Drivers Angry as BMW Sells Heated Seat Subscriptions
BMW's heated seat subscriptions have created plenty of warmth this summer — they have made some drivers feel hot under the collar.
The German carmaker has faced criticism for a new policy that allows owners of some BMWs to upgrade their cars with heated seats on a subscription basis.
Offering optional extras when ordering a new car is nothing unusual. But in recent years, car companies have also been offering additional software-based features that must be paid for through online subscriptions.
For example, BMW also offers subscriptions to a service that tells drivers when a speed camera is nearby, or a service that automatically starts recording videos after an accident.
The problem people have with the heated seat subscription — which was introduced in July 2022, according to the BBC — is that the heat pads have already been built into the car's seats during manufacture. They just can't be turned on unless the owner pays for the subscription.
On Twitter, some people called BMW's actions "greedy," while others joked that brake subscriptions might be next.
People in countries including the UK, South Africa, Germany and Japan can activate their car's heated seats via BMW's ConnectedDrive store, with one-month, one-year, three-year and unlimited plans available.
Prices for a one-month subscription are almost $16 (2,090 yen) in Japan, a little more than $17 in Germany, and just over $18 in the UK.
After some early confusion, BMW said the subscription service will not be available in South Korea — or in the US, where it says over 90% of buyers choose heated seats as standard.
The company, which also offers heated steering wheels as an online extra in some places, said subscription services can let drivers trial a feature for a short period before deciding on a long-term purchase, or allow secondhand buyers to easily add extras that the first buyer did not choose.
With the hot weather around the world in recent months, perhaps customers haven't been lining up for warm seats just yet. For now, it has just been BMW feeling the heat.
