In today's world of subscriptions!

[Hewlet]

subscription is actually not bad, the aspect of it that doesn't always sit well with me is the nature of the subscription and the terms that comes with it. like for most packages, you cant really influence the content that you want to get from what you are subscribing for based on your needs. it is usually a general one where you just pay and get whatever general package every other person gets regardless of the difference in needs of the different subscribers.

the improvement i am hoping to see in subscription services should be that every individual that is making the subscription should be able to indicate what he is subscribing for based on his needs and such be given to him. for instance, if you are paying for DSTV package and you are primarily going to use it for sports and news, there is no need of bombarding the subscriber with Catton network and drama shows which are not what the user likes. it should be that packages are given to users based on needs and not based on supposed general needs.

[Plaguedeath]

If it were you, would you be willing to spend millions, even billions of dollars to build a service system and provide it for free for everyone to use? I bet you wouldn't be that generous.

You only work for someone when they pay you or you only sell to people when you make a profit. Likewise, they also have their own lives and they need money to maintain that life.

Try to put yourself in the shoes of the producers, providers of those services, the people who have spent effort and money to build those applications and entertainment channels, you will see and understand the importance of subscriptions. And you will also feel it when people tend to prefer to use pirated goods instead of subscribing and licensed products from the supplier (you).

Obviously no.

I do know the perspective of businessman, but that's the risk.

We use our brain to create a product, thinking it for many years before taking action, after we launch for few weeks and many people like to buy our product, then there's a rich person has a lot of money copy our business with his privilege, that's life.

But there's always a risk of using pirated apps, if rich people are still using pirated apps, they're stupid.

[yhiaali3]

I would like to thank you for the information about the Black Mirror series, as I have never watched it before. I love science fiction movies and series, so I will watch it later.

For me, I don't see a problem with monthly subscriptions to various services, whether telephone, internet, television, or other, as long as I benefit from them and they perform their intended function well. Even if I don't use the entire subscription package, I don't think it will be a problem.

This remind me of a funny incident I had with a friend who subscribed to a mobile package that offered around 1,000 minutes over three days. He wasn't able to spend them all, but it was hard for him to imagine leaving them unused after paying for them. So, he started calling all his friends, making empty calls and wasting his time and the time of others with unnecessary conversations, so that he wouldn't miss a single minute.

[Iranus]

Subscriptions are like mixed blessing helpful and sometimes inexpensive, but a lot of people pay too much.


Look at this, in here USA people pay ~$32/monthly on unutilised subscriptions. You know, most families, even I also have three to four subscriptions that I hardly use. I think most of the people in here don't cancel their renewals after stopping using them on the other side of a subscription conserves your time and money and makes you happy like online meal equipments, very-good quality streaming when using binge or useful software, it could be worthwhile.

[TheUltraElite]

Subscriptions are now the current method of making money for any sort of company. To avoid them you have to be the old skool users of torrents and all, its not tough and can be learnt, but that grind if you want to avoid you have to pay. I have been keeping a minimum of subscriptions that I dont need, like TV series.

To have savings avoiding the subscriptions to the different services is essential. This frugal approach is important in todays world of excessive spending and it is not tough to incorporate but a bit painful at first. This should also be taught to the younger generation to instill the nature in them.

[Helena Yu]

Subscriptions are like mixed blessing helpful and sometimes inexpensive, but a lot of people pay too much.


Look at this, in here USA people pay ~$32/monthly on unutilised subscriptions. You know, most families, even I also have three to four subscriptions that I hardly use. I think most of the people in here don't cancel their renewals after stopping using them on the other side of a subscription conserves your time and money and makes you happy like online meal equipments, very-good quality streaming when using binge or useful software, it could be worthwhile.

I think it's fine, that's the point of subscription right? if you want to use something at that time, you purchase it. But, if you want to use it not in that time, depends on your free time or mood, that's why you subscribe for months.

Unlike food waste, girls who bought cute things which they never use etc, I don't see the point to buy something when you didn't use it at all.

