Buy now, pay forever - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: PlainName
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 14, 2021, 05:13:06 pm
content: TheDailyWailhas an article referencing a recent Panorama program concerning Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) companies such as Klarna, Clearpay, etc. Nothing to do with electronics, not even remotely. Except...The whole idea of these is that you pay a little periodically instead of a huge bunch of wonga up front. Here's a quote of someone involved:QuoteBit of a sucker, right? And yet, that's the way we are being herded by when we are forced to pay a subscription for the likes of Fusion360, Altium, <insert your 'only a couple of cents a week' favourite product>. The issue is that taken alone, a single subscription looks cheap and affordable, but when all your software (and, very soon, hardware) is pay-to-play, they all add up to a significant sum. Run out of fund and you lose it all.Moral of the story: don't encourage subscription-ware if you can help it.

author: cliffyk
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: December 14, 2021, 05:42:29 pm
content: I do not do subscription software, never will. <-- that's period...

author: Jester
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: December 14, 2021, 05:50:08 pm
content: The ONLY monthly payment ( besides utilities) is my Visa, and it has been paid by due date for > 40 years. I have nothing to do with these scams.

author: Bud
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 14, 2021, 05:58:03 pm
content: Quote from: cliffyk on December 14, 2021, 05:42:29 pmTechnically, nothing prevents the entire world to move that direction, so noone has a choice anymore. Unless the problem is recognized and consumer laws provide some protection.

author: cliffyk
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: December 14, 2021, 06:09:09 pm
content: Quote from: Jester on December 14, 2021, 05:50:08 pmMy wife and i are in the same situation, we own the house and all that's in it, and both cars. Visa lets us use their money free for a month. You and I are their worst sort of customer...

author: cliffyk
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: December 14, 2021, 06:12:44 pm
content: Quote from: Bud on December 14, 2021, 05:58:03 pmOf course there is a choice; don't buy subscription software. It may seem difficult to believe, but I lived the first 25 years of my life quite comfortably with no "personal" computer(s) of any sort--they did not exist...

author: ebastler
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 14, 2021, 06:37:31 pm
content: Quote from: dunkemhigh on December 14, 2021, 05:13:06 pmWhile I dislike the subscription model for software, it is not quite the same trap as buying goods on credit. If you should find that subscription costs are getting overwhelming, you can alway cancel the subscription. In contrast, when you have bought something on credit you will be stuck with the payments until you have paid up. Especially nasty (stupid?) when buying things like clothing, which lose most of their resale value on the first day you wear them...

author: cliffyk
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: December 14, 2021, 06:51:20 pm
content: Quote from: ebastler on December 14, 2021, 06:37:31 pmNew automobiles, and just about everything else new, lose 15-20% or more in value as soon as you accept delivery--like any other consumer product the dealers buy at New stock at a 23% discount--often more. I worked in manufacturing for 15 years in the 70s an early 80s; our best customers (resellers) got 45-55% discounts based on their volume--I doubt that has changed much.

author: PlainName
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 14, 2021, 07:54:54 pm
content: QuoteYou can do thatnow. Once the providers see that it's a no-brainer you probably won't have any choice. Eagle is a good example: you cannot now get that except on subscription, and that's because Autodesk were allowed to get away with it with Fusion360 and similar. With them, it's far too late to "just don't buy it" because it is the new norm there.

author: SiliconWizard
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 14, 2021, 08:46:22 pm
content: Well as long as there are companies willing to offer alternatives, you can have a choice. But yeah, once there aren't anymore, we'll be screwed. And it's going to happen, because this business model only has plusses for companies.As discussed in other threads, this is a general trend. Its main point is putting people endlessly in debt, which makes them dependent.