Joe Maring / Android Authority
Just before Christmas, Google dropped a 50% discount on its Google One AI Pro annual plan — a deal that expires today. But while some see this as a holiday gift from the almighty Google, I see it as nothing more than a calculated insult.
There’s a big issue with the deal in question. I take it as a slap in the face from a company I’ve supported for a long time. And looking at the comments on its official X account, I’m far from the only one who now holds a grudge against Google.
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The loyalty tax: Google charges more for staying
Joe Maring / Android Authority
Google’s deal has a catch — it’s only available for new users. I have a major issue with that. I am being intentionally excluded, despite being a loyal subscriber for years and having spent over $1,000 on Google One so far. Apparently, that investment means nothing to Google, and frankly, it feels like I’m being taken advantage of for my loyalty.
Treating new users better than those who have been with the company for years is a massive sign of disrespect. It shows exactly how much Google cares about its users: zero. The company is prioritizing user acquisition over user retention, disregarding the fundamental business principle that acquiring a new customer is significantly more expensive than retaining an existing one.
However, Google is no ordinary company, and it knows it. Its strategy is simple: lure users in with promos, get them hooked on the service, entrench them in the ecosystem, and then hike up the price. Google knows that once your Gmail is at capacity and you have terabytes of photos and videos stored in its cloud service, the costs of switching are too high for most people to bear. The technical pain of migrating data to a new provider is a larger hurdle than the financial pain of a price hike. It’s a brilliant business move, but it’s predatory, and it’s exactly why Big Tech feels so soulless.
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