Peloton Treadmill Safety Update Requires $40 a Month Subscription (vice.com) 129
An anonymous reader quotes a report from Motherboard: Peloton's Treadmills cost between $2,500 and $4,000. They've also injured 70 people and killed one child. Peloton issued a recall on the treadmills after an investigation by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). Those who kept the Tread+ got a nasty shock in their inbox recently: After the treadmill downloaded an update Peloton said was designed to make the device safer, users reported they could no longer run on it without paying Peloton a $39.99 per month subscription fee. "We care deeply about the safety and well being of our Members and we created Tread Lock to secure your Tread+ against unauthorized access," Peloton said in an email it sent to customers. "Unfortunately at this time 'Just Runn' is no longer accessible without a Peloton Membership." It offered to waive the subscription fee for the first three months and apologized for the inconvenience.
Peloton's subscription ecosystem provides users with live classes, crafted playlists, and customized tracks. For people who just want to run or bike, they can select the "Just Bike" or "Just Run" feature and use their devices like normal exercise equipment. Unless, of course, the user has updated the Tread+ to get the safety update. [...] The new Tread Lock update adds another layer of safety to the Tread+. "Tread Lock is a safety feature that automatically locks the Peloton Tread+ after you put your Tread+ to sleep or after 45 seconds of inactivity outside of a class," Peloton said on its website. For now, the cost of using that new feature is, apparently, about $40 a month, though Peloton claimed it would not always be so. "Unfortunately due to current technical limitations, Tread Lock is not yet available without a Peloton Membership," Peloton told Motherboard in an email. "We understand that this is an inconvenience for some and are working on updates to Tread Lock that will allow us to make Tread Lock and Just Run available without a Peloton Membership."
Peloton's subscription ecosystem provides users with live classes, crafted playlists, and customized tracks. For people who just want to run or bike, they can select the "Just Bike" or "Just Run" feature and use their devices like normal exercise equipment. Unless, of course, the user has updated the Tread+ to get the safety update. [...] The new Tread Lock update adds another layer of safety to the Tread+. "Tread Lock is a safety feature that automatically locks the Peloton Tread+ after you put your Tread+ to sleep or after 45 seconds of inactivity outside of a class," Peloton said on its website. For now, the cost of using that new feature is, apparently, about $40 a month, though Peloton claimed it would not always be so. "Unfortunately due to current technical limitations, Tread Lock is not yet available without a Peloton Membership," Peloton told Motherboard in an email. "We understand that this is an inconvenience for some and are working on updates to Tread Lock that will allow us to make Tread Lock and Just Run available without a Peloton Membership."
So its 40/month or.. (Score:5, Funny)
Pay us $40 a month or we will kill your kid.
Re:So its 40/month or.. (Score:5, Informative)
Re:So its 40/month or.. (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:So its 40/month or.. (Score:5, Informative)
NO, from the story it is $40/month "Membership":
"For now, the cost of using that new feature is, apparently, about $40 a month, though Peloton claimed it would not always be so. “Unfortunately due to current technical limitations, Tread Lock is not yet available without a Peloton Membership,” Peloton told Motherboard in an email. “We understand that this is an inconvenience for some and are working on updates to Tread Lock that will allow us to make Tread Lock and Just Run available without a Peloton Membership.”
You reading a different story?
Then again, you can return it for a full refund. So, that is free I guess
https://support.onepeloton.com... [onepeloton.com]
"As soon as your Tread+ receives the latest software update, you will be prompted to activate the Tread Lock."
https://support.onepeloton.com... [onepeloton.com]
"If you wish to return your Tread+ for a full refund, you may do so until November 6, 2022. "
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No. You are reading two completely independent statements about different things and assuming they are intertwined as part of some grand masterplan.
It's very easy to make a statement that directly expresses what you think is happening, but they didn't do so.
Re:So its 40/month or.. (Score:4, Insightful)
It might say it is, it might try very hard to pretend that in 90 days they'll have a free version released and they'll never actually bill that credit card they now have on hand, but as soon as your credit card gets run through the system, money starts changing hands. Because running a credit card transaction costs money.
