- Peloton is introducing a $95 “used equipment activation fee” for bikes purchased from outside its official channels in the US and Canada, aiming to boost revenue and maintain onboarding quality for new subscribers.
- The fee has sparked criticism as it reduces the cost savings typically associated with buying secondhand equipment and diverges from practices in other industries, potentially discouraging used market purchases.
- Peloton’s hardware sales continue to decline, but subscription revenue has seen slight growth; the company still faces financial struggles despite cost-cutting measures and layoffs.
Is this like an… idiot tax?
The “signing up for Planet Fitness membership but not actually using the gym” is the real idiot tax. Well, yeah, I guess this one is too.
But this fee wasn’t there when people originally purchased this was it? If so, they will now have a less valuable product since they won’t be able to sell it as easily. Or are they only doing it for new units?
To my understanding, it has always only been usable with a subscription, so…
I cannot understand why lemmy gets up in arms over bullshit like this. If the idiots wish to pay, let them.
The people getting up in arms are upset because they see it as a slippery slope. First just the idiots pay for subscriptions, then it creeps into the lives of everyone. And eventually it’s harder to avoid the bullshit than just pay, and the whole market becomes more predatory. Like if the idiots give companies an inch, they’ll eventually take a mile