[Sticky Bomb]

I am here to tell you that companies are actually getting more from you when you subscribe to their services. Why? First of all, for some reasons we humans tend to subscribe to something and then forget about it immediately. How many subscriptions have you forgotten to cancel?

It's their business, everyone starts a business to get good profits, I get more from my clients when they give me contract and I give them a good return for their money. We've needs and since you cannot do everything, you'll have to subscribe to some third party services to help enhance your work and keep your work profitable.

Second, when you are subscribed to something in a certain amount of time you might not really use it as much as you thought you would. You might be too comfortable that the service is just there and easily accessible therefore not really making the most out of it. Like in a gym membership where you pay for the whole month but you only go for a few times.

Yes, sure. I pay for cable subscriptions and use it few times but the most important thing is that this services are available when I need them and that's what matters the most.

[Salahmu]

Well I'm a bad person here because I don't subscribe any apps, instead I use pirated version.

I don't understand the mindset of people who subscribe the apps, like, why you need to spend more money when you can get for free? I know it's for appreciating the creators's work, but it's costly I think.

It looks small, but if you calculate it in a year, it's a good sum which you can use to pay something else.

If it were you, would you be willing to spend millions, even billions of dollars to build a service system and provide it for free for everyone to use? I bet you wouldn't be that generous.

You only work for someone when they pay you or you only sell to people when you make a profit. Likewise, they also have their own lives and they need money to maintain that life.

Of course he wouldn't because the first things he would be thinking is how to make those millions or billions he spent building the service, actually the generosity of people is only when they want to assist people financially but not in using their service they have invested there live savings into giving out without charges. however you are right because nobody would find it funny to see people using there labor and intelligence without there consent and anybody who is using a pirated form of anything should no that is illegal in the eyes of the law.

[AmoreJaz]

Subscriptions are now the current method of making money for any sort of company. To avoid them you have to be the old skool users of torrents and all, its not tough and can be learnt, but that grind if you want to avoid you have to pay. I have been keeping a minimum of subscriptions that I dont need, like TV series.

To have savings avoiding the subscriptions to the different services is essential. This frugal approach is important in todays world of excessive spending and it is not tough to incorporate but a bit painful at first. This should also be taught to the younger generation to instill the nature in them.

There are so many platforms that you can subscribe today. However, you need to be smart on things so you won't spend a lot on them. As you said, just subscribe to your basic needs. You will know if it is not necessary, if you are just using it several times a month. Think of cutting off that subscription before it will add to your expenses.

There is no real transparency and you are not really getting a real breakdown of the costs. But we pay anyway. Are they actually worth it or we just do not have a choice anymore in a world where everything has to be subscribed to?

Whether it's worth it or not depends on the user, for example I subscribe to Netflix every month because I love watching movies plus I don't need to find illegal website sources that are full of advertisements, sometimes the subtitles are bad. With an official subscription we get clear subtitles, no ads and of course the official movies we watch also get official benefits. This is our way of appreciating the work of someone who has presented our favorite movies. So it can be said that it is worth it means mutual benefit to each other. unless you prefer to use illegal services, in addition to harming other parties it is also considered not to appreciate someone's work.

That's a good example of paying a subscription that is worth your money. But there are still a lot of subscriptions that we don't actually need as most of the time, you are not fully utilizing it. So check your current subscriptions and see how regular you use such subscription. If you rarely use it, better unsubscribe to lessen some of your expenses.

[jaberwock]

Some people make subscriptions to things they don't really need, either they do it simply because it seemed appealing at the moment or they do it to keep themselves entertained. Sometimes there are two more subscriptions one pays for, then overtime forget about it and then it begins to charged from their accounts and if they don't check this, you'd find that in a month, they have paid for things they really don't need but because they are too busy or lazy to follow up, they just let it be.

There are people who are like that that only buy because of immediate urge but there are some that their urges can come back after some time. So their decision of subscribing is still not a waste of money. It is annoying if we will get deducted automatically because of these subscriptions but that is the goal there of the companies to make more money. Even those who doesn't have an intention to pay at the first place will find themselves on this situation because of free trials.

