"Completely ridiculous."
  • Peloton is introducing a $95 “used equipment activation fee” for bikes purchased from outside its official channels in the US and Canada, aiming to boost revenue and maintain onboarding quality for new subscribers.
  • The fee has sparked criticism as it reduces the cost savings typically associated with buying secondhand equipment and diverges from practices in other industries, potentially discouraging used market purchases.
  • Peloton’s hardware sales continue to decline, but subscription revenue has seen slight growth; the company still faces financial struggles despite cost-cutting measures and layoffs.
  • solrize@lemmy.worldEnglish
    89·
    3 months ago

    This is about an exercise bike, right? Why the heck is there so much nonsense surrounding it?

    • cygnusEnglish
      911·
      3 months ago

      Because it’s an exercise bike ✨on the internet✨

      • NatakuNox@lemmy.worldEnglish
        141·
        3 months ago

        Why make crazy amounts of money on a stationary bike only once? When you can every time they want to use the bike? Capitalism innovation for the win baby!!!

    • underwire212@lemm.eeEnglish
      24·
      3 months ago

      They hired some PR firm that did a really good job of marketing the enshitification to a specific demographic (high income millennials)

    • Donkter@lemmy.worldEnglish
      241·
      3 months ago

      Peloton is designed for rich people. They don’t say it explicitly because thar ruins the illusion, but the bike is meant to be a status distinction. You may only own it if you’re eager to be seen as someone who spends too much money on an exercise bike.

      • solrize@lemmy.worldEnglish
        61·
        3 months ago

        Ah thanks. Though for enough $$ they could get even more status with a vintage Cinelli track bike and some Weyless rollers. I mean I’d be impressed if I saw that. Unlike with the Peliton.

      • saltesc@lemmy.worldEnglish
        1·
        3 months ago

        Jokes on them, I think lowly of people with exercise bikes. I’m on a level of pretentious they can’t reach.

      • almar_quigley@lemmy.worldEnglish
        20·
        3 months ago

        The answer is actually corporate greed and synthesized hype for what’s probably a pretty quality piece of equipment if you remove all the enshitification from it.

      • underwire212@lemm.eeEnglish
        31·
        3 months ago

        I mean you’re not wrong in a sense. Their marketing campaign centered around targeting a specific demographic (high income insecure millennials)…those that would spend a lot of money to get their own exercise equipment than go to the gym with other people around.

        Now there’s nothing wrong with that (with wanting your own exercise equipment, at least). I just wish people realized other gym goers don’t give a shit about you. I literally don’t remember anything about anyone after the gym (like “wow that dude was so fat”).

        But alas, here we have our lovely corporate propagan-….I mean “Public Relations”…manufacturing insecurity in the mind of the consumer.

        As much as I dislike Planet Fitness’s predatory business model, I do gotta say they used this “gym insecurity” manufacturing from other PR firms to their advantage. “We know you’re insecure about going to the gym. Here’s a gym for the regular joe. Super cheap and the gym won’t have those judgmental gym goes (who never existed in the first place) that other gyms have. It’s only $10 a month! Yeah, we make it so you literally need to give us your left kidney in order to cancel your subscription, and yeah 90% of our revenue comes from people who never actually use the gyms, but hey, if you’re one of the 10%, then that’s even better since the 90% basically pay for your membership, new equipment, clean gym, amenities, AND the gyms won’t be crowded!”

        So yeah…predatory as fuck…but at least their PR campaign centered around taking advantage of a manufactured insecurity rather than adding to it? Or maybe by perpetuating this myth that there really do exist a bunch of toxic gym goers at other gyms isn’t really helping…I’m not so sure now haha.

        • conciselyverbose@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
          2·
          3 months ago

          I like the ones that advertise “$10/month” and just don’t mention that there’s an additional sizable annual fee that you also have to pay.