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Microsoft pushes ahead with controversial ‘buy now, pay later’ feature for Edge

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Re: Microsoft pushes ahead with controversial ‘buy now, pay later’ feature for Edge

#181

Post by mbesto »

deergomoo wrote: post #118

I cannot stand how everything with internet access is just becoming a vehicle to shove ads down everyone’s throat. This web browser wants to sell me credit deals. My expensive TV has banner ads in the menus (well, it did until I blocked about two dozen domains). An increasing amount of apps are sending “offers” I never requested via push notifications on my phone. My belongings are not a fucking corporate billboard.

You can thank the capital side of the equation for this.

Example:

https://andrewchen.com/this-is-what-free-ad-supported-uber-r...

They used to hide it, but because so much money is being made there's no point anymore.

Re: Microsoft pushes ahead with controversial ‘buy now, pay later’ feature for Edge

#182

Post by rappatic »

mbesto wrote: post #181
deergomoo wrote: post #118

I cannot stand how everything with internet access is just becoming a vehicle to shove ads down everyone’s throat. This web browser wants to sell me credit deals. My expensive TV has banner ads in the menus (well, it did until I blocked about two dozen domains). An increasing amount of apps are sending “offers” I never requested via push notifications on my phone. My belongings are not a fucking corporate billboard.

You can thank the capital side of the equation for this. Example: https://andrewchen.com/this-is-what-free-ad-supported-uber-r... They used to hide it, but because so much money is being made there's no point anymore.

That site is a perfect example of this. It actually required me to sign up for the newsletter to even read the article.

Re: Microsoft pushes ahead with controversial ‘buy now, pay later’ feature for Edge

#183

Post by adrr »

slimsag wrote: post #44
Barrin92 wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm honestly not sure how much profit a 2 trillion dollar company is supposed to generate from an interest free pay later browser bloatware feature Even if you're Scrooge McDuck that sounds not worth it

As another said, the goal to increase revenue is per team. The Edge team must likely find proof for how they will drive revenue in the future. Suddenly you've got a full browser engineering team trying to figure out how to monetize a browser - tough sell. So they can't come up with anything, that's fine because a product manager is the owner of this task anyway. They propose a myriad of different ways to monetize Edg…

Sell the default search provider to bing for a few billion dollars. Same way Firefox makes money.

Re: Microsoft pushes ahead with controversial ‘buy now, pay later’ feature for Edge

#184

Post by lukeramsden »

lomoeffect wrote: post #178
wokwokwok wrote: post #173

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> consumer harm If there was a flat limit on the total you could end up paying, maybe… but there isn’t. Giving cheap loans to people who can’t pay them isn’t “just fine”, it’s predatory behaviour. …but anyway, regardless of either of our opinions, it increasingly looks like it’s going to be legally regulated, so, the point is it’s a risky play for Microsoft.

Not really. Anyone who follows the BNPL space knows that it will end up regulated. The UK government has been very clear about this for the last year and are actively consulting on it.

There are also offerings that are already regulated and licensed by the FCA, so as long as you stay within their consumer credit guidelines it's not a "risky play".

Re: Microsoft pushes ahead with controversial ‘buy now, pay later’ feature for Edge

#185

Post by blackbrokkoli »

All these discussion about APR and napkin math and installment is missing the point a bit, in my opinion.

My problem is not even that Edge collects unnecessary and allows what could be called a most intrusive third party add into its browser per se, I am mostly amazed by how incredibly tacky this looks and feels from Microsoft's side.

Like, imagine buying a Lexus and discovering they are advertisements for a cheap off-brand energy drink plastered on the interior.

I find it straight up incredible that Microsoft somewhat achieved to overcome the meme status of its browser after what, fifteen years, and now this? Passing on the the crown of being the lowest common denominator tech joke to someone else, gaining a little bit of market share and even one or two positive reviews in respected outlets...only to risk it all in this weird move of behaving like a shady car salesman for what must a be a double digit million deal at most, right?