This dirtbag company should go bankrupt and its senior management should all likewise go bankrupt and get imprisoned.
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Why did you leave out the part where they clearly stated they will waive the membership for 3 months?
'cause that's the "tweet" not "the story". Also, if you read the image in the tweet, it says "For this inconvenience, we have waived three months of All-Access membership for all Tread+ owners."
Says nothing about costs. It sounds like someone hastily janked together a note without using those important words like "fee" or "cost of" or some words relating to money.
What does it even mean to "waive...membership" I don't have to be a member? But wait, I do have to be a member? I do and I don't at the same
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Too bad there's no uncertainty about the results of no treadmilling.
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Why did you leave out the part where they clearly stated they will waive the membership for 3 months?
'cause that's the "tweet" not "the story". Also, if you read the image in the tweet, it says "For this inconvenience, we have waived three months of All-Access membership for all Tread+ owners."
Says nothing about costs. It sounds like someone hastily janked together a note without using those important words like "fee" or "cost of" or some words relating to money.
What does it even mean to "waive...membership" I don't have to be a member? But wait, I do have to be a member? I do and I don't at the same time?
This was likely nothing more than a hastily slapped-together response/tweet, motivated by the legal department who responded in kind to a massive breach of end-user agreement.
Probably went something like "Uh, what in the FUCK are you doing?" from the people who passed the Bar exam, to the idiot marketeers suggesting they will now charge consumers for a feature they had likely legally agreed was included for free.
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NO, from the story it is $40/month "Membership":
Why did you leave out the part where they clearly stated they will waive the membership for 3 months?
That gives them 90 days to figure this out. If, at that time, they start acting all shady then we can all shame them. But right now it's a non-story.
Besides, they also clearly said you can return the treadmill for a full refund.
Seems awful fair to me.
"Fair" is defined by the opposing party and their ability to actually cause change.
You already know damn well where this will end up in 90 days. Do yourself a favor and stop acting like the idiot everyone takes you for.
"You're just another moron who assumes otherwise." - History
Re:So its 40/month or.. (Score:4, Insightful)
You have a lot of faith in this company to do the right thing within three months after putting to market a treadmill dangerous enough to kill a child.
Re:So its 40/month or.. (Score:5, Insightful)
No, from the story it is a free subscription while they work on providing an update that doesn't require the use of the subscription. seems like pretty much a non story, an inconvenience definitely but not a cost.
It's 3 months of a free subscription while they work on an update that will let the fix work without a subscription. But there's no target date for that update, and not even a guarantee that it will ever come. Six months from now they could say "We apologize but at this time we are unable to provide the required safety features without a subscription. We'll continue to bill you".
If they wanted to offer a free subscription until the update is ready, they could have said "You'll need to sign up for a subscription, but we're waiving subscription fees until the update is ready".
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No. This is essentially bait and switch.
They sell you this equipment.
Them monetize a problem with only vague promises of restoring functionality without cost later.
And remember, the Internet may never forget. But it's attention span would shame a mayfly.
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Or get a free refund (Score:2)
Note that as part of the recall you can choose to return the treadmill for a full refund at this time. Considering how untrustworthy Peloton has been, I'd recommend people take the offer and use the money to buy a different treadmill. Alternately, you have until November to decide to take the refund, so you can wait and see if they do remove the subscription requirement like they are claiming.
Taxes? (Score:2)
What does Mr Peloton do with all the cash that his treadmill company earns for him?
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Blow and hookers.
Really? The 21st Century has nothing better to offer than this recycled 80's bullshit that's about as fashionable as a Crockett and Tubbs clothing line?
Pretty pathetic when putting heroin in a prescription bottle, didn't improve on this.
This is why I won't buy anything... (Score:3, Insightful)
This is why I won't and will never buy anything that doesn't fully work with 100% of its features without being connected to the Internet.
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Re:This is why I won't buy anything... (Score:5, Insightful)
Same problem here...
In every case, I checked that they would work without an "account" or connectivity before buying. Now these devices are disabled until I set up an account with the manufacturer, which will not happen. These goddamned thieves have taken away my ownership of my hardware retroactively, for which the manufacturers received full payment. As far as I am concerned, this is fraud.
