A more detailed article on this issue can be found here.
Basically, the “Basic” app functions of this thermostat control were free until, a short while ago, users were greeted by a notification, telling them they would need to pay a 1€/month subscription from now on. Only once you had already entered your payment details and clicked through the payment process, would you be told “lol jk, it was just a social experiment”.
As a German who was taught all the dark times of our nation in school, I can confidently say that us causing the second War To End All Wars is almost as bad as this company’s behaviour.
Obvious hyperbole aside, this is despicable and practices like these must be stomped into extinction like a carelessly tossed cigarette, lest other companies pick up on it and make the world a worse place for everyone but themselves.
It was to figure out if they /really did/ start charging for it, how many people would actually pay.
I hope Tado goes bust because they don’t deserve to survive, treating customers like that.
I’d rather they found a business model that made them stable, rather than exploiting their current customers. Fact is, if they go bust then there’s à bunch of people left high and dry.