.
Aviation industry has being doing this for decades - buy an airplane and rent the engines on it type deal |
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By *rFunBoy OP Man
over a year ago
Longridge |
"£200 for heated seats and steering wheel is good value any one who’s had a new car knows how much optional extras cost and the way BMW do things in regards to customise you’re own car is good as you can change and add things to you’re own car "
Not when it's already been installed.. is a scam.
YouTube 'how to videos' will be popular. |
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By *hirleyMan
over a year ago
somewhere |
"This model makes sense for people on short term leases who don’t want to pay the fee up front for the Options to be added to the lease as they would be charged at the full rate but you can then add them when you want them for a monthly fee. So in the case of heated seats where you only use them for a few months a year what makes more sense, paying £5 a month for 3-4 months for the 3 years you have the car or paying hundreds as a fixed option when you order the car? "
Yeah exactly, tesla already do it |
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I wouldn't have a BMW as a gift, let alone buy one. Hideously ugly, overrated, driven a few as part of a previous job & totally underwhelmed wondering what all the fuss is about. Far more impressed with the likes of Kia, Hyundai, SEAT etc & keep more money in the bank.
This is all part of the gather up info on your customers habits thing like amazon, & try to tie you in. It never works, the public don't play. |
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It actually makes a lot of business sense, and allows the car to be made more cost-effectively. Build and sell the car once with all the features, and then simply turn them on when needed.
The customer can purchase the model at a base price and then unlock and rent the features they desire. It gives the customer a lot of flexibility.
Since none of us are going to be taking our cars or other possessions to the hereafter, I don't understand the obsession with ownership.
Assets depreciate anyway over time.
So when you come to get rid of the asset, you are either taking a full loss on a depreciated asset that you owned outright, or a minor loss on one where you only paid for the features you activated and rented during its tenure with you.
One would assume that if the car was purchased outright with all features paid for in full, when the car changes hands said features are deactivated however, ready for the next owner to commence a subscription model with BMW ?
Eg, the subscription is for the person/registered owner for that specific vehicle. It does not "move across" to a new owner. Otherwise BMW are missing on an opportunity here.
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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Just wondering if this is an annual contract, or contract for life of ownership. It might work if you could unlock for a certain period. Who needs heated seats just now, fast forward to December and I might want to unlock that option for a few months. |
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By *rhugesMan
over a year ago
Cardiff |
I'd be really interested how that will effect second hand car prices. At the moment if your car has certain optional extras you can get more for it.
If you pay a one off cost for an option does that stay with the car when you sell it?? |
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"I'd be really interested how that will effect second hand car prices. At the moment if your car has certain optional extras you can get more for it.
If you pay a one off cost for an option does that stay with the car when you sell it??"
That's exactly what I was thinking! I've got five vehicles, including an X3 Xdrive, I never buy new, but tend go for the most flash for the least cash. If the policy hammers the second hand values by depreciation, bring it on, I'll reap the benefits of it. |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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"Nope, given the average time people have these cars for (3/4 years) it’s considerably more in rental for these features, I’d rather stump the £200 up front and have done with it. "
You've already paid for these features when you selected your spec in the showroom, so why pay BMW just so you can switch them on?
They'll be charging you extra to have wheels next. |
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"Nope, given the average time people have these cars for (3/4 years) it’s considerably more in rental for these features, I’d rather stump the £200 up front and have done with it.
You've already paid for these features when you selected your spec in the showroom, so why pay BMW just so you can switch them on?
They'll be charging you extra to have wheels next."
Exactly, if I’m buying a car, I want exactly what I’m paying for. The only thing I’ve paid BMW for additionally is a renewal subscription to their Sat Nav/Connoisseur service which was very good! |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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Rolls Royce and Mercedes have done similar for a few years now. Maybe not the heated seats etc, but you have to agree to giving them complete access to all data including all destinations etc from the vehicle.
I'm sure, if I'm wrong, someone will correct me! |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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"Nope, given the average time people have these cars for (3/4 years) it’s considerably more in rental for these features, I’d rather stump the £200 up front and have done with it.
You've already paid for these features when you selected your spec in the showroom, so why pay BMW just so you can switch them on?
They'll be charging you extra to have wheels next.