I just received an Innovo Pulse oxy unit for $25.99 today. Works great, no connectivity.
I just received a pair of Z-wave remote control sockets today, and will connect them to my local server when I receive the controller later this week.
So it is possible, it takes additional effort.
Lying sacks of shit. Fuck them long, hard and deep.
Re: This is why I won't buy anything... (Score:4, Insightful)
It's all part of the plan.
"you will own nothing, and you will be happy"
Re:This is why I won't buy anything... (Score:4, Insightful)
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If you're not taking them to small claims court, it's not fraud. It's profit.
And now you know why they bank on that profit.
99.99% of people are too fucking lazy to do that, and the other 0.01% already realized it's not worth their time.
(Yes. This is in fact, by design.)
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I have a perfectly fine Galaxy S9 that had oxymeter / heart rate sensor. It worked perfectly until May 2021.
On my s7 if I go into settings / Apps, find Samsung Health and disable it, it reverts back to the factory installation.
Until/unless it updates again, it's working fine with no account once more.
(I've moved away from that anyway for health info, but occasionally use it as a sanity check)
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Sue them in Small Claims and get your money back. Far from being a waste of time, itâ(TM)s very educational and at least somewhat empowering, since the alternative is to seethe while the company keeps your money. Itâ(TM)s at least no more a waste of time than watching sports or American Idol.
Iâ(TM)ve been and won 5 times now. Companies know theyâ(TM)re breaking the law with this bait-and-switch stuff, but so few Americans are aware of their rights, or know how to fight back, that they
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I can tell you with near certainty that it's probably not a piece of exercise equipment, medical equipment, HVAC thermostat, fruit juicer, etc.
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My PC works perfectly well without an internet connection. I cannot access the internet (obviously), but the servers on my LAN and all regular programs do not stop working.
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Contrary to what you might think, my PC continues to function just fine without the internet.
If you don't want the subscription (Score:2, Insightful)
If you don't want the subscription, don't get the device. The only reason to buy a Pelaton is because of the subscription. Otherwise it's just an overpriced piece of hardware.
Re:If you don't want the subscription (Score:5, Insightful)
If you don't want the subscription, don't get the device. The only reason to buy a Pelaton is because of the subscription. Otherwise it's just an overpriced piece of hardware.
Sorry, but it's not quite that simple. It's at least reasonable to assume that the device is designed to operate in "standalone" mode, since it has (or had) an operating mode that specifically supported exactly that. If Peloton only wanted to sell a subscription-mandatory model, they would have never included the offline 'Just Runn' option in the first place.
TL; DR "Yeah, we've decided to have YOU, the ignorant customer, pay for our pending legal fees. No more free anything. Pay up, and Shut Up. Fuck You Very Much, and Have a Nice Day." - Peloton
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If you don't want the subscription, don't get the device. The only reason to buy a Pelaton is because of the subscription. Otherwise it's just an overpriced piece of hardware.
But what if I already bought the 500 lb, $4000 device and decided that I like it just fine without a subscription? Is someone going to refund my money and come pick it up?
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Honestly, if people are going to pay that much, then they should just get a Precor instead. I have a few Precor machines in my home gym. I use them daily. None of them require an Internet connection. All of them are backed by a decade-long warranty for home use. All of them are incredibly well built and solid.
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It's at least reasonable to assume that the device is designed to operate in "standalone" mode, since it has (or had) an operating mode that specifically supported exactly that.
If that's what you wanted, you shouldn't have bought a Pelaton. If I'm being honest, you shouldn't buy a Pelaton, but some people really like the camaraderie and isolation of riding stationary bikes with strangers. That is literally the only reason to buy one of these, if you have to.
As for what Pelaton did here, it's almost certainly legal based on the terms and conditions when you bought it.
Should it be legal? No.
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If I'm being honest, you shouldn't buy a Pelaton, but some people really like the camaraderie and isolation of riding stationary bikes with strangers. That is literally the only reason to buy one of these, if you have to.
Yeah, I "literally" can't think of a single valid reason why humans would have wanted or needed to isolate themselves over the last 15 months.
Nope. Not one.
