Everybody wants you on a recurring subscription

[mpeirce]

We bought a lifetime subscription to Sirius in 2006 for $250.

We did the same thing with TiVo. I just view the lifetime subscription as part of the purchase price.

Heck I get annoyed with something like our health insurance moving to monthly payments. I liked it much better when we could pay for a years worth all at once.

 

[RonBoyd]

I dislike subscriptions but they can be a good deal when you are not locked into a contract. For example, we'll only run netflix when there's a new season of a show we want to watch (or we'll have guests that will want to use it).

Adobe got a huge amount of blowback for their creative cloud but they stuck to their guns and do not offer Photoshop as a stand alone program anymore. However the package I have is not a bad deal at $10/month (photoshop + lightroom upgrades would normally be about $450/2years)

Does that include photoshop? I think CS6 is still fairly close to the current version of CC but I imagine future versions might have some key feature that would be helpful.

The Adobe Creative Cloud 2014 is one of the few subscriptions that I happily subscribe to. It is quite a bit less than "updating" every 18 months... and comes with the bonus of having an "up-to-date" application at all times. (Not to mention the greater access to programs I could never otherwise afford.)


Oh! I almost forgot. Microsoft Office 360 is in the same happily subscribed category.

 

[Cobra9777]

I don't mind the trend. I just say no, if it doesn't make sense for me, and yes if it does. In the OP's list, I only use Amazon Prime and Netflix. I think both are a great value and Netflix can be canceled at any time, so that's not really a subscription-type commitment in my mind. Everything else, I either DIY, pay as you go, or see no value in the service.

I use Pandora for music. I've experimented with others like Spotify and Rdio that have larger libraries. But I really like the way Pandora "discovers" new music that I like. The longer I use it and provide feedback, the better it gets at predicting what I like. I would never go back to buying mp3's. CDs are even worse as you are forced to buy tracks you don't want. Music subscription, IMHO, is a much more effective way to distribute and consume music.

 

[Greencheese]

I think with the way technology changes today its easier for everyone involved to do a subscription model. The business can ensure everyone has the most up to date software and receives continuous cash flow while consumers have the same software product/patch for easier customer support.

Now an HVAC subscription... I don't get that one

 

[ArkTinkerer]

We dropped one newspaper in part because of this. They would give you a gift for joining the monthly subscription but actually charged you MORE if you paid them for a year in advance with CASH! They must get something out of it. Must prefer that income stream and the ability to raise rates at will. Read about a few insurance services that had cost creep on their monthly billing for auto or home insurance. Folks would just call and threaten to move to another company and their rates would reset...and then start creeping up again.

 

[Totoro]

They must get something out of it.

A few things:

• Canceling a subscription with automatic renewal requires an action. People have limited capacity for decisions and actions, so low priority items don't get done. Also know as : laziness.
• If cancellation is only possible once a year or with several months notice, that makes a business better plannable. It's also easier to get better loan agreements and supplier contracts. Lumpy looks ugly vs. nice and steady,
• Regular billing and subscription combats lumpiness, so you don't need "peak demand" flexibility (H&R Block style).
• Inflation increases and sneaky extra items go unnoticed
• Monthly (or even daily) amounts look smalller than if tallied on a yearly basis.

Viola, subscription for you.

Biggest advantage though is taking away the decision burden from the customer to renew. As in: customer does nothing, you get paid.

 

[daylatedollarshort]

We really focused on cutting recurring costs for our semi-ER. That is where the 40 - 50 year savings really kick in for us.

We did keep some we felt were worth the money after doing the math. Costo and Sam's for us were both keepers. We bought the Costco membership with a Living Social deal and Sam's on some kind of special offer. Our local Sam's often has deals on electronic and software that pay for the annual membership fee in one purchase. We buy groceries from Costco and save ~30% or more off the local retail grocery store prices.

We kept Netflix but dropped the DVDs by mail. We rented a Redbox movie that had a long wait list at the library over the weekend for 54 cents. Last weekend we got two DVDs from the library for free.

