Want more wheel steering angle, automatic seat heating, remote start of the vehicle... these are the functions that come with the car without paying extra but not using it.
Recently, the paid subscription function launched by several car companies has caused heated discussions. Netizens complained: Will the accelerator pedal and steering wheel also have to be paid for subscription in the future?
Even questioned that this is indiscriminate charges.
What do car companies, the industry, and lawyers think about this?
broke the news
Mercedes-Benz remote start renewal fee is 898 yuan
"The validity period of your remote interconnection service is coming to an end. From now on, the maximum discount of remote products is 400 yuan, and you can enjoy the three-year remote engine start of the original price of 1298 yuan for only 898 yuan..." Recently, some netizens broke the news that his vehicle was started remotely. When the function was about to expire, I received such a "preferential" text message from Mercedes-Benz.
The Beijing Youth Daily reporter noticed that this is not the first time that Mercedes-Benz has been exposed to additional charges for using the functions of the vehicle configuration.
Previously, a Mercedes-Benz owner also posted a text message reminder that he received, saying that the new Mercedes-Benz AutoNavi custom navigation has been launched, and you can go to the 4S store to upgrade, "only" 1998 yuan for 3 years.
In July, Mercedes-Benz launched the rear-wheel steering payment. It is understood that Mercedes-Benz's EQS 450+ Pioneer model launched a "paid subscription" program. After paying 4,998 yuan, the owner can enjoy a year of Rear wheel steering function, the active steering angle of the rear wheels of the vehicle will be increased from 4.5 degrees to 10 degrees, and the turning radius will be reduced to 10.9 meters.
For eligible models, a 3-month free experience will be provided, and the functions that come with the vehicle will cost extra to use. These operations have to make consumers suspect that they have been "cut leeks".
respond
You will be reminded before the three-year free expiry
Mercedes-Benz customer service said that from the date of purchasing the car and issuing the invoice, after activating the remote interconnection service function, the basic service is free for three years, and after the expiration, you need to pay, otherwise it will not be able to use, so the owner will receive the corresponding text message.
The remote interconnection service has functions such as viewing vehicle status and remote unlocking.
This service is related to the model and configuration of the vehicle. Some can be purchased separately, while others cannot.
Regarding the question of how to know in advance that you need to pay to use this function in the future, the customer service said that under normal circumstances, the car owner is notified by text message.
"Connected stores will send SMS reminders that the service is about to expire. With this feature enabled, there will be SMS reminders when it is about to expire."
The customer service also told the Beiqing Daily reporter that it was unclear whether the follow-up charges for this service were specified in the car purchase contract. "This belongs to the sales process."
Because real-name authentication and activation are required when buying a car, this is to be operated through the system in the dealer's store, so whether there will be a payment reminder when activating, it is usually informed by the sales.
She also suggested that car owners go to the Mercedes ME APP store bound with real-name authentication to check the functions and usage of the corresponding paid products.
In "My Garage", you can see the basic services that the vehicle has activated, such as remote start, which can be used for free for three years, and you will receive a text message reminder when it is about to expire.
industry
A number of car companies test the water paid subscription
According to public reports, as early as 2016, Tesla has proposed paid subscription services for fully autonomous driving, seat heating and other software. All factory models have pre-embedded autopilot hardware, and users can choose whether to enable this function according to their needs. .
In 2021, the monthly payment for autonomous driving will officially start at $199 per month.
As of the end of the second quarter of 2022, more than 100,000 Tesla owners had used the fully self-driving test version feature in North America.
It can be said that Tesla has created a model of pre-embedded hardware + paid activation of software.
Its financial report shows that for the whole year of 2021, Tesla’s services and other businesses, including autonomous driving software, achieved revenue of $3.802 billion, a year-on-year increase of 65%, accounting for 7.06% of total revenue.
Software payment has gradually become an important part of Tesla's revenue.
Many car companies have begun to replicate the business model of paid subscription, and have risen from software to hardware.
BMW has pre-installed hardware in some vehicles when it leaves the factory. Recently, it announced the launch of paid subscription services such as seat heating, steering wheel heating, CarPlay, and safety-assisted driving in South Korea and other countries, which also caused heated discussions.
However, BMW's paid program currently only exists in overseas markets.
It is understood that BMW once launched a project in China that paid for optional CarPlay and had to subscribe again when it expired, but it ended because it was cracked.
