Anyone else get a chip in the mail?
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Anyone else get a chip in the mail?
I received a "microchip" from someplace claiming to be delivering the chip needed for my Mercedes. They told me I could install it myself or have the dealer do it.
Since most chips are not pluggable and they only provided a hazy picture of were it goes on a circuit board I couldn't find if my life depended on it, I am very suspicious.
Even if I could, I'm certainly not going to install some chip sent by some random person. I've sent an email to my dealer to find out if this is the mysterious Hermes Communications Module. It's a tiny chip (maybe six pins) so I seriously doubt it is the Hermes Module.
But did anyone else get one?
Since most chips are not pluggable and they only provided a hazy picture of were it goes on a circuit board I couldn't find if my life depended on it, I am very suspicious.
Even if I could, I'm certainly not going to install some chip sent by some random person. I've sent an email to my dealer to find out if this is the mysterious Hermes Communications Module. It's a tiny chip (maybe six pins) so I seriously doubt it is the Hermes Module.
But did anyone else get one?
MBWorld God!
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Still curious to see pictures but to be honest, I doubt MB will ever mail the chips to you, they will just send it to the dealership and the dealership will notify you and schedule you an appointment to do the retrofit.
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MBWorld God!
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Can't either but you could consider using Google Lens to translate it in real time. According to Google Lens, it mentions something about a defective SAM module and applies to vehicles including MBs sold in Taiwan.
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Thread Starter
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No. I never have. I don't know how they got my name and address. It is weirdly specific that I recently bought a new Mercedes and I'm waiting for some additional feature the dealer promised. But nothing else about it makes sense. Still waiting to hear from my MB salesman.
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Joined: Nov 2017
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From: Hermosa Beach, California
2018 E400 Coupe
Two things:
1. Google finds an Arrowhead Electronics in Great Falls, Montana; it does not find a company by that name in Tempe Arizona.
2. Although the English in the letter is better than in the typical scam, I note a few misuses of commas and hyphens (e.g., "Enclosed, please find..." and "micro-chips" and Mercedes-Benz). To me that suggests a foreign writer, not a legitimate company in Arizona.
1. Google finds an Arrowhead Electronics in Great Falls, Montana; it does not find a company by that name in Tempe Arizona.
2. Although the English in the letter is better than in the typical scam, I note a few misuses of commas and hyphens (e.g., "Enclosed, please find..." and "micro-chips" and Mercedes-Benz). To me that suggests a foreign writer, not a legitimate company in Arizona.
MBWorld God!
Joined: Dec 2019
Posts: 32,331
Likes: 6,312
Two things:
1. Google finds an Arrowhead Electronics in Great Falls, Montana; it does not find a company by that name in Tempe Arizona.
2. Although the English in the letter is better than in the typical scam, I note a few misuses of commas and hyphens (e.g., "Enclosed, please find..." and "micro-chips" and Mercedes-Benz). To me that suggests a foreign writer, not a legitimate company in Arizona.
1. Google finds an Arrowhead Electronics in Great Falls, Montana; it does not find a company by that name in Tempe Arizona.
2. Although the English in the letter is better than in the typical scam, I note a few misuses of commas and hyphens (e.g., "Enclosed, please find..." and "micro-chips" and Mercedes-Benz). To me that suggests a foreign writer, not a legitimate company in Arizona.
Thread Starter
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Service Manager at my dealer says they have never heard of these guys. Don't install. Again, not that I would (or could given these crappy instructions) have installed a chip from some rando.
If I'm feeling adventurous, I night snail-mail back to say WTF. Or I might just crush the chip and drop the remains in the trash.
If I'm feeling adventurous, I night snail-mail back to say WTF. Or I might just crush the chip and drop the remains in the trash.
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Well this is embarrassing.
This was in fact fake. How do I know? Because it was my "friends" that punked me.
While telling my story to a few friends last night, they almost died laughing at me and then admitted that they, in cahoots with someone who wasn't there, had in fact hatched the scheme to bust my ***** over the fact that I paid $80,000 for a car with missing parts.
My other friend was actually due to take a business trip to Arizona and hatched the scheme to address the mail from there. One of my other friend's came up with idea to have all the instruction be written in Chinese. Together they fabricated the whole thing and sent me the letter from Arizona.
They intended to tell me before I contacted the dealership and embarrassed myself, but we didn't end up seeing each other in time. So now I've fully embarrassed myself at the dealership AND online.
Have to admit that was a hell of a prank. They got me, but good.
Sorry if I've caused any consternation on this board. I'll go away and shut up now.
This was in fact fake. How do I know? Because it was my "friends" that punked me.
While telling my story to a few friends last night, they almost died laughing at me and then admitted that they, in cahoots with someone who wasn't there, had in fact hatched the scheme to bust my ***** over the fact that I paid $80,000 for a car with missing parts.
My other friend was actually due to take a business trip to Arizona and hatched the scheme to address the mail from there. One of my other friend's came up with idea to have all the instruction be written in Chinese. Together they fabricated the whole thing and sent me the letter from Arizona.
They intended to tell me before I contacted the dealership and embarrassed myself, but we didn't end up seeing each other in time. So now I've fully embarrassed myself at the dealership AND online.
Have to admit that was a hell of a prank. They got me, but good.
