Written by: Sifan Xing

Source: Bowang Finance

As a star product under Kingsoft, WPS has always been favored by users for its convenience and practicality. Currently, its products have users in over 200 countries and regions worldwide, with over 500 million monthly active users. In the domestic office software market, WPS holds a market share of over 90%, making it a dominant player.

However, while gaining numerous users, WPS has also faced increasing complaints from consumers.

Following questions raised about its privacy policy last year, WPS's nested membership charging practices, vague charging standards, and disrespect for user choices have sparked serious dissatisfaction among consumers. After being named and criticized by Xinhua News Agency, the controversy escalated, and WPS was once again thrust into the forefront of controversy, plunging into a whirlwind of public opinion.

01

The Short-sightedness of Nested Charging Practices

According to Bowang Finance, WPS's membership system includes multiple levels such as regular members, super members, AI members, etc., with each level corresponding to different rights and functions.

However, some users have discovered that even after purchasing advanced memberships, they still need to pay extra for newly launched features. For example, the newly launched AI function, which was originally promised to be free for super member Pro users, has turned into a paid value-added service.

User "Blue Fatty" said: "I switched to WPS after starting work and have been a member for many years, with my membership expiring in 2029. From the original basic membership to super membership, there are also grand members, AI members, etc. It's really unaffordable now."

In addition, Kingsoft Office has made significant adjustments to its membership products and pricing system twice within a year, which is generally uncommon for mature large enterprises. Essentially, this reflects a lack of respect for consumer rights.

When searching for WPS on Heimao Complaints, the author found that the number of consumer complaints reached 10,090, mostly regarding unauthorized deductions, nested charging, and false advertising.

In fact, in addition to office software, video apps and TV sets have also experienced severe nested charging practices in recent years.

The return of Tencent's hit drama "The Celebration of Life 2" after five years sparked widespread discussion on the internet. Apart from viewers' anticipation and discussion of the plot, the large number of overlay advertisements and nested charging practices in the drama have been criticized by netizens. Many netizens said: "Even if you buy VIP, there are still many advertisements. If you want to watch an extra episode, even VIP users need to upgrade to SVIP."

With increasing expenses and no real effective improvement in rights, many users are dissatisfied with this opportunistic behavior of video platforms. Even some viewers have taken Tencent Video and iQIYI to court.

Additionally, according to relevant data from the Consumer Protection Platform under the China Electronics Chamber of Commerce, the number of complaints against video platforms has been increasing from 2021 to 2023, reaching a total of 11,942 complaints in 2023, a year-on-year increase of 98.34%. Since 2024, the number of complaints has continued to grow, with the Consumer Protection Platform receiving 5,884 complaints against video platforms, involving a total amount of 19.27 million yuan.

Automatic renewal, false advertising, refund disputes, and issues with membership rights have become the main complaints facing video platforms. The nested charging practices of previous internet TVs have made the experience of most TV users very poor, and "not knowing how to use," "unaffordable," and "very troublesome" have become common feelings. Now, it seems that more and more companies are following suit, making nested charging practices a norm.

02

Is the Cost of AI Services Too High?

In response to user质疑, a relevant person in charge