r/Anticonsumption • u/Ti47_867 • Feb 14 '25
Discussion They’ve got to be joking. In car advertising.
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u/JiveBunny Feb 14 '25
How is it illegal to use your phone whilst driving for anything other than hands-free calls - because it's fucking dangerous to drive when distracted - and not this? I don't even care about the intrusivity of it, I care about not being knocked down by a twat who thinks a Chelsea tractor is a suitable vehicle for a built-up urban area.
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u/mustardtiger220 Feb 14 '25 edited Feb 14 '25
Always wondered this also. You’re telling me I can’t use my phone (which I totally agree with) but just to change the radio station I need to poke around on a touch screen and hope my finger registers?
I was helping my father last weekend. He has a mid 2000’s car (maybe 2007). No touch screen. Just physical buttons. I LOVED it.
Edit: Spelling
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u/dvorakq Feb 14 '25
For real, it makes me anxious how distracted my friends are when we drive in their newer cars. I feel like I managed to get one of the last "dumb" cars with my 2017 Toyota, the only nice thing it has is Bluetooth. Meanwhile we're driving 70 down the highway and they're forced to look away from the road bc android auto keeps messing up and all the temperature controls are 3 menus deep in the car built in ipad.
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u/splithoofiewoofies Feb 15 '25
I ride a motorbike which means I not only depend on car drivers peripherals, but I am also the perfect height to see into their vehicle.
Can't even count the number of times someone's nearly swerved into me (Lane splitting legal here) and they are fucking about with their touch screen
My personal fave was the dude who thought it was totally fine to watch videos at red lights...even tho he drifted slowly towards the lines every time he did it. I stayed very far behind him thats for sure. Meanwhile seeing him flick through tik-tok as he just slowly drifts forward and to the right without a damn care.
Fun fact drivers: even if you think you don't, you drift slightly when you look towards your car's screen
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u/tow-avvay Feb 15 '25
I took a AAA driver safety class for a reduced insurance rate and it’s stuck with me to this day, even if true or not: every glance away from the road increases your chance of an accident by 400%
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u/aka_wolfman Feb 14 '25
Its a much better experience. I had a 98 ram, now an 03 avalanche. I don't care how nice my wifes car is, the screens annoy me if I can even use them with my bad arm.
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u/starfruitmuffin Feb 14 '25
Oh ffs, can I not escape advertising in my own fucking car? I already have to deal with ads in bathrooms. Do they need every last morsel of my attention?
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u/Archsinner Feb 14 '25
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u/AnArisingAries Feb 14 '25
That could be so dangerous towards people with auditory hallucinations, paranoia, and depersonalization.
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u/CharleyNobody Feb 14 '25
Omg, cars in the US used to have a voice that yelled at people who got too close. This was in 1980s NYC at the height of the crack epidemic. Every night some homeless crackhead got into a shouting/kicking contest with a car that was saying, “Stand back! You have violated the perimeter”
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u/TheColdWind Feb 14 '25
What brand car was that? I vaguely remember this.
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u/Constant_Demand_1560 Feb 14 '25
Was Viper that did it, was on different vehicles alarm
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u/TheColdWind Feb 14 '25
Oooh, gotcha. Back in the early 80’s my Grandfather had a window sticker on his AMC Eagle that read “H.O.T. Car” and underneath it said “Hands Off This Car”. Just a funny little thing that stuck in my mind.
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u/reptiliansentinel Feb 14 '25
Fun fact: the company that made those alarms was owned by Darrell Issa, a powerful Republican congressman from California. It was his voice that said "step away from the vehicle" etc. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Darrell_Issa
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u/Malapple Feb 14 '25
I bought a car with an aftermarket alarm that did that. Never used it because I figured it would just enrage people.
There was another that s friend had that would bellow “SOMEBODY PLEASE HELP ME” at an insane volume if sufficiently tampered with. Except sensor malfunctions would sometimes set them off. I worked in a strip mall at the time and the store at the end installed them, so I got to listen to them regularly.