Sorry if I've caused any consternation on this board. I'll go away and shut up now.
Member
Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 128
Likes: 19
From: Nolensville,TN. USA
E 450 4matic cab MY22
I really have nothing to add. But I just wanted to comment that this is one of the most complex attempts at a scam I have ever seen! Can't imagine what the payoff for the scammer could be. Quite a conversation piece though.
MBWorld God!
Joined: Dec 2019
Posts: 32,331
Likes: 6,312
Well this is embarrassing.
This was in fact fake. How do I know? Because it was my "friends" that punked me.
While telling my story to a few friends last night, they almost died laughing at me and then admitted that they, in cahoots with someone who wasn't there, had in fact hatched the scheme to bust my ***** over the fact that I paid $80,000 for a car with missing parts.
My other friend was actually due to take a business trip to Arizona and hatched the scheme to address the mail from there. One of my other friend's came up with idea to have all the instruction be written in Chinese. Together they fabricated the whole thing and sent me the letter from Arizona.
They intended to tell me before I contacted the dealership and embarrassed myself, but we didn't end up seeing each other in time. So now I've fully embarrassed myself at the dealership AND online.
Have to admit that was a hell of a prank. They got me, but good.
Sorry if I've caused any consternation on this board. I'll go away and shut up now.
This was in fact fake. How do I know? Because it was my "friends" that punked me.
While telling my story to a few friends last night, they almost died laughing at me and then admitted that they, in cahoots with someone who wasn't there, had in fact hatched the scheme to bust my ***** over the fact that I paid $80,000 for a car with missing parts.
My other friend was actually due to take a business trip to Arizona and hatched the scheme to address the mail from there. One of my other friend's came up with idea to have all the instruction be written in Chinese. Together they fabricated the whole thing and sent me the letter from Arizona.
They intended to tell me before I contacted the dealership and embarrassed myself, but we didn't end up seeing each other in time. So now I've fully embarrassed myself at the dealership AND online.
Have to admit that was a hell of a prank. They got me, but good.
Sorry if I've caused any consternation on this board. I'll go away and shut up now.
It is also not fully MB's fault that they couldn't secure chips given the current circumstances but I do blame MB for canceling the chip orders when competitors like BMW didn't, which allow BMW to have almost a year additional supply of chips and thus being ahead of MB in that regard.
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: May 2018
Posts: 1,432
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From: Illinois
2021 c300 Cab. Arrived 7/28/21 . 24 GLE 450e.
Not your fault at all but why is the letter in a different language? They should at least write it in German to make it more authentic. A lot of chips are provided by Bosch too so it should definitely be German.
It is also not fully MB's fault that they couldn't secure chips given the current circumstances but I do blame MB for canceling the chip orders when competitors like BMW didn't, which allow BMW to have almost a year additional supply of chips and thus being ahead of MB in that regard.
It is also not fully MB's fault that they couldn't secure chips given the current circumstances but I do blame MB for canceling the chip orders when competitors like BMW didn't, which allow BMW to have almost a year additional supply of chips and thus being ahead of MB in that regard.
MBWorld God!
Joined: Dec 2019
Posts: 32,331
Likes: 6,312
Didn't say they aren't affected but I was saying they did had a supply of chips left when they didn't cancel the order back when everything first started as I read somewhere, so they were good for at least half a year.
Junior Member
Joined: Jan 2022
Posts: 31
Likes: 8
2018 E450
Well this is embarrassing.
This was in fact fake. How do I know? Because it was my "friends" that punked me.
While telling my story to a few friends last night, they almost died laughing at me and then admitted that they, in cahoots with someone who wasn't there, had in fact hatched the scheme to bust my ***** over the fact that I paid $80,000 for a car with missing parts.
My other friend was actually due to take a business trip to Arizona and hatched the scheme to address the mail from there. One of my other friend's came up with idea to have all the instruction be written in Chinese. Together they fabricated the whole thing and sent me the letter from Arizona.
They intended to tell me before I contacted the dealership and embarrassed myself, but we didn't end up seeing each other in time. So now I've fully embarrassed myself at the dealership AND online.
Have to admit that was a hell of a prank. They got me, but good.
Sorry if I've caused any consternation on this board. I'll go away and shut up now.
This was in fact fake. How do I know? Because it was my "friends" that punked me.
While telling my story to a few friends last night, they almost died laughing at me and then admitted that they, in cahoots with someone who wasn't there, had in fact hatched the scheme to bust my ***** over the fact that I paid $80,000 for a car with missing parts.
My other friend was actually due to take a business trip to Arizona and hatched the scheme to address the mail from there. One of my other friend's came up with idea to have all the instruction be written in Chinese. Together they fabricated the whole thing and sent me the letter from Arizona.
They intended to tell me before I contacted the dealership and embarrassed myself, but we didn't end up seeing each other in time. So now I've fully embarrassed myself at the dealership AND online.
Have to admit that was a hell of a prank. They got me, but good.
Sorry if I've caused any consternation on this board. I'll go away and shut up now.
Member
Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 128
Likes: 19
From: Nolensville,TN. USA
E 450 4matic cab MY22
I really have nothing to add. But I just wanted to comment that this is one of the most complex attempts at a scam I have ever seen! Can't imagine what the payoff for the scammer could be. Quite a conversation piece though.
