FAIR OR NOTOwn: what happens after you buy
Support that ends, forced upgrades, features taken away, repairs blocked and deals that change after you paid. Read how each one works, hear the other side, find the options you may not be told about, and vote: fair or not?
Windows 10 end of support
Is it fair to push Windows 10 owners to pay for updates or buy a new PC when their computer still works?
Lifetime software deals that change later
Is it fair to sell software with free or lifetime updates, then start charging for those updates later?
Phones and devices that stop getting updates
Is it fair for a phone or tablet that still works to stop getting security updates after a few years?
Smart devices that stop working
Is it fair for a company to shut down servers and leave the smart devices you bought useless?
Features removed after you buy
Is it fair for a company to remove features or put them behind a paywall after you bought the product?
Being blocked from repairing what you own
Is it fair for makers to make it hard to fix things you own, or to use the repair shop of your choice?
Cars losing connected features
Is it fair for a car to lose remote start, crash help, or app features because a network shut down?
Related ways companies charge more
Feature subscriptions
The part is already in your car or device. You pay monthly just to switch it on.
Locked-in ink and parts
Ink chips, parts pairing and brand-only accessories that lock you into pricey supplies.
Digital “ownership”
Digital movies, books and games are often licensed, not owned. What that means for you.
Shrinking rewards
Points and miles that expire or suddenly buy less than they did when you earned them.
Also see: Car connected features · Printer ink subscriptions · Software subscriptions
Something here we haven’t covered? Share what happened. If it seems unfair to you, it belongs here.
Share your experienceOther kinds: Pay: what you’re charged · Agree: what you sign or click · Trust: who is really on your side · Help: getting a problem fixed · Data: what happens to your information