BMW has decided to pull the plug on its subscription-based heated seat service, according to an official announcement. The German carmaker had launched various features available on a subscription basis in several markets worldwide. This included heated seats and even a heated steering wheel. In South Korea, for instance, a subscription for the heated seat feature cost $18 a month.
However, it seems this approach hasn’t been warmly received by BMW’s customer base. The company’s decision to phase out the subscription for heated seats comes after noting a lackluster uptake of the service. Pieter Nota, a board member in charge of sales and marketing at BMW, shed light on the matter. He highlighted that the acceptance rate was notably low, with many customers feeling as though they were being double-charged for a feature that should ideally come without extra fees.
But this doesn’t mean BMW is entirely giving up on its subscription-based model. The automaker is still keen on offering subscriptions, but the focus will shift. BMW plans to channel its efforts into subscriptions for other features like advanced parking assistance, enhanced navigation, and other state-of-the-art assistance systems.