(If I'm being honest, there's nothing more to say to that.)
Re:If you don't want the subscription (Score:4, Insightful)
Check the original terms of purchase. Device works without subscription. Long after purchase is complete, the terms are changed, "just run" is no longer available without the subscription.
Fraud.
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"Terms and Conditions Subject to Change Without Notice"
Could have sworn a consumer-fucking EULA told me that at some point ago.
Or perhaps it was 2,203 points ago. Dunno, lost count...
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Thievery none the less.
"I am altering the deal, pray that I don't alter it further." Works for the autocrat.
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Thievery none the less.
"I am altering the deal, pray that I don't alter it further." Works for the autocrat.
Yes. It DOES work. That's why they'll get away with it.
Accusing someone of a crime, ONLY matters when there's someone on the other side of Justice who actually gives a shit enough to enforce the law. That has been made crystal clear watching the last couple of years of sanctioned, dismissed violence in the US.
Re:If you don't want the subscription (Score:4, Interesting)
EULA or no EULA, if it is not fit for the purpose for which it was sold, this should breach consumer law. In any civilised jurisdiction, you would be entitled to a repair, refund, or replacement at your discretion.
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Fortunately Peloton does actually offer refunds in this case, but your point about civilised jurisdiction is still correct since in this case we're relying on the kindness of a corporation, not a legally binding mandate.
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Check the original terms of purchase. Device works without subscription. Long after purchase is complete, the terms are changed, "just run" is no longer available without the subscription.
Fraud.
You can return it for a full refund, though - which should leave that issue moot. Of course, I also agree with the original poster that I doubt anyone will buy the Peloton without a subscription. That's the whole point of getting one... if you didn't want the subscription, you'll get better treadmills for far less money.
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Check the original terms of purchase. Device works without subscription. Long after purchase is complete, the terms are changed, "just run" is no longer available without the subscription.
Fraud.
We have altered the deal; pray we do not alter it any further
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Hey Slashdot, I did use the preview button. The preview looked nothing like this.
Take thy pointed finger to the nearest mirror.
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https://blog.ericgoldman.org/a... [ericgoldman.org]
This blog you linked to has nothing to do with what Pelaton did.
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The other option they are giving is a full refund. So you have three options as the owner of the device.
1)Wait until they fix it.
2)Get the free subscription until they fix it.
3)Get a full product refund.
If you actually look into US consumer law, you would find that the inclusion of #3 means that the other options become perfectly legal. Well, sort of. They probably would have to extend the free subscription until a fix has been issued, but I doubt it will take them that long to write and test a software upd
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That's very comforting to the people who bought the device ALREADY, and are now being told they'll be shackled with a sub if they want to actually USE it.
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Yeah, I'm warning people who might want to buy it in the future. Pelaton is not a great device.
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it's "peloton".
i just learnt about it today and yes, it totally looks like another braindead gimmick for people with way too much money on their hands and whose brains might be lacking exercise even more than their neglected bodies, but if you want to appear as someone knowledgeable in the matter at least try to spell it correctly. pro-tip: it's spelled correctly in the title, in the abstract, in the source and literally dozens of times all over the thread ... :-)
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I read the headline (Score:2)
"Peloton Treadmill Safety Update Requires $40 a Month Subscription"
I read the headline and thought, "Of course it does."
Re: I read the headline (Score:2)
Re: I read the headline (Score:2)
But then you can't leave out your Peloton to signal to your friends that you have enough money to waste it on things like Peloton.
Where are the alternative conspicuous consumption lifestyle brands? Does Apple make an exercise bike yet?
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But then you can't leave out your Peloton to signal to your friends that you have enough money to waste it on things like Peloton.
Where are the alternative conspicuous consumption lifestyle brands? Does Apple make an exercise bike yet?
Apple has only the service [apple.com] (limited, not globally launched) - not the hardware. FWIW, I wish it was possible to separate hardware and services so I could get a treadmill and select the service I wanted - iFit, Peloton, Apple Fitness+, Zwift, etc.
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It's weird, but I just don't have the urge to spend bucket loads of money on pretentious stuff like this. I would definitely buy something more reasonably priced.
