Content-type: text/html Downes.ca ~ Stephen's Web ~ Ring video doorbell customers angry at 43% price hike

Stephen Downes

Knowledge, Learning, Community

I can't understand why anyone would buy a doorbell that requires a subscription. Anyhow, the inevitable has happened: a 43% price increase. Here's the announcement from Ring (owned by Amazon). This follows similar increases in 2022. We seem to need to learn the same lesson about corporate provision of basic services over and over again. Here in Canada, despite profits of $382 million in the last quarter, BCE/Bell Media is cutting news programming and laying off 4800 people (9 percent of its workforce). It's a "garbage decision". Things like news and telecom are essential services in a democratic society. But it's like the order of importance is exactly backward for commercial entities: provide essential services, provide employment for society, produce more profits for shareholders. When we point out that things like health and education are essential services, and the order of priorities can't be upended, the lesson should be clear. Clear as a doorbell. And yet...

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Stephen Downes Stephen Downes, Casselman, Canada
stephen@downes.ca

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Last Updated: Apr 30, 2024 04:28 a.m.

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