Discussion Scenarios

The Automatic Renewal

A service renews annually. The buyer has not reviewed usage, pricing, changed terms, or alternatives.

Discuss:

• Is renewal a continuation or a new purchasing decision?
• When should the reminder have been scheduled?
• What evidence would justify renewal?

The Annual Discount

A rapidly changing product offers a discount for paying a year in advance.

Discuss:

• Does the savings justify reduced flexibility?
• Has the product demonstrated enough stability?

The Unsupported Demonstration

A consumer buys after seeing a feature demonstrated online, then discovers it is unavailable on their device, plan, network, or region.

Discuss:

• What should have been verified?
• What language in the marketing may have signaled limited availability?

The First Major Upgrade

A connected device works well at launch, but its first firmware and mobile-app upgrade causes failures.

Discuss:

• What had the product proven before the upgrade?
• What new evidence does the upgrade provide?

The Silent User Community

Many customers quietly depend on a feature but rarely use the vendor’s forum or feedback tools. The company announces retirement because usage and visible demand appear low.

Discuss:

• Could participation have helped?
• What signals might the company have used?
• Why would participation still not guarantee survival?

The Business Pilot That Never Ended

A small team tries an AI service. Six months later, customer communications, project notes, and internal procedures depend on it.

Discuss:

• When did the experiment become operational?
• What graduation controls are missing?
• What must happen before renewal?

---

Source: labs/consumer-reports-for-emerging-technology/materials/discussion-scenarios.md