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After the rug pull of the Pixel Pass, I'm done with Google. That was one of the scammiest things they've ever done. I'm still fucking pissed about it and it's b

After the rug pull of the Pixel Pass, I'm done with Google. That was one of the scammiest things they've ever done. I'm still fucking pissed about it and it's been a month.

roneythomas6 3y ago
I am not sure why people think it was scammy? Pixel Pass was a glorified device financing option. Unlike Apple iPhone Upgrade Program where you trade in your phone. The upgrade isn’t free you still need to pay monthly for next two years when you upgrade. You can still upgrade for much cheaper with 0% financing. Also when you subscribe to Spotify or Netflix is there an expectation that you get the same price you signed up for when they increase price? That is the same happening here. For two years people got the Pixel Pass were paying for the device financing + perks. They only paid for device they got and not for any future device. Take a look at Pixel financing cost it is much cheaper than Pixel Pass and when you finance you have the option to trade in old phone and get reduced finance rate.
- simondotau 3y ago
  The tone of the parent post might not have been ideal, but it is correct on the facts. By ending the program, the opportunity lost to subscribers was to begin financing of a new device with a new 24 month contract period. There was no sweetheart discount involved in getting a new device. To be clear, I’m a mild Apple apologist and strong Google critic, but even I can see this wasn’t scummy. It was only disappointing. (And even then, it shouldn’t have been disappointing. Google is famous for three things: search, ads, and cancelling stuff.)
  - roneythomas6 3y ago
    I don't understand what opportunity was lost? They are still offering 0% financing which is still cheaper than Pixel Pass. On top when you add trade in, it's even cheaper. With Pixel Pass you cannot trade in.
billforsternz 3y ago
I hate Google management (as opposed to the company's good products). I signed up for You Tube Premium Lite just 9 months ago. Received by email this morning (below), they tell me I was one of their first subscribers, but they're discontinuing the product and canceling our business relationship without prejudice and without looking back. How has this become a way of doing business? Hi Bill, Thank you for being one of our first Premium Lite members. We're writing to let you know that after 25 October 2023, we will no longer be offering your version of Premium Lite. While we understand that this may be disappointing news, we continue to work on different versions of Premium Lite as we incorporate feedback from our users, creators and partners. We will cancel your membership on 25 October 2023. Your Premium Lite benefits will expire at the end of your billing cycle and you will not be billed further.
- charcircuit 3y ago
  What would you rather they do? Upgrade you to the current Premium plan, raising your price?
  - flangola7 3y ago
    Not end it? That is pretty obvious.
  - chaostheory 3y ago
    They should have kept YouTube premium and YouTube music as separate options in addition to having a bundled subscription. A lot of people have a problem with being forced to pay for both when they only use YouTube for non music viewing.
  - Dylan16807 3y ago
    If it's so hard to offer less service at a lower price, then they should upgrade but lock in the old price for... let's say 5 years.
  - billforsternz 3y ago
    It's just such an awful, uninspired, sad way to conduct business. There's no actual information in the email "we continue to work on different versions of Premium Lite as we ...". So is there a different version of Premium Lite they could move me too? Who knows, I suppose I need to go and research that myself, they're certainly not giving me any options or offering any kind of sweetener. If they're sincere in their stupid "thank you for being an early customer to our new product we're now killing" sentiment, they should do something like automatically upgrade me to the Premium plan for a decent period, say a year, without raising my price.
amf12 3y ago
Why do you think it was scammy?
faeriechangling 3y ago
I was done years ago and look upon with admiration those done with them a decade or two ago. Google is just YouTube to me now. I am amazed at how their management hasn’t seriously tackled the reputational crisis their company has. That being their reputation for abandoning their products to save Google money at their customers expense. Google at this point is a PR machine for Microsoft and their commitment to long term support and I don’t even like Microsoft.
- scns 3y ago
  > I am amazed at how their management hasn’t seriously tackled the reputational crisis their company has. What crisis? They've got billions pouring in through ads on Search, YouTube and Android. They can mess up everything else and keep axing products that only bring in tens of millions because that looks like a pittance in comparison. The beancounters/MBAs ruining it as usual. Dislike my negative tone here but what else could i say?