I'd rather pay for say one or two subscriptions because overtime, these things loose their novelty. Work and other things can occupy ones time too much that they may not have the time to enjoy these things so instead of straining your finances it's best to go for what you need and not want.

Up to you. No one is forced here anyway but saying they can lose their novelty seem to be subjective only because not all people has the same routine or thinking as us. Just only want to say that too much seriousness is not good anymore. I bet you know already what that means .

[r_victory]

I only subscribe to two streaming services for movies and series, and even then I can't watch everything I want. I make a list of favorites so I can watch them later, but my routine ends up making me forget to do it. Not only that, but I usually listen to music on my computer, and I like listening to radio stations online from other states and countries, so I don't need a subscription. For me, I think it's worth it, regular television in my country is full of content that doesn't add value, especially for children. Since I have two, I need to make sure they watch programs that positively stimulate them.

[libert19]

...But it got me thinking of subscriptions in general. These days everything has to be subscribed to. Television, music, software, storage, gaming, and others. My question is, are these subscriptions actually worth it? Are you actually getting your money's worth?

I have only one subscription, and that's of Amazon prime. I purchase regularly on Amazon, and I find prime handy as it gives free and faster deliveries, discounts, and early access to festive deals.

I am here to tell you that companies are actually getting more from you when you subscribe to their services. Why? First of all, for some reasons we humans tend to subscribe to something and then forget about it immediately. How many subscriptions have you forgotten to cancel?

I check my banking app's 'Automatic Payments' tab regularly to make sure there are no unwanted subscription running.

Third, subscriptions are usually in bundles. There is no real transparency and you are not really getting a real breakdown of the costs. But we pay anyway. Are they actually worth it or we just do not have a choice anymore in a world where everything has to be subscribed to?

I don't know what you mean with having 'no choice' — If I use the service, and I find their subscription worth it, then I subscribe, otherwise I don't.

[passwordnow]

I only subscribe to two streaming services for movies and series, and even then I can't watch everything I want. I make a list of favorites so I can watch them later, but my routine ends up making me forget to do it.

It's only fun and stress relieving in the beginning when you get to watch your favorite movies and series. But as you get more busy, that time will tick and you'll mostly forget about how it was before and that subscription is just going to be deducted automatically to your card if that's the option you did. I don't understand why people have so much time in watching before not until I started to watch what piques my interest.

Not only that, but I usually listen to music on my computer, and I like listening to radio stations online from other states and countries, so I don't need a subscription.

We're the same, I just like to listen nowadays and also goes to free websites where we can surf and listen to radios from different countries. And yes, they're totally free.

[Oluwa-btc]

Basically for most companies,it's a steady means of cash flow and it's often more profitable for long term purpose.Subscriptions is a company's market strategy to upsell more valuable contents,and keep customers locked in to their space once and for all.Subscriptions are fast selling for services that are actually worth it.No one is forced into subscription but you can opt out once it's no longer serving satisfaction.

[Fortify]

Third, subscriptions are usually in bundles. There is no real transparency and you are not really getting a real breakdown of the costs. But we pay anyway. Are they actually worth it or we just do not have a choice anymore in a world where everything has to be subscribed to?

It's good practice to actively manage your finances, because they can easily end up on autopilot and just accrue more subscriptions without thinking. I actively try to avoid getting subscriptions for any of the disposable services out there unless it is for a specific purpose, like turning on netflix for a few months to catch up on the latest series or use it if I am travelling for a while and then turn it back off again. Otherwise your finances just end up facing death by a thousand cuts, with little amounts seeping away which collectively over a year add up to thousands. If you haven't checked in 3 or 6 months all the services taking money from your account, it's worth a review and take action to cancel.

[eightdots]

Third, subscriptions are usually in bundles. There is no real transparency and you are not really getting a real breakdown of the costs. But we pay anyway. Are they actually worth it or we just do not have a choice anymore in a world where everything has to be subscribed to?

