3 ms·
I am going to both agree and disagree. For the most part, I definitely don't want a subscription since I want to keep the product indefinitely, don't want to d
by II2II 2y ago
I am going to both agree and disagree.
For the most part, I definitely don't want a subscription since I want to keep the product indefinitely, don't want to deal with recurring fees, and don't want to see stuff that I am interested in disappear (whether it is the rotating licensing agreement for IP on streaming services, or a feature vanishing/moving to a new tier in a software update). Then there are issues with automatic billing, sometimes due to the mistakes you mentioned and sometimes due to hostile terms in the EULA. That being said, one has to be careful with credit card purchase even if they aren't recurring.
Yet there are also products that I don't want to purchase outright. Streaming services are appealing since they offer access to a large library. Few people would be able to afford purchasing everything they use. Even if they could afford it, they may not want to manage an accumulating pile of stuff that they will use only once or twice. While I am thinking of streaming services, I would imagine that the same would apply to software for some people.
Someone mentioned that your suggestion would offer too much friction. I don't really see that being the case. If you're subscription ends on the 15th of the month and you log in on the 20th, they can simple present one-click dialog box offering a renewal. If you don't want stored credit card information (either as a business or as a customer), it looks like the major browsers handle storing credit card information on the client's side. (Note: I don't know how reliable or secure this is since I don't use it, but I have seen the feature in multiple browsers.)
- space_oddity 2y agoThe subscription model offers significant convenience, particularly for services that provide ongoing updates and support. But it does have some cons! I was dealing with potential access issues.