This was all circa 1993
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u/VIJoe Feb 14 '25
"Well doctor, there's two voices now. The first still wants to kill the pope. The second wants me to buy car insurance."
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u/ImplementOk315 Feb 15 '25
Who cares, fuck the people. Think of the ad revenue! (/s, but you know they mean it)
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u/akiraMiel Feb 14 '25
As a German person that's absolutely horrifying. I haven't heard of this but oh my god. If they do that I might really take a sledgehammer to the train windows.
Also good luck to Sky, a single private corporation, to make it possible to install this technology in every single train window 🫠😶
Generally if there's one thing our country is good at though then that's regulating things. We might escape this hellscape before they even start if we're lucky
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u/Meretan94 Feb 14 '25
We are safe as every „innovation“ for the rail sector takes 50-70 business years to complete.
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u/Competitive_Army60 Feb 14 '25
It's an eleven years old article, I'm pretty sure it hasn't been implemented (yet). But thank you for sharing it, it's always good to be aware of this kind of initiatives.
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u/supercosmic8 Feb 14 '25
I feel like this would he horrible especially for people with schizophrenia or things of that nature
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u/Undersmusic Feb 14 '25
Reminded me of the episode of futurama where Fry realises all his dreams are just ads being broadcast to him when he sleeps. And everyone else is just like “yeah that’s normal”
They saw it coming 20+ years ago.
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u/Majestic_Idea_1457 Feb 14 '25
Sure you can! You just have to pay a small monthly subscription fee to opt out of your new vehicles car adverts!
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u/SeriousBoots Feb 14 '25
Call or e-mail the company being advertised. Complain. Tell them you will never buy their products because of their invasive advertisements. Follow through. If enough people do this, it will change.
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u/into_the_soil Feb 14 '25
At some point you'll be looking up in the sky and seeing ads via drones. It's not if, it's when.
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u/GreenSky555 Feb 14 '25
Well this needs legislating out of existence. Putting aside the issue of how expensive new cars are and therefore how much cash a driver will already have parted with, if there's one thing drivers really do not need, it's an additional distraction.
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u/MeVersusGravity Feb 14 '25
Don't you know that the government is there to regulate people and protect corporations?
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u/amarg19 Feb 14 '25
I said in another thread about this that if I got a pop up ad on my dash I’d just immediately crash the car and look for a lawyer
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u/PenisMightier500 Feb 14 '25
Good luck with that in this administration.
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u/queen-adreena Feb 14 '25
I'm sure the administration of millionaires and billionaires who never drive themselves anywhere will be right on it!
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u/xzElmozx Feb 14 '25
I see no ulterior motivation that Elon would have for not wanting more regulation on the auto industry. None whatsoever. Surely he’ll get right on it and make it harsh, too.
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u/Ok_Astronomer_8667 Feb 14 '25
So far, every department that has had investigations or queries into Musk or his companies, “DOGE” has targeted.
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u/biskino Feb 14 '25
The owner of a car company is currently ‘deleting’ every regulatory body out of existence so start getting used to this stuff.
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u/Any-Professional7320 Feb 14 '25
You realize if the EU decides this won't be a thing, it won't be a thing, right? There's an entire world out there beyond the US.
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u/Augustus420 Feb 14 '25
That would probably not stop them from pushing whatever software updates that are needed to make this happen in American vehicles.
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u/LordSesshomaru82 Feb 14 '25
This. There's already different firmware versions / ECUs for different regions for emissions control anyways. It'd be trivial to make a US version and an EU/Global version of the infotainment firmware. I'm just over here trying to keep my 90s shitbox going as long as I can.
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u/Pbandsadness Feb 14 '25
Are there that many US car exports to the EU?
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u/cdigss Feb 14 '25
Not really. Ford is the only prevalent US manufacturer I see, I am in the UK though so not sure about mainland Europe but don't see many Chrysler or Dodges about.