In addition, domestic new car companies such as Weilai and Xiaopeng have also joined the ranks of opening paid subscriptions. However, at present, consumers generally hold a wait-and-see or even skeptical attitude towards the paid subscription services launched by car companies.
explore
Paid subscription or single buy which is cost-effective
Regarding the problems behind car subscription payment, Chang Yan, who is certified as a well-known car blogger, said in a live broadcast titled "Spy on "Car Paid Subscription", on the one hand, consumers are more accepting of software payment than hardware.
For example, the rear wheel steering belongs to the hardware of the car, and it is already in the car. If you have to spend money to use it, it will be unreasonable.
On the other hand, the services provided by paid subscriptions are relatively basic and basic, and cannot maintain differentiation, and consumers will also think that car companies are "cutting leeks".
"In fact, consumers are willing to pay for autonomous driving, but they also buy hardware first. Then they pay for software. For example, Tesla, the chip for autonomous driving is actually paid when buying a car." He suggested paying for the function. You can calculate an account, whether it is more economical to use it according to the subscription system than to buy it alone.
For example, BMW recently launched a paid subscription package for seat heating, the price is a few hundred yuan per month.
The buyout function requires 20,000 yuan and can be used for about 100 months.
In most parts of the country, the use of the heated seat function is only two or three months in winter, and even some areas are hot all the year round and do not need the heating function. In this way, the subscription function may be more cost-effective.
Chang Yan said that he personally prefers paid subscriptions, which can be used and stopped at any time.
Try out some features and then decide if you need to spend money to subscribe. You can turn it off if you don't want to subscribe.
remind
Hidden hidden dangers of cracking software for free
For paid subscriptions, many netizens worry about whether the price will increase, or that members have to spend money to become super VIPs.
Some people even said that in order to get the purpose of free use, it is completely possible to crack the software.
Cracking cars has been around for a long time, including Tesla.
Chang Yan introduced that some were broken through hackers and some hardware.
Although this may bring more playability and performance improvements, it will make the car worthless.
Tesla officials will lock these off and no longer provide services and related warranties.
Moreover, some cracks are irreversible and may damage the car's battery and other hardware, thereby affecting the value of the car.
Chang Yan also said that the car involves our life safety, if it is cracked by an unofficial organization or a third party, there will be some security risks.
If there is a problem and then go to the official repair, it will bring a lot of trouble, more than the loss.
Regarding pricing, I believe that the market will have a fair judgment, and as the industry develops more and more, it will gradually become standardized.
interpret
It is difficult to determine the infringement if it is clearly informed or agreed
Liu Bin, a lawyer from Beijing Zhongwen Law Firm, introduced to a reporter from Beiqing Daily that from the current industry situation, there are two main ways of consuming vehicle hardware: one is optional configuration, which is pre-agreed by consumers and manufacturers. The hardware configuration that the consumer wants is determined by the consumer, and the consumer pays a one-time payment; the other is to subscribe to the service in the form of a subscription package.
With the further development of vehicle electronic functions, many car companies have launched such subscription services, such as "active rear wheel steering", "in-vehicle entertainment", "acceleration package", "remote temperature control" and so on.
Due to the existence of a large number of electronic auxiliary functions in vehicles, some car owners do not even use these functions after purchasing a vehicle. For car owners who do not use these functions frequently, it can effectively reduce the cost of car purchase; for car owners who pay attention to these functions, they can choose according to their needs. Buy.
This way of subscription increases the consumer's choice, but this choice should be based on the consumer's right to know.
Liu Bin believes that the subscription payment method is a choice for the payment method of vehicle hardware. On the premise that the dealer clearly informs the consumer of such payment method and content, or there is a clear agreement in the contract signed by the two parties, it is difficult to determine that the damage to the consumer is damaged. right to know.
If consumers are only charged for subscription services, it is only a change in the charging method. If there is no unfair price behavior such as manipulating market prices and increasing prices in disguised form, it is difficult to say that such charging methods are arbitrary charges.
If the service provided by the car company obviously violates the principle of fairness, it may infringe on the consumer's right to independent choice and fair trade.
For example, a car company's car entertainment service package subscription agreement stipulates: "We may change these terms at any time, change, add or delete the service or the features contained in it, and also change the price charged for the service." This agreement expands the car company rights, exempted from major obligations, and suspected of infringing on consumers' rights to fair trade and independent choice.
This group of articles / our reporter Song Xia