After the rug pull of the Pixel Pass, I'm done with Google. That was one of the scammiest things they've ever done. I'm still fucking pissed about it and it's been a month.

roneythomas6 3y ago

I am not sure why people think it was scammy? Pixel Pass was a glorified device financing option. Unlike Apple iPhone Upgrade Program where you trade in your phone. The upgrade isn’t free you still need to pay monthly for next two years when you upgrade. You can still upgrade for much cheaper with 0% financing. Also when you subscribe to Spotify or Netflix is there an expectation that you get the same price you signed up for when they increase price? That is the same happening here. For two years people got the Pixel Pass were paying for the device financing + perks. They only paid for device they got and not for any future device. Take a look at Pixel financing cost it is much cheaper than Pixel Pass and when you finance you have the option to trade in old phone and get reduced finance rate.

simondotau 3y ago
The tone of the parent post might not have been ideal, but it is correct on the facts. By ending the program, the opportunity lost to subscribers was to begin financing of a new device with a new 24 month contract period. There was no sweetheart discount involved in getting a new device. To be clear, I’m a mild Apple apologist and strong Google critic, but even I can see this wasn’t scummy. It was only disappointing. (And even then, it shouldn’t have been disappointing. Google is famous for three things: search, ads, and cancelling stuff.)
- roneythomas6 3y ago
  I don't understand what opportunity was lost? They are still offering 0% financing which is still cheaper than Pixel Pass. On top when you add trade in, it's even cheaper. With Pixel Pass you cannot trade in.

billforsternz 3y ago

I hate Google management (as opposed to the company's good products). I signed up for You Tube Premium Lite just 9 months ago. Received by email this morning (below), they tell me I was one of their first subscribers, but they're discontinuing the product and canceling our business relationship without prejudice and without looking back. How has this become a way of doing business? Hi Bill, Thank you for being one of our first Premium Lite members. We're writing to let you know that after 25 October 2023, we will no longer be offering your version of Premium Lite. While we understand that this may be disappointing news, we continue to work on different versions of Premium Lite as we incorporate feedback from our users, creators and partners. We will cancel your membership on 25 October 2023. Your Premium Lite benefits will expire at the end of your billing cycle and you will not be billed further.

charcircuit 3y ago
What would you rather they do? Upgrade you to the current Premium plan, raising your price?
- flangola7 3y ago
  Not end it? That is pretty obvious.
- chaostheory 3y ago
  They should have kept YouTube premium and YouTube music as separate options in addition to having a bundled subscription. A lot of people have a problem with being forced to pay for both when they only use YouTube for non music viewing.
- Dylan16807 3y ago
  If it's so hard to offer less service at a lower price, then they should upgrade but lock in the old price for... let's say 5 years.
- billforsternz 3y ago
  It's just such an awful, uninspired, sad way to conduct business. There's no actual information in the email "we continue to work on different versions of Premium Lite as we ...". So is there a different version of Premium Lite they could move me too? Who knows, I suppose I need to go and research that myself, they're certainly not giving me any options or offering any kind of sweetener. If they're sincere in their stupid "thank you for being an early customer to our new product we're now killing" sentiment, they should do something like automatically upgrade me to the Premium plan for a decent period, say a year, without raising my price.

amf12 3y ago

Why do you think it was scammy?

faeriechangling 3y ago

I was done years ago and look upon with admiration those done with them a decade or two ago. Google is just YouTube to me now. I am amazed at how their management hasn’t seriously tackled the reputational crisis their company has. That being their reputation for abandoning their products to save Google money at their customers expense. Google at this point is a PR machine for Microsoft and their commitment to long term support and I don’t even like Microsoft.

scns 3y ago
> I am amazed at how their management hasn’t seriously tackled the reputational crisis their company has. What crisis? They've got billions pouring in through ads on Search, YouTube and Android. They can mess up everything else and keep axing products that only bring in tens of millions because that looks like a pittance in comparison. The beancounters/MBAs ruining it as usual. Dislike my negative tone here but what else could i say?