DWP

... besides the priceless feeling of knowing that I've made MBUSA $240 richer.

Got my E500 in 9/03 and I let the Tele Aid charge of $240 run through in 9/04 and 9/05, even though I never used it apart from initial activation. "Good insurance", don'tcha know.

Since 9/05 I've used, or tried to use, Tele Aid twice:

1. I got two flat tires from a road hazard on a rural stretch of I-5 in southern Oregon. Since I didn't have two spares with me, I pressed the "wrench" button to summon help. After a few minutes of trying to connect Tele Aid gave up. I took out my Sprint Treo, got coverage immediately and called M-B Roadside Assistance. Sprint provides coverage along even rural stretches of Interstate highways; Tele Aid obviously does not.

2. I discovered a flat tire while the car was parked at my house and, being curious whether Tele Aid would work and assuming that it wouldn't cost extra, I used the Tele Aid "wrench" button again. It did work and Tele Aid dispatched M-B roadside assistance to install the mini-spare. That was last November. Last month, six months later, a Tele Aid charge of $3.20 turned up on my Visa bill. I know that "info" calls cost extra, but turns out that "wrench" calls also cost extra on top of the $240/year.

All I'm getting for my $240/year that I'm sure of is a $15/year reduction in my car insurance for having a theft recovery system. The thought that Tele Aid would respond in an incapacitating accident (assuming Tele Aid cellular coverage) is nice, but how many incapacitating accidents don't have somebody with a cell phone or a cop radio on the scene very soon afterwards? Besides, does Tele Aid totally shut down Tele Aid service for people who aren't currently paid up, even in the case of an air bag deployment?

I'm seriously considering opting out of Tele Aid this time because it really seems like a waste of money, whether I use it or not. Can somebody convince me otherwise? I'm familiar with the "insurance" argument, that insurance is a good thing even if you don't need it, but that argument has limits. A $240/year policy with a maximum payout of maybe $500 and a $250 annual deductible would be no bargain, especially if you're sometimes prevented from filing a "claim", but that's what Tele Aid is looking like to me.

P.S. I had to resist the temptation to title this thread "Sex in my Tele Aid coverage"; that might have attracted more readers.

Musikmann

Hahaha, you made me do it DWP!

I hope somebody answers you, because I don't understand the benefits of Tele-Aid either. I also have the wrench button in my '01 E320 but I have not had their service activated.

Being that I live in a predominantly rural state as well, I lose cellular phone service frequently. So, I have to assume that I would be in the same sad situation as you were if I flattened two tires, or broke down for some other reason, and tried to summon this MB "convenience".

Dvinn

People buy Tel Aid for the same reason they buy the "extra" in store warranty when they buy a dish washer from Best Buy.

Jayhawk

I had it for two or three years, but let it go--in part because I almost never used it and in part because the one time I did use it it was a total loser! I was in the middle of nowhere on a Sunday evening and the "big belt/s" in the engine compartment broke leaving the car dead and dying. I pushed the wrench button and after five minutes someone came on sounding like I just woke them up. They said there was nothing they could do for me and that I should call my dealer. I pointed out that it was Sunday and my dealer was closed, and they told me to call the 800 MBUSA # over my visor. No one answered that either... I ended up calling information for the nearest city w/ an MB dealer and got a tow truck to come get me. I waited three hours for him to arrive and then it took another two hours to get back to the town. I called my home and had someone come pick me up. It was a long day and very late at night when I got home. The only good thing is the MB service place called me at 8am the next morning and said my car was ready to go--NO CHARGE for the fix or the tow. But I did dump Tel Aid after that.

Air Marshall Eldritch

I'm pretty happy with Triple-A and a cell phone, myself.

Big Kahuna

When you drive your car over a cliff, by yourself, unseen by others, and are trapped in the car with every bone in your body broken and are unable to call for help..........automatic deployment of tele-aid will be there for you pinpointing your exact location, notifying local athorities and will stay on the line with you util help arrives......presuming your battery is not damaged in the crash.

You will also be on Leno and have a spot in the latest tele-aid comercial.

Other than that it is useless......

chivas228

Tele Aid is to aid you into spending money (or loosing money, depending how you look at it). really nothing a cell phone can't do.

Musikmann

Good answer

Air Marshall Eldritch

Are there any cliffs in Sacramento?

ANGEL1

no cliffs in Sacramento but we got lots of rivers

if anyone wants test their ride if it floats...........lol

Musikmann

LOL, the old VW beetles used to float for a couple of hours people said and I believe it. I had a '63 that would pop your ears if you closed any of the doors without cracking a window first.

harpz

it'll unlock ur car...u may end up like this poor guy: https://mbworld.org/forums/s-class-w220/155855-locked-key-trunk-roadside-assistance-disaster.html