We get many of our subscription services free or a nominal cost through public libraries who pay for the group subscriptions with tax dollars, like Freegal for music streaming and downloads instead of iTunes or music services, Lynda and Treehouse for online classes, Zinio for magazines, Overdrive for ebooks, audio books and DVDs and free cultural activity passes.

We do buy annual museum and garden memberships, usually through Groupon specials, with reciprocal privileges so that covers a lot of day trips to museums, gardens and planetariums throughout the year at no extra cost. We also buy Entertainment memberships on sale and breakeven on just one half price meal out.

DH has a couple of offline magazines he likes to get. They both charge more to renewing subscribers so I trade off years with his name and mine so one of us always qualifies for the new customer rate.

 

[photoguy]

Regarding software moving to subscription -- I wonder if any of this is driven by revenue recognition standards? Perhaps an auditor/accountant can comment?

 

[JoeWras]

I see his point too, but "jamming it down our throats" is a gross oversimplification.

It is a conversation starter, a figure of speech.

Although, the new Terminix attic inspection was pretty ballsy. I mean, she called like I've had this service forever. "Just give us a time for us to do our service, Joe."

Never asked for it. Maybe they weren't jamming it down my throat. But they were laying down an oil slick that I could easy slip on. I had to watch my step.

Is that a better expression?

 

[Walt34]

To avoid having recurring charges I go old-school and write a check.

I do that too when possible and for exactly that reason. The only software subscription I have is for Adobe's Photoshop CC and Lightroom and I did that reluctantly, but I use them a lot.

If Windows 10 goes subscription I'll take a hard look at Linux. But if there's no workaround to run Photoshop on it I'd probably have to go to a Mac.

 

[harley]

It is a conversation starter, a figure of speech.

Although, the new Terminix attic inspection was pretty ballsy. I mean, she called like I've had this service forever. "Just give us a time for us to do our service, Joe."

Never asked for it. Maybe they weren't jamming it down my throat. But they were laying down an oil slick that I could easy slip on. I had to watch my step.

Is that a better expression?

It's no different than the old "your magazine subscription is about to expire" trick that they've been playing forever. Caveat emptor has been true since Latin was a spoken language.

 

[athena53]

Did you know that professional photographers have subscription plans for parents-to-be, starting with "before" pictures featuring the baby bump, then at regular intervals such as monthly or quarterly? Anything to keep 'em coming back.

 

[Walt34]

Did you know that professional photographers have subscription plans for parents-to-be, starting with "before" pictures featuring the baby bump, then at regular intervals such as monthly or quarterly? Anything to keep 'em coming back.

Exactly, it's marketing and selling. Nothing inherently wrong with it that I can see. I subscribe to one photography magazine and one online training site, read a couple of photography blogs, and some pro photographers have mentioned doing that. I've even read of a few pet photographers trying it.

It is a business (which is why I don't hang out a shingle) and they have the same living expenses everyone else does.

 

[target2019]

My subscriptions inline. Not sure how else I would get such bliss...

Pick your poison:
- Amazon Prime YES
- Costco membership NO
- Google play YES (free stuff only)
- iTunes NO (but use the software once or twice a week to play my 3's
- Netflix YES (+++)
- Turbotax NO (desktop)
- Quicken (3 yrs now, what's next?) NO
- Satellite radio NO
- Dollar shave club, or new guy, Bevel NO
- Mobile phones YES
- Termite inspections YES (yearly)
- Prepaid auto repair NO
- Grass service NO (no grass)
- Water softener service NO
- Furnace service NO

The only software I really own is Windows, OSX, Treepad, MSO 2010. Just about everything else is freeware, or bundled with the OS. I'll transition to Linux when Windows goes subscription.

 

[ChiliPepr]

Our BOFA Visa has a service called ShopSafe where you can get a limited use credit card number (based on your card). It's a mild pain to use - you have to go to their web site to generate the number - but it's handy for two purposes:

1 - dealing with a vendor I'm not comfortable with handing over my regular credit card number. Usually any web site besides Amazon ;-)

2 - subscriptions. You can set the expression for the card number so there is no chance they can use it to renew a subscription with it.

