Peloton is making users cough up $40 a month just to use their Tread+

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Peloton recently issued a recall for its treadmills after multiple reports of injuries and even the death of a child. As part of that recall, users who kept the Tread+ treadmill were hit with some bad news.

According to Vice, Peloton Tread+ owners got quite the surprise in their email inboxes following a new safety update pushed to the treadmills. As part of the new update aimed at enhancing the safety of the Tread+ treadmill, users were surprised to find that they could no longer run on the treadmill without paying a $40 per month subscription fee to Peloton.

That’s right, the treadmill that generally costs anywhere from $2,500 to $4,000 has been rendered obsolete unless you want to pay another $40 every month. The email written to Peloton’s customers said this:

“We care deeply about the safety and well-being of our Members and we created Tread Lock to secure your Tread+ against unauthorized access. Unfortunately at this time ‘Just Run’ is no longer accessible without a Peloton Membership.”

Now, this email does say the Just Run feature is no longer accessible without a membership “at this time,” implying that there are plans to get rid of this stipulation. However, the company did offer users three free months of the Peloton Membership, so chances are that won’t be addressed any time soon.

READ MORE: Peloton finally learns most people don’t give a damn about pricey fitness equipment

The new safety feature is a good one, even if it is also locked behind the subscription fee. Tread Lock, as it’s called, automatically locks the Tread+ after you put it to sleep or 45 seconds after its use.

This seems like a smart function to have, but there’s no reason why you should have to pay $40 a month for a Peloton Membership so your treadmill will lock itself. Hopefully, the company will soon be able to integrate this safety feature without the need for a membership.

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