• There were many reasons for the change of the site software, the biggest was security. The age of the old software also meant no server updates for certain programs. There are many benefits to the new software, one of the biggest is the mobile functionality. Ill fix up some stuff in the coming days, we'll also try to get some of the old addons back or the data imported back into the site like the garage. To create a thread or to reply with a post is basically the same as it was in the prior software. The default style of the site is light colored, but i temporarily added a darker colored style, to change you can find a link at the bottom of the site.

Cardo Custom Subscription Plan, good or bad idea?

I think subscription plans make a lot of sense. There are benefits to the consumer, the manufacturer, the retailer and the environment. I don't see a down side to them.
 
I think subscription plans make a lot of sense. There are benefits to the consumer, the manufacturer, the retailer and the environment. I don't see a down side to them.

Where is the logic in BUYING a product and then paying RENT to use it?
 
Luckily most of the features of the Custom are included and not extra. Think Cardo didn't quite think things through, especially since cardo has Sena as competition. One reason why BRP has drastically raised their pricing....no real competition in the 3 wheeled market.

Exactly.

BTW, I'm responding to only the highlighted part of the quote, not the rest of it, with which I disagree.
 
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Welcome to the digital world! BMW has also the same plan; they want you to pay for heated seats/steering wheel & also for updates to the built-in nav system; that's a disaster waiting to happen... Look at Tesla, where drivers/owners need to pay for the self-driving options.

I am a firm believer that if you want something, you buy it; then it's yours during the lifespan of the product, not a monthly subscription...

That's why leasing is such an enormous flop I suppose...?
 
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We are not only going to bend you over up front, we are coming back on a monthly/yearly basis just to get what is now the basic's.

No thanks. Tired of seeing subscriptions for owned goods.

Except, that's not how it works. The basics are part of the upfront cost. You only pay for additional features IF YOU WANT THEM
 
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Exactly.

BTW, I'm responding to only the highlighted part of the quote, not the rest of it, with which I disagree.

Well, based on the responses here and online, I think you are in the minority opinion. Sena and its cozy relations with several helmet manufacturers (which Cardo has none), and Cardo's unpopular subscription model, are a good indicator of Cardo losing any market share they may have had.
 
Well, based on the responses here and online, I think you are in the minority opinion. Sena and its cozy relations with several helmet manufacturers (which Cardo has none), and Cardo's unpopular subscription model, are a good indicator of Cardo losing any market share they may have had.

I'm usually the one out of step with the majority when it comes to opinions on controversial topics.

I think prognosticating on marketing decisions of large, successful companies is not something many of us are qualified to do. But, I suppose it is entertaining for some.
 
Where is the logic in BUYING a product and then paying RENT to use it?

Their logic is this new headset is cheaper and usable for the single rider. BUT if you ride with a group on the odd occasion or see a need for using your phone for calls, then you can add the extra capability as part of the subscription for the month then turn it off when you don’t need it. For the short run (1-2 years) it’s cheaper, for the long run (3-4 or more years) you’ll end up paying more than just buying a fully capable headset.

There is also the problem of activating a feature then forgetting to turn it off for 2-3 months. Then you pay for something you don’t need.
 
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There are some aboard that do have a bit of knowledge on the marketing subject.

In addition to teaching Accounting (20 + years) at the college level, I taught Managerial Accounting (20 + years) and Marketing for a couple years. :bowdown:
 
There are some aboard that do have a bit of knowledge on the marketing subject. In addition to teaching Accounting (20 + years) at the college level, I taught Managerial Accounting (20 + years) and Marketing for a couple years. :bowdown:

In addition to a higher education in business, which we both have, I think hands-on experience working at the C-suite level, even in smaller organizations, is essential to understanding how business decisions get made. I may not like the impact that a company's decisions have on my life, but in most cases I don't presume to know better than the executives making those decisions.
 
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In addition to a higher education in business, which we both have, I think hands-on experience working at the C-suite level, even in smaller organizations, is essential to understanding how business decisions get made. I may not like the impact that a company's decisions have on my life, but in most cases I don't presume to know better than the executives making those decisions.

:agree: I was also a finance director for two different non-profits while in AK. That gave me a little experience in finance decision making. I did that for 11 years in addition to the teaching. For awhile, I had three jobs.
 
:agree: I was also a finance director for two different non-profits while in AK. That gave me a little experience in finance decision making. I did that for 11 years in addition to the teaching. For awhile, I had three jobs.

I'm sure there was some Monday morning quarterbacking by those not in the boardroom about decisions made by those who were.
 
I'm sure there was some Monday morning quarterbacking by those not in the boardroom about decisions made by those who were.

An interesting aside. Both the non-profits were environmental groups. I was the "odd man out" in both places. A few times they asked me how the "other side" felt about what they were doing.
 
An interesting aside. Both the non-profits were environmental groups. I was the "odd man out" in both places. A few times they asked me how the "other side" felt about what they were doing.

I can just imagine! Fortunately finance and accounting are pretty much non-partisan.
 
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Just to add my two cents. I know one of regional managers for Cardo. When they were owned by the former owner they bent over backwards to be a helpful company. They replaced my old Q series headset a couple of times while out of warranty. They treated us so well that when our club decided to purchase Headgear we all went with Cardo's. We probably have about 20 riders using Cardo Packtalk. I have tried Sena. I would not waste time tying to hook them up. Noisy and temperamental. This new subscription plan is simply a money grabbing scam. I am surprised they are making us pay to call in for service. Cardo used to always be at the Daytona Racetrack for bike week. They have been missing now for several years. I still love my packtalk but I am no longer in love with the company. They are too busy trying to recoup the money they spent buying out the former owner. Buy an older unit stay away from the subscription.
 
Tiny, excellent comment, I'm certainly not in love with Sena, units drove me nuts, but that's just me. Too bad about Cardo, but that's the go to for my next communication, just get one of the older units from Amazon or Ebay.
 
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