I honestly can't remember the last time I wrote a check...

+1 I do the same thing with my Citi credit card.

The only time I write a check is to my town for taxes and the water bill.... They take electronic payments or credit cards, but they charge you a dollar to do it. So, I write the check and make them hand process it.

 

[audreyh1]

I dont know how Sirius stays in business. Pandora and iHeart Raido are free and much better (as long as you have an aux jack or blue tooth in your car).

We dropped our subscription this year because we can get streaming to our iOS devices plugged into our vehicle radios. So far that streaming is free and covered under our cell bandwidth allowance.

Sirius/XM are too expensive compared to the Internet streaming models.

 

[SJ1_]

Is anyone else getting tired of companies trying to jam a subscription model down your throat?

Seems like about a decade ago, the MBAs discovered that the best way to squeeze both customers and businesses is through a subscription model. No more buy once and forget.

Sure, this has been around forever with "razors and blades", or more recently, "printers and cartridges." But I'm talking a new, closer level of interaction. Monthly or yearly fees, whether you want them or not.

Pick your poison:
- Amazon Prime
- Costco membership
- Google play
- iTunes
- Netflix
- Turbotax
- Quicken (3 yrs now, what's next?)
- Satellite radio
- Dollar shave club, or new guy, Bevel
- Mobile phones
- Termite inspections
- Prepaid auto repair
- Grass service
- Water softener service
- Furnace service

The newest one I got was from Terminix. They called me up and wanted to know when they could schedule my "attic inspection." I'm like, "What attic inspection?" Apparently, they are just trying to get people on an attic inspection yearly service. I inspect my attic myself, once per quarter, thank you very much. Don't need your guy to pop in with his flashlight.

And about those furnace/ac inspections. I think there is a lot of fear here that they employ. Yes, it is not a bad idea to get a pro to check every few years, maybe every 5. But keep CO monitors in your house regardless. You can inspect and clean much of what they do anyway. And from what I saw from a "complementary" service I got when my unit was only 6 months old, I was horrified. The guy disabled all the safeties to "test the safeties". This heated up the heat exchanger to red hot. I don't think that is good for the system! Not the right way to test!

Now I'm off topic. But it just seems like some new recurring charge is popping up in my life and I'm not happy about it.

and the rest of the people want you to take a survey

 

[RonBoyd]

My favorite was "Slacker." You would purchase a proprietary MP3 player; one that Slacker would download your music to when an Internet connection was available. You could than play the music without access to cell tower or Hot Spot. This was good when driving in areas with no (or spotty) cell service... or boondocking back in the woods. We went for three days once without service and never heard the same song twice. Then when we got back to civilization a whole new set of songs were installed.

Aw, but alas. The device had a non-replaceable battery (required even if plugged in) and when it came time to replace, Slacker changed its service to be more like Pandora. (They still -- five years later -- have not gotten their act together.) FWIW: Slacker Radio Stations | Free Internet Radio | Slacker Radio

I, therefore, have to use my cell phone as a MP3 player when on the road and the car radio when in big cities. Rarely do I use Pandora and Spotify on the road but use them all the time at the stick house... along with KUVO.ORG and WWOZ.ORG.

 

[athena53]

and the rest of the people want you to take a survey

I just sent a note to Marriott (through the Web site, not to their No-Reply e-mail) and told them to stop bugging me with surveys every time I stay in one of their properties. I always add a review to TripAdvisor because I value the information I get when I'm planning travel. What do I get for filling out a survey from Marriott or Hilton? Nothing- not even 500 lousy loyalty program points.

 

[JoeWras]

and the rest of the people want you to take a survey

Oh no, my other pet peeve!

Surveys are veiled marketing devices. I skip most of them.

Speaking of recurring issues. I cannot stop the Red Cross from bothering me about donations. I've tried, but they persist. But here's the thing: I give every 8 to 12 weeks religiously. I call them. But it isn't enough. They want to call me.

I think it is time to go to my local blood bank and skip ARC They are not getting the message. I don't want their calls!