I have failed as a patriotic participant of conspicuous consumption!
Product ideas for the new decade (Score:2)
A treadmill that won't work without an internet connection and subscription.
A single-player computer game that won't work without an internet connection and subscription.
A juice press that won't work without an internet connection and subscription.
Oh wait...those are all last decade's product ideas...let's see...ooh here's one:
Toothpaste that won't squeeze out of the tube without an internet connection and subscription.
A refrigerator that won't open without an internet connection and subscription.
A reclinin
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Underpants that cannot be put on (or taken off) without an internet connection and subscription.
Those underpants will go hand in hand with the Internet connected chastity cage [slashdot.org]
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This is really very sad to say, but:
Shoes that won't lace up without an internet connection and subscription.
They already did that one [thegazette.com].
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A refrigerator that won't open without an internet connection and subscription.
Ooooh. I got this one - make it a violation of the TOS to put food in that was not from an 'associate' brand, or delivered by the 'associate' delivery service. That requires keeping a running inventory of all items, personal data from which can ALSO be sold at a significant profit, in addition to subscription fees. BUT, all that privacy invasion it can be hand waved away and passed off to the consumer as convenience or safety, making sure you don't run out of items or have something expire. Hell, you could even lobby to make it mandatory 'for safety'.
/Am I doing it right?
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Unauthorized Bread [arstechnica.com]
covers that.
Damn parsing exercise... (Score:3)
This stupid article is going to be used at my next team meeting as an example of how not to communicate. We'll pull it apart and point out all the ways it can be misinterpreted. People who write like that... shouldn't.
STOP !!!!! (Score:2)
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We need to stop buying products from corporate fraudsters.
They waited until the transaction was complete before imposing their ransom demands, transforming an informed decision (verifying no account required) into a grand screwing (submit to our demands to continue using the product).
Repeating part of an earlier comment: These devices were functional without subscription, a condition that I verified before purchase. Years after the transaction was completed, the manufacturers took away my ability to use my
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Point taken. My Wink hub found its way to my city's electronics recycling centre. It wasn't an expensive mistake and the lights and sockets work without a server. It makes me a little leery to buy device that requires an internet connection when the terms of service can be changed dramatically years after purchase.
As that infamous paper said (Score:4, Insightful)
"You will own nothing and be happy".
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"You will own nothing and be happy".
Relevance to this case aside, is the quote actually that bad? If you're happy then what's the problem? Is your happiness tied to ownership?
I say this mostly in reference to entertainment, people who insist on buying CDs and owning physical media for a fleeting, temporary and above all abundantly available form of entertainment.
Owning nothing isn't as bad as it sounds, providing you are infact still happy.
Regards
A Netflix subscriber.
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Ownership is often tied to freedom, or at least flexibility. Consider housing, for example. If you rent, you often are not in control of, all sorts of things, including inviting guests into your home. Some people don't mind that, but some people can't think of a place as home if they can't invite family to live without having to beg a landlord for a new lease agreement. There's all sorts of varying levels of ownership, of course. For example, someone who lives in a place with controlling home owners associa
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Ownership is often tied to freedom, or at least flexibility.
That wasn't the question. The question was about happiness. Freedom and flexibility is all something which feeds into happiness. So the question remains, if you're happy, does ownership matter?
If you rent, you often are not in control of, all sorts of things, including inviting guests into your home.
And just because you're not in control does that mean you're not happy? I ask this as a home owner who voluntarily doesn't live in his home and instead rents elsewhere. I feel absolutely zero difference between being at home and renting (mind you people can't come in uninvited, that would be strange).
As an example here. How free are you exactly to use your Netflix subscription on a camping trip, or out at sea, or in a foreign country? You may be free to do so on a camping trip, but you might not have an Internet connection.
Then the question
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That wasn't the question. The question was about happiness. Freedom and flexibility is all something which feeds into happiness. So the question remains, if you're happy, does ownership matter?