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u/MrTulaJitt Feb 14 '25
Yeah right. Those days are long gone. They are all paid off by lobbyists. They all need campaign money from these companies and their executives. They could make you watch 3 minutes of ads before you can put your car in gear and no one in government will say a damn word.
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u/AssistantAcademic Feb 14 '25
Nah. let the free market take care of this.
Stellantis has been making terrible cars and ruining brands for decades. Maybe this will be the nail in the coffin.
There aren't enough ducks in the world to make up for forced ads, lol.
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u/prince_peacock Feb 14 '25
You’re naive if you think that other car companies won’t start doing this if they are allowed to continue
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u/turbospeedsc Feb 14 '25
2010-2020 cars will start creeping up in price, all the goodies, none of this crazyness.
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u/AssistantAcademic Feb 14 '25
Car companies and brands sell an experience and an image.
I hope for the sake of Jeep that the current owners and those considering purchasing make it clear that this is not okay because Stellantis has gutted that brand enough already.
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u/BowsersMuskyBallsack Feb 14 '25
What was the one fucking thing my father, my driving instructor, and everyone else who taught me how to drive when I was a kid told me?
KEEP YOUR FUCKING EYES ON THE FUCKING ROAD.
And now they thrust advertising at you, spontaneously, inside your car, while you are driving?
I'd sue. Preferably a nice, big class-action.
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u/dreamed2life Feb 14 '25 edited Feb 14 '25
I’m sure they have already changed laws to make this ok while they were pointing in the sky telling us to, “look over there.”
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u/lafindestase Feb 14 '25 edited Feb 14 '25
We've been averting drivers' eyes from the road for the sake of ad space for decades now. For example, the highways here in Louisiana are lined with enormous billboards for a handful of multimillionaire personal injury lawyers (there's a reason auto insurance costs several times more here). Some of them are electronic to be as eye-catching as possible. Some are 3D! I don't know whether to laugh or cry
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u/Chemical_Ad2654 Feb 14 '25
Yep first accident caused by this needs to take jeep/Chrysler to the cleaners and teach them an expensive lesson.
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u/Pbandsadness Feb 14 '25
Do you really think the lawyer you can maybe afford stands a chance against the army of lawyers Stallantis will throw at you?
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u/Chemical_Ad2654 Feb 14 '25
I can't afford shit. I also would never buy a jeep.
I'll let whatever poor jeep driving sap that gets in a wreck file suit.
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u/Hovie1 Feb 14 '25
Relax. It's not when you're driving, it's when you're stopped! Because here at Jeep we care about your safety!
/s
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u/Icemermaid1467 Feb 14 '25
The ads every stinking place is insane. I do social work for low income families. I was in a home this week that had an Alexa with a screen, its plays silent ads all day to a family who is well below the poverty line. Made me feel ill.
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u/AnnieBelladonna Feb 15 '25
I had to change my language to English Canada to get the ads to stop. It was practically useless with the amount of ads flashing across the screen. That’s all people are to them. A potential sale.
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Feb 14 '25
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/Chemical_Ad2654 Feb 14 '25
Here here! My 2011 accord has 270k on it And I will keep that beast forever. It's barely broken in at this point....6 disc CD changer, no ads required 😎
Now THATS freedom, baby.
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u/Royal-Original-5977 Feb 14 '25
How is that not illegally distracting the driver? Oh yeah, i forgot rich companies are allowed to do whatever they want now, even if it affects your safety
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u/lafindestase Feb 14 '25 edited Feb 14 '25
It’s up to Jeep’s consumers to reject this and punish them for the attempt, and I have no faith they will. Same way the people tolerated gas pumps blaring ads at you while you fill up.
We get the world we deserve. Every screen or space for a screen that isn’t aggressively monetized yet probably will be eventually, including the sky.
