mg-E550

Has anyone tried out the new MBRACE plus yet? Was in a parking garage and was still able to connect and have directions beamed to the navi system. Was surprised at how quickly/easily it works. I guess question is will it be worth paying $500 and change a year to keep it.

jumper4000

Well, beaming directions works with the regular MBRACE as well, so you don't need MBRACE Plus for that. The only things u get extra with the Plus are, Weather, Route assistance, and concierge service... MBRACE uses Verizon's cellular service, so it'll work where ever they have reception. I'm using the free trial for 6 months, but I don't think I'll keep it. At least, not the Plus service.

bigevil

apparently for all of us who bought our cards before Nov 17th we're STUCK with teleaid for a year, I tried switching and we're NOT allowed!!

sosh

Have teleaid in my new 2010 ML550. When I made the introductary call they said I could get routes, directions, concierge servie, etc. All at no charge additional. I have the free one year and suscribed for the 2nd year. So far I see no difference between MBRACE and Teleaid. I guess I will find out more when I take delivery of my new E in early Feb.

bigevil

only REAL difference is the company servicing them and also the fact that mercedes teleaid's search and send seems to no longer work with google since mBrace took over.

220S

Here's the official word:
"Service is available on any vehicle equipped with a digital Telematics Control Unit (in general, vehicles produced since Model Year 2005, and earlier models that received an analog-to-digital upgrade), EXCEPT vehicles retailed from November 16, 2008, through November 15, 2009. Mercedes-Benz mbrace service will be available for those vehicles beginning November 16, 2010."

However the big problem is for people with a one year contract (free from MB when you buy the car) who purchased their vehicle between Nov 2008 and Nov 2009. You will not be able to convert to Mbrace until Nov 2010.

It's a contractual agreement between MBUSA and TeleAid. So, owners are out of luck and will have no service between the time their TeleAid expires and Nov 2010 (when they can get Mbrace.)

Also those folks cannot take advantage of the Mbrace $299 lifetime deal. Because they can't get Mbrace until Nov 2010.

If you talk to either TeleAid or Mbrace, they are upset that nobody saw ahead to get the contract sorted out to the consumer's benefit. Another MBUSA short sighted blunder.

bigevil

thanks for laying it out clearly, and yes, this is absurd. I'm going to start looking into some consumer rights loopholes(especially here in California) because our services are no longer functioning as described. Without search and send Tele-aid is just a very very slow and unstable cell phone connection to some fool near a computer.

220S

OT: bigevil, I think you missed this post of mine.... https://mbworld.org/forums/3845829-post9.html

ET or AL or......

chokaay

Please let me know if you find out anything... I gave MBRACE a call a couple weeks ago and was also told I couldn't sign up for the $299 lifetime plan. I asked if I could sign up in advance, or if there was some way to lock in the rate for us, but they said there was no way for them to do that...

bigevil

just got off phone with customer service, we're toast. nothing they can do because of their exclusive contract with teleaid.