Exactly, if I’m buying a car, I want exactly what I’m paying for. The only thing I’ve paid BMW for additionally is a renewal subscription to their Sat Nav/Connoisseur service which was very good! "
That’s what it’s saying. If youve paid for them with the cars build then no subscription needed. It’s as an option for those that didn’t.
VW also do this with the new golf and possibly others too.
And extra weight? A few carbon heat pads and a switch. It’s not going to turn it into a 2.5 tonne landrover because of it.
It’s just economics and giving people options as far as I can see |
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Due to the majority of them being driven by idiots, I woildn't buy one at all.
I did chuckle when I heard this storey, what next easyjet making you pay every 15 minutes to keep yoir life jacket inflated. |
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By *licecdTV/TS
over a year ago
Hatfield |
If anyone is stupid enough to pay for fitted extras to work they deserve to be ripped of . Anyone with half a brain will find someone competent with pc technology and get into the ecu and switch it on for free and block B M trouble you from accessing the ecu to restore the settings Before know it all but know nothing say no way it’s already been done |
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"If anyone is stupid enough to pay for fitted extras to work they deserve to be ripped of . Anyone with half a brain will find someone competent with pc technology and get into the ecu and switch it on for free and block B M trouble you from accessing the ecu to restore the settings Before know it all but know nothing say no way it’s already been done "
in regards to people being stupid and paying for extras does that include site support for fab?  |
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By *otMe66Man
over a year ago
Terra Firma |
As others have said, loading the cars in the exact same way brings down manufacturing costs, and brings in one standard assembly process.
It is also great for the second hand market. When you buy a second hand car, if a feature is not turned on, a simple process to get it working is like buying a new one all configured for you.
Cracking idea |
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By *rFunBoy OP Man
over a year ago
Longridge |
"BMW did consider charging extra for indicators, but nobody wanted them in the first place.
It ALL makes sense now  "
So, it's not selfish, ignorant tossers that fail to indicate - it's that they couldn't afford the subscription and instead we should feel sorry for them? Fek
It is morally wrong to manufacturer products that add weight to a vehicle for no good reason and shows profit counts over environment. |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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"BMW did consider charging extra for indicators, but nobody wanted them in the first place.
It ALL makes sense now
So, it's not selfish, ignorant tossers that fail to indicate - it's that they couldn't afford the subscription and instead we should feel sorry for them? Fek
It is morally wrong to manufacturer products that add weight to a vehicle for no good reason and shows profit counts over environment."
We are talking grams… not kilos or tonnes. Is it morally wrong to be overweight too so as to not put any extra emissions into the atmosphere when people are driving. Should I now feel guilty when I see a skinny guy in the same car as me because he will pollute ever so slightly less.
I think sometimes the anti Bmw people need to have a good think first. And this is coming from a guy that drives an Audi…..with indicators |
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The stereotyping of BMW drivers on here is shocking I find it’s normally tossers in crappy Hyundais or Kia’s or some other rubbish car I find that people who drive luxury German cars are the most courteous drivers now shove that up ya tail pipes you Audi merc BMW haters lol |
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"How much are the indicators we could all chip in? "
That’s pretty funny to be fair and I own a beemer. But this seems like a decent idea, then pay someone to code the options enabled and you have lots of extras for cheap! |
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By *rhugesMan
over a year ago
Cardiff |
So what will happen to their value when they're second hand. At the moment BMWs with certain optional extras are worth more than standard models.
And when they say a one off payment is that for the life of the car or your ownership?!? |
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Bmw and others in Europe are quality brands, however recent events show us they are built in factories fuelled by Russian oil and gas, the profits from which are funding Russia’s war on Ukraine. Eu is spending one billion euro a week on Russian energy imports, which is enough to buy one million Grad rocket rounds.
Every bomb falls on women and children is partly funded from europes reliance on Russian energy.
Germany in particular more interested in its own economic ends, which is characterised by the OP and extra charges to screw a few more euro out of everyone. |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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"The stereotyping of BMW drivers on here is shocking I find it’s normally tossers in crappy Hyundais or Kia’s or some other rubbish car I find that people who drive luxury German cars are the most courteous drivers now shove that up ya tail pipes you Audi merc BMW haters lol"
My 530 diesel estate was the best car I ever owned 160k faultless miles (other than a clutch and a drive shaft joint). I swore by Japanese for cost effective and reliable driving but I'd have another beemer any day if they did vans |
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