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u/traveling_gal Feb 14 '25
I happened to buy an EV just before the gas pump ads started, so I was blissfully unaware. Then sometime later I went to gas up a rental car on a business trip, and got an ad. I immediately texted my daughter with "Omg you won't believe what they're doing on gas pumps here!" and she was like yeah mom, that's everywhere, it's been going on for a while.
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u/KrispyCuckak Feb 14 '25
I stopped going to Speedway gas stations for this very reason.
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u/No-Manufacturer-2425 Feb 14 '25
There has to be a magnet you can use to disable the screen and speaker.
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u/ChoiceReflection965 Feb 14 '25
Genuinely curious, how are consumers supposed to not “tolerate” ads at the gas pumps? It’s not like gasoline is something I can make for myself at home. I need my car to get to work, and when I need gas, I have to go to the gas station. If the gas station chooses to play ads, there’s nothing I can do about that. I can express my displeasure in writing to the company. But they have no reason to remove the ads, because they know the consumers are still going to need to come and buy gas regardless.
It would be great if every consumer could go and buy an electric car instead, but that is not financially realistic for the vast majority of people.
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u/lafindestase Feb 14 '25
To some extent, it's too late. It's not like all the gas stations started playing ads overnight. It was slowly rolled out - people just kept giving money to the ones with ads - executives saw that the ads were making money and not costing them much business, so they had no reason to stop. Years later here we are. Watch the exact same process happen with these dashboard ads.
That said, you might still be able to vote with your wallet depending on where you are. I found a few local gas stations that I know don't have ad screens and I only fill up there. When I travel, there are a few chains I trust (like Love's) and I try to stop there.
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u/mittelmasse Feb 14 '25
naaah, the government should protect its citicens from this kind of brainrot imo...
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u/Maker_Magpie Feb 14 '25
One of the buttons is always mute at the gas stations. I think it's second down on the right.
Not disagreeing with you, though.
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u/dreamed2life Feb 14 '25
They won’t. They age so busy screaming “made in merica” and bending over for a country that takes it all day everyday that they can’t look up and see it’s full of shit
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u/patwm11 Feb 14 '25
But if they get a car that isn’t a jeep, where are they gonna put their dashboard rubber duckies 🥺
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u/SouthwesternEagle Feb 14 '25
This is another reason I only buy older used vehicles (1997-2011). They can be repaired, customized, and THEY DON'T HAVE COMMERCIALS PLAYING IN THEM.
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u/beardsley64 Feb 14 '25
It's not just enshittification. it's dangerous.
This is a classic example of why regulations are necessary. Those motivated purely by profit will NOT police themselves. But yeah don't expect any movement from the gov't, they are too busy liquidating the public value and shoveling it into their own bank accounts.
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u/Chemical_Ad2654 Feb 14 '25
Nope, nuh uh, no.
This is too far. Not only is this blatantly creating EVEN MORE distracted drivers, it's so completely unnecessary, all for the sake of raking in yet more $$$ for the already far too wealthy.
I want no part of it. I will continue to drive older vehicles until I can't anymore. Once I can't, I'll take my new vehicle to the chop shop and get that entire screen ripped out and get a CD/cassette deck installed.
I fucking refuse, and I suggest you all do the same.
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Feb 14 '25
Jeep has been going downhill since the early 2000's. The late 80's/early 90's models are still gold though
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u/beebbeeplettuce Feb 14 '25
And they will keep going downhill cause no one is gonna wanna use the breaks anymore lol
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u/swimbikerun1980 Feb 14 '25
Makes me not want to stop.
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u/Resident-Travel2441 Feb 14 '25
I can already see this happening and someone arguing "diminished capacity" or something bc they went temporarily insane and couldn't bear the thought of stopping and listening to another blasted commercial...
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u/Mysterious_Fennel459 Feb 14 '25
This is just going to make me do everything in my power to keep my 20 year old car running until I die.
