Those unlucky enough to own a Peloton treadmill were hit with more unfortunate news this week: Not only do owners need to worry about their machines malfunctioning in a deadly way, but they must also pay a monthly fee to make sure that it continues working properly.
The costly and controversial machine from the popular fitness company has come under scrutiny in recent months after more than 70 users reported severe glitches, one of which cost a 6-year-old child his life after he was pulled under the treadmill. Twenty-nine other children have suffered injuries, including broken bones and cuts, from the machine.
Peloton issued a voluntary recall of the Tread+ following these reports, warning owners of the device to “keep children and pets away” from the treadmill while the product was reviewed. The company also had to recall 54,000 of its “clip-in pedals,” which were used with its famous exercise bike. The accessories reportedly broke “unexpectedly during use, causing laceration injuries,” said the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.
After completing its treadmill safety check, Peloton announced a series of changes that have made the $4,000 machine even more expensive: The free “Just Run” option on the Tread+ is no longer available, and the new required safety feature called “Tread Lock” can only be accessed by paying members. Customers who aren’t already enrolled in the Peloton programs will get their first three months free, the company said, but after that, they’ll be stuck paying $39 a month to run on a machine that may or may not run away on them.
Peloton users are understandably upset, and some have even threatened legal action.
“What I’m concerned about is the potential for a company to essentially brick your device if you are unable to afford or simply not interested in the content subscription anymore,” Taylor Dondich, who owns both the Peloton bike and treadmill, told Business Insider.
He has a point: What if other companies followed this trend and began forcing customers to enroll in subscription programs just to use their products? Could TV manufacturers require users to pay for a prepackaged list of channels? Could laundry machines be used to collect separate monthly fees?
Luckily, we’re a long way off from anything that extreme, and if manufacturers did try to impose their own membership programs, customers would more than likely look elsewhere, and the free market would work itself out — for everyone but the suckers now owning a brick. But as subscriptions continue to grow in popularity — nowadays, you can sign up for automatic monthly deliveries of anything from wagyu steaks to women’s razors — it’s worth wondering where the line will be drawn.
For Peloton users, that line apparently starts with the workout programs that made Peloton famous. Why buy one of their machines if you don’t want to be a part of the brand? Better yet, why buy a machine from them at all? Smart customers would have read the company’s recent safety warning, applied for a full refund, and purchased a more reputable machine. Or, better yet, they would have pocketed the $4,000, stepped outside, and joined the rest of us on a run in the real world.