Re: Microsoft pushes ahead with controversial ‘buy now, pay later’ feature for Edge

#186

Post by post-it »

rightbyte wrote: post #179
deergomoo wrote: post #118

I cannot stand how everything with internet access is just becoming a vehicle to shove ads down everyone’s throat. This web browser wants to sell me credit deals. My expensive TV has banner ads in the menus (well, it did until I blocked about two dozen domains). An increasing amount of apps are sending “offers” I never requested via push notifications on my phone. My belongings are not a fucking corporate billboard.

> My expensive TV has banner ads in the menus (well, it did until I blocked about two dozen domains) Just wait until Google has pushed everyone into encrypted DNS like they did with HTTP ...

The TV will still need to update its certificates and work on corporate wifi, so there should always be a way to feed it your own certificate and MITM DNS. I think, anyway.

Re: Microsoft pushes ahead with controversial ‘buy now, pay later’ feature for Edge

#187

Post by krisrm »

post-it wrote: post #186
rightbyte wrote: post #179

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> My expensive TV has banner ads in the menus (well, it did until I blocked about two dozen domains) Just wait until Google has pushed everyone into encrypted DNS like they did with HTTP ...

The TV will still need to update its certificates and work on corporate wifi, so there should always be a way to feed it your own certificate and MITM DNS. I think, anyway.

You'll have to pay extra for the "enterprise" TV ;)

Re: Microsoft pushes ahead with controversial ‘buy now, pay later’ feature for Edge

#188

Post by scottcodie »

greenshackle2 wrote: post #68
scottcodie wrote: post #47

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The interest on $35 is only $4 since it is a flat rate not a reoccurring rate.

Right. It's a fixed term loan. Not revolving credit. These 2 loans are mathematically equivalent: $35 at 0% APR, $4 fees, 6 weeks fixed term $35 at 123% APR, $0 fees, 6 weeks fixed term You could argue the high APR loan is worse because interest will be compounding if you miss your payments. But I'm guessing the Zip loan also has late payment fees.

Sure, and generally the shorter the term the larger the APR. Makes it sound a lot scarier, huh?

Re: Microsoft pushes ahead with controversial ‘buy now, pay later’ feature for Edge

#189

Post by iypx »

dmix wrote: post #79
barbazoo wrote: post #11

At first I thought this was about Microsoft applying this payment option to purchases made through its (app) store. This applies to purchases made via Edge on any website. I wonder how they do that, will they fill the credit card details with a virtual CC generated on the fly by Zip?

From my brief research it looks it can generate single-use cards. But they also have retail partners with a more direct option. > As Zip Money has surged in popularity over the years, hundreds of retailers have signed up to join the fun. You can use this BNPL at a range of stores, like Amazon, Target, Harvey Norman, Just Jeans and more. > Zip Money also has a Shop Everywhere^ feature within their app. This allows you…

This was amazing to read.

Everybody will cry out loud whenever they hear anything about crypto or blockchain, yet, give them some "Zip Money" from an *app* and they're suddenly all right.

What a time to be alive...

Re: Microsoft pushes ahead with controversial ‘buy now, pay later’ feature for Edge

#190

Post by kingcharles »

yesplorer wrote: post #28
AlexandrB wrote: post #15

> It allows any purchase between $35 and $1,000 made through Microsoft Edge to be split into four payments over a six-week period. > While the service is being promoted as ‘interest-free’, some were quick to point out that all transactions are subject to a “$4 flat fee”. $4 in fees on $1000 over 6 weeks is an effective APR of around 4% - pretty good. $4 in fees on $35 over 6 weeks is an outrageous APR of around 123%.…

Why does anyone need a payment plan for a $35 item though?

Honestly, I do. I'm that broke. For instance, there are a couple of subscriptions I would take out that are on great sales for Black Friday, but only on their Yearly Payment options, which I can't afford in one lump sum, so I have to continue paying the monthly fees.
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