What BMW dealers and I have in common

Imagine you go to your BMW dealer and say: "Listen, I bought the 3 Series two years ago, but somehow I never got around to driving it. It's still sitting untouched in the garage. Now the new model is out - can't you just give me the new one? It wasn't my fault that I never got to use the old one."

The dealer would probably think for a moment whether you're making a particularly creative attempt to override the laws of physics and capitalism.

Sounds absurd? I think so too. Nevertheless, that's exactly what happened to me a while ago - not with a car, but with one of my TYPO3 video courses.

The email that challenged my understanding of logic

A customer wrote to tell me that he had bought one of my courses over two years ago. For various reasons, he had never got around to watching a single video. Now there was a new course on the subject and could I offer him a free upgrade? After all, he had never used the old one.

I sat there for a moment and let this logic sink in. It has something. If you completely ignore how the world works.

The argument follows the same pattern as: "I haven't been to the hairdresser for two years - but now I'm entitled to three haircuts for free." Or: "My fridge was full the whole time, I couldn't eat the pizza - a new one please."

The magical difference between bits and tin

What really fascinates me: When it comes to digital products, some people develop their very own economic theory. "It's just a file, it doesn't cost the provider anything," I hear. As if my video course had materialized on my hard drive by divine inspiration.

Let's be honest - let's do the math:

My video course consists of months of planning, weeks of recording and editing, 19 years of TYPO3 experience and constant support for questions. But of course, it costs nothing. Just like the BMW is just a bit of sheet metal and plastic that happened to collapse into the shape of a car.

The only real difference between my course and a BMW? My course doesn't need an oil change and doesn't lose value when you drive it out of the garage. In fact, it's a better investment.

The irony of digital appreciation

The paradox of the whole story: my two-year-old TYPO3 course is still highly topical. TYPO3 v12 runs on thousands of websites, the concepts are valid, the solutions work. A two-year-old BMW, on the other hand, has already lost a lot of value, even if it was only in the garage.

Nevertheless, nobody would think of asking the car dealer for a free upgrade. Apparently, other laws of nature apply to digital products. Perhaps I should ask Newton whether there is a special law of gravity for downloads.

My reaction: customer-friendly, but not selfless

Of course I replied politely. There is no free upgrade. But like all previous course participants, he received a discounted upgrade offer.

Why? Because I value customer service and am a fair business partner. Not because digital products are worth less or because I have a guilty conscience. It's because I value my customers - even those who take two years to find a play button.

What we can learn from this

For all providers of digital products: Your work has the same value as physical products. Don't let anyone tell you that bits and bytes are worth less than tin and plastic. Your time, knowledge and expertise are real - even if you can't touch them.

For all buyers: a purchase is a purchase. You are buying the opportunity to use it, not the guarantee that you will actually use it. It's like going to the gym - no one refunds the fee just because you didn't follow through on your good intentions.

The real value lies in the application

Digital products even have some advantages over physical ones: they don't break, don't need storage space or insurance and are always available. In my TYPO3 course, you will learn skills that nobody can take away from you. They stay in your head, become even more valuable over time and help you to implement better projects.

The next time you buy an online course, use it. Not "someday", not "when I have time" - but now. The real value doesn't come when you buy it, but when you use it. And if you offer digital products yourself: stand by your value. You are not a digital charity, but an expert who passes on his knowledge in a structured way.

That's worth more than any BMW. And definitely more economical in terms of consumption.