I grew up during the strong print era and magazines were my deep-dive into the things I loved most. Regardless of my interests, when I was a kid, there was a magazine catering to it. From pottery, aliens, muscle cars, and fine art to sports, archeology, knitting, and puzzles; regardless of your interest, there was a magazine dedicated to it – often several. Most bookstores had robust selections of magazines, and I loved to browse them all.
I subscribed to my favorites so I wouldn’t miss an issue! Subscriptions are popular today, but very few people associate them with magazines anymore. Televised entertainment is a huge category these days, offering paid access to movies, TV shows and anything you can stuff into a TV set. Music has a strong subscription model. Your favorite songs can be streamed to your devices for a monthly fee. Game consoles also offer subscriptions to vast video game libraries.
But monthly fees aren’t just for entertainment. Picture this… You leave work on a winter night. It’s dark. The wind is howling, and a dusting of snow covers the parking lot as you walk to your car. You pull your door shut, glad to be out of the wind and snow, but your seat is ice-cold. If only you’d opted for the dealer’s subscription fee for heated seats, but you bought the car during the summer heat and opted out. The button is right there, but you didn’t subscribe.
An auto manufacturer tried that. They wanted to sell you a car with various features but not grant access to these luxuries without a monthly fee. Outrageous! This type of subscription was met with consumer backlash. The result of this backlash – more manufacturers are locking key features behind subscription requirements. I can’t imagine buying a car in which egregious greed is prioritized before customer satisfaction. From cars to movies, subscriptions have become a method for creating perpetual payments for things you’ve already bought.
As much as social media and phones have invaded my life, I still read magazines and love the tactile feeling of having one in my hands. I even subscribe to one or two still. However, when it comes to restricting things behind paywalls, that’s not in the spirit of a subscription. It’s always a gamble when clicking on an interesting article on social media. Sometimes you see the article. Other times they require payment for access. Subscriptions were once a convenience and an assurance. Now they’re becoming a costly obstacle.
Would you buy a car if you were forced to pay a monthly fee for heated seats or additional horsepower? Just wait until ads begin popping up on your car’s fancy touchscreen every time you stop at a traffic light. Where will it all end?
By CapeCod.com Staff