And maybe that is the root of it. Too many people wanting to call me and sign me up. To Midpack, who told me to say "NO". I did say "NO" to the Red Cross this morning. I should be happy, right? Nope, because she just kept talking, so I had to hang up on her too. I guess that is the part II. Ignore them.

 

[Midpack]

And maybe that is the root of it. Too many people wanting to call me and sign me up. To Midpack, who told me to say "NO". I did say "NO" to the Red Cross this morning. I should be happy, right? Nope, because she just kept talking, so I had to hang up on her too. I guess that is the part II. Ignore them.

I don't disagree, it's just harder to say no to some organizations than others, and I am not suggesting it isn't very annoying in some cases. I am willing to be more stubborn than any organization that's bugged me so far.

I used to give to St Jude Childrens Hospital regularly (a very worth cause IMO), but they wouldn't stop "soliciting" us far too frequently. I warned them several times and sadly we stopped giving to them as a result, never resumed.

I used to be a customer of West Marine, but they would not stop sending me catalogs and excessive junk mail. It took three mild but firm confrontations with them, they'd stop and then resume after weeks/months. Ultimately I cancelled my membership/quit buying from them to make them to stop. There are plenty of other providers who will sell to me without burying me in useless junk mail.

There are local charities I give to regularly, but I refuse to even give them my name - I don't care about charitable giving tax deductions anymore. I get to help them, but they never bother me (obviously).

I am sympathetic to your views, I guess I am just more determined than they are and subscriptions, surveys, etc. are minor annoyances in the overall scheme of things IMO...

 

[ExFlyBoy5]

We dropped our subscription this year because we can get streaming to our iOS devices plugged into our vehicle radios. So far that streaming is free and covered under our cell bandwidth allowance.

Sirius/XM are too expensive compared to the Internet streaming models.

I used to be a big fan of SiriusXm but after a while, the value wasn't there for me. Now, I am able to DOWNLOAD songs from Amazon Prime Music to my phone and stream it via Bluetooth in the car...all without using my cell data plan (which is good since I use Ting and try to limit my data use). Also, since adding Amazon TV, I am able to use Amazon Music through my entertainment system. For me, Amazon Prime is about the best subscription plan available. Also, for every package that is *guaranteed* to be delivered in two days and isn't, I get a free month.

As for the subscription plan on software, I think this will become more and more prevalent. Folks like me will run software into the ground before upgrading...Windows XP is still my favorite OS yet isn't really supported anymore. If the software developers get people on a subscription plan, then the good old days of keeping software for YEARS will be over. Of course, there are things like Google Docs that make it "free" and you can avoid the subscription plans.

 

[JoeWras]

I used to be a big fan of SiriusXm but after a while, the value wasn't there for me. Now, I am able to DOWNLOAD songs from Amazon Prime Music to my phone and stream it via Bluetooth in the car...all without using my cell data plan (which is good since I use Ting and try to limit my data use). Also, since adding Amazon TV, I am able to use Amazon Music through my entertainment system. For me, Amazon Prime is about the best subscription plan available. Also, for every package that is *guaranteed* to be delivered in two days and isn't, I get a free month.

I need to look into the Amazon music. Didn't know you could download like that. Man, this w*rk thing is cramping my style! No time!

I loved XM back in the day. And it was a good value. Now the only thing I like are the countdown shows on 60s, 70s, 80s on the weekend. Sirius changed the programming formula and it stinks. Might as well make use of that $99 to Amazon and drop XM. (BTW, just charged my card with the new fee last week. Ouch.)

 

[audreyh1]

I already have an extensive collection shared across all my iOS device, any of which can be plugged into the car stereo. In fact the car has it's own iPod - a little square one that you can't get anymore. It holds all my music!

I found that on my common XM channels I never seemed to hear anything new.

I got a refund for part of the year, and now this is available for buying Internet streaming content!

 

[mpeirce]

In fact the car has it's own iPod - a little square one that you can't get anymore. It holds all my music!

Both our cars have SD card slots in them for music.

It's pretty easy to dump a bunch of mp3 (or m4a) files on to a card and pop it in there.