Survey (Clearly on the behalf of Ford on BlueCruise Pricing) Really Ford?

[DevSecOps]

If you do want to pay, then pay, or continue needlessly raising your blood pressure for no good reason responding to the frustrations of others.

(Sorry, don’t mean to be snarky, but just trying to explain how comments like yours cut both ways.)

The difference is that people keep saying "I purchased a $63k car. I'm not paying more for anything" or "I'll never buy a car with subscriptions."

That mentality is old school. Yes, that used to be how we purchased cars. You paid for it and it NEVER got updates or connected features. That's not how most modern vehicles are built anymore including the mach e. The subscription was enabled when the owner went to the website and enabled it.

But, we do have a choice still. If they don't want to pay for it, then they don't get to use it. So, someone can still purchase a MachE for 63k and not pay for anything more. All MME's have SirusXM ... should we start a bunch of threads about how it's ridiculous to pay $299 a year for the radio in hopes that if we complain enough it'll be free with our $63k car? No, some will pay and use it, other's will not and won't use it.

If I was keeping the MME I would pay for the sub but I surely wouldn't come here to create 10 different threads about how I'm happily paying for it (that would be weird).

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[Logal727]

As long as the markets desire ever growing profits, services will continue to be subscription based. It’s just capitalism ?‍

 

[kodiakng]

As long as the markets desire ever growing profits, services will continue to be subscription based. It’s just capitalism ?‍

ssshhhh! my home full of sonos speakers will hear you... ?

 

[Maquis]

The difference is that people keep saying "I purchased a $63k car. I'm not paying more for anything" or "I'll never buy a car with subscriptions."

That mentality is old school. Yes, that used to be how we purchased cars. You paid for it and it NEVER got updates or connected features. That's not how most modern vehicles are built anymore including the mach e. The subscription was enabled when the owner went to the website and enabled it.

But, we do have a choice still. If they don't want to pay for it, then they don't get to use it. So, someone can still purchase a MachE for 63k and not pay for anything more. All MME's have SirusXM ... should we start a bunch of threads about how it's ridiculous to pay $299 a year for the radio in hopes that if we complain enough it'll be free with our $63k car? No, some will pay and use it, other's will not and won't use it.

If I was keeping the MME I would pay for the sub but I surely wouldn't come here to create 10 different threads about how I'm happily paying for it (that would be weird).

Yeah, I’ll evaluate a product or service on its own merit and value. I prefer that to simply forcing it on me and add it to the price of the car.

 

[DevSecOps]

Their platinum plan is $287.88 a year + a royalty fee. Again, you get to pay for what you want. You picked the bottom of the barrel plan for $60 a year and you're happy with it. Others may elect the more expensive one. So, I'm sure some people, who probably have brains, are paying for the platinum plan. I personally prefer TuneIn over SirusXM and it's cheaper, but I have both.

Same goes for BC. You can pay for the fancier version of cruise control or you can get the mid-grade version at no additional charge, included with the purchase of any MachE.

Anyway, I guess I must be brainless ... off to the doctor to get checked out!

 

[ArthurDOB]

I bought a car in 2012 that came with a 6-month trial of SiriusXM. I liked it enough that I signed up for a month-to-month subscription when the trial ended.

After a few months, I decided I wasn’t using it enough to justify the cost. After the subscription ended, I turned it on and it still worked. I figured it must take some time to turn off. A week later it still worked. A month later it still worked. A year later it still worked.

It still works 10 years later! I have not paid a dime for it in all this time! Now that’s a deal!

 

[azerik]

The difference is that people keep saying "I purchased a $63k car. I'm not paying more for anything" or "I'll never buy a car with subscriptions."

I will pay for a subscription that:
1. Works well
2. Improves
3. Brings value
4. Is cost reasonable for what i use it for

I don't have a $40 a month music subscription, because I don't honestly think I or my family combined listen to enough music to justify anything near that. I surely won't pay $5k for something I try to use for 30 minutes once a week with it shitting the bed 50% of that time.

 

[Mirak]

The difference is that people keep saying "I purchased a $63k car. I'm not paying more for anything" or "I'll never buy a car with subscriptions."

That mentality is old school. Yes, that used to be how we purchased cars. You paid for it and it NEVER got updates or connected features. That's not how most modern vehicles are built anymore including the mach e. The subscription was enabled when the owner went to the website and enabled it.

But, we do have a choice still. If they don't want to pay for it, then they don't get to use it. So, someone can still purchase a MachE for 63k and not pay for anything more. All MME's have SirusXM ... should we start a bunch of threads about how it's ridiculous to pay $299 a year for the radio in hopes that if we complain enough it'll be free with our $63k car? No, some will pay and use it, other's will not and won't use it.

