Earlier this week, Ring announced a price increase for customers of the Protect Basic plan. Users who previously paid $3 per month or $30/year will now have to spend $3.99/month or $39.99/year. The price increase will go into effect in July 2022. Customers who have already paid for an annual or monthly plan will see the new pricing when their plan renews.
Ring wants more users to switch from Protect Basic to Protect Plus
Meanwhile, the Protect Plus plan still costs $10/month or $100/year, which is the more appealing option for customers with two or three Ring devices. Part of the reason for bumping the price of the Protect Basic plan is to encourage more customers to use the Protect Plus plan (via The Verge).
Previously, users could add up to three Ring devices (on three separate Basic plans) for only $90/year, rather than pay $100/year for the Protect Plus plan. But starting in July, getting up to three separate Basic plans will cost up to $120.
Customers are understandably furious over the Amazon-owned company’s decision to bump prices. Some are even considering switching to an alternative with onboard storage.
“Before, it was far more economical to put two of my devices on the basic plan and leave one of them subscription free since I didn’t use it that often. Now I may as well subscribe to the plus plan to protect all three because its only 5 dollars more at $100,” a Reddit user wrote.
But Ring doesn’t see it that way. The company is justifying the price increase with the promise of new features. “With new storage capacity, the ability to bulk download, and additional discounts on Ring.com, the enhanced Ring Protect Basic plan adds even more value to your subscription and further expands how you can use your Ring devices.”
The price of the Ring Protect Plus and Pro plans will remain unchanged
The company clarifies that the price increase only applies to the Basic plan and won’t impact the Protect Plus and Pro plans. An increase in subscription costs is never a popular decision, but Ring’s justification has made the situation somewhat worse. There was no prior announcement of a price bump, with the news coming in the form of a blog post.
2022-06-03 15:05:07