TeleAid/ATX Group - watch out on renewals
06-16-2010, 01:48 PM
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TeleAid/ATX Group - watch out on renewals
I was hoping to recieve some advice from the forum. I don't use teleaid. Never have. I'm sure it has value for many, just not for me. I have many other services that makes TeleAid redundant. For this reason, I decided not to renew. Or thought I did.
Ah, but not so fast. I "missed" the window to cancel and was automatically renewed on May 25. I discovered the charge on June 7th and attempted to cancel (less than two weeks). The response was basically "tough darts". Even after escalation within their call center. Same answer. I was pretty astounded at this response. I contacted MBAUSA who talked to my dealer. This was equally perplexing as MB outsourced TeleAid to ATX. What the dealer involvement should be regarding my renewal defies logic. No matter, being the good sports they are, they said they would give me a $250 "credit" for service. I appreciate the gesture, but why is the dealer getting shafted in this issue?
I've owned 7 MB's since 1993, so I'm a loyal customer. But when Teleaid tells a customer to go pound sand because I missed the renewal cancellation period by two weeks, something is really wrong. TeleAid doesn't care, because Mbrace is going to replace them. I get that. MBUSA can't force TeleAid to give me a credit because they will get the same response. So in the end, I'm out $240 for a service I haven't and won't use in the future. The dealer is out (but only if I use the credit which is questionable) and MB loses because I won't buy another car from them when they won't stand behind their customers for outsourced services. Oh, and ATX gets a bad rap because I've posted here and will continue to bury their customer service policies. Who wins out of this scenario? ATX because they got one last bite of the apple out of me? Hardly.
Has anyone encountered this and if so, what did you do to get your credit? Aren't their consumer protections laws (yeah, I know, the contract I signed...).
Sorry for the rant, and any help/advice/insight appreciated.
Ah, but not so fast. I "missed" the window to cancel and was automatically renewed on May 25. I discovered the charge on June 7th and attempted to cancel (less than two weeks). The response was basically "tough darts". Even after escalation within their call center. Same answer. I was pretty astounded at this response. I contacted MBAUSA who talked to my dealer. This was equally perplexing as MB outsourced TeleAid to ATX. What the dealer involvement should be regarding my renewal defies logic. No matter, being the good sports they are, they said they would give me a $250 "credit" for service. I appreciate the gesture, but why is the dealer getting shafted in this issue?
I've owned 7 MB's since 1993, so I'm a loyal customer. But when Teleaid tells a customer to go pound sand because I missed the renewal cancellation period by two weeks, something is really wrong. TeleAid doesn't care, because Mbrace is going to replace them. I get that. MBUSA can't force TeleAid to give me a credit because they will get the same response. So in the end, I'm out $240 for a service I haven't and won't use in the future. The dealer is out (but only if I use the credit which is questionable) and MB loses because I won't buy another car from them when they won't stand behind their customers for outsourced services. Oh, and ATX gets a bad rap because I've posted here and will continue to bury their customer service policies. Who wins out of this scenario? ATX because they got one last bite of the apple out of me? Hardly.
Has anyone encountered this and if so, what did you do to get your credit? Aren't their consumer protections laws (yeah, I know, the contract I signed...).
Sorry for the rant, and any help/advice/insight appreciated.
06-16-2010, 10:03 PM
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Here is a really good article that outlines the whole situation.
http://blogs.strategyanalytics.com/auto/?p=113
http://blogs.strategyanalytics.com/auto/?p=113
06-17-2010, 11:58 AM
#4
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Yes, I got the warning letter from tele-aid--this for a car already switched to mBrace.
I called them and advised them of situation and they replied they'd take me off their system.
Doesn't matter that much to me anyway, since the credit card number they have is obsolete in any event.
I called them and advised them of situation and they replied they'd take me off their system.
Doesn't matter that much to me anyway, since the credit card number they have is obsolete in any event.
06-28-2010, 01:02 PM
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As someone mentioned in another thread recently, Teleaid's auto-renewal service was disclosed at contract signing. You had to sign a separate agreement that allowed MB to give Teleaid your contact and billing info, as well as to set up a PIN number. You were also told that if you didn't want auto-renewal, you'd have to call into Teleaid to cancel it... otherwise you'd be auto-charged every year for service.
Honestly, in your situation, I feel that MBUSA stepped up to the plate when they didn't have to. They gave you a $250 credit for something that wasn't their fault or under their control. Honestly, if it was me, I would just call my CC and do a chargeback instead of blaming MBUSA for something that was Teleaid's fault.
Honestly, in your situation, I feel that MBUSA stepped up to the plate when they didn't have to. They gave you a $250 credit for something that wasn't their fault or under their control. Honestly, if it was me, I would just call my CC and do a chargeback instead of blaming MBUSA for something that was Teleaid's fault.
06-28-2010, 01:13 PM
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No... Teleaid will still be around and be able to service MB vehicles that still have their equipment (not switched over to MBrace).
Honestly, after comparing the two services, I personally prefer Teleaid better as their CSR's are more knowledgable and I have more confidence in their abilities. I called MBrace a few times to ask a few questions, but their CSR's seem less-than-professional (ie: using the word "dude") and i had to be transferred 5 times until I finally found someone knowledgable about when 2009 MB vehicles would be able to switch to MBrace and whether we could qualify for the lifetime promotion like 2008-and-earlier vehicles.
Plus, even though MBrace has a couple cool features that Teleaid either doesn't include for free or is slow at rolling out (like an iPhone app to unlock and find your car), MBrace's annual renewal rate is SIGNIFICANTLY higher than Teleaid ($100+ more per year for 2009 vehicle owners who don't qualify for lifetime subscription). Because of that fact alone, if I HAD to go with one of them, I'd go with Teleaid instead of MBrace.
06-28-2010, 01:16 PM
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No... Teleaid will still be around and be able to service MB vehicles that still have their equipment (not switched over to MBrace).
Honestly, after comparing the two services, I personally prefer Teleaid better as their CSR's are more knowledgable and I have more confidence in their abilities. I called MBrace a few times to ask a few questions, but their CSR's seem less-than-professional (ie: using the word "dude") and i had to be transferred 5 times until I finally found someone knowledgable about when 2009 MB vehicles would be able to switch to MBrace and whether we could qualify for the lifetime promotion like 2008-and-earlier vehicles.
Plus, even though MBrace has a couple cool features that Teleaid either doesn't include for free or is slow at rolling out (like an iPhone app to unlock and find your car), MBrace's annual renewal rate is SIGNIFICANTLY higher than Teleaid ($100+ more per year for 2009 vehicle owners who don't qualify for lifetime subscription). Because of that fact alone, if I HAD to go with one of them, I'd go with Teleaid instead of MBrace.
Honestly, after comparing the two services, I personally prefer Teleaid better as their CSR's are more knowledgable and I have more confidence in their abilities. I called MBrace a few times to ask a few questions, but their CSR's seem less-than-professional (ie: using the word "dude") and i had to be transferred 5 times until I finally found someone knowledgable about when 2009 MB vehicles would be able to switch to MBrace and whether we could qualify for the lifetime promotion like 2008-and-earlier vehicles.
Plus, even though MBrace has a couple cool features that Teleaid either doesn't include for free or is slow at rolling out (like an iPhone app to unlock and find your car), MBrace's annual renewal rate is SIGNIFICANTLY higher than Teleaid ($100+ more per year for 2009 vehicle owners who don't qualify for lifetime subscription). Because of that fact alone, if I HAD to go with one of them, I'd go with Teleaid instead of MBrace.