It's good practice to actively manage your finances, because they can easily end up on autopilot and just accrue more subscriptions without thinking. I actively try to avoid getting subscriptions for any of the disposable services out there unless it is for a specific purpose, like turning on netflix for a few months to catch up on the latest series or use it if I am travelling for a while and then turn it back off again. Otherwise your finances just end up facing death by a thousand cuts, with little amounts seeping away which collectively over a year add up to thousands. If you haven't checked in 3 or 6 months all the services taking money from your account, it's worth a review and take action to cancel.

As the number of subscriptions increases, the amount paid also increases. This may seem normal when we initially pay small amounts, but as the number of subscriptions increases, the amount we pay increases, and this requires planning. There are many different subscription types, and none of them offer access to everything we want. When this happens, multiple subscriptions are required, and these subscription prices are high.

In fact, many people I know complain about this situation. Accessing many things we want requires multiple subscriptions. This leads to unnecessary spending. There needs to be some regulation on this issue. For example, in football, each league has a different broadcaster, and watching these matches requires multiple subscriptions. This needs to be addressed.

[uneng]

Third, subscriptions are usually in bundles. There is no real transparency and you are not really getting a real breakdown of the costs. But we pay anyway. Are they actually worth it or we just do not have a choice anymore in a world where everything has to be subscribed to?

Subscription isn't a new concept, it has just been evolved at the same time internet got more accessible along the years. However, it has never been necessary to subscribe to such services in order to have access to their products... Since the old days of CD roms, piracy was available for those who couldn't afford the costs involved in purchasing the original games, softwares and movies.

Now it's not different with apps and platforms which demand a monthly fee from users. You can have access to the same content through other platforms which don't demand that monthly fee. Therefore, there is always a choice.

If you have financial conditions to go for the original content, there is no reason to look for other alternatives. On the other hand, for those who can't afford, I don't think they should give up on accessing that content through alternative means. There are important stimulus on such contents which shouldn't be forbidden to people in general.

[G_Besar]

Basically for most companies,it's a steady means of cash flow and it's often more profitable for long term purpose.Subscriptions is a company's market strategy to upsell more valuable contents,and keep customers locked in to their space once and for all.Subscriptions are fast selling for services that are actually worth it.No one is forced into subscription but you can opt out once it's no longer serving satisfaction.

That's true, and I've also seen several subscriptions for different companies' services, such as internet packages and the food packages I frequently order. This means that each company intentionally creates these subscriptions to engage their customers for longer periods of time, even though there's no coercion involved. Rather, it can be considered a strategy for companies to reach their customers without having to over-promote. Because competitors continue to emerge with ever-increasing convenience, established companies must think faster and smarter to compete with all their new competitors.

[kotajikikox]

subscription is actually not bad, the aspect of it that doesn't always sit well with me is the nature of the subscription and the terms that comes with it. like for most packages, you cant really influence the content that you want to get from what you are subscribing for based on your needs. it is usually a general one where you just pay and get whatever general package every other person gets regardless of the difference in needs of the different subscribers.

the improvement i am hoping to see in subscription services should be that every individual that is making the subscription should be able to indicate what he is subscribing for based on his needs and such be given to him. for instance, if you are paying for DSTV package and you are primarily going to use it for sports and news, there is no need of bombarding the subscriber with Catton network and drama shows which are not what the user likes. it should be that packages are given to users based on needs and not based on supposed general needs.

Well because it’s a package. You can always choose to ignore other networks but it’s still part of the package anyway so it’s a lot more attractive to other people. If you want more features or benefits, you are probably gonna have to subscribe to a higher tier.

[shinratensei_]

The fact that I need to subscribe into 6 movies subscription just to watch the movie what I want last year make me rethink my life decision and just decided to cut all of them.
I don't really need movies anyway, youtube is already plenty entertaining.

This is the problem that company gonna face, people are so burnt out of paying subscription that they decided to not pay at all.
I think that subscription will eventually only works for basic needs such as utilities, these thing like entertainment gonna have a hard time.