Is the freeloading era finally coming to a close? That’s what some are asking in light of the news that Costco
COST,
-0.31%
is implementing policies that will make it harder for non-members to shop using someone else’s membership card. And that follows efforts by streaming platforms, such as Netflix
NFLX,
+0.57%,
to clamp down on password sharing, to say nothing of the increasing establishment of rigid paywalls on various news and content sites.
In effect, it’s a sea change in the consumer world, say financial, marketing and other experts. What used to be free — even if it came free via less-than-fully-legitimate methods — now often carries a price. And while consumers may carp about the changes, many are ultimately willing to accept them. And finally pony up. “The freeloaders get it,” said Mark Boidman, head of global media for Solomon Partners, a financial-advisory firm. Certainly, that reflects what’s happened with Netflix. The streaming giant announced last May that it was prohibiting subscribers from sharing their account with those outside their household. Instead, it gave them the option to add on such users for $7.99 a month or have them create and pay for their own accounts. The change had some immediately crying foul — “I’m not paying eight more dollars, I’m just not,” …
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COST,
-0.31%
is implementing policies that will make it harder for non-members to shop using someone else’s membership card. And that follows efforts by streaming platforms, such as Netflix
NFLX,
+0.57%,
to clamp down on password sharing, to say nothing of the increasing establishment of rigid paywalls on various news and content sites.
In effect, it’s a sea change in the consumer world, say financial, marketing and other experts. What used to be free — even if it came free via less-than-fully-legitimate methods — now often carries a price. And while consumers may carp about the changes, many are ultimately willing to accept them. And finally pony up. “The freeloaders get it,” said Mark Boidman, head of global media for Solomon Partners, a financial-advisory firm. Certainly, that reflects what’s happened with Netflix. The streaming giant announced last May that it was prohibiting subscribers from sharing their account with those outside their household. Instead, it gave them the option to add on such users for $7.99 a month or have them create and pay for their own accounts. The change had some immediately crying foul — “I’m not paying eight more dollars, I’m just not,” …nnDiscussion:nn” ai_name=”RocketNews AI: ” start_sentence=”Can I tell you more about this article?” text_input_placeholder=”Type ‘Yes'”]