Philosophically difficult question. If you stick an electrode hooked up to a small power source into the right region of someone's brain, they will be happy. Ecstatically so, in fact. So if you're happy, does it matter that you're basically a vegetable, urinating and defecating on yourself as you die of thirst? Generally speaking, for assessing well-being, we don't just consider happiness in the abstract. We consider notions of harm that go beyond a mere question of happiness. Some more examples: If you kid
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Makes perfect sense (Score:3)
Once you've identified the suckers who pay 2.5k-4k for a 1k device, you can just charge them monthly fees until the device dies, and then they will probably buy another 2.5k-4k and monthly fees forever.
Isn't the membership the point? (Score:3)
I mean, who seriously spends all that money on anything Peloton and not have the subscription so the talking head can yell at you to "KEEP IT UP PELOTON!!"
The only thing that sets Peloton apart is their trainer service, which is locked to their equipment. If you're not going to use the service then you should've bought a different brand that's not only better, but cheaper.
Somebody forgot to run this past legal (Score:3)
I give it a week before the first lawsuit is filed.
Calisthenics anyone? (Score:1)
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Not sure why the free stuff you can do anywhere isn't good enough anymore.
Over the past 15 months? Some people report threats of fines for leaving your house. Even apart from the pandemic, people report unfavorable outdoor weather.
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If you have a small amount of floor space, you can still do pushups, sit-ups, jumping jacks, etc. You can also probably find somewhere in your house to do pullups. There are a lot of exercises and stretches you can do against a wall, etc. You don't really need much equipment or any at all really, and you don't even need to go outside. Outside can be quite nice though. Of course, some people find it easier to keep a routine with certain equipment or just enjoy the equipment more. There's no denying that the
Dat's a cute kid ya' got there, buddy. (Score:2)
Shame if something were to happen to it.
I smell a class-action (Score:2)
If a company sells a product that has a feature that does not require a subscription, and it involved buying a physical good, to later block that feature and require a subscription is a simple bait-and-switch and covered by consumer protection laws. Peloton better get on the fix really quick or their costs could increase substantially.
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Since I can't seem to edit or remove my comment....
Consumers have until November 2022 to return their Peloton for a full refund. No class action will arise, except for perhaps from the injured.
IoT, (Score:2)
now stands for "Internet of Thieves"
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In this case, it's Idiots on Treadmills
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Idiots and Thieves maybe, you forgot the buyers.
Any legitimate technical reason for this? (Score:2)
I only ask because as much as I understand it is just greed, this seems like it crosses that line between everyday villainy and cartoonish super villainy.
The only other reason I can think of a technical reason is they programmed some way into a box they can't get out without rewriting a whole thing?
Probably both reason, just malicious incompetency.
Why do you need Peloton to stream? (Score:2)
ransomware as a business model (Score:3)
At least ransomware hackers don't ask you to pay them every month.
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Files in directory
ransomware4u: Thank you for contacting ransomware4u, we are sorry you are experiencing technical difficulties at this time and we are working hard to fix the problem.
ransomware4u: We see from your account you have exceeded your 1Gb decryption limit. Either remove some files or upgrade to our 'Monero Plus' subscription.
This might mean a new ad for Ryan Reynolds' gin (Score:2)
Remember this one, after the last peloton fuckup:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?... [youtube.com]
Well, get her back, and have her looking at deciding between a $40/month peloton subscription, or a $40/month gin subscription.
What a fucking blatant scam (Score:2)
They don't need to charge for it. (Score:1)
Bad precedent. Not an actual fix. Even Legal? (Score:2)
While I am at it, this 'update' does not fix the actual problem. It covers it up. Someone can still be jogging along and their cat wanders into the wrong spot... USPSC hello -- do your job.
Why do people let kids play on these things? (Score:2)
Every treadmill out there has warnings not to let kids play on them, and safety keys that should be removed to prevent unauthorized use. But in the video I saw where a kid got hurt two very little kids were playing on the thing with no adult in sight. These things have moving parts and small gaps, kids should not be around them while they are powered on.
No, it doesn't and it says this right in the story (Score:2)
It clearly stated that the update process requires a subscription due to its security, and that until they create a method to apply the update without a subscription, they'll waive the subscription fee for 3-months so that people can get an update. So, it doesn't cost anything.
Not surprising that even the poster didn't read the story he quoted.