"Completely ridiculous."
  • 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.
      • grue@lemmy.worldEnglish
        32·
        3 months ago

        It’s not enough to not buy one. We need to demand that Congress and the FTC do their goddamn jobs and quit letting every company fuck over the public.

        • Squizzy@lemmy.worldEnglish
          34·
          3 months ago

          Yeah that isnt their job, thats just how they are marketed. The US is a corporation and everyone in it is doomed to the rat race.

          So so many issues that just happen in other countries.

    • Batman@lemmy.worldEnglish
      801·
      3 months ago

      For everyone with a peloton, you can flash the bike with an aftermarket software.

    • Wogi@lemmy.worldEnglish
      29·
      3 months ago

      They already charge a ridiculous monthly fee just to use the bike.

      And sure, it’s a nicer exercise bike, but you can get a similar experience with a much cheaper bike and a tablet.

      • elliot_crane@lemmy.worldEnglish
        11·
        3 months ago

        Yep. I’ve been doing this for a while now with a cheap old no-name bike and an ipad. Poor man’s peloton ftw.

        • WalnutLum@lemmy.mlEnglish
          2·
          3 months ago

          How do you do this with a tablet? Can you buy like a wheel sensor or something?

          • elliot_crane@lemmy.worldEnglish
            6·
            3 months ago

            I don’t have anything fancy going on with the tablet. Like it’s not tracking the bike or my workout or anything like that. I just use my watch for fitness tracking and put up either exercise videos or a stream or something to watch on the tablet.

        • tabular@lemmy.worldEnglish
          3·
          3 months ago

          It’s unappealing to have software be hostile. Software that does what I want only if it’s creator doesn’t actively oppose it… that need not be on my computer.

        • VelvetStorm@lemmy.worldEnglish
          1·
          3 months ago

          Those ones are actually kinda hard to pirate. Especially if you had the creative cloud on your pc at some point.

    • BallsandBayonets@lemmings.worldEnglish
      2·
      3 months ago

      Do you see an alternative? Each year more companies move to a subscription model, even when it doesn’t make the slightest bit of sense. In many cases if you have the time to do proper research and/or a lot of technical savvy, you can find alternatives from companies no one recognizes. Most people don’t have the time or know-how, and the companies that like subscription models are spending billions making sure their names are the only ones people think exist.

      • tabular@lemmy.worldEnglish
        3·
        3 months ago

        Update consumer protection laws and actually enforce them. Laws that were written back when tech would come with the schematics.