If I was keeping the MME I would pay for the sub but I surely wouldn't come here to create 10 different threads about how I'm happily paying for it (that would be weird).

Agree, that would be weird. I understand your point, and I’m not opposed in general to subs for certain things if disclosed in advance.

I think what folks are mainly PO’d about in this case is the ridiculous proposed cost of this sub. Not a good value for the minimal benefit conferred, IMHO.

 

[AKgrampy]

Their platinum plan is $287.88 a year + a royalty fee. Again, you get to pay for what you want. You picked the bottom of the barrel plan for $60 a year and you're happy with it. Others may elect the more expensive one. So, I'm sure some people, who probably have brains, are paying for the platinum plan. I personally prefer TuneIn over SirusXM and it's cheaper, but I have both.

Same goes for BC. You can pay for the fancier version of cruise control or you can get the mid-grade version at no additional charge, included with the purchase of any MachE.

Anyway, I guess I must be brainless ... off to the doctor to get checked out!

You should just purchase a tele-health subscription!

 

[67 Stang Convertible]

I guess I'm "Old School" as it doesn't really sit well with me. Is it just a numbers game? I mean I can have Netflix for $10 a month and the whole family can enjoy it. Where BC cost looks frankly ridiculous. I guess the # of people per subscription is much lower in this instance. At those costs, I'll be out. Which is frankly too bad as I was really looking forward to BC 1.2. However, it is really just a novelty to me as I don't do a ton of long-distance driving. I guess I'll just have to live vicariously through the forum members whom pay for it.

ps. Since our original paperwork indicated $600 for 3 year subscription do you think they may consider "grandfathering" us OG's who helped make the car a success @ the original price structure?

 

[GreaseMonkey]

In my personal opinion auto OEMs will be in for a nice surprise on how low the take rate will be on their subscription services.
What you are witnessing is a bunch of consultants feeding their execs crap about the “new way of making money”. Loses on vehicles can be made up over time selling subscriptions. I’m waiting for the first idiot exec who claims that Ford (or any other OEM) is a software company.

 

[Guss-E 2021]

See, Tesla is a bad influence. Ford is obviously thinking, "Hey, if Tesla can get people to buy FSD for $15,000, even though it's not ready yet, we should probably charge more for Blue Cruise" ?

Simple fact: raising prices doesn't work if nobody is buying.

 

[DevSecOps]

In my personal opinion auto OEMs will be in for a nice surprise on how low the take rate will be on their subscription services.
What you are witnessing is a bunch of consultants feeding their execs crap about the “new way of making money”. Loses on vehicles can be made up over time selling subscriptions. I’m waiting for the first idiot exec who claims that Ford (or any other OEM) is a software company.

I disagree and blame consumerism not execs.

Let me explain... If you had a vehicle with sync 2, that was it, you purchased the car and you got that version of sync. You car software wasn't maintained and updated. You didn't have a phone app to monitor and control your car.

We've moved into a time where everyone expects updates and new features. They expect phone apps and the want ability to monitor from afar.

All off those things have recurring costs to Ford in development, infrastructure and 3rd party communications systems for deployment and monitoring. Someone has to pay for that and subscriptions are really the only way it's possible. This is similar to servicing a vehicle. You have a warranty period and then you have to pay for it. Software is no different. You might have a trial and then you pay for it.

I'm very curious to see what EOL looks like for connected vehicles. We've seen some of that in older VWs where they just turned it off because the radio bands were phased out. I think the angry mob wave will hit hard when they say MY21 is EOL.

 

[Sandhillfarmer]

Here were the presented options:

Options:

• $75 a month
• $2100 - 3 Years
• $5400 for - lifetime.

What a joke. (I made sure to trash them thoroughly throughout the survey on the proposed "options").

Summary of my input:

• I'm willing to pay $10 a month MAXIMUM.
• BlueCruise isn't really that good vs plain cruise control. Surely no $75 a month good. Currently its in a BETA form.
• Auto makers should never Pay-wall features on $63,000 autos. Its a sure way to lose repeat sales.
• I'm getting nickle and dimed on tons of services, I don't want it to migrate to my car.
• I'm reluctantly willing to pay every few years for an OS upgrade - Like the old Microsoft or Mac OS models. $99-$200 bucks for a new OS type thing

I wish they would ask me…
‘Pay for something that has yet to work since I purchased the vehicle
First you wait for a notification to availability, then you get a letter in the mail , dealer most like did not want to do the update and tells me I would have to leave them the vehicle for three days and they are booking three weeks out. Over the air updates failed to install BC . Now dealer tells me they cannot install the update until ford gives the ok to install. So maybe they may not want to ask me what would I pay for a service that is yet to work for almost two years…. 2021

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