Whoop Promises Free Upgrades - But Some Users Will Have to Pay to Extend Their Subscriptions (techcrunch.com)
(Sunday May 11, 2025 @05:02PM (EditorDavid)
from the big-Whoop dept.)
- Reference: 0177449445
- News link: https://it.slashdot.org/story/25/05/11/1959255/whoop-promises-free-upgrades---but-some-users-will-have-to-pay-to-extend-their-subscriptions
- Source link: https://techcrunch.com/2025/05/11/fitness-tracker-whoop-faces-unhappy-customers-over-upgrade-policy/
Whoop fitness trackers had promised free upgrades to anyone who'd been a member for at least six months — [1]and then reneged . "After customers began complaining, the company responded with [2]a Reddit post , according to [3]a report from TechCrunch :
> Now, anyone with more than 12 months remaining on their subscription is eligible for a free upgrade to Whoop 5.0 (or a refund if they've already paid the fee). And customers with less than 12 months can extend their subscription to get the upgrade at no additional cost.
Whoop acknowledged that they'd previously said anyone who'd been a member for six months would receive a free upgrade. Friday they described that blog article as "incorrect". ("This was never our policy and should never have been posted... We removed that blog article... We're sorry for any confusion this may have caused.")
TechCrunch explains:
> While the company said it's making these changes because it "heard your feedback," it also suggested that its apparent stinginess was tied to its transition from a [2021] model focused on monthly or six-month subscription plans to one where it only offers 12- and 24-month subscriptions...
>
> There's been a mixed response to these changes on the Whoop subreddit, with one moderator [4]describing it as a "win for the community." Other posters were more skeptical, with one [5]writing , "You don't publish a policy by accident and keep it up for years. Removing it after backlash doesn't erase the fact [that] it is real."
Other changes announced by Whoop:
"If you purchased or renewed a WHOOP 4.0 membership in the last 30 days before May 8, your upgrade fee will be automatically waived at checkout..."
"If you've already upgraded to WHOOP 5.0 on Peak and paid a one-time upgrade fee despite having more than 12 months remaining, we'll refund that fee."
"Thank you for your feedback. We remain committed to delivering the best technology, experience, and value to our community."
[1] https://news.slashdot.org/story/25/05/09/2026235/whoop-angers-users-over-reneged-free-upgrade-promises
[2] https://www.reddit.com/r/whoop/comments/1kj252l/megathread_clarifying_and_updating_our_upgrade/?rdt=38236
[3] https://techcrunch.com/2025/05/11/fitness-tracker-whoop-faces-unhappy-customers-over-upgrade-policy/
[4] https://www.reddit.com/r/whoop/comments/1kj252l/comment/mrjhs2i/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button
[5] https://www.reddit.com/r/whoop/comments/1kj252l/comment/mrjnvv2/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button
> Now, anyone with more than 12 months remaining on their subscription is eligible for a free upgrade to Whoop 5.0 (or a refund if they've already paid the fee). And customers with less than 12 months can extend their subscription to get the upgrade at no additional cost.
Whoop acknowledged that they'd previously said anyone who'd been a member for six months would receive a free upgrade. Friday they described that blog article as "incorrect". ("This was never our policy and should never have been posted... We removed that blog article... We're sorry for any confusion this may have caused.")
TechCrunch explains:
> While the company said it's making these changes because it "heard your feedback," it also suggested that its apparent stinginess was tied to its transition from a [2021] model focused on monthly or six-month subscription plans to one where it only offers 12- and 24-month subscriptions...
>
> There's been a mixed response to these changes on the Whoop subreddit, with one moderator [4]describing it as a "win for the community." Other posters were more skeptical, with one [5]writing , "You don't publish a policy by accident and keep it up for years. Removing it after backlash doesn't erase the fact [that] it is real."
Other changes announced by Whoop:
"If you purchased or renewed a WHOOP 4.0 membership in the last 30 days before May 8, your upgrade fee will be automatically waived at checkout..."
"If you've already upgraded to WHOOP 5.0 on Peak and paid a one-time upgrade fee despite having more than 12 months remaining, we'll refund that fee."
"Thank you for your feedback. We remain committed to delivering the best technology, experience, and value to our community."
[1] https://news.slashdot.org/story/25/05/09/2026235/whoop-angers-users-over-reneged-free-upgrade-promises
[2] https://www.reddit.com/r/whoop/comments/1kj252l/megathread_clarifying_and_updating_our_upgrade/?rdt=38236
[3] https://techcrunch.com/2025/05/11/fitness-tracker-whoop-faces-unhappy-customers-over-upgrade-policy/
[4] https://www.reddit.com/r/whoop/comments/1kj252l/comment/mrjhs2i/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button
[5] https://www.reddit.com/r/whoop/comments/1kj252l/comment/mrjnvv2/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button
So they lied to get more customers (Score:3)
And fixed it by saying it was a mistake when it came time to pay out.
Must be nice to be a company in a market with no sense of consumer protection
Re: (Score:3)
I've never heard of this company. I'm sure they realized the silly promises they made would burn through whatever venture capital they had amassed and have altered the deal (pray they do not alter it further) so that everyone (or at least the management) can ride the gravy train for a few more months before the bubble bursts. They already know that they're dead, but they just want another six months to line up their next job.