Peloton to ruin the secondhand market by charging a $95 ‘used equipment activation fee’
www.engadget.com
Peloton will now charge a $95 ‘used equipment activation fee’ to basically ruin the secondhand market. It doesn’t apply to refurbished models bought directly from the company.

Peloton is in something of a financial rut lately, and we all know what companies do when that happens. They take it out on consumers. To that end, the exercise machine maker just announced it will be charging a $95 “used equipment activation fee” to anyone who buys one of its machines on the secondhand market, according to a report by CNBC.

The company made this announcement in its Q4 2024 shareholder letter. The fairly exorbitant fee will apply to any machine bought directly from a previous owner, meaning anything purchased via Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace or, heck, even a neighbor down the street. Without tithing $95 to the church of Peloton, the machine won’t have access to any of the classes or features the company has become known for.

The company says this activation fee is just to ensure that new members “receive the same high-quality onboarding experience Peloton is known for.” In a recent earnings call, however, a company representative was more transparent, calling the fee a “source of incremental revenue and gross profit,” according to The Verge.

The standard Bike, for instance, sells new for nearly $1,500, but you can pick up a used one online for $300 to $500. Now, that price goes up to $400 to $600. Peloton also requires a monthly membership fee to access content, which is around $44.

  • Sentient Loom@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
    262·
    3 months ago

    $44 is more than my gym membership, and they have dozens of bikes and other equipment. These Peloton people are diseased.

          • ilinamorato@lemmy.worldEnglish
            3·
            3 months ago

            Yeah, that’s pretty standard for the Y, but that’s the cost for everything–weights, track, courts, swimming pools, most classes, personal training, childcare. As opposed to Peloton, which is $50 for just the spinning class.

            • NOT_RICK@lemmy.worldEnglish
              1·
              3 months ago

              Yeah I don’t trust any kind or vender lock-in. I still get why people like peloton but its still not worth it simply because they have you buy the balls because of the hardware in my mind. I bought an ifit treadmill secondhand and it demands I make an account every time I hop on to do a run, drives me up a wall.

      • sugar_in_your_tea@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
        3·
        3 months ago

        Mine does. They’re group classes, but it’s included with the standard $40/month plan (or $5/day), less if you buy a family plan. There are cheaper gyms around, so a single person could probably get a better deal if they only need spinning classes.