Do you need to pay for seat heating and rear wheel steering? Some car brands raise doubts about charging for basic functions of vehicles | functions | car brands

The current paid membership services for cars mainly focus on areas such as autonomous driving, vehicle performance improvement, and connected car entertainment. However, some car brands have extended their paid items to basic functions, and there are signs of dolly style payment, which has caused many consumers to question. Industry insiders believe that car companies should listen more to the voices of consumers, fully protect their right to know, and strive for diversified services on the basis of reasonable, legal, and compliant standards.

The reporter learned that several car companies have launched paid membership services. However, some car brands have extended their paid items to basic functions, and there are signs of doll style payment, which has caused many consumers to question. Industry insiders believe that in order to ensure consumers' right to know, the paid membership service of automobiles urgently needs to be further standardized and optimized.

Doubts about Basic Function Fees

Recently, Mr. Hu, who has just purchased a new car, encountered some troubles on the car subscription service. He told reporters that the parameter configuration table of this car clearly indicates that the remote start function is standard. But shortly after using it, I received a reminder that the remote start service package will expire in July this year, and a one-year renewal will cost 299 yuan.

"The car I bought for hundreds of thousands of yuan still needs to spend money every year to use its original functions, giving me a feeling of being 'cut off'," Mr. Hu questioned.

With the popularization of automotive intelligence, there are more and more paid projects for cars, especially new energy vehicles. Among them, various software subscription services such as autonomous driving optional packages and car networking functions have been reflected in an increasing number of car models. And the fees for some service projects are also constantly increasing. For example, the domestic option price of a new energy vehicle's full auto drive system has risen from 56000 yuan to 64000 yuan.

What makes consumers even more dissatisfied is that many car companies have expanded their subscription model to basic functions. The reporter learned that many car brands have started to adopt a paid membership model in functions such as steering wheel heating, seat heating, seat ventilation, and rear wheel steering.

Beijing consumer Zhao Changxin told reporters that he purchased a luxury car at the beginning of this year and only discovered after delivery that the rear wheel steering still requires payment to be continuously unlocked. "The accessories on the car were already purchased with the purchase of the entire vehicle, and I don't think it should be paid for like software that often needs to be updated," Zhao Changxin said.

What are the reasons why car companies are pushing hard?

More and more consumers are questioning subscription services, but why do more and more car companies still spare no effort in launching this service?

Yang, a sales manager at a car 4S dealership, told reporters that paid membership services mainly consider the personalized needs of different regions and consumers. Now, vehicle sales have shifted from traditional one-time payment to paid subscription methods. "For users, paid membership services can be chosen based on their actual car usage needs. As for consumers' doubts, it is largely because they have not yet become accustomed to this service model."

Manager Yang gave an example that car owners in Guangdong may not need to use the "seat heating" and "steering wheel heating" functions for a year, but if they drive to Northeast China for tourism in winter, they can spend 99 yuan to buy the front seat heating function for one month, making the experience more comfortable. "Each consumer has different ways and frequencies of using their vehicles, and there are also differences in their usage scenarios. If car companies charge project fees at once, it may cause a certain degree of waste."

Automotive industry analyst Zhu Xing stated that the fundamental reason why car companies have successively promoted paid membership services is that they need to open up new profit margins after the decline in maintenance revenue. "It is difficult to achieve the previous profit level in maintenance and repair in the later stage. Especially compared to gasoline vehicles, new energy vehicles have fewer maintenance projects, so manufacturers need to explore new revenue projects, and paid membership services have become a new source of fees for many car companies."

Analysts believe that diversified paid membership services will be a trend in the development of the smart car industry, and their proportion in the revenue of future car companies may become increasingly high.

Is it reasonable to pay with dolls?

In recent years, the nesting style fees for video website members have caused dissatisfaction among many consumers. Industry insiders believe that there is already a trend towards paid car membership services.

Lawyer Xiong Chao from Beijing Jingshi Law Firm stated that the positioning of payment should be value-added services and differentiated services, and it is obviously unreasonable to apply it to basic services. "When selling vehicles, basic driving needs must be met and secondary toll traps cannot be created."

Automotive industry observer Liu Xiangqing believes that paid membership services have enhanced the consumer experience of car owners and to some extent met personalized needs. Paid services themselves are a commercial activity and are understandable. "But what is important is whether consumers are clearly informed in advance of the fees and how much they need to charge when bundling this service. If not informed in advance, it is suspected of infringing on consumers' legitimate rights and interests."

"The reason why many consumers are dissatisfied with car payment services now is that some car sales personnel have not fulfilled their obligation to disclose truthfully. Many consumers only receive reminders after using the vehicle's features to know that they need to pay extra. On the other hand, the scope of payment is constantly expanding, and consumers are worried that it will extend to more and more basic configurations, increasing their expenses." Liu Xiangqing said.

Zhu Xing said that car companies should listen more to the voices of consumers, fully protect their right to know, and strive for diversified services on the basis of reasonable, legal and compliant, so that paid membership services can bring convenience to consumers rather than burden.

"For the increasing number of subscription services for automobiles, the industry should make certain standards based on consumer experience, especially determining the boundaries of value-added services." Experts remind consumers to pay more attention to this aspect when purchasing cars, and consult in detail about the functions and fees of relevant services.