Studio pass

What is this crap? I paid you money to get access to premium content that comes at a trickle pace and you're asking for a recurring subscription for something I should already be getting?

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brian_martin2001

Many of us older members with premium memberships have had similar reactions. In response to an email I sent, I received the following message:

CHEFSTEPS PREMIUM

ChefSteps Premium gives you access to all of ChefSteps’ cooking classes and recipes. This is a library of cooking knowledge created by classically trained yet modern-thinking chefs. They teach a range of fundamental to highly specialized cooking techniques. This wealth of information exists only on

ChefSteps.com. It’s a one-time $39USD payment for a lifetime membership.

CHEFSTEPS STUDIO PASS

ChefSteps Studio Pass gives you access to the ChefSteps cooking studio in Pike Place Market. We will be offering a stream of new recipes, exclusive to Studio Pass members, as well as behind-the-scenes videos of the team developing and perfecting content. Studio Pass members can also ask questions about recipes and techniques and receive answers directly from the chefs. When you are a Studio Pass member, you will be stepping into the kitchen with Grant and the team. ChefSteps StudioPass is an annual subscription, costing $69 annually.

Now, granted, they do blatantly contradict themselves, however, what were they doing the last several months? Not creating content and laying off their entire workforce. At least with the Breville purchasing them, they are creating content. Some of it is free, theoretically there could be new premium content, and there's the content you need to pay extra to receive. Through 10/6/2019: ChefSteps is offering a 39 USD discount for the first year's subscription for StudioPass to their premium members. This is a response to the almost unanimous malcontent of their premium members. While it may only be a token gesture, at least it's something. Really, the alterative would have been ChefSteps remaining what it was: if Breville hadn't gotten involved, while you wouldn't have to pay anything extra, you probably would not have any new content. Period.

montebello1964

You can get a $39 discount if you signup by the end of the day today.

RhoTu_123458

Tried three times to subscribe. Keeps telling me there is a problem with my card. Works everywhere else. No method to contact anyone.

Jesper_Skovdal_Bertelsen_310551

Same here, just tried to subscribe - there must be something wrong with their payment system right now.

Tiffany_263218

It's dishonest. They can try to frame it any way that they want - but at the end of the day that's what it is.

Agos_183580

I also had a problem with the card, the transaction got flagged and my bank refused it. I had to call my bank and confirm that it was a legit operation.

Jeff_Shewmon_530916

"Thanks!

We hope you'll love ChefSteps Premium."

[redacting personal info]

"You now have unlimited access to all things ChefSteps."

bkeene12

My two cents:

Chefsteps Vers1 was purchased by Breville, re-skinned and the old offer went away. I think we can admit, the initial offer was too good to sustain the business. But! I sure did enjoy what I got out of it while it was available; it was certainly worth more than what I paid for it. We can't expect new ownership to look at the challenges Chefsteps had and expect them to make the same mistake all over again. Hell, I was happy to get the $39 discount!

Regardless, we have ChefSteps/Breville Vers2.0- a completely different business operating under a completely different structure. I think the meat stuff I got today was worth $30 by itself.

cnfarris91

A better token would be X months free of the new service to see whether it's even worth the discounted rate let alone the full price.

Lorraine_Esterling_1040639

Hi @RhoTu_123458,
So sorry you were having issues signing up, please contact our support team and they can help you: support.chefsteps.com.

Lorraine_Esterling_1040639

Hi @Agos_183580,
Sorry that you experienced difficulty signing up. Please contact our support team if you need any further assistance: support.chefsteps.com.

Lorraine_Esterling_1040639

Hi @Jesper_Skovdal_Bertelsen_310551,
Were you able to subscribe? So sorry you were having issues signing up. If you need further help, our support team will be happy to assist you: support.chefsteps.com.

montebello1964

Not to mention, Premium members still get access to all that prior content.

I own some pretty expensive cookbooks, but my favorite reference is ChefSteps (free, Premium, and soon no doubt Studio Pass).

julian.r.locke

I was a premium member but I'm happy to pay this new subscription in order to help make their business viable. They did not seem to be doing well financially under the old system and I would truly miss this platform if it ceased to exist–if this is the cost of keeping them around, so be it.

jamesalanhall

In my opinion ChefStep has two options only, if they want to meet their commitment (and probably legal obligations in terms of service).

Continue as is, and give premium members access to all recipes as they have committed from the outset. The Chefsteps brand has been established and the premium membership is part of this. If they want to continue, and trade off the goodwill and branding, then they have the honour the commitments made under the branding.

The alternative is to close Chefsteps and established a new brand. It's like when a company buys over another company, they take on their debts. You can't pick and choose, you can't take on Chefsteps, profit from the goodwill, brand presence etc and not take on the liabilities (well you can, as appears to be the case here, but you're in breach). The proper way is to close the company, and establish a new brand, so the new brand doesn't have any existing liabilities.

I understand the reasoning behind all this, but a deal is a deal. Personally I'll be happy if they give all recipes access to premium members, and reserve the behind the scenes videos etc for the studio pass.

brian_martin2001

@Nell_Welch_345007 @Lorraine_Esterling_1040639 #SPAM