Remember a while back I talked about Web advertising? (See Web Browsing and Ads: There's No Free Lunch.) I have another issue -- sites that charge an access fee.
It Ain't Free
I was looking for a Technical Service Bulletin for the faulty starter motor in my wife's Subaru. TSBs are like Microsoft's Knowledgebase articles, but for vehicles. Unlike an official recall, where the auto company must contact you, a TSB might let you know that there's a factory authorized, no charge repair available. (Ain't that a change!)
For instance, the steering box on my Roadtrek, a camper van built on a Dodge chassis, has a lot of play. If I find the right TSB that says it's a factory problem and show it to the dealer, I just might be able to get it serviced for free.
For recalls (and I'm guessing here) initiated by the National Safety Commission, they have to contact you. But it's different for run-of-the-mill problems, things the dealer oughta tell you about when you go for service. You have to ask, but you might not know what you want to ask about. (Read more about TSBs in " You, Your Vehicle and the Technical Service Bulletin (TSB)" on Edmund.com.
Subaru Has the Information
I found Subaru's site and it was chock full of useful TSBs. The problem, as you might have guessed, is they weren't free.
At first, I was unhappy with the cost. Subaru charges a hefty $35 to access their database for three days. (Other vehicle sites give the info away; some charge a few dollars for each TSB.) And the most I could do is read a brief description of that item before buying it.
Here's their justification:
Are there charges or limitations to access information on this site?Yes. The creation of technical information requires time and money. Maintaining a web site with constantly changing/evolving information requires time and money. To assume that information on this web site should be without cost, you would also need to assume that the creation and delivery of the information is without cost, and that is just not the case.
Granted I'm a Subaru customer, but the company still has to pay for researching and cranking out new TSBs, as well as maintaining the site.
I won't get into the intricacies of whether I got a preview of the TSB (I didn't) or whether I can get a refund if I didn't find the TSB useful. Instead, I want to focus on the issue for paying for services.
Two Surprising Reactions
I discussed the Subaru site's policy with a couple of buddies. Here's the first response:
The cost of creating and delivering that information wasn't included in the price of the car?! How 'bout the cost of creating and delivering advertisements, which surely exceeds that of the TSBs? Does Subaru charge to see those too?
The other friend said:
Hmmm. I?m with you.
The cost of creating the TSBs is fixed. They have to create them for their dealers and authorized service providers, right? Now, if they were printing extra copies on dead trees for owners and enthusiasts, I could understand charging something to defray those costs, which can be substantial. But the incremental cost of putting a document on a Web site and making it available for download has gotta be in the range of pennies or less. If they?re charging more than that, they?re squeezing their customers unfairly. I sure hope this doesn?t catch on.
Even my CopyEditor got in on the debate. Kim said she agreed with both comments. "I seriously doubt that Subaru has a technical writing staff that does nothing but crank out TSBs for owners to be posted on the Web site! They're probably repurposed dealer/service provider fact sheets..."
Fees? Bring Them On
I think Subaru's justification for the fees made a lot of sense. Instead of plastering the page with ads and hoping I'd click a few, the company was up front: We're providing a service and expect to be paid for it.
Of course I didn't like the idea that I couldn't see what I was buying -- I had no way to know if the bulletin applied.
Then again, the New York Times tried charging for select columnist. Apparently people voted with their wallets, because the service is now free (see New York Times to End Paid Web Service).
What say you? If PC World eliminated advertising, but charged you a monthly access fee, would you still visit the site?
I don't think the Subaru TSB site is a good example of a paid Web service. I don't think it's in Subaru's best interest to make their TSBs easily available to their customers. Every customer that takes a TSB to the dealer cost's Subaru money. Although they tell you the fee is to offset the cost of providing the service, I think they have a different agenda.
Since I am a subscriber to PC World magazine, I think free access to the website should be a given. I also think that free access to non-subscribers is in PC World's best interest - with or without advertisements.
One magazine that really ticks me off is Consumer Reports. As a subscriber, your money pays for their tests on products. But you do not get all the information they learn during testing unless you also buy (for an additional fee) a subscription to their web site.
I'm another person who subscribes to the dead tree edition of PC World. Of course, the ads are there in the paper edition as well but the price would go out of sight without them. We have to pay for the product in some way.