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u/RedBaret Feb 14 '25
Clearly this should be illegal. Probably something that will only take effect for cars in the US market as their people are generally pushovers and sellouts to corporations.
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u/FTWStoic Feb 14 '25
We have to push back so fiercely on this idea that no car company dares try it again. Boycott these Jeeps.
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u/queen-adreena Feb 14 '25
So basically, any display we let into our lives is almost guaranteed to be used as a billboard.
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u/aka_wolfman Feb 14 '25
Except for the cheap Chinese gadgets they keep telling us will be our ruin, oddly enough. So far my data has been leaked more by government contractors than anyone else in my life.
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u/STFUisright Feb 14 '25
I’m surprised they don’t have them in babies’ cribs already. Shit I didn’t mean to say that out loud.
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u/pitmeng1 Feb 14 '25
I will never purchase a vehicle that does that, or requires a subscription fee to use functions in a car you paid for.
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u/slimpickens Feb 14 '25
I will never buy a car that does this. If all modern cars do it then I will never get a new car. I will spend every penny I have to maintain my existing 2018.
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u/zodiackodiak515 Feb 14 '25
This is why I drive a super old ass van and I turn the radio off.
I listen to music on my phone while I drive
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u/JanSteinman Feb 14 '25
That's why I have a 25-year-old vehicle — no computers at all in my 2000 Jetta diesel — and it gets nearly 60 mpg on the highway — better than a hybrid!
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u/HordeDruid Feb 14 '25 edited Feb 16 '25
Every day we get closer to that Black Mirror episode where all the walls, floors and ceilings were giant screens that played ads you had to pay to skip.
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u/1onesomesou1 Feb 15 '25
incredble way to guarantee i will always boycott your product for the rest of my life.
has anyone ever seen an intrusive ad and actually thought "wow that looks incredible! i need to buy that right now!"?
every time i get an ad i add the product to my list of boycotted products and then i never give it second thought. even if the company changes, your intrusive ads have completely turned me off and now i view you as nothing more than scum.
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u/captainodyssey01 Feb 14 '25
If i buy a car and it starts playing ads i’m immediately ramming it through my house and calling a lawyer
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u/SCR_RAC Feb 14 '25
Don't buy their poorly manufactured garbage, what self respecting man would want a POS Ram truck anyways.
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u/mezasu123 Feb 14 '25
We can tell them what a stupid idea this is by not buying a jeep. Or any other car that implemented this crap.
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u/TraditionalBackspace Feb 14 '25
Shittiest car company does shittiest car thing ever. And people still buying jeeps lol
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u/frog_squire427 Feb 14 '25
obviously the auto industry as a whole is just rancid, but Stellantis is just so ESPECIALLY vile. Like cartoon villain behavior anyways, if you need a car, always buy em used, folks
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u/anivex Feb 14 '25
Yeah ngl, I had some shares in that company. I just sold it all on the peak from this news.
Dont intend to reinvest with them though, especially with this idea they’ve got.
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u/tryingtobecheeky Feb 14 '25
I do not know why people don't do this but every time a company does bullshit advertising, put it on a list.
And then never buy from them.
They only use advertising methods that work.
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u/DO_NOT_AGREE_WITH_U Feb 14 '25
Nope. Lawsuit.
You sold me something. And then changed what that something was after the sale. Fraud.
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u/Hesychios Feb 14 '25
This is the new normal. Unfettered capitalism squeezing every nickel out of every opportunity.
No thank you. If I am paying for the car, assuming debt and maintenance and insurance costs I will not be buying one with features like that. I am not paying for that.
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u/sbpurcell Feb 14 '25
I will quite literally have the whole system taken out of my dashboard if this becomes a thing with all vehicles.
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u/HappyHiker2381 Feb 14 '25
No Jeep for me.
Edit to add: and it’s an extended warranty ad, garf, those are why I don’t answer our landline.
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u/dreamed2life Feb 14 '25
Looks like Ford is next!
