Cambridgehank

I just received an email telling me about a new app, Ask Mercedes.
The app is only for EClass in the USA.
The email contained an tutorial video. I have not watched the video or tried to use the app.
Did all US customers get this email and app?

ua549

I did not get the email.

Cambridgehank

maybe it is big brother watching me again!

Cambridgehank

here is a review in the Apple App Store from a Mercedes salesman.

Jan 3, 2018

S@lesm@n
All these glowing reviews must’ve been written by corporate shills. I actually sell the cars to people who might use the app and I was excited to give it to a customer who’s picking up an E400W4. I installed it on my phone to try it out beforehand and there’s no way I’m going let the customer know anything about this.
The link to the “digital owners manual” is nothing more than one long photograph of the paper owners manual that doesn’t even flip over into landscape mode when you turn your phone around. But worse, once you scan the car and go to launch the app, you see the home screen with an endless spinning circle and the message “Customizing the app based on your vehicle’s features. Please don’t close.” Nothing ever loads. The circle spins forever and the app is useless. I have an iPhone X with the latest iOS.
It’s embarrassing to have something like this facing the public, especially with the built-in video bragging about “the best or nothing.”

makris0000

I did not get this notification.

achance

I just checked the app store and saw it. It looks like it's for 2018 E-Class and S-Class.
I have a 2017...

The_Judge

New version issued a week ago, according to the iPhone App Store. Avg review 3.9 out of 5. Says it now works with S Class, too.
I try it and report back.

Cambridgehank

Here is a MB World link about the app
https://mbworld.org/articles/ask-mercedes-app/

The app does not work as easily as the article describes.

The_Judge

The app appears to have useful information. You enter or photograph your VIN and it produces a list of your car's features. Going to that list, it gives you a short description of the feature and a link to the manual portion dealing with that feature. That would be more useful if you rotate the pages, but the app lacks that ability — you can enlarge the picture to see about 1/3 of a page on the screen at a time. Or you can simply view and scroll through the entire 483-page manual. Or you can get information about your car's features by essentially scanning your dash with the phone's camera (I guess that's in case you're too dense to figure out what a particular button does). Supposedly you can speak and ask the app questions and get answers, but all I've been able to get is a screen telling me I need to watch a video about how to ask the thing a question — but i can't get the video to play.

Bottom line: it's another rather poor app from MBUSA.

Cambridgehank

I fully agree with your bottom line. With all the unemployed developers and programmers, can't they get their apps to be user friendly?