“Jeep parent company Stellantis has acknowledged the issue. MSN reports, “They attributed the persistent nature of the ad to a temporary software glitch that affected the opt-out functionality in certain cases. The company assured that the glitch had been identified and corrected, and they are reaching out to affected customers to resolve the matter.”
But the problem could presage a more significant issue for future drivers. Last year, Ford filed a patent for an in-car advertising system that would use the car’s speakers and display screen to serve ads to drivers and passengers. That system would also use the car’s GPS tracker to serve ads relevant to the driver’s route.”
https://www.kbb.com/car-news/jeep-owners-fed-up-with-in-car-pop-up-ads/
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u/Tribblehappy Feb 14 '25
I'm holding onto my 2012 Mazda as long as I can because as much as I'd like an EV, there are just too many problems with screens and subscription based trim packages, and now I guess advertising. Gross.
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u/bobbolini Feb 14 '25
With the in car ads, and subscriptions for in car amenities, maybe its time to buy older cars and converting them to electric or restoring them...
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u/Mexican_Boogieman Feb 14 '25
Seems fitting. Car companies are already charging subscription service fees for car features.
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u/NovaHellfire345 Feb 14 '25
Easy solution, don't buy these cars, EVER. Keep repairing your old ones until this "trend" is killed off.
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u/squirrelmegaphone Feb 14 '25
If this were implemented in all cars and my choice was between this and walking, then I guess I'm buying some more shoes.
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u/Majestic-Bid6111 Feb 15 '25
They're literally contacting you about your car's extended warehousing your car
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u/my_name_is_nobody__ Feb 15 '25
No. We need to cause a societal collapse dude, if this shit keeps up
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u/Mmichare Feb 15 '25
Is this what they call “a Jeep thing?” If I bought a car and it showed me ads, I’d return it the next day.
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u/No-Mixture4644 Feb 14 '25
Meanwhile the trusty family car that served us for 18 years straight (I shall claim it as mine once the time comes)
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u/slimslaw Feb 14 '25
There's no way I'd ever. Buy a car that gives me an advertisement. No. Not happening.
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u/DrBuckRocket19 Feb 14 '25
Maybe we consider making the US less car centric by design? God forbid the car manufacturers find out their product isn’t the best way to get around
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u/Beartooth2019 Feb 14 '25
I remember seeing something about having advertisements projected in the night sky or somehow seeing an ad when you looked at the moon. I don’t know how feasible that is, but it was apparently someone’s “great idea”. I swear it will never end.
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u/thatsawasteoftime Feb 14 '25
So if one were to buy a new after market head unit, would it still have ads?
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u/aberg227 Feb 15 '25
I am so glad I drive a 25 year old diesel. No needless electronics, no pop ads, no wireless connections. Just a paid off vehicle with good longevity.
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u/doodler_tech Feb 15 '25
r/fuckcars I think there should be an alliance between the subreddits
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u/times_zero Feb 15 '25
Based.
The real answer here is to opt out of car ownership if possible. I have done so living in the US.
Also, even before this move with Jeep (which I expect will probably become the industry standard in time) if one must have a car then buying used was always the better option in terms of anti-consumption anyhow.
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Feb 15 '25
i am not convinced that jeep or car companies in general are not profitable from selling a product. i think this ***** comes from the c suite execs and their constant need for ever increasing quarterly profits.
if my car ever did this i would either return it or sell it. this is how you lose customers, first it was BMW with a subscription for heated seats, now this.
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u/rainofshambala Feb 16 '25
For a small monthly subscription you can enjoy your cars without ads. The advertisements are not to sell products or inform you about products but to make you buy the subscription. Capitalism.constantly innovates to find new ways to rent seek and duck you over every turn
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u/fredbighead Feb 15 '25
Sounds like a good way for people to be more distracted and not be paying attention to their surroundings while stopped
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u/ommnian Feb 14 '25
And now I have a new reason to never buy a jeep. Thank you!!